BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2024
Gain the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to work in the legal system as you achieve new goals in forensic psychology.
On our forensic psychology course, you will learn the techniques needed to support in various different roles. Whether that’s solving cases, working within the prison system, or in the prevention of crime. BNU asks you to dream big and helps you get there in a highly competitive profession.
Offering a unique opportunity to study the psychology of the mind in relation to offending, victimology, policing and the Criminal Justice System, BNU offers you a complete picture of the law enforcement, rehabilitation, and recovery process. With the skills to understand criminal and mitigating factors in offending, the behaviours and thoughts of victims, and decision making employed within the CJS you will be prepared for roles along the whole journey from initial incident to release and more.
Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS. Our hands-on practical approach to teaching is designed to impart the skills needed to experiment and learn, developing your own understanding and knowledge, and helping you to push the boundaries of psychological research, whether this is based within the fields of medical science, counselling, forensics, sport, business, or society.
If you are fascinated by forensics, psychology, criminal justice, or the prison & probation service, gaining a forensics and psychology degree is a great choice. A forensic psychology degree also gives you a strong foundational knowledge for a variety of careers within the prison and law enforcement organisations nationally and internationally, as well as the skills to be a conventional psychologist.
Being part of BNU means your making progress towards becoming a professional psychologist. Joining part of our welcoming community, you'll meet lifelong friends and gain knowledge from expert tutors who are actively engaged in forensic psychology. You can take advantage of the specialist facilities that professional psychologists use day to day, including virtual reality facilities, laboratory facilities containing equipment that tracks eye movement, emotions, communications, brain activity and more.
After your first year, you can choose between continuing BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology or BSc (Hons) Psychology, BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy. There is no penalty or extra cost to you. These specialisms are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme. It is available to you if you didn't meet the entry requirements.
Lectures and seminars are always very informative, interactive and also a good laugh with plenty of open discussion between students and with the lecturers. They are always very supportive of ideas and opinions as well as with our work, through punctual turn arounds on assignments and quick responses through emails.Emily Crawshaw
I cannot fault the quality of teaching, it’s excellent. The lecturers do all they can to support students. They are well experienced, kind, passionate, supportive and always available to help students in any way they can. The lectures and seminars are well prepared and delivered. I am enjoying my course, my time at BNU and the whole learning environment.Homaira Merzai
What will I study?
This is a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited programme. Psychology is a broad and fascinating discipline, and the course will provide you with a scientific understanding of this diverse topic, from the ‘hidden’ aspects of human behaviour (i.e. how our brain and biological mechanisms support different functions), to those we see in everyday life (e.g. social phenomena such as crime or relationships). This interaction between the brain, body, and the environment is at the very heart of what you will study with us at Buckinghamshire New University.
This is a highly interactive course which will give you hands on practical experience throughout. Our teaching and learning methods will cover a wide range of activities, including interactive lectures, seminars, and workshops, in which you will be encouraged to actively participate. As you progress through your course you will have the opportunity to choose from different pathways depending on your area of interest.
In your final year you will build on the skills developed in previous years, in the last year you'll do an independent research project, which allows you to focus on your chosen area of interest. Our forensic psychology course will not only help you to develop specific knowledge in your area of interest but will also provide you with a variety of other skills, such as how to critically evaluate and present information and data.
Upon graduation you will be equipped with an impressive variety of transferable skills that will help to enhance future employability in a wide range of careers, both subject specific and in the broader sector, from teaching to forensics, local government to counselling and much more.
This course offers you the skills and framework needed to become a chartered psychologist with the BPS. you’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS.
If you choose to become chartered with the you can go on to practice psychology as a scientist, analyst, researcher, commentator, advisor or as a clinician.
What facilities can I use?
On our Psychology degree, you will benefit from hands-on learning, using our state-of-the-art facilities.
In our laboratory and computing workshops, you’ll use software and equipment that social scientists use in the field to present research data. You will use industry standard equipment as part of these courses to build your own experience using a range of professionally recognizable equipment.
Gain the skills to use our observation laboratory for the measurement of psycho-physiological responses using eye trackers as well as the activity of the cardiovascular system, brain, autonomic nervous system and more. You’ll use our eye tracking equipment and virtual reality software to test what happens when our local conditions change, and how the brain reacts to those changes.
The facilities at BNU are always here for your use, and we have heavily invested in them with the goal of providing the best space for your own experiments. We want you to use them to push your skills and gain all the experience you feel you need to go on from university and get a job, what you do here is what you could be doing when you start work in psychology.
We’ll also sign you up to our Virtual Learning Environment which means you’ll have access to lots of online resources wherever you are! The VLE is an additional online learning platform that supplements your core degree content.
How will I be taught and assessed?
This course is accredited by , which means certain modules are incorporated into the course, which you must pass to achieve the Graduate Basis for chartered membership. Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible for the and from there you can take steps towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist, which is a highly desired accreditation.
There are many ways you can be assessed, and assessments are designed to help you learn and identify certain areas you need to improve. We use a variety of assessment techniques to look at your ability and areas you may need support with. You must pass the module assessments to progress with the course. Some of the methods we use are:
- exams
- presentations
- group work
- projects
- labs
- coursework
I have always loved psychology and the further along the course, the more freedom there is. The option to choose modules in the last year also lets me study exactly what I love. The facilities are really great; the library and other course-related facilities are super accessible to students.Emma Fraser-Mills
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 104 - 128 (Full-Time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
For this course, you'll need at least two A-levels and a GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Those with no previous study, work experience, or who do not meet the specified entry requirements, including demonstrating the necessary knowledge and understanding, are welcome to apply for the 3-year BSc (Hons) degree, however may be offered the four-year programme which includes a Foundation Year.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 *
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
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Overseas/International Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 *
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
With such a strong academic grounding, as well as the transferrable skills you’ll develop along the way, you are well-placed to succeed wherever you go.
There are many options to explore with your psychology degree; it’s the first step to starting postgraduate study in a more focused area.
If you’d prefer to dive right into the world of work and explore a career in health, education, local government, or the private and public sector, you could consider careers in the Civil Service, Her Majesty's Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS), local authorities and the NHS.
Graduates can choose to continue their studies at BNU and study a postgraduate programme, such as our MSc Applied Forensic Psychology, MSc Applied Positive Psychology, MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education, or even the PGDip Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
There are numerous opportunities which your degree could help to open. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in psychology, clinical psychology, forensic psychology, therapy, nursing, and private and public businesses.
The course seemed very open and I knew it would keep my options open to then specialize later rather than specializing early and therefore restricting my options later in my career.Piers Bowden
Course leader
- Head of the School of Human and Social Sciences
- Associate Professor of Education & Research
