Course summary

Are you passionate about pursuing a career focused on rehabilitating criminals and delivering interventions to reform criminal behaviour? Our MSc Forensic Psychology programme will not only give you the knowledge and skills you need but will also turn you into an innovative and creative leader and practitioner. Throughout your time on this course you’ll experience hands-on learning, working with offenders on treatment and rehabilitation programmes, and have the opportunity to be involved in psychological interventions. Why study at BNU? Our specially developed blended learning master’s offers the convenience of being able to complete your studies alongside your current employment. You’ll access all your study materials online whilst also attending three, one-week teaching workshops at our High Wycombe campus. You can choose to complete the course full-time over one year, or part-time over two. We’ve designed this course specifically to fit in easily with your current work commitments. Our teaching department is home to an incredible community of Psychology students who can collaborate with you on projects, providing a rich supply of volunteers when you run your own experiments. Your learning won’t just take place in a lecture theatre either – you’ll have the chance to learn in labs and seminar rooms, gaining the skills that you’ll need in the next step you take in your career. We pride ourselves on teaching practical skills wherever and whenever we can, meaning you will always leave us feeling confident and prepared for the future. This hands-on approach will give you a sense of what it’s really like to work in the world of forensic psychology. What's more, we'll always provide you with excellent industry links and you’ll have plenty of opportunity to volunteer in a relevant professional environment too. Our team has built strong links with local organisations who frequently provide opportunities for our students to work with ex-offenders and victims of crime meaning you can get hands-on, practical experience whilst studying with us. What will I study? Our specially-developed blended learning Master’s offers the convenience of being able to complete forensic psychology studies alongside your current employment. As a Forensic Psychologist, you may work directly with prisoners on treatment and rehabilitation programmes, and be involved in psychological interventions designed to modify criminal behaviour. You may also be called upon to give expert evidence to various audiences, including courts, and parole and mental health boards. Within the programme you will develop an applied theoretical skills base for the practice of Forensic Psychology, with curriculum covering 8 key areas. One of the few courses of its kind to be offered as a blended learning Master’s, the programme will allow you to work through materials online, while also attending three, one-week blocks on campus. You can choose to complete the course full time over a year, or part time, fitting in the training more easily alongside your current work. Buckinghamshire New University has strong links with a number of different prison establishments (based on category and population). In the course, therefore, you will hear from qualified Forensic Psychologists, prison officers and senior managers, as well as have interactions directly with prisoners. In addition, there may be some attendance sessions where the forensic setting will be different, for example a courtroom or police/emergency services setting. This level of industry insight and contact will be invaluable in securing work and developing your confidence as a Forensic Psychology practitioner. Career prospects By the end of this course, you’ll be well equipped to work in a variety of forensic psychology environments whether that’s in prisons, the probation service or victim work. You could also specialise in delivering interventions in prisons and other rehabilitation settings.