Undergraduate Course

Course details

Study options

Full-time: 4 years

UK fee

£9,250 per year (2025/26)

International fee

£TBC per year (2025/26)

UCAS points

80 (September 2025 entry)

UCAS code

ML97

Start date

September

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

The best bits

  • This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society, which is the first step in becoming a Chartered Psychologist
  • You will focus on real-life criminal justice problems and explore potential solutions
  • We cover the latest thinking on subjects as varied as hate crime, domestic abuse and murder investigations
  • Fieldtrips (subject to availability and travel restrictions), to places such as, courts and prisons will give you vital insights while criminal justice professionals will share their experiences with you
  • Our teaching team includes leading experts who are conducting influential research in the field
  • We support you to conduct your own original research and contribute to the growing knowledge base about forensic psychology
  • Opportunity to achieve an additional professional qualification in youth justice

The highlights

Top20for student satisfactionPsychology subject area - Complete University Guide 2025
Top25for PsychologyGuardian University Guide 2024
100%of Students agreed that teaching staff are good at explaining thingsBSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology
95%Overall Academic SupportBSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology - National Student Survey 2024
95%Overall Learning ResourcesBSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology - National Student Survey 2024
Adara smiling wearing hair in a ponytail

I have always had an interest in investigative crime and the motivations for why people commit crime. When I heard of the Forensic Psychology degree, it matched my interests perfectly.

Adara Lloyd
Graduate

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

About the course

How does criminal behaviour develop? Are psychopaths born or made? Are eyewitnesses accurate? How should we rehabilitate offenders? These are just some of the challenging questions you will explore on our stimulating degree. 

We are one of the few universities in the UK to offer an integrated degree dedicated to the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. Forensic psychology is increasingly used to inform practice within the justice system and there is a growing demand for professionals who can draw on knowledge of the subject in a wide range of roles and contexts.

Our BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology programme enables you to apply psychological theories, methods and research to some of the critical challenges facing the criminal justice system today.

You will cover all the main areas of psychology and gain a thorough understanding of complex issues such as criminal behaviour and the personal consequences of crime. There is the chance to focus on specialist areas ranging from cybercrime to domestic abuse, hate crime to psychopathy, offenders with mental or intellectual disabilities to substance misuse. Among the latest additions to the portfolio are optional modules in subjects such as addictive behaviours and schizophrenia.

Throughout, we emphasise the importance of evidence-based practice so you will research real-life criminal justice problems and seek pragmatic solutions to address those problems.

Professional recognition

Our BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). As long as you achieve at least a second class honours qualification and obtain at least 40% in your Independent Study in Psychology - you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the society. This is the first step to becoming a chartered psychologist. 

The next step you will need to complete is a Stage One accredited postgraduate qualification, which we offer in our MSc Forensic Psychology. Following this, you must complete Stage Two towards becoming a Forensic Psychologist, which is the independent training route. Trainees will complete eight pieces of work, taking a minimum of two years, in the following areas: conducting psychological applications and interventions, research, communicating psychological knowledge and advice to other professionals and training other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge. All of these activities are supervised by a registered Forensic Psychologist. Successful submission and HCPC registration leads to qualification as a Forensic Psychologist.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Big spaces for big ideas

Kedleston Road offers it all: study in our largest library, relax at Basecamp, train in real-world healthcare settings, and stay active in our state-of-the-art Sports Centre.

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What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus entrance

Undergraduate Open Days

The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.

Book your Undergraduate Open DayBook your Undergraduate Open Day

How you will learn

Assessment

During your foundation year, you will be assessed mainly by coursework and with some in-class tests.

For the rest of your degree, you will be assessed via a wide range of methods including essays, research reports, presentations and case studies.

Supporting you all the way

We offer a high level of support to students, including a unique personal tutor system to help steer your academic and professional development.

Who you will meet

You’ll be taught by our team of engaging, passionate and inspiring subject experts:

Programme Leader Dr Henriette Bergstrøm specialises in the psychology of criminal investigations and psychopathy. 

Dr Karin Spenser a Chartered Psychologist, experienced Magistrate, specialising in domestic violence and family matters.

Michael Teague is a qualified Probation Officer and Social Worker. His research interests centre on probation, imprisonment, and the politics of criminal and community justice.

Joanna Adhikari a trustee at the Rosalie Ryrie Foundation in Wakefield, a charity who aims to break the cycle of controlling, abusive and conforming behaviours in families. Joanna's research specalises in perpetration and victimisation in domestic abuse, coercive control, safeguarding, aggression, impulsivity, and risk assessments.

Dr Helen Clarke has an interest in men’s and women's experiences of crime, with a particular focus on the areas of equality and diversity. Her doctoral research explored women's experiences of sexual violence.

Charlotte Hargreaves is a youth justice expert with research interests in young people in the youth justice system, social exclusion, drug and alcohol misuse, mental ill health, school exclusion and disaffection.

Jayne Noor Mohammed specialises in themes of cybercrime, hi-tech crime, international criminology and research methods. Her particular research interests include e-fencing, counterfeiting and copyright infringement.

Nick Howe was formerly a Police Chief Superintendent and is currently undertaking doctoral studies in policing and partnerships but has a research interest in all aspects of policing, investigation and criminal justice.

You will learn through a compelling combination of: 

We offer a high level of support to students, including a personal tutor system to help steer your academic and professional development throughout your studies.  

How you are assessed

You are assessed via a wide range of methods including:

Who you'll meet

Our teaching team for the BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology programme is made up of engaging, passionate and inspiring subject experts. They include:

Person offering support to a student Person offering support to a student with a laptop Student smiling with tutor Tutor smiling with student and laptop

Helping you reach your full potential

Our Personal Academic Tutoring programme supports your academic journey, helping you achieve your goals and unlock your potential.

Explore the programme

Who will teach you

Dr Henriette Bergstrøm

Programme Leader

Henriette Bergstrøm at our One Friar Gate Square site.

Dr Henriette Bergstrøm

Henriette is a senior lecturer in Forensic Psychology. Her main research interest is psychopathy within a developmental and life-course perspective.

View full staff profile

Entry requirements

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points80
A LevelCDD
T LevelPass (C or above in the core)
BTECMMP
GCSEGCSE Maths and English are preferred, however if you don't have these qualifications you will be able to undertake Maths and English at Level 2 as part of your course of study
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 0, Merit: 30, Pass: 15

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2025/26

 Full-timePart-time
UK

£9,250 per year

N/A

International

£TBC per year

N/A

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


UK students

If you are in Year 13 and applying for a full-time undergraduate course (including our joint honours courses), we recommend that you apply through UCAS.

Apply through UCAS

If you are applying to study part-time, or already have your qualifications, or wish to join at Year 2 or 3, you should apply directly to the University.

Apply directly to the University

Careers

The skills and tools you gain on the BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology are valuable for a wide range of careers, including the probation service, the prison service, youth justice and youth offending teams.

You could also consider roles in research and policy-making within the criminal justice system or you could pursue a career in teaching and academia.

Where can a degree in Forensic Psychology take you?

 

Our Careers and Employment Service will provide you with support from day one of your course to ensure you leave Derby as a ‘work-ready’ graduate – industry aware, motivated and enterprising. Throughout your studies, you’ll also benefit from working with your personal academic tutor to reflect on your learning and develop your career ambitions.

The support continues once you’ve completed your course too: you are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.  

Further study

You can go on to postgraduate study at Derby, with MSc qualifications in subjects such as Forensic Psychology, Criminal Investigation, and Criminal Justice and Criminology.

These expand your knowledge into specialist areas and accelerate your progress to more senior and leadership roles. Some of our students also use their experiences on the degree as a springboard into academic research.

As a graduate of the University of Derby, you may benefit from an alumni discount on your postgraduate course fees if you continue to study with us.

Find out more about our alumni discount. 

Getting you career ready

Your degree is only part of your story.

We're here to help prepare you for life after university.

Career Support Image

96%
of UK graduates are in employment or further study.

Top 5
for employability.
Uni Compare Annual Student Review Rankings 2025.

87%
of UK graduates say their current activity is meaningful.

Contact us

   
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If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

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Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

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