MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology

at University of Liverpool

The MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology is a one year full time 180 credit programme divided into four 30 credit taught modules and one 60 credit dissertation, all modules are compulsory. The sequence of modules is as follows: Criminal Behaviour – Research Methods and statistics-Policing & Emergency Response – Assessment and Legal processes. The objective of this chronology broadly reflects the process of Investigative / Forensic Psychology from assessment of the criminal act (profiling and behavioural advice), to the investigation (decision making, leadership and information capture) and to the assessment, court process and potential custodial and through care processes (more conventional forensic psychology).
 

Compulsory modules

• Criminal Behaviour 
• Policing and Emergency Response 
• Assessment and Legal Processes 
• Research Methods and Statistics 
• Dissertation 

Criminal Behaviour
 

Examples of previous visiting speakers:

• Lee Rainbow, Head of the Behavioural Investigative Advice Unit

• Albert Kirby, Senior Investigating Officer who led the Jamie Bulger murder case

• Nicki Grieve-Top, Fraud investigator

• Dr Susan Giles, Expert in suicide and equivocal death analysis

• Emily Alison, Protagoras consultants, expert in domestic violence

• Jim McVey, Substance misuse mental health nurse

• Allan Deaves, Mobile phone cellsite analyst
   

Policing and Emergency Response
 

Example of previous visiting speakers:

• DC Geoff Brown, Merseyside police, Covert human intelligence sources

• Former Chief Supt Simon Merry, Dorset Police, public confidence in police

• Prof Jonathan Crego, Leadership Academy, Metropolitan Police Service.

• Supt. Alan King, New Scotland Yard, crowd control

• Gavin Oxburgh and Gavin Pue, Police Service of Northern Ireland, police interviewing

• Andy Cobby. Expert in Disaster Victim RecoveryIndependent Police Complaints Commission

• Majeed Khader, Deputy Director of Behavioural Science Unit, Home Team Academy, Singapore
   

Assessment and legal processes
 

Examples of previous visiting speakers:

• Dr Caroline Logan, Expert in personality disorder and crime

• Professor James McGuire, Expert in offender treatment and rehabilitation

• Andrew Roberts, Lecturer in Law at Warwick University

• Dr. Robyn Holliday, Expert in Child memories and violence

• Dr Tony Beech, Expert in sex offender risk assessments.

• Dr Darren Chadwick, Expert in adult with learning disabilities

• Dr Allis Murphy is the Clinical Director of Northwest Psychology Consultants

• Professor Kevin Howells, expert in therapeutic approaches to offending behaviour
   

Dissertation
 

Examples of previous dissertations:

• The construction and communication of Criminal Profiles: A New Zealand study.

• Do treatment completers differ from Treatment Drop-outs in a British Voluntary Domestic Violence Intervention Programme? A Preliminary Investigation of Predictors of Attrition.

• Adolescents who sexually harm: Can an identified subtype predict the risk of recidivism.

• Help or hindrance? The use of text messages within crisis negotiation environment    

• Crime scene actions and characteristics of sexual offenders in Korea

• An investigation into confidence in UK policing: bridging the gap between neo-Durkheimian theory and enhancing confidence in typically critical groups of society

• Grooming for sexual exploration: An exploratory study of victims and perpetrator characteristics

• Major Incident Leadership: A Perspective from the Emergency Services

• Male on Male rape: A multivariate model of offence behaviour

It is a requirement that applicants have some relevant work experience (voluntary or paid).
 

The typical minimum entry requirement is a high 2:1 Bachelors degree (with Honours) in Psychology. Applicants will be expected to have the majority of their module marks in this range, especially for research methods and statistics. Applicants, whose first language isn't English, must also have an IELTS score of 7.5 (with no band lower than 7.0).
 

It is a requirement that applicants have some relevant work experience with a vulnerable client group (voluntary or paid), this does not need to be in a forensic setting.
 

Applicants do not need to have completed a psychology degree recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as Graduate basis fro chartership (GBC). However, if applicants do not have GBC then they need to be aware that unless they obtain GBC from the BPS they will not be able to progress to Stage 2 Forensic Chartership after completing this MSc.
 

English language qualifications

All applicants must have reached a minimum required standard of English language, and are required to provide evidence of this. Qualifications accepted by the University include: GCSE English; GCE O level English; AS Level English; A Level English Language; IELTS; TOEFL; Cambridge Proficiency etc. 
 

If you meet the academic requirements of the course but do not have the required level of English Language, it is possible for you to come and study at the University on one of our Pre-sessional EAP programmes.  Please see the English Language Centre website for further information about these programmes;
 

• IELTS    7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each component)
• TOEFL iBT    108 or above with minimum scores in components as follows: Listening and Writing 24, Reading 24, Speaking 24.
• International Baccalaureate    Standard Level 5
• Hong Kong use of English AS level    C
• INDIA Standard XII    70% or above from Central and Metro State Boards
• WAEC    C4-6
   

Please be advised that TOEFL is no longer classified by UK Visas and Immigration as a Secure English Language Test (SELT). However, at the current time the university is continuing to accept TOEFL, at the required level, for entry on to Undergraduate and Postgraduate academic programmes. 

Tuition fees (Home)
 

• The University's tuition fees are normally fixed at yearly intervals and follow Government guidelines on minimum levels. The normal tuition fee for Home (UK) postgraduate taught students per year (for the academic year 2022/23, unless otherwise specified) are stated below.  Please note that part-time fees are charged at 50% of the full-time fee shown below per year (unless otherwise specified). 
• In addition to your tuition fees, you may incur other costs in relation to your studies such as photocopying in the library, buying textbooks and specialist equipment or going on field classes. See our study costs page for full details.
   

Fee for this course    Year 1: £10,150

International students
 

• International students are required to pay the full costs of their tuition in the UK with each university setting its own international fees. 
• The University of Liverpool's fees represent excellent value for money for a Russell Group University. The normal tuition fee for full-time international postgraduate taught students per year (for the academic year 2022/23, unless otherwise specified) will be as follows:
   

International fee for this course    Year 1: £23,200

Our programmes aim to provide students with a high level of academic and analytical skill, making them suitable for careers or further postgraduate study in a number of areas. Graduates have had a choice of possibilities, including: Joining research teams as research associates in many areas, such as Applied Psychology and Criminology Working in the substance misuse field Clinical training Becoming members of police forces as “civilians” involved in intelligence work or as police officers Working in prisons or with clinical forensic populations working in commercial or industrial research and development units.
 

Examples of careers
 

The MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology programme at the University of Liverpool has an excellent record of graduate employment. Our graduates go on to work in all areas of the criminal justice system and our course is looked upon favourably when assessing applications for doctorate study and clinical psychology courses. Listed below are examples of our past students current occupations and/or employers:
 

• Crime analysts and principal crime analysts working for police forces
• National and International Police forces
• Behavioural investigative advisors
• Medium/high security prisons, psychiatric units or hospitals.
• Home Office
• Probation services
• Youth offending teams
• National Policing Improvements Agency
• Office for National Statistics
• PhD’s
• Research associates
• Lectureships
• PsychD Clinical Psychology
• Fraud investigators
• Ministry of Defence
• Security Services (MI5, MI6)
• Defence and Science Technology Laboratory
• Expert witness
• Professional consultancy
• Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
• Mobile phone cellsite analyst