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School of Society and Culture

BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology

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UCAS tariff 104 - 120 Contextual offers
A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes personal circumstances that may affect grades into account.
UCAS course code LC68
Institution code P60
Duration

3 years

(+ optional placement)
Course type

Full-time
Study location Plymouth

Understand criminality and learn how to investigate a murder, based on interpreting clues at a mocked-up crime scene, right to the point of presenting your findings to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). At Plymouth, your degree extends far beyond the theoretical. Experience our pioneering module with HMP Exeter, where students learn about rehabilitation inside prison walls; shadow local charities like LandWorks and Victim Support; and work with Devon & Cornwall Police.

Personalise your degree

At Plymouth, your degree really is what you make it. Choose to study optional modules from across the school.

Year 2 icon
In your second year...

Choose to swap in up to two modules from across the school.
School of Society and Culture stick or swap graphic
In your final year...

Dive deeper into your subject by sticking with our selection of options or swap in another module from across the school.
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Achieve your final degree certificate

If you've studied three optional modules from the same second subject area, you can choose to add this to your degree certificate.
Find out how our flexible course structures provide you with an opportunity to personalise your studies, feed your curiosity, and help you achieve your career aspirations.

Careers with this subject
Collaborate with local and national criminal justice agencies
Criminology students benefit from the knowledge, expertise and support of a dedicated Employability and Community Knowledge Exchange Projects Officer. Facilitated by this officer, students are connected with a range of opportunities to get involved in local and national criminal justice related agencies and support them with real-world challenges and change. The opportunities include networking events, visits from experts in relevant careers, and the chance to get involved in local projects led by key criminal justice stakeholders.
In addition, students and academic staff work together through collaborative projects with stakeholders across the criminal and social justice sector through the Sustainable Social Justice Initiative. The initiative has supported past and present students to apply their criminological skills and knowledge to produce social media campaigns to raise awareness of online scams with Devon and Cornwall Police and Trading Standards. Students have also worked collaboratively with local artists and community groups in deprived neighbourhoods to develop creative campaigns based on social justice campaigns that formed part of their final year studies.
Gain experience while you study
Students that elect to take our final year Work Based Learning module have flexible opportunities to enhance their employability whilst applying and developing their criminological skills, knowledge and experience. During this module students engage with either work-based placements, practical training through short courses or an applied research project working on a real-world challenge alongside one of our stakeholder organisations.
What you can do with your criminology degree
Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with a degree in criminology and criminal justice, and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.

Key features
Get involved– Boost your chances of finding that perfect first job and gain hands-on experience. A dedicated criminology employability officer provides students with a range of opportunities to build their portfolio of experience with local and national criminal and social justice related agencies. In addition, students and academic staff work together through collaborative projects with stakeholders across the criminal and social justice sector through the Sustainable Social Justice Initiative.
Innovative teaching– Our teaching is informed by innovative teaching methods and use of contemporary technologies including VR, AI and exploration of forensic techniques and analysis. We actively encourage students to interrogate the boundaries of criminological ideas. Immerse yourself in the workings of the prisons and probation service by taking a module with HMP Exeter, where students learn about rehabilitation inside prison walls.
Contemporary focus– The course identifies and focuses on emergent issues in criminology and criminal justice throughout all stages of study. The programme learns from the past, considers the present and looks to the future of criminological enquiry.
Research led – As leading scholars in their fields of research, the criminology team have strong national and international research profiles. Criminology students benefit from the close ties criminology staff have with criminal and wider social justice agencies. These ties provide students with excellent research opportunities and an embedded approach to employability within their modules, as well as an optional placement year.
In demand– Open doors to a career in the private, public or third sector – highly transferable skills mean you will find career opportunities in a diverse range of settings. Our graduates are highly sought after by a range of criminal justice agencies, including the police, probation, prison and youth justice services.
Create change– Students draw on our inter-disciplinary approach to study, with a focus on contemporary issues, to gain real insight into the nature of crime, the workings of the criminal justice system and the society around you and equip yourself with the skills to bring about real change and make a difference.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • In your first year you’ll be introduced to the criminal justice process in England and Wales, exploring the ideas and theories used to analyse criminology and crime problems and placing crime and criminology into social and historical context. You’ll also study the basic theories of psychology, developing a variety of intellectual and practical skills through topics including social and developmental psychology and the psychology of the everyday experience.

    Core modules

    CRM4001
    Being a Criminologist 20 credits

    This module is organised around the idea of the competent criminologist. It informs students about the constituent elements of competence, which include knowledge of crime, crime control and the wider contexts in which these are constructed; skills that facilitate the collection, use and critical analysis of academic, official and mediated sources of knowledge about crime; and values and ethics that inform both understandings and debates about crime and crime control. It seeks to provide students with a grounding of what it means to be a competent criminologist.

    100% Coursework

    CRM4002
    Introduction to Criminological Theory 20 credits

    This module introduces students to criminological theory. The module addresses the importance of theory in criminology, critically examines a range of criminological theories, and applies criminological thought to a variety of practical concerns throughout history, including contemporary social life.

    100% Coursework

    CRM4004
    Forensic Criminology: Police Investigations 20 credits

    This module introduces students to the processes, techniques and methods of criminal investigations which focuses on the police role from the crime scene to the courtroom. Students will be able to use skills learnt to carry out their own criminal investigation of a staged murder scenario. Important areas, such as crime scene investigation, forensic science and the use of evidence, are contextualised within the construction and prosecution of criminal cases. Students will also engage with criminal investigation topics such as professionalization, ethics, accountability, legitimacy, profiling and the media.

    100% Coursework

    CRM4005
    Responses to Crime: An Introduction 20 credits

    This module provides an overview of responses to crime in contemporary Britain. It examines responses to crime primarily in England & Wales, drawing upon comparative examples to explore similarities and differences. Its main focus is upon the criminal justice process, but the focus is also extended to approaches to crime founded upon different rationalities, such as restorative justice and risk management. This module will include two 2-hour talks that introduce our School and programme level employability related opportunities and support, including details of the optional placement year.

    100% Coursework

    PSYC419
    Introduction to Cognitive Psychology and Applied Psychological Research 20 credits

    This module consists of two strands. Strand 1 provides an introduction to Cognitive Psychology covering core topics such as perception, memory, attention and problem solving. Strand 2 focuses upon research methods in Applied Psychology and will cover areas such as how research has been applied to practical problems, research design, ethics, open science principles. Students will also take part in a simple piece of psychological research, aimed to help them understand the research process.

    50% Coursework

    50% Examinations

    PSYC420
    Introduction to Social and Developmental Psychology 20 credits

    This module consists of two strands. Strand 1 provides an introduction to Social Psychology covering core topics such as inter and intra groups processes, emotional processes and the self in a social world. Strand 2 focuses upon Developmental Psychology and will cover both cognitive development and social/emotional development of children from infancy to adolescence.

    50% Coursework

    50% Examinations

  • Year 2

  • In your second year you will advance your awareness of criminological theory to enhance your understanding of the processes of criminal justice practice. Your training in research methods will provide you with an insight into research preparing you early for your final year dissertation project. You’ll also develop a greater understanding of areas such as clinical, social, developmental, biological and cognitive psychology and how these can be applied in practical settings.

    Core modules

    CRM5002
    Theorising Crime and Harm 20 credits

    This module takes recent developments in criminological theory and analyses the potential for criminology as a discipline to contribute to understanding, contextualising and countering some of the greatest challenges facing society and the planet today. The emphasis on harm tests the boundaries of mainstream criminology, and encourages students to think beyond social and legal constructions of crime.

    100% Coursework

    CRM5004
    Critical Perspectives on Crime Control 20 credits

    This module examines a range of critical social scientific perspectives which have sought to make sense of crime control within its wider social context and in terms of its wider social significance. It considers the contributions of key social science theorists such as Stanley Cohen, David Garland, and Loic Wacquant and others whose work has focused upon crime control, and it seeks to apply their core ideas in order to illuminate our understanding of contemporary features of policy and practice.

    100% Coursework

    PSYC521
    The Biological Basis of Behaviour 20 credits

    The aim of this module is to give a basic overview of the physiological basis of human behaviour and the mechanisms underpinning complex cognition. This module consists of four strands. 1 Neuroscience (the nervous system) 2 Neuropsychology (cognitive neuroscience, research methods) 3 Evolutionary Psychology (adaptive explanations of behaviour) 4 Complex cognitive function (e.g., Language and Communication)

    50% Practicals

    50% Examinations

    PSYC522
    Individual Differences in Behaviour 20 credits

    The aim of this module is to give an overview of how individuals vary in thinking, behaviour, and emotion, and the consequences this may have for their physical and mental health. This module consists of four strands. 1 Personality & Intelligence (development, measurement) 2 Health Psychology (physical health, behaviour change) 3 Clinical Psychology (definition, therapy) 4 Positive Psychology (mental health improvement)

    50% Coursework

    50% Examinations

    SOC5008
    The Social Science Research Process

    This module builds on the Level 4 module ‘Social Science Research Methodologies’. In this module, students develop their knowledge and practical skills in qualitative and quantitative social research methodologies. The students also learn how to use computer software packages to help with the collection and analysis of data. In addition, students gain knowledge of how to create a research proposal.

    Optional modules

    SSC500
    Stage 2 Professional Development, Placement Preparation and Identifying Opportunities 0 credits

    This module is for students in the School of Society and Culture who are interested in undertaking an optional placement in the third year of their programme. It supports students in their search, application, and preparation for the placement, including developing interview techniques and effective application materials (e.g. CVs , portfolios, and cover letters).

    CRM5009MX
    Crime, Harm and Culture 20 credits

    The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.

    100% Coursework

  • Optional placement year

  • Gain valuable on-the-job experience through our optional placement year. We will support you in your second year in deciding whether to take this opportunity, and assist you in finding a placement and being prepared for it.

    Core modules

    SSC601
    School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Placement Year

    Students have the opportunity to gain work experience that will set them apart in the job market when they graduate by undertaking an optional flexible placement year. The placement must be a minimum of 24-weeks (which can be split between a maximum of two different placement providers) and up to a maximum of 48-weeks over the course of the academic year. The placement is flexible and can be undertaken virtually, part or full time and either paid or voluntary. Students will have the option to undertake their placement year abroad. This year allows them to apply and hone the knowledge and skills acquired from the previous years of their programme in the real world.

  • Final year

  • In your final year, you’ll select a criminological issue to investigate for your dissertation, choosing to specialise in an area of your choice. You will also study modules that reflect new, emerging trends in criminology that reflect current local, national and world issues. This includes green criminology, leisure and deviancy, violence and harm, justice in practice, social change and global issues such as state crime, war and terrorism. You’ll also develop your understanding of psychology through academic debates, allowing you to pursue areas that reflect your interests.

    Core modules

    PSYC608
    Applied Topics in Psychology 1 20 credits

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (four topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

    50% Coursework

    50% Examinations

    PSYC609
    Applied Topics in Psychology 2 20 credits

    This course allows students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (four topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School's staff).

    50% Coursework

    50% Examinations

    SOC6005
    Dissertation

    This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake their own sociological, criminological or anthropological research project, working independently but under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

    Optional modules

    CRM6006
    Working for Justice 20 credits

    This module supports students to reflect on the knowledge, skills and experience that they have acquired throughout their degree/extra-curricular activities, in order to focus on their vision for future employment and related activities. Students will engage with academics, careers and employability staff and practitioners working within the criminal justice field, and so develop concrete ideas for their pathways into employment and/or ongoing study.

    70% Coursework

    30% Practicals

    CRM6008
    Leisure, Consumerism and Harm 20 credits

    This module explores contemporary developments within the study of leisure and consumerism, offering a theoretically informed understanding of key issues at the forefront of the discipline. Students will have the opportunity to study the changing nature of criminology’s engagement with leisure against a backdrop of global consumer capitalism.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6009
    Fear, Crime and Control in the City 20 credits

    This module critically examines steadfast and emergent social issues at the interplay between social control and the social, providing students with a critical understanding of how the social is regulated socially, culturally and legally. We will do this by looking as social issues in urban space. We will explore meanings, cultural significance, and political consequences from a criminological perspective.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6012
    Critical Hate Studies 20 credits

    This module presents the problem of ‘hate crime’ to students by identifying legislation, policy and practice that has been framed within its context in the UK and abroad. It will deconstruct the notion of hate crime and provide a critical reflection on the notion of ‘hate’ and its manifestations in late modernity.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6013
    Building Resilience: Countering Terrorism 20 credits

    This module provides students with an opportunity to explore the nature and contours of contemporary terrorist threats in a domestic and international context, and the infrastructures, policy frameworks, practices and technologies through which such threats are countered and responded to, both in the real and virtual worlds.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6016MX
    Green Criminology: Climate Justice and the Planetary Crisis

    This module will address theoretical perspectives, methodological issues, and empirical research related to the field of green criminology, including applied concerns, such as policy and social/political praxis, through a range of concepts, topics, and themes that are central to green criminology.

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Personalise your degree
All our degrees have a wide range of optional modules and there is even the opportunity to study modules from any of the School of Society and Culture 's subject areas.
You could graduate with one of the following personalised course title combinations:
 
Criminology and Psychology with Anthropology

Modules

    ANT5008MX
    Brave New Worlds: Ethnography of/on Online and Digital Worlds 20 credits

    This module teaches students how to use ethnographic methods to make sense of the internet, which we now increasingly inhabit. Students learn how to navigate and analyse platforms such as Facebook or TikTok. They study how these technologies transform our relationships, identities, and ideas of truth. The module also examines the socio-cultural and ethical aspects of digital worlds (e.g. Second life).

    100% Coursework

    ANT6008MX
    Coastal Cultures: Marine Anthropology in the age of climate change and mass extinction. 20 credits

    Using ethnography, we analyse how coastal communities use the sea – not only as a source of livelihood, but as a key ingredient in the construction of their identity and place in world. Drawing on a range of cases from across the world – from Polynesian sorcerers, to Japanese whale mourners, to Cornish surfers – we study how coastal communities are responding to climate change, sea level rise, pollution, and extinction.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Art History

Modules

    ARH5002MX
    Imagery in Online and Offline Worlds: Film, Television and Video Games 20 credits

    This module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of current approaches towards mass media and visual culture. Particular emphasis will be put on medium-specificity, content analysis and audience studies.

    100% Coursework

    ARH6002MX
    Questions in Contemporary Art 20 credits

    The module introduces and examines selected questions raised in the last three decades in contemporary art. Case studies drawn from art history, critical and cultural theory, and where appropriate related disciplines, will be examined.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Creative Writing

Modules

    ENG5010MX
    Writing Creative Nonfiction: Autobiography, Travel Writing, Reportage 20 credits

    This module introduces students to the key concepts and issues in contemporary works of creative nonfiction, or 'life writing'. Included in our readings will be works of memoir and autobiography, travel writing, personal essays and reportage. The module is entirely taught in workshops where we experiment with producing our own works of creative nonfiction and learning to refine them, as well as critically evaluate and contextualise them.

    100% Coursework

    ENG6008MX
    Features Journalism Workshop 20 credits

    This module offers students an in-depth experience of professional writing. We will explore technique in features and literary journalism; music reviews, opinion columns and longer immersion features as well as other contemporary works of non-fiction feature writing, both short- and long-form, from sub-genres including profiles and interviews, autobiography and columns, travel writing, and reportage. We will learn to research and produce our own works of professional nonfiction and critically evaluate them.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with English

Modules

    ENG5002MX
    Gothic Fictions: Villains, Virgins and Vampires 20 credits

    This module looks at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century novels to trace the variety and scope of literary contributions to the Gothic. It begins by discussing the origins of the Gothic novel, then moves to the heyday of the genre in the revolutionary 1790s, on to authors writing in the early and mid-nineteenth century, through to the decadence of the 1890s.

    100% Coursework

    ENG6005MX
    American Crime Writing 20 credits

    This module considers the development of twentieth-century American crime fiction from hard-boiled detectives, to myths of the mafia, and postmodern reinventions of the genre. This module will explore the cultural contexts of American crime writing, prevailing conventions of the genre, as well as challenges to those conventions.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with History

Modules

    HIS5009MX
    Middle Kingdoms: Themes in Early Modern Asia 20 credits

    This module introduces the history of early modern Japan (c.16th-19th centuries). At one level, it explores key questions shaping the histories of the late Sengoku (‘Warring States’) and Tokugawa Japan. Building on these questions, it then situates the Japanese experience in a trans-regional perspective with reference to early modern China, Korea, Ryukyu, as well as Europe.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS5014MX
    Dunkirk to D Day: The Second World War in Europe 20 credits

    The module examines the Second World War in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean from 1940 to late 1944.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6002MX
    Piracy and Privateering, c.1560-1816 20 credits

    This module explores piracy and privateering activity in the seas around the British Isles and further afield from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the end of the second Barbary War in 1816. This course focuses on the social history of piracy and privateering, the organisation of pirate society, and the economic impact of piracy and privateering.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

    HIS6006MX
    America, the United Nations and International Relations 1945 to the present 20 credits

    This module provides a detailed examination of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Nations in the management of international relations from 1945 to the present.

    Explore this module

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with International Relations

Modules

    PIR6009MX
    Mao to Now: the Politics of Modern China

    This module introduces students to politics in China. It provides them with the analytical skills and historical understanding to examine the structure of the contemporary Chinese state, looking in particular at Maoist legacies, nationalism and ideology, the relationships between party, law, state and market, and China’s involvement in international affairs.

    PIR6007MX
    Global Environmental Politics 20 credits

    This module examines the problem of environmental degradation and its implications for our global political economy. It discusses the major debates in political thought around the primary causes of environmental degradation. The module outlines the major attempts to build international regimes for global environmental governance, and the difficulties and obstacles that such attempts have encountered. A range of ideas, critiques, policy proposals, innovations in governance, and templates for political activism within the environmental movement are critically evaluated.

    100% Coursework

    PIR5009MX
    Refugee Studies 20 credits

    This module focuses on the political, economic and social context of forced migration and considers the complex and varied nature of global refugee populations. It analyses responses at international, national and regional level and engages with a range of challenging questions around international co-operation, the framework of international protection, humanitarianism and the causes of displacement.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Politics

Modules

    PIR6009MX
    Mao to Now: the Politics of Modern China

    This module introduces students to politics in China. It provides them with the analytical skills and historical understanding to examine the structure of the contemporary Chinese state, looking in particular at Maoist legacies, nationalism and ideology, the relationships between party, law, state and market, and China’s involvement in international affairs.

    PIR5013MX
    Politics Beyond Parliaments 20 credits

    This module analyses the role of civil society and the public sphere in democratic governance and in democratization from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Sociology

Modules

    SOC5005MX
    Globalisation and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module investigates the key debates of globalisation and critically evaluates, in terms of its economic, political, socio-cultural and legal dimensions, the causes and consequences of a globalising world. It furthermore explores a range of international social justice issues to examine the relationships (causative and ameliorative) between policies and (in)justice

    60% Coursework

    40% Practicals

    SOC6004MX
    Health, Medical Power and Social Justice 20 credits

    This module considers a range of issues concerning health, illness and medical power in contemporary society. The module seeks to develop an understanding of the impact of ‘medicalisation’ on everyday life, as well as the importance of social divisions, such as age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. There will be a focus on a range of sociological perspectives on health with an opportunity to focus upon areas of particular interest.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Law

Modules

    LAW5009MX
    Environmental Law 20 credits

    The module provides an examination of key themes in environmental law, with a focus on the generation, application and enforcement of this law within a critical and applied context.

    100% Coursework

    LAW5011MX
    Intellectual Property Law

    This module focuses on the law and concepts of intellectual property, examining in addition related legal themes of information access, dissemination and control.

    LAW6018MX
    Law, Literature and the Screen

    To introduce students to fictional and factional representations of the legal order in prose, film and TV, and to examine the inter-connections between law, literature and the screen.

    LAW6012MX
    Public International Law 20 credits

    A module that focuses on the primary legal principles of the public international legal order, before exploring a range of substantive areas, such as, for example, the use of force, the law regulating the conduct of war, International Human Rights, International Criminal Law and International Environmental Law.

    100% Coursework

Criminology and Psychology with Policing and Security Management

Modules

    CRM5009MX
    Crime, Harm and Culture 20 credits

    The module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of harm and crime by exploring relevant issues from film, television, music, fiction literature and art. By applying a criminological lens to different forms of popular culture, students will be able to examine a variety of media forms in terms of its content and its contemporary political, social and economic context using different theories and concepts.

    100% Coursework

    CRM6016MX
    Green Criminology: Climate Justice and the Planetary Crisis

    This module will address theoretical perspectives, methodological issues, and empirical research related to the field of green criminology, including applied concerns, such as policy and social/political praxis, through a range of concepts, topics, and themes that are central to green criminology.

    CRM5003MX
    Harm in the 21st Century 20 credits

    This module explores the global challenges of harmful behaviours and activities in contemporary society by considering specific areas of concern for criminologists. By drawing on real-world examples in everyday life, the module examines how social problems and issues have arisen due to processes of globalisation that have changed the social, political and economic landscape of the 21st century.

    100% Coursework

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

104 - 120

Contextual offers: Typically, the contextual offer for this course is 8 points below the advertised tariff. A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes into account individual circumstances that are beyond your control, and that can potentially impact your learning and your exam results, or your confidence in applying to university.

Check your eligibility for a contextual offer

A levels
104-120 points including a minimum of 2 A levels. Excluding general studies.
BTEC
18 Unit BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM in any subject.
BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.
Access
Pass a named Access to HE Diploma in any subject with at least 33 credits at merit/distinction.
IB
26-30 overall to include 4 at any Higher Level subject. English and Maths accepted within: Higher Level = 4 Standard Level = 5.
T levels
Merit in any subject.
GCSE
All applicants must have GCSE (or equivalent) mathematics and English at grade C or above.
Other
14-19 Diplomas: accepted – please enquire. Other combinations and non-A level qualifications also considered.
Short of the entry requirements for this course? Don’t worry you may be eligible for a foundation year to prepare you for possible entry onto this course for the following year.
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding
2024-2025 2025-2026 *
Home £9,250 £9,535
International £17,100 £17,600
Part time (Home) £770 £795
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about fees and funding.

*UK Government announcement on tuition fees

Following an announcement in November, the government has confirmed its intention to increase undergraduate tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year.

Subject to final Parliamentary approval (expected in early March 2025), the tuition fee for UK students is increasing to a maximum of £9,535 from 1 August 2025. This change applies to current and new students at the University of Plymouth. The Student Loans Company (SLC) has confirmed loans for tuition fees will be increased accordingly.

Additional costs

This course is delivered by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business and more details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business additional costs .

Undergraduate scholarships for international students

To reward outstanding achievement the University of Plymouth offers scholarship schemes to help towards funding your studies.

Tuition fees for optional placement years

The fee for all undergraduate students completing any part of their placement year in the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,850.
The fee for all undergraduate students completing their whole placement year outside the UK in 2024/2025 is £1,385.
 Learn more about placement year tuition fees

How to apply
All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code.
To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.
Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Expert-led, hands-on learning every step of the way

Policing in the community
Real-world engagement

Our dedicated criminology employability officer and our agency connected lecturers help you gain real-world experience with local and national criminal and social justice related agencies while you study.
Students on seminarLarge group of students sitting in the lecture hall at university and listening to their teacher. Focus on teacher's hand. Unrecognisable people.
Learn from experts

The criminology team believes in the importance of linking their strong national and international research with their teaching. Staff research specialisms are reflected in the broad and exciting range of modules offered to students.
School of Psychology
Expand your understanding of psychology

Study psychological theories, expand your understanding of areas such as clinical, social, developmental, biological and cognitive psychology and develop a variety of intellectual and practical skills.

Experience 'The Murder House' Crime Suite

Investigate simulated crime scenes and real missing persons cases
Learn by doing in scenarios that are based on real-life investigations in our state-of-the-art crime, interview and simulated policing suite. You'll be able to explore physical crime scenes, harvest forensic material, learn and practise police interview techniques and analyse CCTV footage.
The unique combination of immersive learning and our staff expertise sets us apart as the only university in the South West peninsula providing this exceptional student experience.

See what happens in court

Situated inside The Box, Plymouth's £40 million cultural hub, the University uses The Foulston Room for its moot court facility.
In our very own mock courtroom, you can gain an insight into the criminal justice system through observing mock trial scenarios.

The Foulston Room offers our criminology students such a unique and valuable experience. To set foot in such a historic building, walk up its grand staircase and enter into an environment that authentically looks and feels like a real courtroom, provides our students with insights into how a courtroom in the UK criminal justice system looks and operates.

Soozi BaggsMs Soozi Baggs
Lecturer in Criminology

Inside the moot court facility, Foulston Room
Inside the moot court facility, Foulston Room
Inside the moot court facility, Foulston Room

Graduate perspective

"Plymouth always believed in me, despite my issues, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I feel very prepared for a career in the police service, if that is a route I end up choosing. The course’s focus on providing the academic knowledge, along with the practical skills needed when serving as a police officer has put me in good stead."
Patrick Allen has been working as a Control Centre Operator for an emergency careline, volunteering on the Youth Commission and presented the findings of his dissertation at the British Conference for Undergraduate Research. Patrick is now attending the University of Cambridge to study a MPhil in Criminological Research, with an ambition of a fruitful career in public service.
Patrick Allen circle

Criminology at Plymouth

Our students are taken on a critical and reflective journey. Students will explore the past, present and future in order to understand crime and criminal justice issues in the contemporary era. Criminology at Plymouth is designed to provide students with an interesting and innovative learning environment.

Join the Plymouth Cold Case Unit

The Plymouth Cold Case Unit (PCCU) investigates unsolved missing persons cases. We uncover new evidence which can be used by the police to solve these cases while giving students experience and skills – including investigative, analytical and social – to launch them into rewarding careers.
We are a student-led, expert-guided group with international connections and access to facilities and training at both the University of Plymouth and Locate International.
Applications are open to all foundation and year 1 students in the School of Society and Culture.
Staff and students from the Cold Case Unit work on the Salcombe Man case

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Foundation-year courses

Whether you haven't yet submitted your application, you're worried about whether university is for you, or if you don't meet the entry requirements to apply for a three-year degree, our foundation year may be the perfect route to a full degree.
Our foundation-year courses are specifically designed to introduce and develop essential skills for success in higher education.
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