Criminology and Forensic Investigation

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

If you want to help solve crimes, it pays to understand criminality from many different angles. This course gives you much broader skills, knowledge and experience than a more traditional ‘forensic science’ degree. Using facilities shared with a real police force, this degree is always relevant, innovative and up-to-date.

From crime scene to evidence lab to court room, you’ll find out how forensic investigation fits into the history, policy and practice of the criminal justice system. And you’ll study the causes of crime, learning what really makes a criminal.

Course highlights
- Develop specialist forensic skills in simulated crime scene and laboratory practical sessions

- Explore new experimental techniques including the use of Virtual Reality (VR), inspired by innovative VR research at the University of Portsmouth

- Learn from criminology, probation and policing experts who are actively involved in industry, and who shape its future with ground-breaking research in areas like forensic interview techniques and wildlife crime

- Benefit from our strong partnerships and links with the criminal justice and forensic investigation industry

- Hear from guest speakers such as fire investigators, crime scene managers, pathologists, specialist police officers, firearm officers and forensic archaeologists

- Tailor your degree from a wide range of modules, including crime and mental health, hate crime, dangerous offenders and public protection

- Gain pre-entry qualifications for careers in the police or probation service, and develop skills in problem solving and analysis that all kinds of employers value

"If you want to look at the practical side of crime this is the course for you. It shows you so many different roles that you wouldn't even think existed. The course is really practical too: looking at police investigations and how they're run was so interesting." – Robyn Juniper , BSc Hons Criminology & Forensic Studies student

Careers and opportunities

Because this course blends criminology and forensic studies, you’ll graduate with a particularly broad range of careers open to you. Your lecturers can help you identify the options that excite you most, so you can choose to study modules that fit your ambitions.

You’ll be especially well-prepared for the wide variety of criminal justice careers where forensic awareness plays a key role – from forensic practitioner in the police, probation or prison services, through to rewarding areas of expertise like community safety, crime prevention and criminological research. More broadly, the impressive problem-solving skills you develop could prove valuable in all kinds of careers.

What jobs can you do with a criminology and forensic investigation degree?

Our graduates have gone on to roles including:

- crime scene investigator

- investigative data analyst

- police officer

- intelligence researcher

- probation officer

- youth offending support officer

- emergency planning officer

- prison officer

- forensic and other laboratories

- teaching (with further training)

You could also do postgraduate study in areas such as forensic science.

Ongoing careers support

Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.

Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.