Course overview
Experience a taster lecture in Psychology
Get a taste of student life before you join us. Find out more about our taster lecture
You develop a strong understanding of psychology through hands-on learning experiences, exploring how theories and concepts are applied in real-world settings – with a particular focus on forensic psychology.
You gain extensive research training, enabling you to undertake your own independent study in the field of forensic psychology. Develop a range of transferable skills, allowing you to confidently enter the work environments or continue your professional development.
This course includes a foundation year - ideal if you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1 of a degree.
Top reasons to study this course
- Skills for the future: 90% of applied psychology students agreed that their course has developed the knowledge and skills they think they will need for their future (National Student Survey 2024, tees.ac.uk/source).
- Route specific modules: gain specialist knowledge and understanding of forensic psychology for route-specific modules each year, which enhance your understanding of the relationship between psychology and crime.
- Learning with local community impact: the Applying Psychology to a Complex World module lets you tackle real issues of interest to the local community around the University. This might involve projects around the environment and wellbeing, gambling-related harms, or the impact of poverty on mental health.
- Employability: professional development opportunities and employability skills are embedded throughout the course in key modules, and through our links with local organisations and employers.
- Digital skill development: develop a range of digital skills that are relevant to your future career pathways.
Course details
Course structure
Foundation year core modules
Discovering the Social Sciences, Humanities and Law
You are introduced to the historical and contemporary development of social science disciplines, exploring examples of theoretical challenges and ways in which research is practically applied in society. Gain an understanding of both similarities and differences between disciplines, and how interdisciplinary research is fostered through collaboration. Explore academic standards, ethical guidelines and research protocols, personal development, and both study and transferable skills relevant to your studies and career.
This is a 40-credit module.
Investigating Society and Culture: The Case of Crime
Taking a multidisciplinary approach, explore crime through history, politics, English and creative writing, criminology, sociology, psychology and education to investigate the problems within society and culture.
This is a 20-credit module.
Identify and explore an area of interest related to your area of study through small-scale research using secondary data or desk-based research. You analyse an appropriate area of focus for your project using academic support.
This is a 20-credit module.
Your Toolkit for University Success
You develop your personal and academic skills to help prepare you for searching and retrieving information, evaluating different types of evidence, critical thinking and reading skills, note-taking and summarising evidence, presentation skills, groupwork, digital literacy and employability.
This is a 40-credit module.
Year 1 core modules
Bias-Busters - Thinking Critically About Psychology
You develop the skills needed to read and evaluate psychological information, theories and research papers. Exploring different cognitive biases, you examine common errors that people make when assessing arguments and evaluating evidence, and how to overcome widespread mistakes.
Engaging Minds: Psychological Issues and their Impact on The Future
You explore complex and contemporary debates in psychology and look to apply psychological research and theory to real-world problems.
Introduction to Mental Health and Psychopathologies
You focus on key concepts in mental health and explore some of the philosophical aspects of mental health, as well as looking at mental health and society.
Investigating Human Behaviour: An Introduction to Psychological Research Methods
You gain a foundation in psychological research methods and analysis.
You are introduced to the key concepts involved in understanding forensic psychology, such as crime and victim interaction, criminal thinking patterns, explanations of criminal behaviour, testimony, courtroom psychology and crime prevention.
The Psychology of (Almost) Everything
You study core psychological theories and perspectives including biological, social, individual differences, developmental and cognitive psychology.
Year 2 core modules
Applying Psychology to a Complex World
Employability and personal transferrable skills are developed whilst also working in partnership with local organisations.
You explore biological, neurological and evolutionary explanations for a series of identified psychological topics.
Cognition; investigating how we think, remember and understand
You focus on current cognitive psychological theories and their application, as well as experimental designs in the context of the study of cognitive psychology.
You critically examine competing perspectives, contemporary debates, historical perspectives and applied topics within developmental psychology.
You develop an understanding of non-experimental research in the context of the study of individual differences in psychology.
The Psychology of the Legal System
You study the application of psychological research and theory to practice in the criminal justice system. You focus on the contribution made by psychology to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences.
Final-year core modules
Assessment and Intervention in Forensic Practice
Develop your understanding of theoretical explanations of offending behaviour, with an emphasis on the importance and principles of assessment and intervention within the criminal justice system.
Deep dive into a topic linked to your chosen programme of study, selected by you in consultation with a dissertation supervisor.
and three optional modules
Applied Positive Psychology
Clinical Psychopathologies
Current Issues in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Cyberpsychology
Employability and Work-Related Learning
You develop your graduate skills in preparation for employment in a professional context. You have the opportunity to gain academic credit based on your participation in work experience, a short period of professional activity or work-related learning relevant to the discipline or area of professional interest. You develop an understanding of graduate employment pathways, opportunities, reflective practice and experiential learning. The core focus of the module will be helping you prepare for a graduate career, developing an understanding of professional working contexts and enabling you to identify and evidence your own graduate skills.
.
Interpersonal Violence and Trauma across the Lifespan
Nature Based Approaches, Meaning and Mental Health
Promoting Health, Preventing Illness
Psychology in Clinical Practice
You examine some of the areas of work of practitioner psychologists, structured around the core competencies inherent in training to become a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society. You engage with professional and ethical issues inherent in the design and development of research, training, consultancy and interventions in clinical settings, and are introduced to the requirements of postgraduate study in psychology.
Completion of this module does not provide eligibility for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
Sex, Crime and Behaviour
The Psychology of Everyday Self
This module provides an arena for you to study in depth one of the most intriguing and misunderstood aspects of psychological experience – that of selfhood.
It brings together a number of sub-disciplines that throw light on selfhood and subjective experience. Perspectives from social, developmental, and clinical psychology are combined in this module to offer you the opportunity to explore what selfhood means to you and how different constructs of selfhood can be enriching to the human experience.
Therapeutic Care and Meaningful Interactions
Modules across the school also available
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn in lectures, seminars and lab classes. Interactive sessions involve group discussions and a practical activities. In the first year of the course your learning is enhanced through interactive online textbooks, providing guided learning materials and online activities with built-in immediate feedback.
How you are assessed
You are assessed using online workbooks, blog posts, essays, portfolios, examinations, lab reports, annotated bibliographies, online exams, written reports, achievement of certification for using digital tools, dissertation, presentation of a selected issue aimed at a health profession audience, formuation and treatment plan, service evaluation or needs assessment reports. Our assessments are designed to enhance inclusivity and maximise success.
Formative feedback is provided using a variety of approaches, this is designed to support learning throughout the module and enable students to practice and prepare for their summative assessment tasks.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
2026-27 entry requirements
For Clearing 2025 entry requirements, please refer to the information in the box above.
A typical offer is 32-64 tariff points from at least two A levels, T level or equivalent, and GCSE grade 4 (grade C) or equivalent in English and maths.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements.
Are you an international student looking for a foundation course offering both academic and English language content? Explore your options with our International Study Centre.
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country.
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
On successful completion with a 2.2 or above, you will be eligible to apply for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership status with the British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk).
The skills and knowledge developed on this course are suited to postgraduate training to become a Chartered Psychologist in any area of psychology. You can also enter a broad range of careers including health and social welfare, the probation service, the prison service, the police, voluntary organisations and the public sector, as well as more business-related roles
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
Select your country:
Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.