The programme is jointly delivered by the School of Law and the Department of Psychology and is designed for full and part-time study. The strong links with external practitioners in the field of forensic psychology give the programme a distinctive emphasis on detention and prisons, the assessment and treatment of the mentally disordered offender and young people in the Criminal Justice System.

The Forensic Psychology programme is offered at the Royal Holloway University of London. The programme is accreditated by The British Psychological Society, so accounts for Stage 1 of the Qualification in Forensic Psychology

Embedded within the programme are a series of optional work experience opportunities that staff members promote among the cohort. Although these opportunities will not attract course credits or extend the period of student registration, staff endeavour to generate a range of relevant opportunities and work with colleagues in the careers service to ensure that necessary paperwork and insurance are in place.

Why choose this course?

• The contributions to the programme from academics in Psychology, Criminology and Law reflect the multidisciplinary context of applied forensic psychology and will develop your skills in integrating multidisciplinary concepts and communicating to multidisciplinary colleagues.
• The strong links with external practitioners in the field of forensic psychology give the programme a distinctive emphasis on detention and prisons, the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offenders and young people in the Criminal Justice System.
• The assignments that we use are not only exams and traditional academic essays but also include professional reports, oral presentations and written reflections which enable you to build important skills that are critical for your future career as a forensic psychologist.
• The programme is accredited by the MSc British Psychological Society, so accounts for Stage 1 of the Qualification in Forensic Psychology.
• We deliberately limit student numbers to ensure high standards and to enable us to develop a good relationship with each of our students.

Employability & career opportunities

Part of the process of undertaking an MSc Forensic Psychology is exposure to the breadth of the domain, developing new and consolidating existing interests. To that extent, your career aspirations might shift throughout the course. You might find yourself excited about engaging in applied forensic psychological research and decide that you would like to pursue a PhD; the advanced research training on the MSc Forensic Psychology programme will provide you with strong research skills and the interdisciplinary team of staff can support the formulation of your research ideas to maximise the impact of your research in the real world.

You might decide that you would like to pursue training as a Practitioner Forensic Psychologist; the assessment pattern through the MSc Forensic Psychology programme will equip you with the foundations on which to build skills relevant to a career as an applied psychology practitioner and the tangible theory-practice links throughout the course will help you to develop in your career as a scientist/researcher practitioner. You might decide to take the skills that you develop in the MSc Forensic Psychology programme and apply them to the workplace, such as secure settings in the NHS and private sector, prisons, probation, the police, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, Youth Support and Justice Services or research units (in Universities, charitable organisations and private companies).

An MSc qualification is an indication of your capacity to engage in advanced academic study in a specialised area and a recognition of a highly developed set of skills in managing multiple demands. When you complete your MSc in Forensic Psychology you will have developed further a core set of skills - such as critical thinking and evaluation, research, formulation, reflection, communication, time management, organisation and prioritisation - that you can transfer to any work environment.

Successful completion of the MSc Forensic Psychology will satisfy the British Psychological Society (BPS) requirements of Stage 1 of the Qualification in Forensic Psychology. Whilst we are committed to providing the academic training that will be your first step in gaining the Qualification and offer you connections to psychologists in practice, we are not responsible for continued supervision on Stage 2 once the course is completed. Please refer to the BPS website for specific advice on the process for working towards the Qualification in Forensic Psychology and applying to become a Practitioner Forensic Psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council.