Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology applies psychological knowledge and methods to questions arising in legal and criminal justice contexts. It is a genuinely applied discipline, concerned with understanding why people offend, how witnesses remember events, how juries make decisions, what interventions are effective with offenders, and how psychological evidence is assessed and presented in legal proceedings. Studying forensic psychology means engaging with the full range of psychological science and then applying it to a context that carries real social and ethical weight.

At Portsmouth, this degree focuses on the way people think, act, and feel in relation to crime and legal issues, going beyond what a general psychology degree can offer by concentrating your studies on these specific contexts from the outset. You will study the psychology of criminal behaviour, victimology, eyewitness testimony, deception detection, offender profiling, and the evaluation of treatment programmes, alongside the research methods and statistical skills that underpin psychological science. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, as well as embedded work placement opportunities, giving you substantial professional and international experience.

It runs over three years full-time, with a typical entry tariff of 120 points.

Graduates of forensic psychology degrees work in the prison and probation services, forensic mental health settings, the police, victim support, and research. Many go on to postgraduate training in forensic or clinical psychology, which is the route to chartered status and independent practice with the British Psychological Society. The analytical and research skills developed on the programme are also valued in policy, social work, consultancy, and the wider criminal justice system.