Continued Placement This degree features a work placement to help you gain important workplace experience and enhance your academic learning. You must be based in the UK for your placement. You will spend up to 12 months working closely alongside a psychologist, or other suitably qualified professional working in a forensic setting or where forensic research is relevant. This is an opportunity to use the practice skills you’ll gain during your studies in a practical setting and learn from real-world professionals. Your placement, which will usually start at the beginning of June in Year 1, is three days per week. You will also spend one day per week working on your dissertation. While many of our placements are in the South West, as this is our catchment area, some are based in other locations across the UK. We have had recent placements available in Bath, Bristol, Devon, and Dorset; as well as Wales, Oxford, Leeds and London. The placement will be organised by our academic team and can take place in a variety of settings, such as: the NHS prison in-reach services charities law enforcement agencies children's services research settings Some placements require previous experience, which will be taken into account when they are allocated. Choices may be more limited if you have no or little experience. Please note: if you are an international student, we advise that you gain some relevant documentation in your home country before starting the course. You will be provided with details regarding what will be required. Forensic psychology as a profession is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act ; hence, no conviction is ever considered spent. You must disclose any convictions to the course supervisor and placement provider. If you do not satisfy any of the required checks then your placement opportunities may be limited. You’ll be taught and assessed by a variety of methods and it will vary between units. These methods are designed to promote in-depth learning and understanding of the subject. These lists are to give you an idea of some, but not all, of the learning and assessment methods used on this course. They are not exhaustive lists and methods are subject to change.
You will need to get your English language qualification within 24 months prior to starting your course.
If you need to improve your English language skills before starting your studies, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course to reach the required level.
You should have a Licenciado with a final overall result of at least 15 out of 20. You should also have achieved a good mark in your dissertation.
To apply for this course you should have an undergraduate degree in psychology. Relevant practical experience (ideally in a forensic or clinical setting) will also be an advantage, with some placement providers looking for students with experience.
Your degree must be recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as providing Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC). If you have gained your degree from an institution outside of the UK, before you apply to study we would encourage you to look at the eligibility criteria and application process for obtaining graduate membership and GBC with the British Psychological Society.
If you do not have an undergraduate degree in psychology, we will consider applicants who have successfully completed a BPS accredited Masters conversion degree.
We may make an offer on a lower grade if you can provide evidence of your suitability for the degree.
In your application you will need to provide a personal statement (maximum 500 words) which should explain:
(a) why you are interested in studying for an MSc Applied Forensic Psychology with Placement and your subsequent career intentions
(b) how your academic, professional and personal experiences equip you to meet the demands of the course. You should be able to demonstrate previous experience working with a forensic or clinical population or in a related field that demonstrates transferrable skills. This may be voluntary work and can cover a wide range of experiences and organisations. (Please note, however, we cannot comment on the applicability of your experience prior to the submission of your application since we need to consider your application in its entirety).