Psychology (Criminal Behaviour)
University of Wolverhampton
UCAS Code: C816 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of Wolverhampton
UCAS Code: C816 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (96 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at merit)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
This course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of both general psychological theory and its application in criminal and forensic settings. You will be exposed to a wide range of applied and research topics, along with students studying general psychology, and will then be given the opportunity to learn about the applications of this knowledge in forensic settings.
Why do people commit crimes? This course aims to help you answer that question. In the final level (your third year if you study full time), you will get to choose a number of optional, specialist modules. We run a slightly different range of specialist modules each year, depending on staff expertise. Please view a list of our staff, staff list. Other information about the department is here.
The course places emphasis on a problem-based learning approach. Right from the start, you will gain knowledge and skills through hands-on work with psychological data, examining issues from across the spectrum of human psychology, but especially those pertaining to criminal and forensic areas of psychology. You will also examine various philosophical approaches to psychology in order to be able to evaluate, critique and question current psychological thinking.
In Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton, we have the philosophy that it is research which defines both the discipline and the specialisms within it. With this in mind students choosing to study the BSc Psychology (Criminal Behaviour) course will follow a path which focuses on applying both methodologies and theory specific to this area. In the final year of study, you will also take a module which looks specifically at the skills and knowledge required for potential career paths as a psychologist specialising in aspects of the study of criminal behaviour.
A number of our graduates go on to train as Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologists, to work in the NHS as trainee cognitive behavioural therapists, or to work in other helping professions such as social work. If you are interested in pursuing a career in the police force, intelligence services, or prison service, you may find this specialised route particularly appealing.
However, by choosing this specialist course, you will not be restricting your future career opportunities either within or outside of psychology and in addition have the respect conferred by a BPS-accredited degree. Each year, our graduates go on to apply the knowledge they have gained with us to a wide range of jobs in the private, public and non-profit sectors.
The Uni
University of Wolverhampton
School of Psychology
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Psychology (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Psychology (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£15k
£19k
£20k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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