September 2024

Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons)

Honours Degree, Undergraduate, September 2024

Key Details

  • C816 Course Code
  • 3 Years
  • 112 Typical UCAS Tariff
british psychological society accredited course

This is an exciting opportunity to study a BSc Forensic Psychology programme at Birmingham Newman University. If you are interested in what drives some people to commit crime, from everyday offences to high profile cases, this course may be for you.

The programme provides a comprehensive grounding in the major psychological approaches to the study of human behaviour. You’ll explore the core areas of psychology to help you understand criminal behaviour – biological, cognitive, social, individual differences, developmental, research methods, conceptual and historical issues. You’ll combine this knowledge with bespoke Forensic Psychology modules at each level of the degree to gain  an understanding of forensic psychology across a range of criminal behaviours.

GBC

This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), thus students gaining at least a Lower Second Class Honours Degree are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the BPS, which means you will have taken your first step towards becoming a professional psychologist.

Want to do something more counselling-based? Or with Forensics, Children or Criminology? Take a look at our other Psychology courses.

  • Develop an understanding of psychology within forensic investigation
  • Explore the before and after of crime
  • Bespoke modules focusing on forensic psychology
  • Develop knowledge of psychological tools used within psychology and forensic settings

During your first year of study (level 4), you will be introduced to the foundations of psychology, which will provide an overview of the main areas of study within this discipline. You will also be introduced to the core skills required to succeed in studying psychology, as well as an overview of research methods and some key literature within the discipline of psychology.  Alongside this, you will learn how key areas of psychology are used to explain offending behaviour.

In the second year (level 5), you will deepen your understanding of psychological research methods, as well as exploring in more depth the core areas of psychology such as social, individual differences, cognitive, biological, research methods and developmental psychology, while deepening your understanding of forensic psychology by studying modules that focus on the importance of psychology in the criminal justice system. This modules will cover key topics related to forensic psychology, from identifying risk factors before an offence takes place to supporting an individual through probation.

In the final year (level 6), you will conduct your own research project, exploring an area of specific interest to yourself relating to this programme of study. In this year you will also develop your knowledge further of the field of Forensic Psychology.

 

One 20 credit module equates to 36 hours of scheduled contact time and 164 hours of independent learning. Each year you will study 120 credits.

The psychology degree programme uses a wide variety of assessments, designed to help you develop a range of skills that will be invaluable in the modern professional workplace. Assessment methods vary from research reports, interventions, proposals, portfolios, presentations, posters, critiques, and case studies. There are no examinations on this programme.

This degree is the first step toward a fulfilling, challenging and exciting career.

This degree is relevant to a broad range of careers. Graduates may find themselves working within the criminal justice system, such as the prison and probation services, or  organisations concerned with the care and resettlement of offenders, victim support, crime prevention, social care and social justice for example.

Students gaining at least a Lower Second Class Honours Degree are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS), which means you will have taken your first step towards becoming a professional psychologist. Thus, following postgraduate training, students can enter the various psychological professions with psychology such as, clinical, occupational, educational, counselling, forensic, health and sport psychology. Students can also pursue an academic career and may progress into a PhD. Due to the wide range of generic skills, and the rigour with which they are taught, training in psychology is an excellent foundation that supports entry into a broad range of careers. In addition to subject skills and knowledge, you will also develop skills in communication, numeracy, teamwork, critical thinking, computing, independent learning, and many others, all of which are highly valued by employers.

Please note that this degree does not qualify you to practise as a forensic psychologist – although it provides ideal preparation for the additional training required.

Birmingham Newman University is located in Britain’s second city – Birmingham. With one of the youngest city populations in Europe, it is a vibrant and dynamic place to study.

Studying at Newman University, you have the advantage of being near to the city, but living in, or commuting to peaceful and comfortable surroundings on campus.

Dining out

Birmingham has lots of wonderful places to dine out with a range of different cuisines. Places where you can dine out include; Brindley Place, Mailbox and Hagley Road (just 10 minutes’ from Newman).

Entertainment

Whether you like to go to; the theatre, gigs or clubs, or enjoy: sports, shopping visiting art galleries or exhibitions – Birmingham will not disappoint and you will be spoilt for choice!

Location

Getting around Birmingham is easy via train, bus or by car. Birmingham has excellent transport links to the rest of Britain, making it easy for those weekend getaways!

Why not explore the city for yourself by visiting one of our Open Days?

Want to find out more about Birmingham? Then take a look at some Birmingham City Secrets.

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Entry Requirements

You must achieve at least  112 UCAS points including a minimum of CC at A level or equivalent (e.g.MM at BTEC Diploma; MPP at BTEC Extended Diploma) towards the total tariff.

As it is not possible to achieve 104 UCAS points through an Access course, Access Students will need 112 UCAS points. You can reach this with the following combination of Distinction, Merit and/ or Pass grades at level 3 achieved from a completed Access course. 112 UCAS Points: D27-M0-P18; D124-M6-P15; D21-M12-P12; D18-M18-P9; D15-M24-P6; D12-M24-P3; D9-M36-P0.

Five GCSEs at grade 4 (or C) or above (or recognised equivalents), including English Language and Mathematics, are also required.

For applicants who are unsure that they will achieve the above UCAS tariff, Newman University offers Forensic Psychology (with Foundation Year) which enables such applicants to access a university degree via a four-year route. Upon successful completion of their foundation year, students will progress to Year 1 of a named degree. Whilst not a condition of entry onto the Foundation Year, students wishing to follow named routes with additional entry requirements, will need to meet these requirements before they make the transition from their foundation year to year 1.

International Students
The University is not licenced by the UK Government to sponsor migrant students under the Student route and is therefore unable to accept applications from international students at present.

Applying Direct Option

You can apply direct to Newman University for this course if you have not previously applied to Newman University through UCAS and you are not applying to any other universities.

Simply click on this Direct Application link to do this for this September.

September 2025 Direct Application link

N.B. will need to enter ‘New User’ account details when first accessing this portal.

Course Fees

Fees per academic year:
Full-time UK students: £9,250 *

* Fees shown are for 2024/25 academic year. The University will review tuition fees and increase fees in line with any inflationary uplift as determined by the UK Government, if permitted by law or government policy, on enrolment and in subsequent years of your course. It is anticipated that such increases would be linked to RPI (the Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments).

Additional Costs

During the degree you may wish to purchase core texts (a limited numbers of copies are available in the library and where possible online texts have been purchased). At times throughout your degree, you may need to print or photocopy material. There may also be additional costs associated with data collection depending on the research undertaken for example printing of questionnaires.

Find out more about the other additional costs associated with our undergraduate degrees. 

Modules

Please be aware that, as with any course, there may be changes to the modules delivered, for information view our Changes to Programmes of Module Changes page.

Timetables: find out when information is available to students

 

  1. This module aims to introduce students to the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. The core principles and skills within psychology inquiry and learning will be explored.  It aims to define psychology and provide understanding of evidence-based psychological practice, and the implications of research methodology behind the evidence base, for assessing individual sources contribution to developing knowledge. Students will be introduced to key methodologies within psychology research and explore the philosophical stance underpinning these methodologies. In addition, this module aims to identify academic skills needed to succeed in a psychology degree course and will focus on the development of ethical, legal, reflective and academic practice within psychology. Students will explore their personal development of learning through the application of psychological theories and concepts with an emphasis on developing a coherent skill set based on critical thinking and deeper understanding of empirical psychological science. Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.  Implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.
  2. This module provides students with a broad introduction to the history of psychology as a scientific discipline. A number of different psychological perspectives will be introduced, for example, psychobiological, cognitive, behaviourist, psychodynamic, social constructionist, and students will be expected to apply and evaluate the application of such perspectives to important contemporary issues, such as drug addiction, violent behaviour, mental illness, etc. Research skills will be developed through the use of online databases and other library resources. Students will receive training in using e-resources such as Powerpoint and Panopto to produce presentations, and in using information resources.  Introductory consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence base explored within the module. Implications of the module requirements for student employability will also be considered. Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.
  3. This course will introduce students to a number of influential early studies, positions, debates, movements and controversies in psychology.  The module will demonstrate how these early studies, positions, debates, movements and controversies are still relevant to psychology today.  Students' understandings of these positions will be illustrated through reference to classic studies, debates and controversies on topics such as tyranny and the Stanford Prison Study, Milgram's 'obedience' studies, Social Learning, classical and operant conditioning and intelligence testing.
  4. This module offers an introduction to a range of applications in psychology and explores the various professional pathways in psychology practice. It aims to enhance knowledge of the application of psychological theory to the real world and examines the role of evidence-based practice and scientific method in guiding the work of professionals in a range of applied contexts, such as health, legal, organisational and educational settings. This module aims to develop the employability of students through an enhanced awareness of the range of available career pathways open to psychology graduates. The role of regulatory bodies such as British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) are explored in relation to professional development and practice.  Consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence based explored within this module.   Implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.
  1. This module will consolidate and extend students’ knowledge and skills relating to quantitative research methods that were developed in PYU416. Students will extend their knowledge of simple experimental designs to more complex factorial designs involving two or more independent variables, and/or multiple dependent variables, whilst undertaking, interpreting, and reporting suitable univariate and multivariate ANOVA-based data analyses. Similarly, simple linear regression will be extended to multiple linear regression, whilst introducing partial and semi-partial correlation, and in addition to undertaking, interpreting, and reporting such analysis, students will consider the role and utility of this approach in addressing research questions. Ideas relating to factor analysis and its influence and role within psychology that were introduced in PYU416 will be extended, and students will undertake and interpret principal component analysis. Issues of reliability and validity in conjunction with factor analytic and reliability analysis will be developed in the context of psychometric assessment. Data screening and the many and complex assumptions underlying the analyses covered within this module will be considered, and students will use appropriate techniques to evaluate the extent to which such assumptions have been met. Throughout the module, students will have the opportunity to see how these analytical methods are presented and utilized in contemporary psychological literature. Students will also have the opportunity to further reflect on the BPS’s latest Code of Ethics and Conduct, and explore the distinction between ethical and legal practice.   Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.  Additionally, implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.
  2. This year-long module allows you to engage with a real-world industry that reflects your career aspirations. Supported by tutors, you critically reflect on your passions and skills to be work-ready following your graduation.
  3. In this module, students will be introduced to key concepts, issues and studies within the fields of social psychology and individual differences.  Examples of the breadth and depth of issues which students may explore include attitudes, attribution, intelligence, inter-group behaviour, Intelligence, Personality, Prejudice and Discrimination, Personality, and Social Influence. Issues of measurement and testing, including psychometric testing, reliability, validity and usage will be explored.  Students will explore both classic social psychological and individual differences approaches to these phenomenon, as well as looking at recent research, debates, and developments within the field.  Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work. Consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence based explored within this module. Implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on throughout the module.
  4. This module will build on foundation level modules to further enhance knowledge and understanding of qualitative methods and analysis. It will focus on various approaches within qualitative psychological research (e.g IPA, Discourse Analysis and Thematic Analysis) appreciating the strengths, limitations and the philosophical assumptions underlying each approach. It will enable students to consider how research questions are developed and how these inform the choice of the method. Students will have the opportunity to conduct a qualitative study, gain the experience of collecting qualitative data, and explore the research process within qualitative inquiry (devising an interview schedule, conducting one-to-one semi-structured interviews, recording data, transcription of qualitative data). Students will develop their understanding of application of Thematic Analysis in qualitative research, as well as develop their ability to analyse textual data (code, coding, and developing themes). Topics, where possible, will make theoretical links with other modules running concurrently; enabling students to apply qualitative report writing skills in future research projects. Furthermore, students will continue to explore the important distinctions between ethical and legal practice.   Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.
  5. This module covers the key processes associated with cognition as well as the biological and neurological underpinnings of such cognitive processes. The module also introduces cognitive psychology as a specific approach to understanding behaviour with its emphasis on theoretically led hypothesis and the experimental testing of these hypotheses to further develop theory. Additionally, consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence based explored within this module. The module will provide depth in knowledge in the cognitive and biological aspects of psychology including understanding the principles of neuronal transmission, basic neuroanatomy, basic psychopharmacology, key cognitive processes such as memory, perception, attention, and language, and how neuropsychological functioning relates to cognitive processing. The empirical component of this module will require students to consider and apply the latest BPS’s Code of Ethics and Conduct. Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work, and implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.
  6. This module builds upon the first year course and particularly the modules PYU414 Foundations of Psychology and PYU416 Research Design and Analysis. Developmental Psychology is generally viewed as one of several core areas in the discipline. This module, however, suggests that developmental psychology must be viewed as something more important and pervasive: All areas of the study of human existence can only be fully understood if a developmental perspective is adopted in the sense that all behaviour develops either by evolution (phylogeny) or during the lifespan of the organism (ontogeny). Furthermore, this module places developmental psychology in the wider context of studying the human condition by exploring not only the phylogeny and ontogeny of behaviour and thought but also their function (and dysfuction) and mechanism.  Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities, which provide formative feedback that directly leads into the summative feedback of the examination, and readings, and individual and group work.  The module is fully complemented by auditory and visual aids, including the use of Panopto recordings. Consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence based explored within the area this module explores by means of critical reviews of research papers, Implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.   Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.
  1. This tutored double module provides students with the opportunity to select an area of particular interest to them within the field of Psychology and to design, plan and execute an in-depth empirical research project in their chosen area. Students will be required to produce a brief initial research proposal, for discussion with their supervisor. The proposal is then used as a basis for developing an application for Newman University ethical approval, which must be achieved prior to commencing data collection. The research design should include either quantitative and/or qualitative analyses and draw upon and critically evaluate a range of both classic and contemporary research findings throughout.
  2. This course will introduce students to a number of controversies, conceptual issues, and philosophical debates in contemporary psychology.  Students will be introduced to competing philosophical perspectives within psychology, and will explore how the philosophical stance adopted by psychologists may affect their assumptions about the nature of psychological phenomenon.  Student will explore how this in turn may affect the kinds of knowledge which may be produced or uncovered. Students will engage with issues concerning the conceptual reliability of validity of psychological research, including grappling with what the core aims of psychology as a discipline are, how well psychology may be addressing these aims, how psychology as a discipline has changed and developed over time, and how psychology could be different. Students will be given the opportunity to apply content from this module to their specific programme area through activities such as class discussions, seminar activities and readings, and individual and group work.  Consideration will be given to the research methodology underpinning the evidence based explored within this module. Implications of the module requirements for student employability will be reflected on.