Forensic & Investigative Psychology, MSc

Our course welcome day will take place on campus on Friday 18 September, and we are very much looking forward to meeting you.

This day is an important part of beginning your journey with us. You will receive a clear and friendly introduction to the aims of the course, explore each of the modules you will study, and gain a helpful overview of the assessments you will complete throughout your time with us.

It is also a great opportunity to start building your community. You will meet other students on your course, as well as others who will join you in shared modules.

Key members of the teaching team will be present, including the staff who will potentially support you with your research project. You will have the chance to speak with them and ask any questions you may have.

Throughout the welcome day, you will also hear from several university teams who are here to support you. This includes Sport & Active Health, Learning & Development, and Graduate Futures. Their presentations will introduce the support available to help you succeed academically, prepare for life alongside and after university, and enjoy a rich and fulfilling student experience.

We will also introduce (or reintroduce) the Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) role. Your PAT will be an important point of contact throughout your course. Every student is assigned a PAT, and you will receive your PAT details during the welcome day.

Before we meet on the 18th, there are additional events during the week commencing 14 September 2026 that we strongly encourage you to attend. These include central university activities such as the Post‑Graduate Welcome Talk on Tuesday 15 September and the Experience Fair on Thursday 17 September, where you can meet the teams and departments who will support you during your time at CCCU.

If you are joining us as an international student, dedicated sessions have been arranged for you on Thursday 17 September, which may be helpful as you begin your studies in the United Kingdom.

The Students’ Union Welcome Event will also take place on Wednesday 16 September, offering another excellent opportunity to meet new people.

You will also receive introductions to our IT systems and library, helping you feel confident using the key resources that will support your learning throughout the course.

We are excited to welcome you and to support you as you begin this next chapter.

As you begin your studies, we appreciate how important it is to understand what the first few weeks will look like and what will be expected of you.

Teaching will begin in the week immediately following welcome week (w.c 21 September 2026), and sessions will typically take the form of interactive lectures designed to support active engagement and critical thinking.

Teaching tends to occur over Thursdays and Fridays, although these days may be subject to change.

Modules

During the initial trimester, you will attend three‑hour lectures for two core modules: Understanding Criminality and Offending Behaviour and Research Methods and Statistics. In the early weeks of the former module, you will explore foundational theories of crime and examine approaches to assessing risk in offending.

You will then begin to study specific offending behaviours in greater depth, including areas such as violence and stalking.

In Research Methods and Statistics, the first few weeks will focus on introducing key research concepts and revisiting quantitative methods before progressing to more advanced techniques, such as ANOVAs.

Two further modules, Investigative Psychology and Forensic Assessment, Treatment and Professional Practice will also begin in the first trimester and continue into the second.

These modules will initially be delivered through ninety‑minute, discussion‑based lectures. In Forensic Assessment, Treatment and Professional Practice, you will examine professional codes of conduct, ethical considerations, and how these principles guide forensic psychologists in practice.

You will also explore qualification pathways, reflective practice, and supervision as essential components of professional development.

Investigative Psychology will introduce you to the ways in which psychological theory and research inform investigative processes.

After an overview of the field and its development, you will begin to explore techniques such as Small Space Analysis and investigative interviewing.

Our course is delivered by a number of professionals who work in the field of forensic psychology.

We aim to give you an insight into these areas and the lived experience of those working in various fields of forensic psychology. To complement the teaching, the course team try to organise a number of extra-curriculum activities throughout the year (these are subject to change). These have included prison and court visits, and attending local Police Headquarters.

Blackboard

You will have full access to our virtual learning environment, Blackboard. Each module has its own dedicated space where you will find essential information, including module aims, assessment details, and weekly session content. Preparatory materials will be released before each lecture to help you engage confidently with the upcoming session, and lecture slides will also be made available beforehand.

Additional consolidation resources and further reading will also be provided to support your learning. We recognise that students benefit from a variety of learning resources. Therefore, preparation, sessions and consolidation work will typically incorporate a blend of materials, including academic readings, video content, and podcasts.

On the main course Blackboard page, you will find broader information relevant to your studies, the university, British Psychology Society (BPS), and your ongoing personal and professional development within forensic psychology.

We encourage you to make use of the discussion boards on Blackboard. These spaces are designed to help you ask questions, connect with your peers, and enhance your learning experience throughout the course.

BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology

To be awarded the BPS Stage 1 Qualification in Forensic Psychology (QFP) you must obtain a minimum pass mark of 50% for ALL modules that contribute to the MSc Forensic & Investigative Psychology.

Only students who hold BPS Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) (either via a BPS accredited undergraduate psychology degree or MSc Psychology conversion course) as well as Stage 1, can progress to the Stage 2 QFP.

• ​​American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychology Association: The Official Guide to APA Style. 7th Edition. Washington, US

• ​Bassot, B. (2024). The Reflective Journal. 4th Edition. Palgrave Macmillan. London. UK.

• ​Canter, D., & Youngs, D. (2009). Investigative Psychology. Offender Profiling and Analysis of Criminal Action. Wiley, West Sussex, UK.

• ​Field, A. (2024). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics. 6th Edition. SAGE. London. UK.

• ​Gredecki, N. & Turner, P. (Eds.) (2021). Forensic Psychology. Routledge.

• ​Katz, L. (2018). Palgrave study skills. Critical Thinking and persuasive writing for postgraduates. Palgrave.

• ​McGuire, J. & Duff, S. (2018). Forensic Psychology – Routes through the system. Palgrave.

• ​Scott, A. (2019). Forensic Psychology (Macmillan Insights in Psychology). Red Globe Press. UK.

• ​Sturmey, P., & McMurran, M. (Eds.). (2011). Forensic Case Formulation. Wiley‑Blackwell.

• ​Smyth, T.R. (2012). Palgrave study skills. The Principles of writing in Psychology. 2nd Edition. Palgrave.

​​It may also be helpful to engage with some of the following resources and begin to familiarise yourself with our Psychology team here at CCCU.

​You could watch documentaries about prisons and forensic psychology:

• ​BBC Documentaries

• ​BPS Videos

• ​Forensic Psychology Podcast

​You can also keep up-to-date via our school social media channels:

• ​Facebook

• ​X : https://twitter.com/CCCUPsychology

• ​Blog: https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/psychology/