Psychology with Criminology

Psychology and criminology share a central preoccupation: understanding why people do what they do. Psychology approaches this through the study of mind, behaviour, emotion, cognition, and development, seeking to explain the mechanisms and processes that shape human action. Criminology asks the social and structural questions: why do some people commit crimes, how do social environments and inequalities contribute to criminal behaviour, and how should society respond?

Together, these disciplines offer a more complete picture of crime and offending than either could provide alone.

At Loughborough this degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society, meaning it fulfils the academic requirements for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership in psychology on graduation with an appropriate grade. You will study the full range of psychological science, including cognitive, social, biological, developmental, and abnormal psychology, alongside criminological theory, penology, victimology, the structure of the criminal justice system, and the policy debates that surround crime and punishment. The combination allows you to bring psychological depth to criminological questions and a social context to psychological ones.

The four-year programme includes a year abroad, broadening your perspective on how different legal and social systems approach crime and justice.

Graduates go on to a wide range of careers, including the police, probation and prison services, social work, mental health services, victim support, research, policy, and education. The accredited psychology component also opens pathways to postgraduate training in clinical, forensic, or occupational psychology. Many students pursue postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, forensic psychology, or law.