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This course will provide you with the theoretical understanding of what is required to study at degree level and progress into employment within the industry. Combine Forensic Investigation techniques with Psychology practices and be well equipped for a fast-paced career.

  • Entry Criteria

    4 GCSEs at grade 9-4 including English, maths and science.

    Alternatively a Level 2 Diploma in a related field would be accepted along with English, maths and science at 4 or above.

  • What will I study?

    Year 1 modules include:
    • Psychological Approaches: In this unit, you will learn key psychological approaches (social, cognitive, learning and biological) and then apply these approaches to areas of human behaviour including aggression, consumer identity and gender identity.
    • Criminal and Forensic Psychology: In this unit you will learn different approaches to explaining criminal behaviour. We will also cover treating offenders and how to develop an offender profile.
    • Principles of Science: This unit will cover the key concepts in the 3 hard sciences: Biology: including cell structure and function, cell specialisation and tissue structure and function, Chemistry: including atomic structure and bonding, intermolecular forces, chemical reactions and balancing equations, Physics: including working with waves, diffraction gratings and electromagnetic waves in communication.
    • Forensic Investigation: You will learn how to collect evidence from a crime scene and analyse evidence such as fingerprint, DNA, blood and ballistics evidence. In this unit you will be required to write up your results in professional reports.
    • Criminal Investigation Procedures: In this unit you will explore the framework of our legal system; how a conviction is secured and what resources investigators have at their disposal in order to advance a case.
    • Physiology of Human Body Systems: In this unit you will learn about disorders of the musculoskeletal, lymphatic and digestive system, and the medical interventions used to treat them.

    • Forensic Genetics: This unit will teach you how DNA replicates and regulates. You will discover how DNA evidence is extracted and amplified for forensic analysis and how these results aid a forensic investigation.

    Year 2 modules include:
    • Health Psychology: In this unit you will become familiar with the research which links stress to illness. The unit will look at the cause of self-destructive behaviours. You will also explore addiction as it relates to a number of areas including smoking, alcohol, gambling and shopping. Finally, the unit will cover how we facilitate behaviour change/recovery in patients.
    • Conducting Psychological Research: This unit will develop your competency as a future psychologist. You will develop skills such as conducting qualitative and quantitative methods, plan psychological experiments adequately, run your experiment and report and analyse your data meaningfully.
    • Practical Scientific Techniques: During this unit you will learn practical laboratory techniques such as calibration, chromatography and calorimetry. You will be expected to professionally report your results and reflect on your professional practice.
    • Unit 3: Scientific Investigation Skills: This unit develops your competency as a scientist: how effectively you can plan, record, interpret and draw scientific conclusions from a lab practical which you run.
    • Criminology: During this unit, you will learn some competing criminological theories which are used to explain criminal behaviour and assess their use for measuring and tackling crime in England and Wales.

  • Future Prospects

    Successful completion will set you up to progress to degree level study at university. You’ll be on track for a wide variety of potential career paths across both Psychology and Forensic Investigation including; clinical psychologist, counselling psychologist, health psychologist, analytical chemist, biomedical scientist, forensic scientist, scientific laboratory technician and more.