Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology

3 years full time or 6 years part time or a combination.  

The Professional (practitioner) Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (DForenPsy) aims to educate and train psychology graduates to work with victims and/or offenders under the supervision of registered forensic psychologists and to attain the highest standards of research and practice. In collaboration with Institute of Mental Health (IMH), the Course aims to develop skills such as assessment, management, intervention, treatment and evaluation.

Year 1

In their first year trainees will study a Masters programme consisting of eight modules:

• theories of criminal behaviour
• forensic child psychology
• forensic mental health
• law and criminal justice
• forensic organisational psychology
• forensic practice interventions
• research methods and analyses
• research project

On successful completion of the Masters component, a trainee may progress on to the Doctorate component or exit with an MSc in Criminological Psychology.

Years 2 & 3

During the Doctorate component trainees apply their knowledge to practice while on placement in forensic environments. They will experience interventions with children and adults in community and secure settings and develop skills and competency in 4 core areas:

• Conducting psychological applications and interventions
• Case studies, research and evaluation
• Communicating knowledge to other professionals
• Training other professionals in psychological skills and methods

At the end of the course, a thesis is submitted on the trainee’s research and practice in a specific area of forensic psychology.  

This programme is approved by the Health Professions Council (HPC) and accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and confers eligibility to apply for HPC registration and BPS chartered membership respectively. Individuals holding a BPS accredited good honours degree in psychology and some relevant experience may apply.

Applications close in February each year. The course begins in late September.

Top Up Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (DForenPsy)

2 years full time or 4 years part time or a combination

The aim of the ‘top up’ programme is to allow postgraduate psychologists already holding a BPS accredited MSc in Criminological/Forensic/Investigative Psychology to obtain a doctorate through applying their knowledge to practice with victims or offenders. These individuals will be eligible to fast track onto the two year doctorate component of the course (see above). Applications for the ‘top up’ doctorate are accepted throughout the year with a start date in September.

Those applicants working in a forensic setting may use this setting as a placement, if appropriate. This programme is approved by the HPC and accredited by the BPS and confers eligibility to apply for HPC registration and BPS chartered membership respectively.