Course Content
Forensic Psychology is the practice and application of psychological research relevant to crime, policing, the courts, the criminal and civil justice system, offenders, prison, secure settings, offender management, health and academic settings as well as private practice.
It looks at the role of environmental, psychosocial, and socio-cultural factors that may contribute to crime or its prevention. The primary aim of Forensic Psychology as an academic discipline is to develop understanding of the processes underlying criminal behaviour and for this improved understanding to impact on the effective management and rehabilitation of different groups of offenders in all settings within the criminal justice system.
The first aim of the programme is to provide students with a thorough and critical academic grounding in the evidence relating to environmental, cultural, cognitive and biological factors that may contribute to a wide variety of forms of offending. The programme will encourage students to consider the role and limitations of causal explanations for offending in the development of offender treatments, services and policy.
The second aim of the programme is to introduce students to the basic professional competencies for working in the many settings where forensic psychology is practiced, including skills related to inter-disciplinary working, risk assessment, ethics, continuing professional development, report writing and differences in practice when working with offenders, victims, the courts and the police.
The programme aims to produce Masters degree graduates with the ability to understand the limitations of the conceptual underpinnings of interventions and assessments used in forensic psychology and who are able therefore to engage in critical evaluation of the evidence base upon which their own practice will eventually be based. The programme will specifically avoid providing any formal supervised practice. Its aim is to produce reflective scientist-practitioners who will be ready to engage with the next stage of training (i.e. BPS Stage 2 or HCPC route) towards registration as a Forensic Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
Students will complete the following taught modules and will also be required to conduct an empirical supervised research dissertation with participants, preferably drawn from a forensic setting:
MODULE TITLE
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION
|
Foundations in Forensic Psychology (20 credits)
| The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to examine the contribution made by biological, psychodynamic, evolutionary, cognitive and socio-cultural perspectives to our understanding of the aetiology of criminal behaviour. The primary aim of the module is to provide a critical examination of the dominant perspectives and theories of crime.
|
Professional Practice and Offender Management (20 credits)
| The focus of this module is the professional practice of forensic psychology. The module builds on the groundwork laid by earlier modules and covers professional skills and the types of interventions that a practicing forensic psychologist may engage in. It aims to provide students with general transferable skills (in e.g. report writing and ethical decision-making), and transferable skills that relate directly to the practice of forensic psychology (e.g. managing risk to selves and colleagues).
|
Psychological Assessments and Interventions (20 credits)
| This module aims to provide an understanding of how theory and research in psychology may be applied to the assessment and rehabilitation of offenders, and to enable students to critically assess ethical issues concerned with the effectiveness of psychological interventions. The central focus of the module is the ‘what works’ literature.
|
Legal Psychology (20 credits)
| This module aims to equip students with knowledge of the legal system in England and Wales and its interactions with forensic psychology. The focus of the module is to provide students with an understanding of how theory and research in psychology may be applied to legal issues. To enable students to critically assess the contribution and effectiveness psychology has made in the legal realm (including relevant ethical issues).
|
Applied Psychology in Practice (20 credits)
| This module aims to introduce and develop skills that are relevant to Psychology in practice. To help them develop an understanding of the principles and approaches to effective communication and develop an understanding of interprofessional working and ethical practice. The focus of the module is to apply evidence-based knowledge to discipline specific areas of practice.
|
Research Methods and Design (20 credits)
| This module aims to consolidate undergraduate research abilities and equip students with the skills necessary to undertake Masters level research; in doing so students will be equipped with the skills to critically review and evaluate a range of research methodologies including both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
|
Dissertation (60 credits)
| The dissertation is an empirical research study providing students with the opportunity to work independently in an area of specific interest within the domain of forensic psychology. Students will be required to design the study and collect, analyse and present data relevant to the stated aims of their investigation. The dissertation is designed to foster an independent approach to research and enable students to gain practical and directly relevant experience in research design and methodologies.
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the MSc cost and is there any financial support?
Up to date fees and information regarding bursaries and loans is available on our Fees & Finance webpage.
When does the programme start and finish?
The MSc starts in September each year and runs for 12 months for full time students and 24 months for part time students.
How many days will I be on campus?
Full time students will be on campus two days per week and part time students will be on campus one day per week throughout term time and also for some additional workshops (outside of term time) which students are notified about during the Induction Week.
What counts as relevant experience in an applied forensic setting?
Relevant experience can range from paid or voluntary work with Youth Offending teams, or Victim Support, to charity work supporting offenders, through to people who are working as Assistant Psychologists within secure settings, or working with Prison/Probation services. You may gain experience in settings that are not directly supporting a forensic population, for example volunteering in a homeless charity organisation. In such cases your personal statement should reflect your understanding of the shared vulnerability factors and co-occuring behaviours between homelessness and offending.
Whilst no minimum time period is specified, it is important that the applicant is able to reflect on their experience and be able to write a strong personal statement in their application. This should include what contact the applicant has had with clients, what their role was in the organisation, how it might be useful in their studies and how it has helped them develop knowledge and skills in the area of Forensic Psychology.
I obtained a 2:2 in my undergraduate degree. Can I still apply for the MSc Forensic Psychology?
The minimum entry criteria to apply for the MSc is a 2:1 BSc degree (accredited by the British Psychological Society) and relevant forensic experience (see above). In exceptional circumstances, we will consider applicants with a 2:2 BPS undergraduate degree where there is evidence of extensive applied experience in a forensic setting and where the applicant can demonstrate that they can meet the academic demands of the programme.
My undergraduate degree is not accredited by the British Psychological Society. Would you still consider an application?
As the MSc is accredited by the British Psychological Society and represents Stage 1 of the training to becoming eligible for applying for registration as a Practitioner Psychologist (Forensic) with the Health and Care Profession, we require all applicants to have a BPS accredited undergraduate degree.
To be considered, the applicant must have completed a conversion qualification prior to application. Full details of available conversion courses can be found on the
British Psychological Society's website.
What should be included in my personal statement?
When completing your personal statement, be mindful that what you submit is intended to enhance your application. If constructed poorly it may have a negative impact on your application as a whole. This is your opportunity to expand on qualifications and experience listed in your application form, as well as detailing why you would like to undertake a certain programme.
Information you may wish include
- Why you would like to undertake the programme
- Elements of the programme you are keen to study
- Academic achievements
- Extra-curricular achievements
- Relevant work / volunteer experience
- Relevant skills
- Future plans if your application is successful
- Interests
Word Limit
There is no specific word limit however, as a guide, approximately 500 words should suffice.
Curriculum Vitae
Some programmes require a CV alongside a personal statement and this will be highlighted in the
Supporting Documents upload section of the online application, for example, all postgraduate sport courses.
Even if not a requirement, a CV or other information can be uploaded to enhance an application, for example, to provide further information on employment history.
Learning & Teaching
Teaching on the MSc Forensic Psychology Programme is predominantly conducted in small groups and adopts an interactive approach. The Research Methods and Design module and the Dissertation workshops are the only part of the programme which is taught in a larger group of around 40 to 50 students as opposed to between 10 and 20 students on the core modules. As a result teaching involves a range of discussions, activities, evaluations of papers, case studies and role play exercises. The focus within the programme is on both content and key skills to develop specialists in the field of forensic psychology with flexible generic skills. These experiences also help to foster student development and confidence as independent life-long learners.
Student learning is promoted through a variety of learning and teaching methods. These include: lectures, workshops, online learning through the virtual learning environment, Moodle, as well as self directed learning. Each student will have an allocated personal tutor to support them through their period of study.
The University requires students to attend at least 80% of the taught sessions for the programme.
Assessment
The MSc is assessed by a range of different coursework assignments – e.g. presentations, reports, essays, reflective reports, academic posters, research proposal. There are no examinations.
From September 2021, all students will need to achieve a minimum of a 50% pass mark for each module.
Employability & Careers
A British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited MSc in Forensic Psychology is the first step (stage one) in gaining Chartered Psychologist status with the BPS and Registered Practitioner status with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). The MSc in Forensic Psychology will provide the knowledge base and applied research skills that will provide the foundation for engagement with the next stage of training (i.e. BPS Stage 2 or HCPC route) towards registration as a Forensic Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. From September 2021, students who do not achieve a pass mark of at least 50% in each module will not be awarded an accredited degree but an alternative award.
Entry Requirements & How to Apply
A good honours degree (normally 2.1 or above) in Psychology, from a BPS (British Psychological Society) accredited undergraduate course.
In addition, applicants will be expected to demonstrate experience in a relevant area, for example, experience with victims, offenders or service providers in a forensic domain. Roles and responsibilities will need to be evidenced within the application, as well as detailing duration and hours per week undertaken.
In exceptional cases, applicants who have achieved a lower second class award in an accredited Psychology undergraduate degree but have extensive relevant work experience may be considered for admission to the Programme.
English Language requirement
Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an IELTS 7.0 standard or equivalent. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the
International pages on the website.
Selection Procedure:
Selection is normally based on a completed application form and interview.
How to Apply:
Applications for this course should be made direct to the university via our
self-service facility.
As part of your online application you will need to upload:
- 1 x full
Academic Reference (or professional if not applicable);
- Your
Final Degree Certificate, if you have already obtained it;
- Confirmation of your graduate chartership with the
British Psychological Society.
If an offer is made, applicant will need to undertake an
enhanced DBS check as a part of the offer conditions. Further information on the DBS check requirements for this programme can be found at
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/DBS.
For further information please visit our How to Apply pages at
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply.
Fees Information
Tuition Fees and Financial Support:
For up to date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available. Please refer to
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees.
Part-time fees:
Please see fee table on above link for exact costings for this programme on a part time basis. For information on modules to be studied part time please contact the programme leader.
Contact Us