BSc (Honours) Forensic Psychology

What makes people do harm to others? What is a psychopath? How do you conduct an intervention with someone convicted of a violent crime, or help someone who has been the victim of crime? This degree explores these and many other important psychological questions relating to crime and justice. You'll examine how forensic psychologists use evidence derived from research to contribute to debates and policy on crime, policing, criminal justice and rehabilitation; and how psychology is critical to understanding education, employment, mental health, and relationships.

Key features of the course

• Covers key concepts, theories, methods and debates in forensic psychology
• ​Gives you an appreciation of different perspectives within psychology and the ability to evaluate them critically
• Takes an applied approach to tackling issues such as counselling vulnerable clients
• Relevant to careers in the criminal justice system, the care and resettlement of offenders, victim support, crime prevention and social justice.

This degree is accredited by The British Psychological Society and excellent preparation for the further study needed to qualify to practice as a forensic psychologist, as you will not be qualified with this degree alone. For details see Careers.

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

Career relevance

This degree is relevant to a broad range of careers. This includes working within the criminal justice system, such as the prison and probation services, and organisations concerned with the care and resettlement of offenders, victim support, crime prevention, social care and social justice.

Please note that this degree does not qualify you to practise as a forensic psychologist – although it provides ideal preparation for the additional training required.

A career as a professional psychologist in the applied areas of psychology will require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree – for which this degree course provides useful preparation.

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulated titles include:

• clinical psychologist
• counselling psychologist
• educational psychologist
• forensic psychologist
• health psychologist
• occupational psychologist
• sports and exercise psychologist.

Accreditation

Graduates achieving a 2.2 or better for this qualification are eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) conferred by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Classification of your degree

On successfully completing this course, we'll award you our BSc (Honours) Forensic Psychology.

The class of honours (first, upper-second, lower-second or third) will depend on your grades at Stages 2 and 3.

You'll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

International recognition

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Find out more about international recognition of Open University qualifications.

Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our BSc (Honours) Forensic Psychology uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:

• Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
• Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
• Finding external/third-party material online
• Specialist software, such as SPSS software for statistical analysis
• Mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
• Online tutorials
• Group-work
• Practical work

Every module has its own Accessibility Statement with more detailed accessibility information – you'll find these on individual module descriptions. Visit our Disability support page to learn about our services.

Credit transfer

If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – which could save you time and money by reducing the number of modules you need to study. At the OU we call this credit transfer.

It's not just university study that can be considered, you can also transfer study from a wide range of professional or vocational qualifications such as HNCs and HNDs.

You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. We will need to know what you studied, where and when and you will need to provide evidence of your previous study.

For more details of when you will need to apply by and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.