Welcome to your Forensic and Criminological Psychology course

Welcome to University of Staffordshire

We know you're already passionate about your subject, which is why we're excited you've chosen University of Staffordshire as the place to turn possibility into reality.

To give you an insight into what life as a Forensic and Criminological Psychology student is like, your course leaders have prepared introductions to the course and further activities.

Welcome to your BSc (Hons) Forensic and Criminological Psychology course here at Staffordshire University! We are looking forward to meeting you in September and showing you the best of what the Psychology Department has to offer and we want to help make your time with us one of the most memorable experiences of your life.

We understand that starting a course at university can be quite daunting, so we want to help you prepare in advance. On this page, you will find lots of useful information that will help you get settled into Staffordshire University.

We pride ourselves on being a friendly and supportive department, where staff and students work together to help you achieve your potential. This is always reflected in the high student satisfaction rates we get. You are joining one of the best!

First activity

The first semester gives you a taste of your next three years and gets you settled in with your seminar and course groups. Through semester ones exciting and informative sessions, you will get a better understanding of core areas of psychology and the different ways these are applied within the real world to tackle real-life issues alongside a course specific module (‘Psychology in the Justice System’) where we will explore a range of applications of psychology within the Criminal Justice System and the investigative process. You will also learn about and apply some of the ways that we use to conduct different methods used in psychological research. We will also support you to develop academic and professional skills you will need during your degree and beyond, such as how to write your assignments and developing personal development and career plans.

During Welcome Week (the week beginning on Monday 23^rd September, 2024) and throughout semester 1 (which starts in the week beginning on Monday 30^th September, 2024), you will have plenty of opportunities to meet the other students on your course and will be working together in small groups so that you have the chance to get to know one another. As well as students on your course, you will get to meet your Academic Mentor (who is there to support you across your degree journey) and also Mel Hall, your Course Leader and person responsible for the smooth running of the BSc (Hons) Forensic and Criminological Psychology course. Mel is also the module leader and lecturer on course-specific forensic and criminological psychology modules you will be taking across the course of your degree.

First week

During the first week you will get the opportunity to meet the other students on your course and will be working together in small groups so that you have the chance to get to know one another. As well as students on your course you will get to meet your Academic Mentor and also Mel Hall, your Course Leader.

We want you to feel part of a course team here at Staffordshire and we will give you (at no cost to you!) a purple ‘Psychology’ hoodie, with your course labelled on the back. We’d like to encourage you to wear this as much as you can, especially when you come on to campus, so you can always keep an eye out for others on your course and seek out a friendly face if you need to. We will buy hoodies in a range of sizes so no need to pre-order.

Course delivery

During the first two years of study on your degree, we put the emphasis on skill development to ensure you grow into an independent and inquisitive learner. In Year 3, you’ll take greater control of your own studies and will be able to choose from a wide range of specialist options to conduct your own piece of empirical research. Your research project lets you put into practice the skills you’ve developed throughout the course.

You will also be encouraged, where possible, to contribute new findings and theory to existing knowledge in your specialist area. A variety of teaching and learning methods are employed to deliver the course, and these are tailored to complement your needs through a variety of lecture, seminars, workshops and tutorials and assessed in a range of different ways including: formal short and long essays, exams and MCQs, advisory briefs, portfolios, case studies, presentations and reports.

A crucial part of becoming a Psychologist is learning to understand, conduct, and analyse scientific research whilst also considering research and conduct ethics. As with all high-quality undergraduate psychology degrees, this means our courses feature modules that focus on teaching these skills. We take great care in closely guiding students through this learning process (via small group teaching, group work with peers, support clinics and step-by-step guides) supporting our students in preparation for the increasingly data-driven world.

The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Typically, the majority of modules are 20 credits with a smaller number of 40 credit modules. Each credit taken equates to a total study time of around 10 hours. Total study time includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity. Full-time students take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. All students take a total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits for the degree course as a whole. Your overall grade for the course and your degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at Levels 5 and 6.

Want to read in advance?

We update our reading lists all the time, so when you join us, we'll give you the most up-to-date lists. However, if you do want to familiarise yourself with some material in advance, the book below is the recommended text for your first year ‘Adventures in Psychology’ core module and covers many of the topics you will encounter in your first year. You don’t necessarily have to buy this book as we have some copies in our library, electronic copies available through the University library, as well as some earlier but still relevant editions.

Martin, G.N. & Carlson, N.R. (2023). Psychology (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

ISBN-13: 9781292447643

There are also forensic and criminological psychology-focused books that could also be useful at Level 4 (and also at Levels 5 and 6), too. An example of one book that covers a lot of topic areas covered across the course-specific modules in the course is given below, and as with the general psychology textbook above, you don’t necessarily have to buy this book as we have some copies in our library, electronic copies available through the University library, as well as some earlier but still relevant editions. This more focused textbook is:

Howitt, D. (2022). Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology (7th edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

ISBN-13: 9781292295787

Although you are only at the beginning of your journey with us, it is never too soon to think about where you are going. And so, you might also want to explore possibilities as developing Psychologists and beyond though the British Psychological Society website

Free downloadable software

There is a variety of software which can be downloaded from the University’s website and can also be accessed via the button below. This software is free for all of our students, as we understand to reach your full potential and succeed in your degree you need the tools to help you. Examples of the software available are:

- Microsoft Office 365
- Microsoft Teams
- SPSS
- NVivo
- Sophos Antivirus
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Mind Genius
- and opportunities for free training
Free software link

Click here for free software

Join a Society

Getting involved in a student group can enhance your time at University. It’s a great way to make new friends and connections, learn from other students and develop new skills whilst having some fun at the same time. Whether you want to join a group as a member, get involved in running a group as part of a committee or help run an event or organise your own – your Students’ Union is here to make it happen!

We also have an award-winning Psychology Society (winner of the Proud To Be Staffs Award for inclusivity advocacy) with a vibrant and inclusive student community where everyone is welcome. Members of the society pride themselves on supporting each other through their degree. Please check out the Psychology Society page

The Students’ Union website has more information on all of our groups, volunteering and other opportunities, or get in touch with the Students’ Union if you have more questions.

A list of the current clubs and societies run through the Students’ Union can be found here.

Download the Beacon App

You can access your University email directly from the Beacon app which you can download for free for a compatible iOS/Android device or access it directly via a web browser here using your University login.

The Beacon app is a one-stop-shop designed to help you through your University experience. Through it you will be able to (for example) view your timetable, log attendance using the code provided at the beginning of taught sessions, search the staff directory and get contact details for your lecturers, academic mentor and Course Leader, search clubs and societies you can join, get directions to rooms and places on campus and get answers to common questions asked across all of the services available at the University.

We would definitely recommend that you download the app before Welcome Week and have a look through all of the information available through it.

Download Beacon app

Meet the team

Mel Hall

Lecturer

Mel's research interests include legal and criminological psychology and the impact of psychology in E-learning and the web. She is module leader for 'People Behaving Badly', 'The Psychology of Crime', 'Psychological Contexts of Crime and Punish…

Mel's profile

Dr Sunghwan Kim

Lecturer

Dr Sunghwan Kim is a lecturer in forensic and criminological psychology at the University of Staffordshire.

Sunghwan's profile

What to expect on Welcome Week

We're so excited for you to join us on campus and to welcome you to where you matter. During your welcome week you'll be able to meet our friendly student services teams, connect with new friends, join societies, explore on-campus venues attend club nights and much more.

We look forward to welcoming you in September.

If you have any questions, please send them to your BSc (Hons) Forensic and Criminological Psychology Course Leader: Mel Hall, m.hall@staffs.ac.uk