Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology applies the theories and methods of psychological science to legal and criminal justice contexts. It encompasses the assessment and treatment of offenders, the provision of expert psychological evidence in legal proceedings, the investigation of crime through offender profiling and witness memory research, and the study of how the criminal justice system affects the psychological wellbeing of those who pass through it. Forensic psychology is a fascinating and demanding field that requires both a thorough grounding in psychological science and an understanding of the legal and ethical frameworks within which it is applied.

At the University of Northampton, this four-year programme begins with a foundation year that provides the academic and contextual preparation needed to enter the psychology and forensic psychology curriculum. The foundation year makes the programme accessible to students from a wider range of backgrounds, allowing those who have the motivation and intellectual capacity to succeed in a demanding discipline to develop the qualifications needed to do so. The main programme covers core areas of BPS-accredited psychology alongside the forensic applications of psychological knowledge, including risk assessment, offender rehabilitation, clinical work in prisons and secure settings, eyewitness testimony, and the psychology of legal processes.

Forensic psychology graduates who wish to practise as chartered forensic psychologists must undertake further postgraduate training and supervised practice. Many graduates move into roles in the criminal justice system working with offenders in prisons, probation services, and youth justice before undertaking the further training required for chartered status. Others use their psychological knowledge in social care, mental health services, victim support, police organisations, and research roles, where understanding of the psychological dimensions of crime and criminal justice is directly relevant.

Postgraduate study, whether a masters in forensic psychology or doctoral training in clinical or forensic psychology, is the route to chartered practice.