Forensic Psychology MSc
University of Portsmouth
Key Course Facts
Salary
Salary of all UK Graduates of
15 months after graduation | 3 years after graduation | 5 years after graduation | |
---|---|---|---|
Median salary | £22481 | £20177 | £23660 |
25-75 percentile range | £20119 - £25653 | £15142 - £24804 | £17699 - £30158 |
All courses in the UK
Course Description
Overview
If you want to apply what you learned through your undergraduate psychology studies to the field of offender behaviour, then this Master's in Forensic Psychology will give you the knowledge and skills to work in the criminal justice system, or train to become a qualified forensic psychologist.
The course brings together the disciplines of clinical, social and cognitive psychology, with criminology and law. You'll address the major issues concerning the justice system in relation to individuals, organisations and society, and when you successfully complete your studies, you'll be able to apply your knowledge in a range of contexts from criminal investigations, to welfare, wellbeing and rehabilitation.
Accredited by the British Psychological Society, the course represents the first of 2 stages of training required to become a Chartered and Registered Forensic Psychologist.
Psychology at the University of Portsmouth is ranked 5th of all post-1992 universities for research quality as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and international students.
Application deadline
The application deadline for this course is 28 February of the year it begins. If the course isn't filled by the deadline, late applications will be considered. However, it's best to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Course highlights
- Learn from the largest group of actively researching forensic psychology academics in the UK
- Use our specialist facilities for interview observation including eye-tracking and digital analysis
- Study themes including professional competence, assessment and interventions with offenders, and investigative psychology and the legal process
- Complete a research project on a topic of your choice, applying your research and data analysis skills to produce a piece of work to a publishable standard
- Fulfill stage 1 of 2 stages of training required to become a Chartered and Registered Forensic Psychologist
Careers and opportunities
Forensic psychologists usually start by doing a minimum of 2 years full-time supervised practice in an employment setting.
Graduates of this course have gone onto roles such as:
- Trainee Forensic Psychologist
- Research Officer
- Assistant Psychologist
- Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
- Probation Practitioner
- Wellbeing and Recovery Practioner
- Interventions Facilitator
- Resettlement Facilitator
- Police Staff
- Mental Health Consultant
- Support Worker
Graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies such as:
- Ministry of Justice
-
- NHS
- Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service
- Seetec
- STR Group
- Youth Justice Services
- Motive 8
Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.
Career planning
During your course, you'll have expert career support from your tutors and from our Careers and Employability Centre, which you can access for 5 years after you graduate.
Course structure
Face-to-face teaching takes place from September to May. Full-time students – and part-time students in your final year of study – will submit your research project in September.
Full-time
- Full-time students will attend the University on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- We recommend that you allocate 37 hours per week to your postgraduate degree (including independent study), equivalent to a full-time job
Part-time
- Part-time students will attend on either a Tuesday or a Thursday, which will then be fixed for the 2 years
- We recommend that you allocate 18 hours per week to your postgraduate degree (including independent study), equivalent to a part-time job
Entry Requirements / Admissions
English language requirements
test | Grade | Additional Details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0. |
|
Cambridge English Advanced | **Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015** An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169 |
|
Cambridge English Proficiency | Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 169. |
|
TOEFL (iBT) | 91.with a minimum of 20 in Reading, 19 in Listening, 21 in Speaking and 20 in Writing. |
|
PTE Academic | An overall score of 61 with a minimum of 54 in each skill. |
A 2:1 honours degree in Psychology or a Pass in an MSc Psychology conversion course.
In either case, the course must be recognised by the British Psychology Society as conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
Consideration will also be given to applicants with a 2:2 degree where the applicant can demonstrate, through their account of their relevant education and experience in their personal statement, commitment to and awareness of diversity and inclusion (eg. caring responsibilities, disability, exclusion/unconscious bias).
Applicants are expected to have some relevant experience at the time of application. This can be one or more of three kinds. First is paid employment directly within or related to the criminal justice system (e.g. Assistant Psychologist in the Prison Service/Forensic Mental Health Setting, a role in probation/the police, Youth Offending Team or similar). Second is paid work in a setting where you have used “transferable skills” (e.g. interpersonal skills/problem-solving) with relevant populations such as the homeless, individuals with learning disabilities, those with mental health/substance related problems. The third is voluntary work with relevant agencies that again work with populations relevant to the criminal justice system (e.g. Victim Support, NACRO, Circles, SOVA, Motiv8, ‘Appropriate Adult’ services).
Costs
Tuition Fees Forensic Psychology MSc
EU | £10400 | year 1 |
---|---|---|
England UK | £10400 | year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £10400 | year 1 |
Scotland | £10400 | year 1 |
Wales | £10400 | year 1 |
Channel Islands | £10400 | year 1 |
Ireland | £10400 | year 1 |
International | £20200 | year 1 |
Additional fee information
Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship
Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.
Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation
Average student cost of living in the UK
Rent | £518 |
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) | £50 |
Supermarket shopping | £81 |
Clothing | £35 |
Eating out | £33 |
Alcohol | £27 |
Takeaways / food deliveries | £30 |
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) | £24 |
Holidays and weekend trips | £78 |
Transport within city | £17 |
Self-care / sports | £20 |
Stationary / books | £13 |
Mobile phone / internet | £13 |
Cable TV / streaming | £7 |
Insurance | £51 |
Other | £95 |
Average student cost of living | £1092 |
London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.
University Rankings
Positions of University of Portsmouth in top UK and global rankings.
Rankings of University of Portsmouth in related subject specific rankings.
Social Studies & Humanities
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- #20
- #32
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- Psychology
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The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
[Published 09 September, 2023]
-
-
- #35
- #46
-
- Psychology
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CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
[Published 08 June, 2023]
-
-
- #34
- #251
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- Psychology
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THE World University Rankings by Subject
[Published 19 October, 2023]
-
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- #36
- #301
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- Psychology
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QS World University Rankings By Subject
[Published 22 March, 2023]
-
-
- #39
- #301
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- Psychology
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GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
[Published 27 October, 2023]
-
-
- #41
- #439
-
- Psychology
-
URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
[Published 22 July, 2023]
See all 31 university rankings of University of Portsmouth
About University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is located on the United Kingdom’s only island city, Portsmouth. This public university, which was previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic, forms part of the University Alliance, an organisation whose aim is to promote growth and innovation in the UK by putting an emphasis on links with business and industry.
List of 234 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Portsmouth - Course Catalogue
Student composition of University of Portsmouth
-
Total number of students enrolled at University of Portsmouth by level Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
- undergraduates:
- 18085
- postgraduates:
- 5005
- Total:
- 23090
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Number of students enrolled in courses of subject “Forensic Psychology”: Academic year - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
Where is this programme taught
Similar courses
Program | University | Student satisfaction | Unemployed | Dropout | Tuition (UK) | Tuition (International) | UCAS Tariff | City | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forensic Psychology MSc | Royal Holloway, University of London | - | - | - | £12600 | £22800 | - | Egham | On campus Part-time | |
Forensic Psychology MSc | University of Portsmouth | - | - | - | £3470 | £6930 | - | Portsmouth | On campus Part-time | |
Criminology with Forensic Psychology MSc | Middlesex University | - | - | - | £64 | £99 | - | London | On campus Part-time | |
Forensic Psychology MSc | The University of Winchester | - | - | - | £9775 | £18300 | - | Winchester | On campus Part-time | |
Forensic Psychology MSc | Teesside University | - | - | - | £6695 | £14000 | - | Middlesbrough | On campus Full-time | |
Criminology with Forensic Psychology MA | Kingston University | - | - | - | £5423 | £8690 | - | Kingston upon Thames | On campus Part-time | |
Investigative Forensic Psychology MSc | Bournemouth University | - | - | - | £10500 | £17500 | - | Poole | On campus Part-time | |
Forensic Psychology MSc | University of Greenwich | - | - | - | £11000 | £17450 | - | London | On campus Part-time | |
Forensic Psychology MSc | Swansea University | - | - | - | £9200 £9650 | £19550 £20550 | - | Swansea | On campus Full-time | |
Criminology and Criminal Psychology MSc | University of Greenwich | - | - | - | £11000 | £17450 | - | London | On campus Part-time |
Ranking publishers
The University League Tables
- Published:
- 08 June, 2023
THE Times Higher Education, UK
- Published:
- 19 October, 2023
- Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings by Subject:
- 37.4% Teaching (the Learning Environment)
37.6% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)
15% Citations (Research Influence)
7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)
2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)
British Quacquarelli Symonds, UK
- Published:
- 22 March, 2023
- Criteria used in ranking -QS World University Rankings By Subject:
- Academic Reputation: 50%
Employer Reputation: 30%
Research Citations Per Paper: 10%
H-index: 10%
The Guardian News and Media Limited
- Published:
- 09 September, 2023
ShanghaiRanking Consultancy
- Published:
- 27 October, 2023
Urap
- Published:
- 22 July, 2023