Criminology and Criminal Psychology, BSc Hons at University of Greenwich

Our criminology and criminal psychology degree is aimed at anyone interested in crime, psychology and the criminal justice system.

Study topics provide a clear introduction to criminology and criminal psychology. You will cover a range of issues, including offender profiling, stalking, psychopathology, gender, race and discrimination, crime scene investigation, and terrorism. You also have the option to put your learning into practice through a work placement in a prison setting or with an agency connected to the Criminal Justice System.

Popular careers for our criminology graduates include policy, research, the police force, social care and welfare. Our graduates have also gone on to work for UK Visas and Immigration and HM Revenue and Customs.

What you should know about this course

•  This course offers a unique fusion of two of the most exciting contemporary academic disciplines
•  It covers the understanding of the nature, causes and reactions to crime, alongside a comprehensive overview of criminal psychology.
•  You will explore social and state responses and methods of control by integrating major theoretical paradigms in the field of criminology.
•  The optional work placement modules can be in a prison setting or with an agency that is part of / complementary to the Criminal Justice System..
•  This degree does not provide British Psychological Society (BPS) recognition or accreditation. However, graduates of this course who are accepted on to and then successfully complete our MSc Psychology conversion degree will receive Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS. (The MSc has specific entry requirements.)

Careers and placements

Will I have a work placement?

Students wishing to take exciting practice-based modules will be subject to an application process.

If you are selected for the 'Inside and Outside Perspectives on Criminology and Criminal Justice' module, you will study criminology alongside people currently serving prison sentences at the prison itself.

If you are selected for the work placement, 'Criminology, the Community and Work-Based Practice', you will volunteer in an agency that is either part of, or complementary to, the Criminal Justice System. For example, some of our students are currently placed with the prison service, while others are with Crimestoppers.

How long is my placement?

Students selected for the work placement option will typically attend the placement for one day a week during the scheduled teaching weeks of the final year.

What are the financial arrangements?

Credit-bearing work placements are unpaid.

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

The skills you acquire through studying our courses will prepare you for careers in a wide range of industries and jobs.

Graduates of this course have gone on to careers with the National Offender Management Service, the Police, Probation Service, Prison Service, court systems and forensic services. They have also worked for UK Visas and Immigration and HM Revenue and Customs.

Please note: This degree does not provide British Psychological Society (BPS) recognition or accreditation. However, graduates of this course who are accepted on to and then successfully complete our MSc Psychology conversion degree will receive Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS. (The MSc has specific entry requirements.)

Are internships available?

There may be work experience opportunities, but students are encouraged to gain relevant work experience if possible, including internships. Students are responsible for finding their own internships, though we will support you through the application process.

Do you provide employability services?

Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible. The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops.

Each School also has its own Employability Officer who provides specific opportunities relevant to your own course. They work closely with professionals in the industry to ensure you are well-prepared for the workplace and have already begun to build your professional network by the time you graduate.