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Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

Doctor of Forensic Psychology (DForenPsy)

  • Postgraduate Research home

Research topics and degrees

  • Doctor of Forensic Psychology

Study mode details

Full time, 3 years

  • A new programme developed to look to the future of forensic psychology
  • Combining the portfolio expertise in training therapeutic skills with training in complex forensic understanding
  • Opportunity to join a programme engaged with a network of forensic providers across different forensic settings
  • Commitment to interprofessional learning and development
  • Supervisors with extensive experience in forensic psychology, clinical neuropsychology and mood disorders
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion and promoting diversity

View 2024 Entry

Apply online (Applications will close 17th May 2024)

Ask a question

Clinical doctorates website

Email: [email protected]

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Top 75 in the world for Psychology

QS World University Rankings 2022

11th in the UK for internationally excellent research in Psychology

REF 2021 based on 4* and 3* research, submitted to UoA4 Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Top 10 for Psychology

The Complete University Guide 2023

Internationally respected and fast developing social, environmental and organisational psychology research group, and a major centre for cognitive, clinical and neuroscience research

Accreditation

The Doctor of Forensic Psychology programme is an integrated taught, research and placement-based training programme for aspirational early career forensic psychologists seeking to learn the knowledge, skills, values and competences required to practise as a Health and Care Professions Council registered Forensic Psychologist and meet Chartered status within the British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology.

Supervision

Students have access to senior, research active supervisors and teachers in a range of research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative, with a wide spectrum of research interests. For more information about the course team and their clinical and research interests, see our Staff Profiles . 

You can expect:

•    High-quality research supervision to develop and nurture your potential •    A tailored supervision approach to help best suit your requirements •    Accessible supervisors who are enthusiastic about working directly with postgraduate research students •    Regular meetings with your supervisor •    Regular meetings with your supervisory team, other members of your research group, and mentors

Course content

This exciting new Forensic Doctorate aims to train highly skilled professionals to enable to work in prisons, in the community, and within the criminal justice system.  The programme trains students in conducting psychological applications and interventions, research, communicating psychological knowledge to others, and to train other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge.  The programme is integrated with our DClinPsy programme ensuring quality teaching in therapeutic skills, as well as providing separate specialist forensic training. It is designed to support students to engage in the dual role of forensic psychologist practitioner and researcher, with students receiving a professional doctorate degree as an output.  

Course design

This programme consists of an academic taught element, and research thesis, and placements. The programme aims to develop student competencies across the 4 core roles of a forensic psychologist and the relevant core competencies to practice as a forensic psychologist. The curriculum includes teaching on:

  • Assessment & formulation
  • Therapy & Intervention skills
  • Theories of offending
  • Professional issues & ethics
  • Mental health & neurodevelopmental disorders   
  • Risk assessment     
  • Psychology & the court system   
  • Psychology, law & criminal justice   
  • Leadership & consultancy  
  • Supervision   
  • Research  

Structure and delivery

The programme is delivered across 3 years, with the academic year starting in the last week of September. Students will attend Streatham Campus for a week of block teaching at the start of the Autumn, and Spring terms. The rest of the programme’s taught element and research supervision will be delivered online. In a usual week, students will spend: 1 day being taught academic content online, 1 day conducting their own research, and 3 days working on placement.

Collaboration with services

This programme is a collaborative endeavour with service providers.  We have worked hard to identify not just the professional requirements of the British Psychological Society, and Health and Care Professions Council, but also to explore with service providers what they need from Forensic Psychologists.  In this way students have the opportunity to join a doctorate that is grounded in practice, while also offered by a research-intensive university to gain the best of both dimensions.

DClinPGR Portfolio

The DForenPsy is located within the DClinPGR Portfolio, which offers a range of professional doctorates, providing candidates opportunities to develop interprofessional working skills, and to gain greater insight into people undertaking doctoral training as Health Care Professionals, Psychotherapists and Clinical Psychologists.  

Entry requirements

Graduate Basis for Registration (GBC) confirmed at time of application from the British Psychological Society.

 Plus one of the following

  • 1st class or 2:1 psychology degree or a non-psychology degree plus completion of an accredited psychology conversion course.
  • 2:2 undergraduate psychology degree plus a relevant research Masters, DPhil or PhD. 
  • 2:2 without a Masters if one of the contextual admissions criteria is met.

You should be able to demonstrate research experience beyond undergraduate (e.g. audit).

You should have relevant experience, preferably in forensic psychology or a clinical psychology setting, beyond observation of working with a client a forensic psychologist would work with.

You should be able to demonstrate an ability to manage conflicting perspectives.

You should have experience of working with groups and managing complex relationships.

You should have an understanding of forensic contexts (minimum criteria of this would be through an observation).

You will need to pass an Enhanced DBS check.

We actively welcome applicants from a diversity of backgrounds (e.g., culture, socio-economic status).​

International students

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2 : view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country

How to apply

Applications will be through the university

The information below applies to self-funded DForenPsy applicants.  In some cases there may be funded places available through trusts or other organisations. 

  • Apply online through the University applications system.
  • Complete the application form and include your relevant academic and work history.
  • Include a personal statement that covers all of the additional entry information.
  • If proceeding to the next stage, attend an interview with the programme team.

For international students, not based in the UK you will need to:

  • Identify a BPS accredited supervisor and Forensic placement
  • Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
  • Apply online

Funding opportunities will be provided by the programme as they become available.  Please email [email protected] for further details.

We are currently liaising with a number of placement providers throughout England and Wales and so we are welcoming applications from a wide range of geographical locations. Although trainees will be required to attend the University for three weeks per year for block teaching at the start of each term.

Please note: programmes are subject to minimum enrolment cohort numbers.

Please note: The programme start date will be dependent on university academic approval.

For 2024 entry, the timeline is likely to be:

  • May 17th Admissions close
  • May 24th Interview offers sent out
  • June 6th and 7th Interviews held in person at Exeter Streatham Campus
  • June 7th and 10th Conditional offer letters sent
  • Last week of September/first week of October Programme start date

Fees and funding

In terms of funding we will put you in touch with any partners who may offer funding or sponsorship to trainees, if this becomes available. However, you may also wish to access a student loan, the details are available here . Please ensure you read the PGR Student loans page carefully.

We accept applicants who intend to use Accreditation of Prior Learning to transfer onto this doctoral programme. Please ensure you read the PGR Student loans page carefully.

Fees 2024/25

Tuition fees per year 2024/25

  • £14,000 per year for 3 years

International:

  • £25,000 per year for 3 years

Funding opportunities will be provided by the programme as they become available. Please email [email protected]  for further details.

This degree is an integrated Stage 1 and Stage 2 doctoral programme that on completion will allow you to practise as a Forensic Psychologist, and to be eligible for registration with the HCPC as a Forensic Psychologist.  There are a range of different jobs that you will be eligible for on graduation including in prisons, secure services and community locations. There is increasing demand for Forensic Psychologists, making them highly employable. We are working with multiple employers who are keen to employ our graduates.

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Forensic Psychology

Study psychology at postgraduate level and you become part of a diverse, dynamic and supportive community in which to research and learn. Forensic Psychology focuses on offending behaviour and court process issues, with specific areas of expertise including the treatment and rehabilitation of fire-setters, sexual harassment, and aggression and violence.

Key information

  • Duration 3 to 4 years full-time
  • Start date September, January, May
  • Location Canterbury

A PhD is a doctorate of philosophy based on mostly independent study. It is assessed formally on the basis of one piece of work, a dissertation (or thesis), that reports your original thought and research. You must also successfully complete all required training.

Choosing a topic

Although sometimes we have specific PhD research projects related to funding awards, most of our research students choose their own research topics. Once you have decided on the nature of your project, it is important to contact a staff member whose expertise matches your area of interest with a CV and research proposal to discuss your proposed project and potential supervisory arrangements.

You then work with your proposed supervisor on refining your research proposal which provides the starting point for your subsequent research.

Supervision

During your research, you are supported by your supervisory team, normally comprising one main supervisor and a secondary supervisor. Your will have agreed your main supervisor, based on their compatibility with your research interests, prior to registration. Typically, you have one formal meeting per month with your main supervisor to discuss your work and progress (bi-monthly for part-time students).

Through the Graduate School, you have access to training in research-specific and broader transferable skills, including academic writing, career management and presentation skills.

PhD students in receipt of a teaching studentship (GTA), must also complete the Associate Fellowship Scheme (AFS). The AFS registration period is one year.

The Statistics and Methodology module from our taught MSc programme is available for doctoral students who have not already completed an advanced statistics and methods course.

The School of Psychology

Kent's School of Psychology conducts both basic and applied research in several areas, and we are highly regarded as a leading European centre for postgraduate research. We have a strong international reputation in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, forensic psychology and social psychology. This is complemented by our strengths in organisational psychology and political psychology.

PhD funding

Some of our PhD students are self-funded, and others are funded by grants or awards either from the School, the University, UK research councils or their countries of origin. 

The School has a strong track record of attracting ESRC research studentship funding, which involves partnerships with external organisations such as the Anne Frank Trust.

Everything you need to know.

Entry requirements, study support.

Before making your application, you are required to contact and confirm supervision with a staff member within the School of Psychology . Please note, if this is not completed and noted on your application, our admissions team will not be able to process your application until supervision is confirmed. 

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with:

A. adequate level of academic achievement.

A final degree classification (grade average) of at least a 2.1 or Merit in the UK system (the second highest classification after First/Distinction). Results from institutions in other countries will be assessed individually according to this standard.

Your existing degree does not have to be in psychology as long as the statistics training requirement is met (please see below) and your proposed supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies (Research) are satisfied with the suitability of your academic background. If it is in a different subject, or if it is not accredited by the British Psychological Society, please ask your academic referee to complete our  Pro-forma for graduate research programmes  and email it to  [email protected] .

b. Statistics and research methods training in the social sciences

This programme includes a one-year statistics sequence which you must normally pass in order to receive your award. The teaching assumes that you are familiar with the following topics:

  • Means and standard deviations
  • Distributions, hypothesis testing and statistical significance
  • Correlation coefficients
  • Variables and measurement

Therefore, your existing degree transcript should note that you have taken and passed a minimum of one term each in statistics and social science research methods courses (or two terms of a joint statistics and research methods course).

It is possible to be exempted from the statistics training at Kent if there is sufficient evidence that you have already completed equivalent training in a previous qualification.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country  and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.  

Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage . 

Examples:  

IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component 

PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test 

A degree from a UK university 

A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways .

Postgraduate research is a fantastic opportunity and significant investment in your future, enabling you to expand your knowledge, skills and career options – all while making a meaningful impact and contribution to an area you are passionate about.

At Kent, we also recognise the significant financial investment that comes with postgraduate study, and we offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate researchers, to help keep your mind on your studies, and off your finances.

Scholarships can be broad, or specific to your situation, background or even country – so please do use our scholarships finder to discover the options available to you.

We also have research partnership funding with research councils and government schemes in specific areas of interest that can help you take your research to the next level with additional financial support.

Find out more on our fees and funding page and discover what option is right for you.

Teaching and assessment

Postgraduate resources.

The School has excellent facilities for both laboratory and field research, including advanced laboratory and teaching facilities. Resources include:

  • three fully equipped colour video laboratories for face-to-face group research, together with ten satellite laboratories connected via remote-control CCTV and two-way audio links
  • 58 research laboratories, all containing networked computers
  • a further 80 PCs available exclusively to Psychology students, including a designated MSc computer-networked room providing full email and internet access
  • shared offices and a personal, networked computer for research students
  • a full range of computer-based experiment generators and productivity software installed on all the School’s systems
  • an upgraded laboratory suite with equipment for digital sound and vision recording
  • four Brain Vision EEG labs (including one for simultaneous TMS & EEG, and one portable EEG system)
  • two Trans-cranial direct current electrical stimulators (GVS, Magstim)
  • Neuroconn tDCS/tACS electrical stimulator with facilities for simultaneous EEG
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) PowerMAG Research 100 High Frequency Stimulator
  • two Tobii eye-trackers (Tobii X120 & Tobii T60 XL portable)
  • one Arrington eye-tracker
  • a suite equipped with Bio-Pac recorders to allow for a range of physiological measures to be taken during stressful and other tasks
  • specialist laboratories equipped for face processing and vision research
  • CRS ColorCal II Colorimeter/Photometer
  • CRS Audiofile for synchronized audio-visual presentation
  • numerous PC and Mac labs to run behavioural experiments
  • Mirror Stereoscopes for dichoptic presentation and stereo vision research
  • immersive virtual reality lab (including integrated eye-tracker)
  • a social cognition laboratory
  • creation in 2010 of the Kent Child Development Unit and research team focusing on how children learn about their world, about other people and about the language they hear around them.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology ; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ; Child Development ; Clinical Psychology Review . Details of recently published books can be found within the staff research interests .

Researcher Development Programme

Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Research themes

The School of Psychology is highly regarded as a leading European centre for postgraduate research, with an international reputation for excellence in social psychology (including group processes and intergroup relations); cognition and neuroscience; developmental psychology; and forensic psychology. We have staff who can supervise research degrees in all of these areas plus organisational psychology and political psychology. The research environment is designed to sustain a strong, vibrant research culture, encourage collaboration, and unite staff and students with shared research interests. Our themes ensure critical mass and create a highly energetic and stimulating intellectual climate.

Research activity is supported by:

  • centrally coordinated provision and use of laboratories and technical support
  • selection of speakers for our weekly departmental research colloquia
  • weekly research meetings within each theme
  • developing, reporting and analysing research, and hosting our many visiting scholars
  • several monthly small meeting series on specific areas of cross-cutting research (such as forensic, social development, emotion, social cognition and health).

Social Psychology

Our academics have received prestigious editorial appointments and both national and international awards. Many leading international social psychologists are affiliated with the group, reflecting the strong reputation of social psychology at Kent.

Our work is funded by a variety of British and international sources including the European Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, National Science Foundation, European Commission, Home Office, Department of Trade and Industry, Nuffield Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Our researchers also engage in consultancy work for businesses and the government.

Our research covers all areas of social psychology, including:

  • prejudice and discrimination
  • equality, identity, diversity and change
  • justice and morality
  • attitudes and decision making
  • status, leadership and power
  • conspiracies and social movements
  • security and risk
  • social influence
  • personality
  • culture and social interaction

Much of our research is coordinated through the  Centre for the Study of Group Processes .

Cognition and Neuroscience

Visual cognition, attention and memory.

Research on this topic focuses primarily on the role of vision and visual perception in human performance. The aim of this work is to identify the cognitive processes and neurological mechanisms that underlie various visual tasks. Studies with neurologically healthy volunteers examine issues such as:

  • face recognition and identification
  • eyewitness testimony
  • person detection
  • emotion processing
  • episodic memory
  • pattern and motion recognition.

Our research also examines a range of psychological disorders, including unilateral visual neglect, addiction, dementia and persistent vegetative state. We are interested in examining the cognitive nature of these disorders, which includes assessing attentional biases, visual experiences and neurological activity. Much of our work also has an applied motivation, for example helping to develop better therapies for people with brain injury.

Language and communication

Research in this group examines various aspects of semantic, pragmatic, morphological and syntactic understanding.

Research questions on adult populations include:

  • the role of executive functions in successful language use and communication
  • how language influences attentional processes and perspective taking
  • anomaly detection in reading
  • brain structural and functional correlates of grammatical processing.

Our work on developmental populations examines issues such as:

  • how children learn to understand and produce sentences in their own language
  • how children learn conversational conventions and self-repair
  • developmental disorders of communication, including autism spectrum disorders and dyslexia
  • bilingual language acquisition and processing.

This research group has links with researchers in the School of European Culture and Languages, as part of the  Centre for Language and Linguistics .

Forensic psychology research at Kent and all forensic-related teaching operates through our Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP).

Forensic psychology seeks to understand:

  • the psychological processes underlying offending behaviour (including group processes)
  • the reduction and supervision of offending behaviour (i.e. rehabilitation, treatment and management of community risk)
  • victim responses to offending
  • the mechanisms underlying the criminal justice system more generally (i.e. jury decision making and the courts)
  • attitudes to offenders and offender reintegration in society.

Our academics are represented in editorships and editorial boards of many major journals in forensic and applied psychology. Many are Chartered Forensic Psychologists who assess and treat offenders and evaluate offender rehabilitation programmes. Thus we have strong links with the UK Prison Service, the NHS, the Police, and other bodies involved in forensic related services and activities.

Our research is funded by various national and international sources, which include the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council, the Home Office, Leverhulme, the Ministry of Justice and the Nuffield Foundation.

Areas of forensic psychology research that we are currently working on include:

  • bullying in prisons
  • prison gang behaviour
  • jury decision-making
  • child sexual offending
  • rape proclivity
  • female sexual offending
  • theories of offender rehabilitation
  • firesetting
  • sexual harassment
  • violence, aggression and alcohol
  • infra-humanisation of offenders.

Other areas of research include social cognition, social and moral emotion, and group process theory, all of which are applied to the study of offending behaviour or court process issues.

Developmental Psychology

Our research interests include:

  • how children learn to communicate
  • social cognition (eg Theory of Mind)
  • peer interactions
  • understanding prejudice
  • infant cognitive development
  • developmental psychopathology (eg Autism)
  • conversation analysis

We have excellent links with the wider community. Members of the Developmental Psychology group are committed to sharing their research findings and methodologies with the public. We hold highly successful large-scale events that bring together practitioners, policy makers, and academics to share knowledge and develop collaborations. Our outreach events are typically interactive, fun, and informative. They range from ‘Play and Learn’ days for young families, to workshops for school children on topical issues such as cyberbullying and happiness.

A central hub for our research and outreach activity is the  Kent Child Development Unit .

The School of Psychology currently includes two formally constituted research centres, representing areas of concentration and excellence in research.

Centre for the Study of Group Processes

The Centre includes a thriving international research community, involving twelve tenured academic staff, as well as its research fellows and PhD students. The Centre attracts visits and research collaborations from major international researchers, many of whom have formal affiliations with the Centre.

Over the years, CSGP has attracted substantial externally funded research on a wide range of topics. It has also recruited excellent MSc and PhD students and its members teach for the School’s MSc degrees in Social and Applied Psychology, Political Psychology and Organisational and Business Psychology. The Centre also edits an international journal,  Group Processes and Intergroup Relations  (Sage Publications).

Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology

The Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology strives to be the leader in research that informs practice and policy. The vast range of topics covered by the centre staff is indicative of the centre’s facilitative research culture. As a result, members of the centre team have been the beneficiaries of research funding for new and innovative research.

Staff research interests

Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘ find a supervisor ’ search to search by staff member or keyword.

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website .

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Our postgraduate students commonly go into the fields of health, teaching or further education. For instance, many of our graduates take up roles as assistant psychologists in the NHS with a view to becoming a professional clinical or forensic psychologist. Upon completing our Master’s courses, graduates have also pursued doctoral study and academic careers at higher education institutions.

The programmes we offer help you to develop general critical, analytic and problem-solving skills that can be applied in a wide range of settings.

phd forensic psychology online uk

The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide .

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact [email protected] .

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from  UKCISA  before applying.

General information

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Additional costs

General additional costs.

Find out more about  general additional costs  that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

  • University and external funds
  • Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme.

phd forensic psychology online uk

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Ready to apply?

Learn more about the  application process  or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

Need help deciding?

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  • Doctor of Psychology in Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology Doctor of Psychology

  • Level(s) of Study: Postgraduate research
  • Start Date(s): October 2024
  • Duration: Two and a half years part-time
  • Study Mode(s): Part-time
  • Campus: City Campus
  • Entry Requirements: More information

Introduction:

The Doctor of Psychology in Forensic Psychology (DPsych in Forensic Psychology) is a research-based professional doctoral course for practicing forensic psychologists and aims to develop reflective researching practitioners.

This DPsych in Forensic Psychology is a two and a half year part-time research-based programme which allows experienced practicing forensic psychologists the opportunity to further develop their knowledge, understanding, skills, qualities and attributes in a specialist area of forensic psychology. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to engage in a process of continuous reflection on yourself, your practice and your research, which will ensure that you develop as a reflective researching practitioner.

What you’ll study

The DPsych in Forensic Psychology will provide you with an opportunity to explore the complex relationships between knowledge, theory and practice in forensic psychology and to explore the complex relationship between understanding the sector and changing it.

You'll develop as a reflective researching practitioner in the field of forensic psychology through the synthesis of practice with research and you'll develop your ability to design and implement independent and original research at the boundaries of knowledge of forensic psychology.

The course will enable you to undertake critical investigation and evaluation of a forensic psychology topic in order to develop the intellectual and personal adaptability to be able to inform organisational and societal change.

You'll develop a range of skills including your judgement, foresight and problem analysis by applying theoretical and philosophically tuned skills to the research material. You'll also develop your communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with the academics and practitioners from the academia and the communities in which people live, and to act as interpreters between the two.

This course comprises of two modules designed to allow you to specialise in an area of forensic psychology that interests you. The course also incorporates individual learning plans which are reviewed regularly and include your written reflections on development.

The DPsych in Forensic Psychology consists of 540 credits with 180 level 7 credits awarded as Accredited Prior Learning (APL), at admission, for completion of an MSc in Forensic Psychology (or equivalent). A further 60 level 8 APL credits can be awarded on evidence of Doctoral level research competence which will exempt you from Module One.

To obtain a DPsych in Forensic Psychology you will need to successfully complete the full 540 credits. You may be awarded an MProf in Forensic Psychology at any point from the end of Year Two of the course. If you wish to withdraw before completion of the DPsych, if meeting the criteria for the MProf award, you may submit for examination for this award.

Module One: Foundations in Research (60 credits)

This module aims to develop research competence suitable to undertake the DPsych thesis portfolio. The aims of the module are to allow you to:

  • research a topic or issue in forensic psychology at Doctorate level
  • understand how the process of research and analysis can be utilised to structure developments in forensic psychology professional practice
  • conceptualise, design and implement appropriate research methodologies and adjust the project design in light of unforeseen problems and contradictions
  • nurture professional development as a reflective researching practitioner in the field of forensic psychology
  • exercise personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in undertaking research in complex and unpredictable situations in professional environments.

Module Two: Thesis Portfolio (300 credits)

The aim of this module is to develop doctoral level researching practitioners in the field of forensic psychology. The aims of the module are to:

  • allow you an opportunity to explore the complex relationships between knowledge, theory and practice in forensic psychology and to explore the complex relationship between understanding the sector and changing it
  • enable you to develop as reflective researching practitioners in the field of forensic psychology through the synthesis of practice with research
  • develop your ability to design and implement independent and original research at the boundaries of knowledge of forensic psychology
  • get an opportunity to develop your judgement, foresight and problem analysis by applying theoretical and philosophically tuned skills to the research material
  • enable you to undertake critical investigation and evaluation of a forensic psychology topic in order to develop your intellectual and personal adaptability to be able to inform organisational and societal change.

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