Forensic Psychology

Our Forensic Psychology degree is your first step towards becoming a chartered and registered practitioner psychologist. Accredited by the British Psychological Society, our degree will give you a broad understanding of psychology and a more specialist understanding of its role in the criminal justice system.  

You’ll cover all the British Psychological Society required content with an application to crime, as well as have an introduction to criminology and policing. This will give you a comprehensive understanding of the causes and effects of crime, as well as how psychology can be applied to the criminal justice system. 

Forensic psychology is the application of psychology to crime and criminal justice, from police investigations to rehabilitation of offenders. This can be a challenging subject, as you will have to consider material relating to a range of different kinds of offenders and their offences.

You’ll also consider the impact on victims and the kinds of support they may need to help them contribute as witnesses in the criminal justice system. While sometimes distressing, you’ll need to approach these topics with a thoughtful and professional mindset. 

Note that, although most modules will be based in Gloucester at City Campus, some modules are based at Francis Close Hall in Cheltenham.  

This course is taught via a mix of interactive lectures, seminars and simulations. You’ll consider the real-world application of psychological knowledge in different contexts.

You’ll find out what contributions a forensic psychologist can make as a member of a team working alongside the police, victim support organisations and others in the criminal justice setting.

You’ll develop skills of collaboration and team-working – including exercises that model the ways evidence is collected, analysed and presented in the journey from crime scene to court.  

You’ll also learn how forensic psychologists collect, evaluate and present evidence, as well as assessing the needs of vulnerable individuals involved in the justice process. 

Some of your assessments will simulate the tasks that forensic psychologists encounter, such as evaluating a case study, preparing a research report, building a portfolio, and making oral, audio or video presentations.  

You’ll communicate your findings in ways that are appropriate for the different audiences encountered by forensic psychologists at work – such as providing advice to uniformed or security services, or presenting an expert witness statement to a jury.

This course is designed to ensure you complete the core curriculum requirements set by the British Psychological Society, which means you can pursue a wide range of psychology-related careers and further education following graduation. Careers span from working in prisons, probation and rehabilitation units to the security service and research.  

In your final year you’ll choose from a range of module options which give you further opportunities to focus on particular themes that relate to your career interests. 

Your future career is important to the course, and we aim to give you plenty of opportunities to develop your professional skills. You’ll do a placement module in your second year and be encouraged to continue work experience and placements on your own.

Guest lecturers will give you overviews of different careers available, and how you can pursue both chartered psychology and non-chartered routes. 

Many graduates choose to continue their studies with a postgraduate degree in order to become a registered forensic psychologist. This usually means taking a BPS-accredited MSc in Forensic Psychology, such as the programme we offer here at UoG, followed by supervised practice in order to qualify as a registered practitioner forensic psychologist.