Course summary

Overview Our Criminal and Forensic Contexts course will develop your understanding of key psychological concepts while teaching you to apply them in a forensic and criminal justice context. You’ll learn why crimes happen, how victims and perpetrators can be affected, and how the risk of further offending can be reduced. You'll study topics like criminal behaviour, witness testimony and investigation techniques, and explore ways in which forensic psychologists assess and treat people who commit crimes. Our course is professionally accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and has a strong practical focus that will build your professional skills alongside your studies, helping you stand out to future employers. During your studies, you'll be eligible for student membership of the BPS – this will allow you to connect with other Psychology students through networks, online communities and in-person events. You'll apply psychological theory to the criminal justice system, and will learn to interpret, evaluate and explain information relating to investigation, risk, rehabilitation and criminal behaviour. As part of the course, you will have the chance to see first hand what it's like to work as a mental health professional through your placement with a mental health charity, NHS, private health care, care home, or school of your choosing. You'll apply what you've learnt in lectures to practice, be able to speak to working professionals and learn from them, enabling you to gain a deeper awareness of the various roles and working environments within the profession and be able to reflex on your experience and apply that to your work and career aspirations. You’ll be supported by our Careers and Employability team in arranging paid and voluntary placements with many local and national organisations. Recent placement opportunities have included the NHS, the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Mind, a mental health charity. You can also choose to participate in psychological research or join our paid ‘students as researchers’ scheme, which will provide you with opportunities to work alongside staff on live projects. Why the University of Worcester? The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation. At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• University of the Year finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.

• First in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, from any multidisciplinary university – Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2017 to 2025.

• First in the UK for quality education – Joint 1st in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2025.