Psychology and Law

This course has research at its heart, designed to help you become an effective, skilled and forward-thinking psychologist whilst developing all the key skills required to succeed in the legal sector - including drafting, advocacy, interviewing and negotiation. 

We aim to broaden your understanding of how the human mind works, while equipping you with skills and knowledge of the legal sector. We're networked into the legal profession, which opens up exciting opportunities for work internships and professional mentoring.

Student Legal Advice Centre and Pro Bono work

Students studying Law at Derby may have access to our Student Legal Advice Centre - our dedicated space for real-world learning. Volunteering in the Centre provides you the opportunity to develop transferrable skills that will assist you in gaining the skills required once you graduate.

The Centre offers assistance in the following areas:

• Family law
• Criminal injuries compensation authority claims
• Immigration family reunion (in partnership with British Red Cross and Paragon Law)

The Centre also offers support to Litigants in Person in Family Law matters at the Family Court at Derby. In Autumn 2022, a Business Clinic and Legal Triage Clinic (exclusively for University of Derby students) was launched.

The Centre also has a Policy Clinic and Justice Project. The Justice Project promotes the teaching of law to all members of the community, including school children, by informing them of their legal rights and responsibilities.

The Centre was shortlisted for Best Contribution by a Law School at the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2022, and was highly commended at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2021 for Best Contribution in relation to the Centre’s Immigration Family Reunion Clinic.

Expert teaching 

You'll be taught by expert staff who are conducting influential studies into areas of psychology such as mental health and wellbeing, compassion and mindfulness, autism and maths anxiety. And you’ll have guest lectures by world-class researchers. You’ll also conduct your own research and be able to contribute to cutting-edge psychological research projects at the University.  

This course is supported by visiting professors and guest lecturers who are leading authorities in their fields. Our celebrated Public Lecture Series also brings influential figures to the University to shed new light on the legal system. 

Specialist facilities 

Our Psychology facilities are used for both teaching and research. They include computing labs with specialist software for designing experiments and research. You'll use a range of psychological recording equipment such as the latest eye-tracker equipment for analysing eye movement and our Babylab for ethical research with babies and young children. 

Our Law facilities are based One Friar Gate Square in the heart of Derby’s city centre, featuring a replica Crown Courtroom, Custody Suite and Student Legal Advice Centre. 

Accredited course* 

British Psychological Society accreditation means we're delivering a high standard of psychology education. It shows we've met BPS standards for course content and design, and student development. It also means you can apply for BPS student membership. This provides: 

• Access to networking opportunities 
• The BPS student online community 
• Discounts on books 
• Events and e-learning 
• Academic journals 
• The chance to transfer to graduate membership free of charge after completing your degree 

And you will have the opportunity to progress to accredited postgraduate qualifications and training to gain chartered membership of the BPS. 

For students to receive the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS), students need to do the following: 

• Choose a Psychology major pathway with all prescribed modules 
• Obtain at least a 40% overall for the Independent Study in Psychology 
• Obtain at least a lower second-class degree 

Boost your employability with a placement year

Take an optional placement year to put your skills into practice in a real-world setting. We’ll support you in finding a placement and throughout your time in industry. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience for your CV, build contacts, and explore career options before you graduate.

What is a Joint Honours degree?

A Joint Honours degree offers students the opportunity to study two subjects.

A Joint Honours degree is a great option if:

• You want to study two subjects you’re passionate about
• You’ve got a specific career in mind and want to create a tailored degree to prepare you for the future
• You want to study a new subject alongside one you’re already familiar with

The modules below indicate the range of modules you may study as part of this combination, however prescribed and optional modules will vary depending on whether you choose to study both subjects equally, or choose to major or minor in a subject. To find out exactly which modules you would study as part of your chosen combination please contact StudentHub@derby.ac.uk.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

For Psychology modules, you will learn from lecturers and tutors who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and are carrying out research designed to offer fresh perspectives on issues that are significant at every stage of life, from birth to old age, including:  

• Maternal health and the development of new-borns, to help improve health care during childhood  
• Mental health and wellbeing such as maths-induced anxiety, eating disorders, addiction and irrational thinking  
• Compassion and mindfulness, tackling self-esteem issues and fostering sensitive support for others  
• The psychological aspects of pain  
• Emotional processing  
• The positive benefits of engaging with the natural environment  

Your lecturers bring their latest thinking to your studies. And, in some cases, you’ll have opportunities to get involved in research projects yourself. Quality inspectors have commended us for being “at the forefront of technology-enhanced learning” in Psychology. 

For Law modules, you will engage in real or simulated legal practice and build a range of the key skills required to succeed in the legal sector, including: 

• case preparation 
• mooting - where you present a legal issue against opposing counsel in a mock court case 
• interviewing 
• negotiation  

You will also develop skills in legal scholarship, with the chance to undertake problem-based research and original academic enquiry. If our teaching team consider the work you produce to be of sufficient quality, it could be published in the Derby Law School Journal. 

Through our peer assisted mentoring scheme, students from later years of the course also give helpful guidance and support to first year students.

Mooting forms part of certain modules and you can develop your expertise further through regional and national competitions. We have an excellent record of success in these challenges. 

We also help run a schools’ debating competition in partnership with Derby & District Law Society and Enterprise for Education where you can mentor local secondary school pupils. 

How you are assessed

For Psychology modules, you’ll be assessed mainly through assignments, via essays, posters, presentations, and reports. You may also have to take some exams. These can include essay questions, multiple choice and short answer questions.   
 
For Law modules, assessments may include group work, oral presentations, written coursework and examinations. 

Studying psychology opens doors to many different sectors and professions - anywhere an understanding of people is valued - so your career options will be broad. Our Psychology graduates have gone on to successful roles in sectors such as: 

• Psychological research   
• Scientific or clinical research   
• Charity leadership   
• Mental health support and management   
• Health services and therapeutic care   
• Probation service and police   
• Human resources  
• Health psychology   
• Educational psychology   
• Occupational psychology   
• Forensic psychology   
• Clinical psychology   
• Teaching   

Through our Professional Development Package, you'll gain valuable transferable skills, including:

• Written and verbal communication  
• Research and analytical  
• Personal motivation, organisation and self-reflection  
• Numeracy  
• IT literacy  
• Critical awareness 

If you want to become a Psychologist or progress to Postgraduate study in Psychology, we advise that you major in Psychology including all prescribed credit bearing modules. This means you will receive accreditation from the British Psychological Society.

This degree also allows graduates to engage in careers in business, banking and human resources – any profession that welcomes an exposure to studying law. 

You can go on to study at postgraduate level and achieve an LLM or complete a qualifying Solicitor exam.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

You will typically study your two subjects equally at stage one, before choosing whether you want to major in one subject at stages two and three.

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.