Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
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This distinctive course demonstrates applications of forensic psychology in a global context, providing a holistic understanding of psychological explanations and their applications using real-life examples (for example, mental health) across different contexts.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

CMDF

Start date

November 2024


Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course.

Foundation year

The foundation year course offers an introduction to your chosen subject and helps you develop the necessary skills for degree-level study. In addition, you will also explore key skills such as research methods, scientific fundamentals and promotion techniques.

Degree

The course engages with theory, research and applications of psychological perspectives and methods/techniques in a global context to develop professional levels of transferable, practical and cognitive skills.

This aims to enable you to attain the qualities to confidently progress in an international arena.

  • You will develop critical awareness and understanding of core BPS (British Psychological Society) curriculum and specialised and contemporary content using a thematic approach for example psychology and popular culture, cybercrime, international perspectives of crime, mental health and wellbeing, culture, gender and sexuality.
  • The course provides a broad and varied educational experience within which learning occurs, engaging you in experiential learning and a wide range of international contexts.
  • The course should equip you with the appropriate methodological and analytical skills to undertake research in the field of forensic psychology whilst adhering to discipline-defined ethical standards.
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Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

  • Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.
  • Provides a grounding in key areas of health, education, psychology and wellbeing.

Degree

  • You will have the opportunity to gain a critical appreciation of how forensic psychology can be applied to real-world questions and cross-cultural and diverse situations across global contexts.
  • We focus on your employability: developing transferable, practical and cognitive skills (for example, critical analysis, problem-solving, and leadership) with the aim of putting you in an excellent position to secure postgraduate education or employment in an increasingly competitive market.
  • Our collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects  can enhance your international awareness through multicultural communication and peer interaction at participating institutions (subject to availability).
  • We are top 300 in the World Rankings for Psychology - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022.
  • Opportunities to participate in exciting field trips2 to a range of overseas destinations, which have previously included the United States.

Accreditation and professional recognition

The degree is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

The British Psychological Society

The British Psychological Society

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) for the 2023/2024 intake. If the accreditation of this course changes, we would seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible. Current accreditation by the British Psychological Society means that as a graduate, provided you achieve at least a 2:2, you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). Additional costs may apply. Please check with the membership body for details.



What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn. 

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).  

Common first year courses:

  • Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons)
  • Psychology BSc (Hons)
  • Sport and Exercise Psychology BSc (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field. 

Modules

In year two, you will develop more advanced knowledge and skills related to forensic psychology in practice; research methodologies and theoretical underpinnings around contemporary topic areas such as cybercrime, international perspectives on crime, among others. You will also advance in your understanding of research methodologies and experimental research paradigms.  

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They are a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future. 

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee3 of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time, you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement. 

Modules

Year three aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two. You could also work on a research project in an area of your interest, under the supervision of a research-active member of staff.

Modules

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The foundation year programme is focused on applied learning geared to high intensity teaching and study throughout the programme, requiring full commitment from students. The delivery of course content is a blend of lectures, tutorials and online mediums.

Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of a working environment.


Teaching contact hours

You can expect up 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 30 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.


Assessment

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as provide an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and may include practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which generally take place at the end of each six-week block.

This course is taught using a mixture of lectures, group seminars and practical, ‘hands-on’ skills workshops. Core course content will be delivered during the lectures, while seminars and workshops offer opportunities for you to explore topics more independently, receive guidance on coursework assignments, begin to apply your knowledge and develop your academic and transferable skills.

You will have the opportunity to take part in the design, conduct and analysis of psychological experiments, and spend time working collaboratively on group projects with other students. In addition, your Professional and Personal Tutor (PPT) will be available for one-to-one bookable meetings throughout every semester (subject to availability) and will review and discuss your progress and continual personal development. Outside of contact time, your personal study hours will be guided by materials posted on your module web pages.

Work experience and field trip opportunities2 are also an integral part of the course. We aim to arrange international field trips each year for students at all levels of our undergraduate Psychology courses.

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of Year 1, you will progress onto Year 2 in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.


Teaching contact hours

In year one, students will receive a minimum of 12 hours on campus synchronous hours and a minimum of 3 hours of online synchronous hours per week. This delivery pattern is mirrored in year two. During the final year, students will receive a minimum of 9 on-campus hours and 3 online synchronous hours.  Within these contact hours across the levels there will be approximately a minimum of 5 hours lectures and 5 hours of seminars/workshops.

Part of university life is undertaking self-directed learning. During a typical week you will have time that allows you to work independently to apply the skills and knowledge you have learnt in taught or facilitated sessions to your projects or assignment briefs.  This self-directed learning allows you to use your research skills, consolidate your knowledge or undertake collaborative group work. You will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study which will vary depending on the demands of individual modules. During year one this is approximately 125 hours per module. Year two is approximately 114 hours per module, and the final year is approximately 156 hours per module.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include coursework and phase tests.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.;


International experience opportunities

As well as offering a range of short international field trips, you also have the opportunity to complete the course over four years with a year spent studying abroad2. The university has links with over 20 institutions in Cyprus, France, Malta, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, as well as several other countries around the world. Courses are largely taught in English, but there are opportunities to learn and attend courses in a foreign language.

You may also have the opportunity to present at international conferences and/or collaborate with students from other institutions within the international arena on specified COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) projects (subject to availability).

I always have had a deep interest in psychology and criminology. We have had very interesting and inspiring seminars where we got more in depth understanding of mental health and critical thinking.

Paulina Gorowiec, BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology, First year (2022)
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Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

72 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at A-C/9-4 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking into account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

For information regarding specific requirements, please fill in our request information form.

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Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £7,950 Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,250 per year Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Please note: UK (home) tuition fees for the degree course years will be charged at the current Coventry University UK (home) degree fee level. This was set at £9,250 for the 23/24 academic year.

If you choose to do a work placement2, you should consider travel and living costs to cover this. There is also a tuition fee3 of £1,250 that will cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathways Programme for additional options.


Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, in the heart of the city. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities at Coventry University. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites4. You can also take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

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Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

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The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office, Enterprise Hub and a fantastic food court.

External view of the Lanchester Library.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is open 24/7, 364 days a year and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

 

This course is taught at Coventry University’s main campus.
  • Specialist teaching facilities4 include light and dark multisensory laboratories, ‘mock’ prison cells, an observation suite, counselling rooms which allows you to experience the application of psychology in different contexts.
  • Specialist software, such as Gorilla, Opensesame experiment builder, E-Prime, SPSS statistical analysis, Pinnacle Studio and NVIVO to develop your digital fluency.
  • EEG, eye tracking and Virtual Reality Headsets which allows you to understand and experience the neuro cognitive aspects of human behaviour in different situations.

Careers and opportunities

Our courses aim to equip you with a range of skills and competencies that could set you apart from other graduates and make you attractive to potential employers (e.g., critical thinking, communication skills, leadership and creativity). In addition, employability skills are embedded within the course and students work to identify those skills and are supported to gain voluntary and professional experience. This should enable you to submit competitive, professional applications and perform well in interview situations. 

The course provides the necessary grounding to enable you to progress and be eligible to undertake further training to become a qualified psychologist pursuing a career in the community, for example, as an occupational, forensic or social psychologist; in mental wellbeing as a clinical or counselling psychologist; in physical wellbeing as a health, sport or neuropsychologist; working with children as a developmental or educational psychologist. 

Our graduates are equipped with highly sought-after employability skills (e.g. transferable skills, analytical thinking, presentation skills) to embark on a career in applied psychological settings (e.g., mental health secure settings, rehabilitation centres); or complete one of our postgraduate degrees. However, the transferable skills you gain from your degree opens several options for career pathways. Our students have also gone on to become researchers, lecturers, teachers, administrators, managers and health and care professionals.  

Where our graduates work

Many of our graduates have gone on to pursue postgraduate study (e.g., MSc, PhD, DClinPsy) and continued their work as practising psychologists (e.g., becoming Clinical, Forensic, Sport, Educational psychologists etc). Previous graduates have secured employment in applied and research institutions such as: St Andrew’s Health Care, Victim Support and the NHS. Other graduates have also been successful in gaining positions as teaching assistants, working in human resources, becoming research assistants and using their digital literacy skills to support in meaningful interventions in hospitals and start-up companies looking for innovative thinking.  

Further study

Students who successfully complete their BSc (Hons) Psychology degree with a minimum 2:2 award will normally be eligible for most MSc Applied Psychology programmes at Coventry University (e.g., MSc Forensic Psychology, MSc Health Psychology, MSc Applied Psychology, MSc Business and Organisational Psychology) and other institutions with related courses. 

The work placement was very important for me to help me understand in practice what is taught in my course. I leave this experience with more communication, thinking and decision-making skills and above all with ideas that I can now use in my thesis writing. Through this experience I met fantastic people who guided me and opened my mind to my professional future.

Tatiana Marques, Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons), Work Experience during 2022 
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