Can criminal tendencies be reliably assessed? Is there a relationship between crime, moral judgement and psychopathy. Examine the topics of criminality from a broad psychological perspective and develop the skills to make your own original contribution to psychological knowledge.
Immerse yourself in the only MSc programme that offers an entire module on offender cognition, explore relapse prevention, sex offenders with learning disabilities and the socio-demographic and psychological factors that lead to behaviours in some individuals and not others. This course is accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS) and satisfies the academic component of professional training required to become a chartered forensic psychologist.
Build on existing knowledge, abilities and skills by developing both in basic and advanced contemporary statistical and methodological issues in psychology. This degree will prepare you for doctoral study, an academic career or a job in the NHS as a psychologist.
You must hold, or have applied for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society (BPS). Please note that Graduate Membership of the BPS is not accepted.
You will normally have GBC status if you hold a Psychology honours degree accredited by the BPS. Otherwise, you can apply to have your existing degree assessed by the BPS, or take a conversion course. If you are not sure whether you hold GBC status, please contact the BPS directly.
A first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent.
All applications are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
An assessed piece of coursework must also be submitted as part of the application for review by the programme director. This piece of work should include the use of statistical analysis (a practical report or dissertation).
This programme includes a one-year statistics sequence which you must normally pass in order to receive your award. The teaching assumes that you are familiar with the following topics:
Therefore, your existing degree transcript should note that you have taken and passed a minimum of one term each in statistics and social science research methods courses (or two terms of a joint statistics and research methods course). A British Psychological Society-accredited degree will likely meet this requirement. Applicants with other degrees may be asked to provide additional evidence of training in statistics.
We encourage applicants to gain voluntary (or in some cases paid) work/research experience in a forensic setting, for example victim support, the police, the prison service, the NHS, or forensic-relevant charities. However, relevant work experience is not mandatory for entry to this programme.
The University of Kent's Code of Practice provides guidance on the practice and operation of APL (accreditation of prior learning).
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.
Examples:
IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test
A degree from a UK university
A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
We’ve created the most progressive approach to higher education, developing and modernising our curriculum. For 2025 our courses will be designed with you at their heart to deliver a top-class student experience and career outcomes.
The following modules are what students will typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
How can research methods and statistics to answer advanced research questions in psychology? As a postgraduate student, you will deepen your answers to these questions in this module. You will learn about the logic of qualitative analysis and the many different forms it takes, and gain a firmer understanding of quantitative analysis, sampling, and statistical inference. In preparation for understanding and conducting research, you will learn advanced insights about correlational and experimental methods to understand relationships, causes and effects among variables. Building on this understanding, you will learn in-depth how the simple correlation underlies understanding of multiple regression and its assumptions, and how regression in turn supports the general linear model, which is key to the other advanced topics taught in the module. The teaching will keep up-to-date with the latest advances in open science and transparent reporting of evidence. We will also use open source software to support practical lessons and assessments in data analysis, so that you can produce as well as understand the techniques being taught. Reporting your results through writing in APA style and appropriate data visualisation is an important skill, one that you will learn for a variety of analyses. There is also a special focus upon learning to identify which analysis technique is right for any given statistical problem.
Accurately measuring people’s psychological attributes, for example, their personality, abilities and performance is a key goal in quantitative research, educational testing, and organisational selection. In this module, you will gain a postgraduate-level foundation in the theory of psychological tests, measurements, and modelling. You will learn the concepts, methods, and computational techniques needed to effectively evaluate and apply standardized measures in clinical, organisational, educational and research settings. You will be introduced to the fundamental principles of Classical Test Theory such as ‘true score’ and ‘error of measurement’, and key techniques needed for evaluating reliability and validity of test scores. The module covers factor analysis in depth, as a core method to evaluate what the test measures. It also introduces ‘measurement by modelling’ using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) framework. Within this framework, you will learn techniques for multivariate data analysis such as path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, basic longitudinal analysis and multiple-group analysis. You will explore data analysis applications from various fields of behavioural studies, and learn how to model/test statistically complex phenomena such as spurious and indirect effects, growth and change, measurement invariance, and others.
Has forensic psychology improved the course of justice and the lives of accused persons and victims? What is the impact and utility of psychology within the criminal justice system? This module will answer to these questions and provide you with the ability to critically analyse the criminal justice system by examining the stages of that system with a focus on the intersections between psychological practice and psychological research and the system. The topics you will cover move you through learning about the system from entry to conclusion, paralleling how the criminal justice system would progress an accused person after a crime has been committed. Psychological research that has enhanced and advanced the criminal justice system is highlighted and described to build the foundations of your knowledge base as an aspiring forensic psychologist. Research that criticises current practices within the justice system is also examined to identify gaps in research and practice that you can impact upon in your future career. Through a combination of lecture, discussion and activity formats you will learn: how accused persons are identified and their interactions with the system and its actors (e.g., police), how courts of law determine which accused persons and which professional ‘experts’ can participate in the trial process, how decision making in rendered by lay persons and the court and how psychologists are involved in supporting offenders and in public protection post court disposal.
Have you ever thought about why people commit crimes? Have you found yourself wondering how different people who offend must be from you and people you know? This course will guide you through an understanding of morality, criminality, various forms criminal and aggressive behaviour and psychological, biological and sociological theories that explain them. In this module you will be visiting different types of crimes and getting acquainted with how psychological research has contributed to our understanding of thought patterns, motivations, classifications of offences and offenders. Through a combination of lectures, workshop discussions and activities you will consider how a complex interplay of personality traits, childhood experiences, cognitive processes and social influences explain why some people turn to crime while others do not. Understanding the psychology of criminal conduct is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing crime and promoting rehabilitation within society.
What sort of thinking occurs in individuals who sexually offend or commit other acts of violence. Do they somehow believe their actions are legitimate or do they know their actions are wrong but offend nonetheless? What about people who experience and witness crime? Can we trust their perceptions? Understanding cognition—the mental processes through which people make sense of their world—is crucial for understanding and preventing offending. In this strongly evidence-based course, you will learn about influential theories developed to explain antisocial actions, about research findings that help us understand why people offend, and about how treatment can target cognition to reduce recidivism. You’ll also learn how the fallibility of human memory can play havoc within the criminal justice system. Each workshop will encourage you to think critically about the available evidence and will give you the skills to debate and discuss core questions in forensic cognition.
Have you ever wondered how forensic psychologists assess, treat and manage people who have committed serious offences? Do you want to understand, and become specialist in, the assessment and treatment of people who have offended? On this course, you will explore issues fundamental to working psychologically with dangerous mentally disordered and non-disordered individuals. You will learn how to risk assess and formulate offending behaviour as well as how to identify appropriate treatment models within hospital and justice settings. In this module, you will be guided by esteemed forensic psychological practitioners who will demonstrate the complexities associated with assessing and treating violence, sexual offending, and firesetting across varying populations. You will also be invited to attend specialist forensic site visits where you will meet staff and forensic clients in person and learn more about the role of a forensic psychologist.
What professional research skills do you need to secure employment in the forensic psychology workplace or related professions? How can you ensure that your skills stand out from the crowd? You’ll learn critical skills to kickstart your career in forensic psychology. You’ll deepen your knowledge of a forensic psychological topic that you are passionate about and master the fundamentals of communicating your knowledge and passion via presentation. Develop your knowledge of forensic psychological research through proposing innovative research to take the field further. Learn how to reflect on your personal development through attending court, listening to leading figures in forensic psychology, and volunteering to support those who have offended or been affected by crime.
Do you want to understand, and become specialist in, an area of forensic psychology that fascinates you? Deepen your knowledge of an area of forensic psychology that you connect with through engaging in innovative research to take the field further. Learn how to plan, design, and undertake an independent piece of research to improve your research field. In this module, you will be guided by an expert researcher to produce an original research contribution at a publishable level. You will also further develop your investigative and research skills through learning to apply research methods to a real-world setting.
The MSc in Forensic Psychology aims to satisfy the academic component of professional training in forensic psychology (that is, to become a Chartered Forensic Psychologist). Throughout the programme, you attend non-assessed seminars and go on site visits.
The programme includes lecture, workshop and seminar-based teaching, as well as an individually supervised empirical research project.
Advanced Statistics and Methodology is assessed by examination. All other taught modules are assessed by written work and presentations. Research is assessed by two articles: one empirical paper and one review article on your chosen topic.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Resources include:
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
The research environment is designed to sustain a strong, vibrant research culture, encourage collaboration, and unite staff and students with shared research interests. Our themes ensure critical mass and create a highly energetic and stimulating intellectual climate.
Research activity is supported by:
Forensic Psychology research at Kent and all forensic-related teaching operates through our newly constituted Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP). Current research is focused on bullying in prisons, prison gang behaviour, jury decision-making, child sexual offending, rape, rape proclivity, female sexual offending, theories of offender rehabilitation, firesetting, sexual harassment, violence, aggression and alcohol, and the infrahumanisation of offenders. Other areas of research include social cognition, social and moral emotion, and group process theory, all of which are applied to the study of offending behaviour or court process issues.
Forensic psychology research at Kent is funded by various national and international sources, which include: The British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council, Home Office, Leverhulme, Ministry of Justice and the Nuffield Foundation.
Research may be carried out with staff or offenders/ex-offenders in a variety of settings, including prisons, youth offender institutions, secure mental health units and probation offices. Alternatively, research may take place with students or members of the community in our newly equipped laboratories.
Much of our social psychology research is co-ordinated through the Centre for the Study of Group Processes (CSGP), the largest research group in this area in Europe. CSGP attracts a stream of major international social psychology researchers, who are officially affiliated to the Centre and visit regularly to work with our staff. The Social Psychology group also includes the co-editor of Group Processes and Intergroup Relations (Abrams).
Social psychology research at Kent is funded by a variety of British and international sources, currently and recently including ESRC, British Academy, Leverhulme, Age Concern, European Commission, European Science Foundation, Home Office, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Nuffield, and Joseph Rowntree Foundation, as well as government departments such as the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Social Psychology group includes the following themes:
This research is carried out in our social psychology laboratories, at schools and in business organisations. For example, research within this topic focuses on questions such as: how contact between members of different social groups is represented psychologically, how intergroup contact affects prejudice, when outgroups are seen as less human, when and why children show prejudice, and why organisational mergers sometimes fail.
Research on this topic combines theory-driven research and engagement with policy. It is conducted in real-life settings such as the workplace, and involves national and international surveys. For example, the research focuses on the well-being of elderly people in Britain, work participation and motherhood, and discrimination against different groups in society.
Laboratory studies and community-based research are conducted on this topic. For example, research focuses on co-operation in small groups, group decision-making, perception and influence of leaders, social communication and language, subjective group dynamics in adults and children, the dynamics of prison gang activity, and the impact of alcohol on group processes.
Much of this research is carried out in laboratories, through surveys and in clinical or other applied settings. For example, research has examined aggression, the adaptive functions of perfectionism, and consequences of mortality salience.
Research under this theme has an international reputation in the topic areas of Visual Cognition, Attention and Memory, and Language and Communication.
Research on this topic focuses primarily on the role of vision and visual perception in human performance. The fundamental aim of this work is to identify the cognitive processes and neurological mechanisms underlying various visual tasks. Studies involving neurologically healthy volunteers examine issues such as face recognition and identification, eyewitness testimony, person detection, emotion processing, episodic memory and pattern and motion recognition.
Research in this group examines various aspects of semantic, pragmatic and syntactic understanding. Research questions on healthy populations include the role of executive functions in successful language use and communication, how language influences attentional processes and perspective taking, anomaly detection, and the effect of interruptions on reading. Work on developmental populations examines issues such as how children learn to understand and produce sentences in their own language, and how they learn conversational conventions and self-repair. Research also examines developmental disorders of communication, including autism spectrum disorders and dyslexia.
Much of the research conducted by members of the Developmental Psychology group is conducted with neurotypical infants, children, and adolescents. However, we also take a lifespan approach to the study of development and conduct research with older adults. Moreover, a key focus of our research is on neuro-developmental disorders. Central research topics include:
Developmental group members are particularly interested in the expression and control of ethnic and gender prejudice, social ostracism and inclusion, conversational norms and group identity in children. We also conduct research on social aspects of older adulthood, in particular self-stereotyping and prejudice against elderly people.
Cognitive development is a major focus of many of our developmental psychologists. In particular, members of the Developmental Psychology group actively research topics such as the development of social cognition and theory of mind, language, information and sensory processing, and conversation and pragmatic skills.
Our developmental research also focuses on adolescence, as well as infancy, childhood and older adulthood. In particular, we are interested in the emergence of gang activity and antisocial behaviour during this period of development.
We also conduct cutting-edge research into neuro-developmental disorders, such as autism and language impairment, with a view to understanding the nature and basis of, and best ways to treat, these disorders.
The Centre for the Study of Group Processes (CSGP) is a thriving international research community, including 15 full-time academic staff and a large number of research fellows and PhD students. The Centre also attracts a stream of major international group researchers, who are officially affiliated to it and regularly visit to work with our staff. The Centre also edits an international journal, Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.
The main aim of the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology is to conduct high-impact psychological research to further understand key forensic issues of social significance, and to lead to cutting-edge teaching and research opportunities for postgraduate students. Forensic psychology is an extremely popular and rapidly developing branch of psychology that seeks to understand the psychological processes underlying offending behaviour (including group processes), the reduction and supervision of offending behaviour (ie rehabilitation, treatment and management of community risk), victim responses to offending, the mechanisms underlying the criminal justice system more generally (ie jury decision-making and the courts), and attitudes to offenders and offender reintegration in society.
Our postgraduate students commonly go into the fields of health, teaching or further education. For instance, many of our graduates take up roles as assistant psychologists in the NHS with a view to becoming a professional clinical or forensic psychologist. Upon completing our Master’s courses, graduates have also pursued doctoral study and academic careers at higher education institutions.
The programmes we offer help you to develop general critical, analytic and problem-solving skills that can be applied in a wide range of settings.
All of our taught Master’s (MSc) programmes have been recognised by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as meeting the nationally recognised criteria for preparation training for PhD research.
The MSc in Forensic Psychology at Kent is accredited by The British Psychological Society as providing the first (academic) year of professional training for those who wish to qualify as Chartered Forensic Psychologists. Graduates from the programme are then required to gain the equivalent of a further two years' relevant experience under the supervision of a Chartered Forensic Psychologist before qualifying for Chartered status themselves. You should contact the BPS directly if you have enquiries about the nature of the supervised practice element of qualification.
Please note that only students who gain a mark of 40% or above in every module, with an overall mark of at least 50%, are eligible for accreditation by the British Psychological Society.
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
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