Abertay University
UCAS Code: CF64 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Entry into Year 2 with AAB to include Psychology and one from Government & Politics, English, Sociology, History, Chemistry, Biology, Human Biology, Maths or Physics
HNC (BTEC)
Entry into Year 1 with HNC (BTEC) Health & Social Care
HND (BTEC)
Entry into Year 1 with HND (BTEC) Health & Social Care
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Entry into Year 2 with 34 Points to include Psychology and one from Modern Studies, English, Sociology, History, Chemistry, Biology, Human Biology, Maths or Physics plus one other AH
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Entry into Year 2 to include Psychology and one from Modern Studies, English, Sociology, History, Chemistry, Biology, Human Biology, Maths or Physics
Scottish HNC
Entry into Year 2 with an HNC in one of the following:- Applied Science - Graded Unit C plus Higher Psychology at B Social Science - Graded Unit C Next Gen Social Science - Graded Unit P to include Psychology A and Psychology B Entry into Year 1 with an HNC in one of the following:- Additional Support Needs - Graded Unit C Childhood Practice - Graded Unit C Coaching & Developing Sport - Graded Unit C Counselling - Graded Unit C Legal Services - Graded Unit C Police Studies - Graded Unit C Social Care - Graded Unit C Social Services - Graded Unit C Working with Communities - Graded Unit C
Scottish HND
Entry into Year 2 with HND Social Science - Graded Units CC Entry into Year 1 with and HND with one of the following:- Additional Support Needs - Graded Unit C Counselling - Graded Unit C Legal Services - Graded Units CC
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
in Core Component. Education & Early Years Health Healthcare Science Science Legal Services
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Learn to use forensic science and apply forensic psychology to police investigations. Discover how to search and examine crime scenes and how forensic evidence needs to be processed, interpreted, and preserved.**
Dig deep into the science behind psychology: the way humans think, feel, and behave. Discover how to examine crime scenes, and how forensic evidence needs to be processed, interpreted, and preserved. This involves field trips to places like the mortuary and bomb disposal sites. You'll also learn how to provide research-based evidence which may be used in the criminal justice system. In the final year you can apply your forensic knowledge in a mock courtroom scenario.
You’ll cover topics such as:
- Crime scene examination and management.
- Interpretation, presentation and preservation of evidence.
- Apply biometric information in human identification.
- Applying memory research from crime scene to court.
- Understanding the language of the judicial system.
**The perfect mix of psychology, criminal investigation and forensic science**
Psychology is both an experimental and observational science. This means you will observe and measure human behaviour, undertake literature research, and develop, test, and evaluate theories. This culminates in conducting your own supervised research project in your final year, which is one of the cornerstones of your degree. You’ll graduate with a thorough understanding of this fascinating world.
This Psychology with Forensic Scene Investigation degree is **accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)** and its core areas follow the curriculum set out by the BPS. This accreditation is essential if you want to become a Chartered Psychologist and means successful graduates can apply for further professional psychology training.
Psychology degrees here at Abertay are flexible. You can switch to BSc Psychology or another ‘Psychology with’ pathway if you develop an interest in a particular topic later on.
Our BSc (Hons) Psychology course scored an impressive **95% for Overall Student Satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey (NSS)** and Forensic Science was the **top rated modern Scottish department in the 2021 Good University Guide**.
Modules
Year 1 core modules (subject to change over time) - PSY101 Introductory Psychology; PSY104 Comparative Psychology; PSY105 Introduction to Psychological Research Methods; Abertay 101 Being Successful at Abertay. You will also be required to select two option modules, one in Term 1 and one in Term 2. In Term 2 you must study and pass three MySuccess modules of your choosing. For detailed module information please check our website.
Assessment methods
The programme is a mixture of lectures, practical laboratory classes, seminars/tutorials and independent study. The practical laboratory classes offer the chance to learn relevant scientific techniques first hand, and an opportunity to engage in research by designing experiments and collecting and analysing data. You are assessed using a variety of assessment types. These include examinations and class tests, laboratory reports, essays, presentations (both oral and posters), research projects and writing scientific articles and case studies. Assessment is through a range of methods including exams, tests, practical laboratory reports and student presentations.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Abertay Campus
Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences
What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Applied psychology
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Applied psychology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Applied psychology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£21k
£27k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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