This Psychology with Forensic Psychology degree course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).

On this course, as well as studying general psychology modules, you will specialise in understanding the psychological factors behind why people may commit criminal or deviant behaviour. You will use critical skills and evidence, based on research, to explore how forensic psychologists may contribute to debates on policing, crime, the criminal justice system and rehabilitation. Some examples of the factors that you may explore include; substance abuse issues and mental health disorders, as well as exploring the incidence of offending behaviours in different populations, e.g. children and youth. As well as understanding some of the reasons why people may commit offending behaviours, you will also explore the ways in which forensic psychologists can work to treat and rehabilitate offenders.

The first year of the course is designed to provide a broad introduction to the study of psychology. It is designed to provide a thorough grounding in the subject for those with no Psychology background while allowing those who have already studied Psychology to increase the breadth and depth of their understanding. The second year continues on the same basis enabling graduates to cover all the core topics be eligible for the BPS Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. In Year three, you complete a major research and an in-depth study of at least four topics selected from the full range of modules that are currently available, at least two of which specialise in forensic psychology.

Placement Year

This course is available as a 4-year ‘with Placement Year’ option. Please apply for Psychology with Forensic Psychology (with Placement) BSc C81P. Find out more about 'with Placement Year' courses here. 

The placement year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements. 

You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree, and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Skills and Employability Services. 

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Career

BSc Forensic Psychology focuses in the forensics area but is still suitable for students who want to follow any of the main psychological professions (clinical psychology, educational psychology, counselling psychology, health psychology etc). In addition, there are careers open to graduates and postgraduates from any discipline. These include, for example, careers in management training, accountancy, teaching, nursing, social work, the police and the armed forces. Further, employers are usually looking for general or transferable skills, and a psychology degree arguably provides a unique combination of these as it is both a literate and numerate discipline. The fact that we are regularly ranked in the Top 20 for graduate prospects shows how employable you will be as one of our graduates.

Employability is a key theme of the Psychology programme you will follow in Bangor and we have embedded a large number of opportunities within our degree to give graduates as strong a CV as possible and equip them with a host of transferable skills that are relevant to both psychology and non-psychology related careers.

The simple fact that you will graduate from an internationally renowned, research intensive Psychology School adds additional value to your degree and improves your employability. This is well illustrated by our top 20% ranking for Graduate Prospects in the The Guardian Good University Guide 2019.