Psychology vs criminology: which career is right for me?
By Amina AhmedPublished on
Our criminology student advisor Amina Ahmed breaks down the differences between these two fields, helping you figure out which one feels like the right path for the kind of work you want to do.
Trying to decide between psychology and criminology?
If you're drawn to understanding criminal behaviour, you might find yourself looking at both psychology and criminology and wondering which one is the better fit.
It’s a fair question – and one plenty of students ask before choosing a study area. Many want to understand the difference between criminology and psychology, especially if they're interested in crime, human behaviour, or working in the justice sector. Both fields explore why people act the way they do, and graduates from each can end up working in surprisingly similar settings.
When I'm helping someone compare the two, I usually ask: are you more interested in understanding and supporting individuals, or are you more drawn to understanding crime, the systems around it, and the bigger social forces at play?
But before we dive into those questions, let’s start with the big picture. Here's a quick comparison of the two fields side by side.
A quick glance comparison of psychology vs criminology
Psychology | Criminology | |
|---|---|---|
Field of study | Mind, behaviour and mental processes | Crime, criminal behaviour and justice systems |
Primary focus | Understanding and supporting individuals | Understanding crime as a social phenomenon |
Typical study length before entering the field | 3 years of full-time study; 6 years to become a registered psychologist | 3 years of full-time study |
Regulation | AHPRA registration required to practise as a psychologist | No professional registration required |
Core approach | Assessment, therapy, research | Research, analysis, policy and systems work |
Example roles | Registered psychologist, forensic psychologist, health promotion officer, policy analyst | Criminologist, crime analyst, intelligence officer, crime prevention officer |
Common settings | Private practice, hospitals, schools, workplaces | Government, corrections, policy, research, academia |
Career flexibility | Strong within mental health and related fields | Broad across justice, policy, community and research |
Understanding psychology
Psychology explores the way people think, feel and behave, helping us better understand human experiences and the factors that influence mental health.
If you choose psychology, you’ll spend time learning about human behaviour, psychological theories, and how to assess and support people.
It can be a good fit if you’re interested in understanding individuals, supporting people through challenges, and exploring the factors that influence behaviour. Statistics and research methods are also a common part of the field, which means you build confidence working with data and evidence.
Psychology can connect with areas related to crime and the justice system, including forensic psychology, offender rehabilitation and work with victims. However, the field is centred on understanding and supporting individuals, rather than studying crime as a social issue.
If you’d like to find out more about exactly where psychology can take you, read our guide on psychology jobs and career pathways.
Understanding criminology
Criminology examines crime, including why it happens, what influences offending behaviour, and how society responds. It looks beyond individual incidents to understand the patterns behind crime and the factors that affect people and communities.
A criminology degree gives you the chance to examine theories about crime, offending behaviour, and the ways communities and justice systems respond to harm. It can be a good fit if you’re interested in social issues, human behaviour, and the bigger questions behind crime and prevention.
While criminology and psychology can overlap in areas such as criminal behaviour and rehabilitation, they approach these topics differently. Criminology is centred on understanding crime as a social issue and how systems respond to it, while psychology focuses more on the thoughts, behaviours and experiences of individuals.
For a closer look at where criminology could take you, explore our guide to criminology jobs and career pathways.
The key differences between criminology and psychology
If you're still trying to figure out which one is for you, here's what I'd look at.
The kind of work you'll do every day
Psychology is about working with people, and helping them understand and work through what's going on for them. Criminology is more focused on systems and society, and you're more likely to be working with data, policy, agencies and research than with people.
Study length and registration
It can take longer for you to become fully qualified in psychology, depending on what you want to do. You can finish within 3 years if you only want to study at an undergraduate level. But you’ll need to spend at least 6 years studying before you’re eligible to be able to call yourself a ‘psychologist’.
Criminology has no equivalent registration requirement, and you can move into the workforce after a 3-year undergraduate qualification.
Entry requirements
It’s simple to get into both psychology and criminology qualifications through Open Universities Australia. You can start with Open Access single subjects in either field without worrying about entry requirements, before then progressing into undergraduate study.
Of the two, psychology is the one that typically gets more competitive later. You’ll need strong academic results to continue into honours and postgraduate study, which is required if you want to become a psychologist.
You don’t necessarily need a postgraduate qualification in criminology, unless you want to move into a specialised area like research or academia.
Career destinations
Either career path could see you working in government, research, community services and policy. But while psychology opens up clinical, school and workplace settings, criminology opens up corrections, policing, justice administration and crime prevention roles.
The two often overlap in forensic and justice-related work, where you might find graduates from both backgrounds working alongside each other.
Flexibility and specialisation
Psychology has a more defined pathway with clear specialisation points further down the track, including areas like forensic, clinical and organisational psychology.
Criminology fans out earlier, with more room to find your direction through the work itself rather than formal specialisation.
Which option is right for you?
If understanding criminal behaviour is what drew you to both of these, you're probably closer to an answer than you think. The question is really whether you want to explore that through the lens of the individual or society.
Psychology might be your path if you:
- Are interested in how people think, feel and behave
- Want to help people directly
- Are comfortable with a longer study pathway that leads to professional registration
- Can see yourself working in mental health, education, research or forensic psychology
- Are drawn to evidence-based mental health support
Criminology might be your path if you:
- Want to understand why crime happens and what influences offending behaviour
- Are interested in the bigger social issues connected to crime and justice
- Can see yourself working in government, policy, research, community services or the justice sector
- Enjoy analysing evidence, identifying patterns and thinking critically about social issues
- Want to help improve the way communities and justice systems respond to crime
If both fields still sound appealing to you, don’t feel like you have to rule out either one completely.
Depending on the course you choose, you may be able to study psychology and criminology at the same time through a dual degree. Some courses also let you major in psychology and minor in criminology, or combine criminology with psychology electives.
Can you study psychology or criminology online?
Yes, you can study both online, including through Open Universities Australia.
Online study covers the same core concepts and helps you build the same knowledge and skills as an on-campus course, while giving you the flexibility to fit study around work, family or other commitments.
I recommend reading our guides on studying psychology online and studying criminology online to learn more about this. These resources break down how online study works in each field, who it’s most suited to, and what support is available.
Or, if you want to compare other similar study areas, you might like to learn about the differences between criminology vs criminal justice and psychology vs counselling.
Explore your study options through us
Ready to take the next step? Browse online criminology courses and psychology courses to compare qualifications from leading Australian universities.
If you're still weighing up your options, try Help Me Choose for personalised course recommendations or contact a student advisor for free guidance on study pathways, entry requirements and finding the right fit for your goals.
About the author
Amina Ahmed
Student advisor specialising in criminology courses
Amina Ahmed is passionate about helping students explore criminology. In the trenches of both full time work and study herself, she brings enthusiasm and reassurance to the students she supports. She loves helping students shift from early nervousness in their first conversations towards confidence as they progress through their studies.
FAQs about psychology vs criminology
I'm interested in understanding criminal behaviour. Which degree is a better fit?
If criminal behaviour (what drives it, how it develops and how the justice system responds) is your first interest, criminology might be the career you’re searching for.
Psychology will give you an understanding of behaviour and mental processes, and forensic psychology sits at the crossover between the two, but criminology as a career is built around criminal behaviour.
What if I'm interested in forensic psychology?
Forensic psychology draws on what you learn in psychology and applies it to legal and justice settings. If this is your goal, starting with a psychology bachelor degree then pursing forensic psychology as a specialisation through postgraduate study might be your best path forward. A criminology degree won't get you to a forensic psychology registration, but it can inform that kind of work from a different angle.
Read more about psychology registration and Area of Practice endorsement.
Can I study psychology and criminology at the same time?
Yes, you can. Some courses offer the two as a dual degree, combining the two disciplines, and it's also possible to take criminology electives within a psychology program or vice versa. It's worth exploring what courses are available in both areas of study.
Can I major in psychology and minor in criminology?
Yes. The University of New England’s Bachelor of Psychological Science and Swinburne University of Technology’s Bachelor of Psychological Sciences, both available through Open Universities Australia, offer the option to combine psychology with a criminology minor.
Can psychologists work in the criminal justice system?
Yes, they can and often do. Psychologists work across courts, corrections, forensic settings and policy. Forensic psychology is a recognised Area of Practice endorsement under AHPRA, and many registered psychologists work in settings that are closely tied to the justice system.
Do psychology and criminology graduates apply for the same jobs?
In roles focused on policy, research and community services, graduates from both fields can and do apply for the same positions. Where they’re most divided is in roles that require clinical registration (psychology) and criminal expertise (criminology).
