Law and Psychology

Law and psychology is a combination that illuminates both disciplines by placing them in conversation. Law is concerned with the obligations, duties, and rights that members of society have in relation to one another and to the state, and with the institutions and processes through which those rules are made, interpreted, and enforced. Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes, examining how people think, feel, perceive, and act individually and in social contexts.

The two fields intersect in profound ways: legal processes depend on assumptions about human rationality, credibility, and culpability that psychology can examine and often challenge, while psychology draws on legal frameworks to understand coercion, consent, and justice.

At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year programme develops expertise in both disciplines. You will study the core areas of Scots and English law, developing an awareness of law and the legal implications of commercial and social interactions that is sought after by employers. Alongside this, the psychology strand develops your scientific understanding of behaviour, cognition, emotion, and social influence, giving you the tools to analyse human action in legal contexts and to engage with the growing field of legal and forensic psychology.

The programme runs over four years and includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to engage with different legal systems and psychological research traditions in another country, enriching both strands of your degree.

Graduates from law and psychology programmes move into careers in law, forensic psychology, criminal justice, social work, human resources, policy, research, and education. Many go on to qualify as solicitors or barristers through the relevant vocational training routes, while others pursue postgraduate training in psychology to practise as clinical, forensic, or occupational psychologists. The combination of legal and psychological reasoning is valued across many contexts where understanding human behaviour in institutional settings is important.