PSY3030 : Foundations in Forensic and Criminal Psychology
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Mr Gary Pankhurst
- Lecturer: Dr David Pritchard, Dr Sarah Knight, Dr Scott McDonald, Dr Darren Johnson, Dr Barbara-Anne Robertson, Dr Emma Joyes
- Owning School: Psychology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To provide students with an insight into the general area of forensic psychology and to develop critical understanding of:
how psychological research has been applied to understanding the causes of criminal behaviour, including the assessment and treatment of offenders, and:
the way such research can be used in an applied setting through investigative psychology.
Outline Of Syllabus
• Introduction to Forensic and Criminological psychology
• Theories of crime and offending
• Assessment and treatment of offenders
• Psychological disorders e.g. Antisocial and Narcissistic Personality Disorders, Psychopathy.
• Investigative and legal psychology
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 60:00 | 60:00 | |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 62:00 | 62:00 | |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | Assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 52:00 | 52:00 | |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lecture materials and structured learning activities will be used as the main way to impart knowledge and to stimulate interests in the topics. The private study time will allow students to carry out an in-depth review of the knowledge imparted through lecture materials, to generate their own views on the topics and to follow these out by carrying out independent reviews of the literature, thereby taking control over their learning and preparing them for the final assessment. The workshops will give students the opportunity to prepare for the assessment.
The contact time for this module reflects the amount of preparation students are expected to do for the assessment.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Examination | 120 | 1 | A | 100 | Closed book, Inspera exam with two components. A vignette based question with essay format answer and the second component SAQsx4. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The exam format and questions will provide opportunity to test knowledge from across the full module. This will test both learning outcomes and skills outcomes since questions will be each linked to a short vignette of an applied example that requires students to link theory to practice.
If the module is failed, Stage 3 students may only be offered a resit if an honours degree is not awarded on the first occasion. Failed assessments will be the same format during the August resit period.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- PSY3030's Timetable