Criminology and Psychology

Key features of the course

• Helps you understand how criminology makes sense of crime, harm, conflict, victimisation, criminal justice and criminalisation.
• Shows how psychology explains human interaction and conflict and how this helps interpret crime, criminalisation and victimisation.
• Builds advanced critical, analytical and communication skills, and takes an original approach to teaching criminology and psychology.
• Enhances your employability in vocational areas, such as the criminal justice system and various social services.  

We also offer a Diploma of Higher Education in Criminology and Psychology (W57) that is the same in structure as the first two-thirds of this degree.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification.

At The Open University we believe education should be open to all, so we provide a high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

Even though there are no entry requirements, there are some skills that you'll need to succeed. If you're not quite ready for OU study we can guide you to resources that prepare you, many of which are free.

Answer a few quick questions to check whether you're ready for study success

Skills for career development

You’ll be introduced to skills that will enable you to analyse everyday understandings of crime and the criminal justice system. You will also develop the skills needed to critically assess aspects of human behaviour, and some of the principles of forensic psychology and counselling. Alongside these you will build on a wide range of transferable general skills which may further help your work or career prospects, including:

• identifying and understanding data and information
• analysing and assessing evidence
• applying your learning to practical problems and issues
• working independently
• reflecting on your own learning
• developing strategies to update your knowledge
• communicating and presenting coherent arguments.

Career relevance

This degree is relevant to a wide range of career paths, some of which are listed below. Some relate directly to criminology and psychology, others draw upon the graduate skills that you’ll acquire. Successful graduates may also progress to specialist masters courses. This degree does not provide direct entry to the career fields listed, but it may ease access and increase your employability in relation to them, and it enhances prospects for progression once you are qualified to enter them. Successful completion does not make you eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) conferred by the British Psychological Society.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice. This includes online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point. Some of the careers listed below will require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree:

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