FORENSIC AND INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY at Canterbury Christ Church University

Why Psychology?

Forensic and Investigative Psychology is a discipline that involves the application of scientific theory and principles to help in the understanding, investigation, assessment and treatment of offenders and criminality, and legal responses to criminality.

This programme provides specialised teaching from professionals and academics within the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), including: Psychology; Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology and School of Law, Criminal Justice and Computing. The programme also draws upon external forensic and investigative psychologists, practitioners and researchers to enhance your learning experience.

The programme adopts an applied approach to teaching and learning and has an evidence-based emphasis with a focus on the scientist-practitioner model. The course aims to develop your confidence, professionalism, critically evaluative, communication (written, oral and non-verbal), practical, reflective and synthesising skills.

Who is this course for?

This programme is designed for psychology graduates, graduates from relevant disciplines (e.g. policing, criminology, law) and/or professionals (e.g. police, probation officers, prison officers, forensic mental health practitioners, criminologists) working in, or intending to work in forensic settings (e.g. probation services, victim support services, prisons, forensic psychologist in training) and wishing to pursue specialised training in forensic and/or investigative psychology. 

This programme has a strong focus on students gaining key skills for potential employability, including being a stepping stone towards a career in forensic and/or investigative psychology and/or further education. Therefore, upon successful completion of the programme students will have gained a range of valuable specific and transferable professional and academic skills to help them pursue a career within forensic and/or investigative psychology. 

What can i do next?

Upon completion of this programme, students may explore opportunities to work within forensic environments, seek employment with forensic mental health services (e.g. NHS, private sector), pursue employment as a probation officer, prison officer, assistant psychologist or police officer roles or further education (e.g. PhD, Doctorate clinical and Forensic Psychology).