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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.
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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.
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This module introduces core areas of criminology, focusing on the processes and systems which constitute criminal justice within the UK. It aims to introduce students to varying ideas and concepts of crime and justice and the way these are socially and legally constructed. The module will combine tutor led input on theoretical models of criminal justice with a more practice oriented introduction to the different stages, institutions and professional roles within justice systems via input from guest speakers. Students gain an understanding of issues including prevention and management of crime, deviance and victimisation.
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This module will introduce students to the strengths, limitations and ethical issues associated with qualitative and quantitative research design. It will enable students to explore in greater depth the underlying principles and epistemological bases of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students will examine the key similarities and differences between these approaches, whilst appreciating the strengths and limitations of such approaches in addressing psychological research questions. Students will consider a range of data collection techniques (e.g., observations, interviews, simple experiments, and psychometric instruments) to consolidate their knowledge and experience of such methods. Students will be equipped with a critical understanding of different quantitative research designs that will be considered in regard to important methodological concerns such as validity and reliability, and students will be aware of the implications of different research designs for the selection and use of different descriptive and inferential analytical techniques. Students will appreciate how appropriate descriptive quantitative analysis can be used to effectively characterise and summarize batches of data, whilst also providing them with tools for preliminary data screening and exploration. Students will develop their understanding of hypothesis testing, probability and important related concepts such as statistical significance, type 1 and type 2 errors, statistical power, estimation and confidence intervals, and how these relate to choices of research design and analytical alternatives. Students will be introduced to the basic principles behind parametric and non-parametric statistical tests of difference, association, and correlation, and will be introduced to simple linear regression; furthermore, students will have the opportunity to conduct such analyses using appropriate statistical software. General principles of qualitative design (developing research questions, interviewing, focus groups) will be explored. Students will develop their understanding of application of analysis in qualitative research by introduction to data analysis (coding). 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. Students will be introduced to the BPS’s current Code of Ethics and Conduct, and have the opportunity to see its application in their empirical work. The distinction between behaving ethically and legally will also be investigated.
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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.
Psychology with Criminology BSc (Hons)
September 2025
Key Details
- C804 Course Code
- 3 Years
- TBC Typical UCAS Tariff
Psychology with Criminology combines a comprehensive training in Psychology with the study of criminal behaviour, types of crime, and knowledge of the criminal justice system.
On this programme you’ll cover all the core areas of Psychology stipulated by the British Psychological Society (BPS) curriculum. You’ll explore biopsychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, social psychology, historical and conceptual issues of psychology and research methods. The psychology modules are studied alongside carefully curated criminology modules which link psychological theory to the criminal justice environment and offender 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.
- This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Core modules of Psychology taught alongside Criminology modules.
- Learn about broader societal and psychological factors which affect criminal behaviour.
- Innovative assessments that challenge students to be creative.
You will study fasinating modules within two subject areas (Psychology and Criminology) which will enhance student learning experience.
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 about how psychological theory can contribute to the multidisciplinary study of crime. During this year you will also be introduced to the core areas of criminology, focusing on the processes and systems which constitute criminal justice within the UK.
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 social psychology, individual differences, cognitive psychology, biological psychology and developmental psychology, while deepening your understanding of the psychological underpinning of criminal justice environment.
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. At level 6 you will have a choice of options within psychology and criminology, to develop and enhance your passion for these two subjects further.
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.
This 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, intervention proposals, portfolios, presentations, posters, critiques, and case studies. There are no examinations on this programme.
Careers you could consider could include: the police force; the probation service; the prison service; secure units, academic research, and victim and offender support charities. However, as this programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), 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. Thus students could consider postgraduate professional psychology training in any area of professional psychology including, Forensic, Clinical, Sports and Exercise, Occupational, Health, and Educational Psychology.
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.
Course Fees
The full-time course fee for September 2025 is £9,250 per 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, 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
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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.
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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.
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This module will develop students’ knowledge and deepen their understanding of the psychological underpinnings of the criminal justice environment and the various actors who come within its ambit. A key theme running through the module will be on the insights that psychology can offer on explaining decision-making in various contexts, on the part of victims, offenders, agencies and professionals associated with criminal justice and its operation in practice. It will also explore the critical importance of public attitudes towards crime, punishment and the Criminal Justice System.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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This year-long module offers learners the opportunity to apply and explore knowledge within a work-based context, through the mode of workplace learning. The subject specific supervisor in the workplace will negotiate the focus for the learner’s role , with the learner. Students complete 100 hours in the work setting. The learner will reflect critically on different dimensions of the workplace setting. This module provides an opportunity for students wishing to attain National Professional recognition with the Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA) to complete an AMTLA project.
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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.
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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.
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This module will provide the basis for students to critically examine the relationship between crime, the criminal justice system and the increasingly fluid and intersectional social categories of ‘race’, culture, religion, gender, and sexuality. Using national and international contemporary theoretical perspectives, students will examine how these manifest within the context of crime in late modern Britain. Indicative content will include examination of: the pervasiveness of racialised discourses within criminal justice; disproportionality in the prison system sentencing and the use of Police powers; the relationship between the social construction of masculinities and criminal behaviour; developing trends in crime committed by women; experiences of perpetrators and victims of racist and homophobic hate crime; and how Islamophobia is shaping both public perceptions of, and criminal justice policy directed at, the British Muslim community. Through their own reflective writing and the use of a range of visual methods/resources, students will be challenged to critically evaluate how they as potential practitioners are situated within structures of power and privilege and how their own inhabiting of multiple identities will be implicated in their efforts to challenge the inequalities that persist within the criminal justice system
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Analysis of crime in society often focuses on street crimes and those offences committed by deprived sections of society. This module will focus on the relationship between crime and power and will examine the crimes committed by the powerful. White Collar Crime, State Crime and Environmental Crime will be explored and the definition of ‘crime’ itself will be critiqued and analysed. The notion of ‘social harm’ that crimes of the powerful can have on society will also be explored. Particular attention will be paid to the power of the state to both define and police ‘crime’. The role of the media in shaping perceptions of crime will also be explored.
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This module will engage students in a detailed conceptual analysis of crime, space and place. Crime needs to be understood in relation to the private and public spaces in which it is located, such as the home, urban environments, rural environments, the school, shopping malls, parks, the prison, the street, neighbourhoods, and council estates. The module will explore how (and by whom) spaces are controlled and how this leads to perceptions within communities as to how to behave. Spaces (such as neighbourhoods) can become privatised, gentrified, gendered and racialised, leading to disproportionate policing and criminalisation. Students will critically examine how systems designed to reduce crime and provide safety in certain spaces – e.g. surveillance, affect criminal behaviour and people living in, or travelling through those spaces. Students will be encouraged take an ethnographic approach to understand the interaction between crime, place and space by exploring a real life space and relating this to theoretical frames.
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This module critically examines a range of criminological theory, both historical and contemporary, that seeks to explain why young people commit crime and how it has and continues to inform governmental responses to youth crime. This will include some discussion of current policy and legislation and an analysis of structures within the British Criminal Justice System (focusing on England and Wales) such as Youth Offending Teams. Particular focus will be on how young peoples’ criminal behaviour is interpreted and contested in the media and political discourses and how youth crime policy impacts disproportionately on certain groups of young people within society (e.g. black young people, young people who meet on the street, etc.). A recurrent theme will be how current models of work with young people involved in crime and multi-professional efforts to bring about desistance from that behaviour may conflict with the workers reluctance to engage in social control.
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This module provides students with the opportunity to explore the historical, legal, social and cultural dimensions of sex and sexuality in the context of the criminal justice system. The module seeks to consider the ways in which concepts such as vulnerability, sexuality and gender operate in, often, exclusionary ways. In light of this, students will critically appraise the ways in which technology, sex(uality) and law intersect in this context. The module will also focus on how new technology has been weaponised against particular groups in the 21st Century – providing another medium for heteronormative assumptions about sex and sexuality and gender based violence to be realised. Considering a range of topics such as pornography, sexting and the age of sexual consent, students will draw on key theoretical concepts, to critically discuss the operation of the law in this area and the concept of ‘justice’.
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Health psychology is an exciting field within psychology that has important contributions to make to our understanding of health, wellbeing and illness, from a biopsychosocial perspective. The module will explore key theoretical models (e.g., TPB HBM, SOC), which attempt to explain and predict health-related behaviour (e.g., smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity & ultra violet radiation rays), and examine the practical applications of these models on health, wellbeing and illness. A multitude of health interventions will be reviewed and critically evaluated. 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 also be reflected on.
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This module builds upon the second year module Human Development: An Ethological Approach (PYU516) and applies an understanding of contextualised development in an educational setting. Educational Psychology explores various and seemingly discrete issues associated with the dynamic between teaching and learning. These issues include the qualities of a good teacher, the environment of the classroom, the form and function of assessment, diversity and the use of blended approaches to teaching and learning. This module also affords students the opportunity to work in groups to ascertain various pragmatic issues that may confront practicing educational psychologists in the field. 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.
Additional Information
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