CITY UNITY COLLEGE

Master in Forensic Psychology

City Unity College, in collaboration with Coventry University, offers an innovative and recognized Master in Forensic Psychology. Forensic Psychology concerns the practice and application of psychological research related to forensic settings, such as the police, courts, rehabilitation centers and offender programmes

The key educational aims of the course are to:

  • Develop the understanding, skills, and confidence of learners needed to become Forensic Psychologists and/or for employment in associated fields
  • Develop learners’ skills and competencies (e.g., critical reflection) that can be applied across a range of forensic settings.
  • Provide learning environments that enable learners to develop and apply knowledge and skills relevant to their future practice in forensic settings.

The programme is designed to provide a wide and holistic understanding of the role of a forensic psychologist and equip graduates with skills that can help them work effectively within a wide variety of contexts relevant to forensic psychology.

Aims of the programme

The MSc Forensic Psychology at City Unity College will provide students with a thorough grounding in the theory, themes, issues and practical skills central to forensic psychological practice and the settings in which it is applied.

  • The course is designed to cover diverse topics such as the theoretical basis of forensic psychology across a range of settings, through all stages of the criminal justice process, i.e. from criminal investigation to punishment and through care, and risk assessment and the associated risk management of violent and sex offenders.
  • This programme offers high quality education and training and graduates can work in a wide range of areas, such as prisons, courts, police departments, forensic mental institutions, rehabilitations centres, educational settings, research centres etc.

Duration of studies

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

Language of instruction: English

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CURRICULUM

Semester 1

  • CT7066PY – Offending Behaviour and the Criminal Justice System (20 credits)
  • CT7000CLS – The Legal Process (10 credits)
  • CT7106PY – Applying Psychology – Investigative Psychology (10 credits)
  • CT7067PY – Intervention across different Client Groups (20 credits)

  • CT7057PY – Ethical Research and Methods in Forensic Psychology (40 credits)
  • CT7059PY – Risk Assessment and Management in Forensic Settings (20 credits)
  • CT7068PY – Professional Practice in Forensic Psychology (20 credits)
  • CT7058PY – Dissertation in Forensic Psychology (40 credits)

Information

What is Forensic Psychology

According to the British Psychological Society (2021), Forensic Psychology is the application of psychology within the legal system to create safer communities and to assist people to find pathways away from criminal behaviour. Forensic Psychologists work across many settings including, Prison and Probation Service, Hospitals, secure children’s homes, police forces, Courts and Universities. In practice this means Forensic Psychologists assess, formulate and intervene in those engaging in harmful behaviours to lead to safer societies. They communicate psychological knowledge and advice to other professionals. They develop and facilitate training for other professionals in forensic settings. They contribute to the international evidence base for forensic psychology.

An indicative content of the programme is:

  • The study of psychological and social factors and their impact on offending behaviour.
  • The development, implementation and evaluation of offending behaviour change interventions with diverse client groups, with a specific focus on violence and sexual offending.
  • A range of psychological theories will be examined and evaluated, whilst being situated in a real world context to develop students’ understanding of how these theories are applied.
  • A thorough grounding in the underpinning theory and methods of risk assessment and risk management utilised within forensic settings.
  • A general awareness and understanding of the Greek Legal System and the Greek Penal Code.
  • The reflection of a number of contemporary developments, issues and debates within the police and investigative psychology context (e.g., offender profiling; behavioural investigative advice) and processes within the criminal justice system (e.g., eyewitness testimony, interviewing, identification, legal and jury decision making, and expert testimony).

Semester 1

CT7066PY – Offending Behaviour and the Criminal Justice System (20 credits)

This module aims to develop understanding of the knowledge and contribution psychology has made to our understanding of criminal behaviour. A range of psychological theories will be examined and evaluated, whilst being situated in a real world context to develop students’ understanding of how these theories are applied. Furthermore, there will be a thorough grounding of the psychological theories and research that have been applied to processes within the criminal justice system from investigative settings (e.g., profiling and eyewitness testimony) to legal procedures (e.g., jury and legal decision making). The module will reflect contemporary global developments within this area of forensic psychology and students will be encouraged to adopt a critical and evaluative approach in their work.

CT7000CLS The Legal Process (10 credits)

This module seeks to provide students with a general awareness and understanding of comparative law and the legal systems (e.g., inquisitorial vs. adversarial systems). It will enable them to appreciate the nature and functions of the criminal and civil justice systems and the distinctions between them. Students will be introduced to the sources of law, the structure of the courts and tribunals, the legal profession, the judiciary and the jury, together with an outline of the procedural and evidential law applicable in trials. The module will be structured so as to place particular emphasis on the role of experts in the Greek legal system.

CT7106PY – Applying Psychology – Investigative Psychology (10 credits)

Investigative psychology is the systematic science that developed out of early ‘offender profiling’ contributions by psychologists and the FBI to police investigations and court cases. In recent years this sub-discipline has become an increasingly dominant area of forensic psychology. Some topics areas of Investigative Psychology are

  • Offender and Geographic Profiling
  • Psychology of Confession
  • Interrogation techniques
  • Contract killing
  • Terrorism
  • Kidnapping
  • Lie/Deception Detection
  • Cyber crime

 

CT7067PY – Intervention across different Client Groups (20 credits)

The aim of this module is to provide students with a sound understanding of the theories, research and practice related to intervention with diverse client groups, with a specific focus on violence and sexual offending. This will involve an evaluation of the contribution that psychology has made to the development of rehabilitation and intervention strategies that aim to reduce offending behaviour and initiatives that support victims of crime. The module aims to develop students to be critical and evaluative in their examination of these topics.

Semester 2

CT7057PY – Ethical Research and Methods in Forensic Psychology (40 credits)

The focus of the module is direct practical experience of how to design, conduct, and report quantitative and qualitative research in forensic psychology. The module will provide an interconnected understanding of research methods and designing projects to enable students to progress from the conceptual understanding that is necessary to develop research proposals, through the practical considerations involved in the design and implementation of research designs, to the skills and knowledge required to summarise, analyse and present research findings. This includes developing knowledge and skills in planning, carrying out and writing about research in applied psychology at a postgraduate level, and a sophisticated awareness of problems, issues and ethics in applied research in psychology. As such, this module will enable students to identify a relevant topic for their dissertation, design and plan this project, and identify and undertake relevant ethical processes that are required in completing a dissertation at a postgraduate level.

CT7059PY – Risk Assessment and Management in Forensic Settings (20 credits)

This module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the underpinning theory and methods of risk assessment and risk management utilised within forensic settings. A range of methods will be described and critically examined and different types of risk factors will be outlined and protective factors identified. Students will be encouraged to assess the reliability and validity of assessment strategies and to link risk assessments to risk management strategies. The module also provides important preparation for practice providing students with the opportunity to practice identification of appropriate methods of assessing risk and protective factors and identifying risk management strategies based on practice case materials in different settings.

CT7068PY – Professional Practice in Forensic Psychology (20 credits)

The aim of this module is to engage students in considering professional and practice issues in forensic psychology that impact on the work carried out by forensic psychologists in the diverse settings in which they work. The module will examine a range of ethical, legal, organisational, and social issues relating to the application of psychology in different forensic settings, to enable students to evaluate how these issues affect the work carried out in forensic psychology settings.

CT7058PY – Dissertation in Forensic Psychology (40 credits)

The aim of the dissertation is to engage students in supervised but independently undertaken empirical research (following successful ethical approval) at an advanced level. Students will be encouraged to integrate and practice the skills acquired during the course and to investigate in depth at Masters level an area of specific interest to them. Additionally students will be expected to demonstrate a critical and evaluative understanding of the research process including the ethical, theoretical, and methodological issues associated with empirical research in forensic psychology.

The program is completed in a calendar year (full-time) or in up to 2 years (part-time). The completion of the program requires the successful attendance of courses (equivalent to 180 credits) and a dissertation. Essential laboratories and material are used during the courses, including video projectors, PCs, and CD players. All students can access the online platform INTRANET where teaching materials, grades and announcements on all courses are posted.

All materials from the lectures, as well as the slides from the presentation and relevant references, are uploaded to the CityU E-Learning platform, giving thus the opportunity to students to access them even if they were unable to attend the class.

Students also have the option to conduct their instructor, through email, and schedule a meeting for up to 1 teaching hour, for each module.

  • Lectures: This is the main teaching method in Forensic Psychology. All module leaders and lecturers make their lecture notes available on City Unity’s virtual learning environment called Moodle and students are able to download material as necessary, though Moodle should not be seen as a substitute for attending. Lectures provide an opportunity to deliver a broad overview of a topic and to initiate further research and study by students for tutorials, seminars and private study.
  • Directed Reading: Students are expected to undertake significant directed reading in all aspects of the program. All Coventry University students, including those studying at a partner institution, have access to the University’s electronic resources. Guidelines on accessing these resources are available at: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/online_teaching
  • Tutorial sessions: are used to reinforce material presented by the other methods and to clear up possible misconceptions. Tutorials enable students to develop their understanding of the subject gained via the lecture and preparatory readings. Tutorials also provide an environment in which a student is able to clarify queries and raise questions about the subject. It is also likely that a student will be asked to prepare presentations and he/she will receive decisive feedback on assessed activities.
  • Case studies: present realistic examples and by studying, researching and discussing them students are expected to gain insights into problems that they might encounter in their professional career.
  • Group seminars: Are used to critically discuss topics and issues investigated in the virtual learning classes
  • Workshops: Computer labs and statistical programs are used in the field of statistics.
  • Supervision: The supervisors and the student will form a research team working together in a student-led relationship, which will involve one to one sessions with individual supervisors for the dissertation. Assessment: The modules are assessed through assignments and presentations.

The MSc Forensic Psychology graduates can work in a wide range of areas, such as:

  • Prisons
  • Offender Rehabilitation Centers
  • Forensic Psychiatric Units
  • Police Departments
  • Victim Support Units
  • Courts
  • Forensic Counseling Services
  • Individual practice
  • Academic career in Forensic Psychology

Under Law 4393/12, European University degrees obtained by attending programs in recognized / accredited Colleges are professionally recognized by the ATEEN department of the Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs.

The MSc Forensic Psychology postgraduate course utilises a broad range of teaching and learning strategies to provide students with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in the discipline. The course utilises ‘real-life’ themes and students will have the opportunity to learn about the applicability of Psychology in various forensic settings.

Course Learning Outcomes

A student who successfully completes the course will have achieved the following Course Learning Outcomes.

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and critical understanding of how psychology can be applied to a range of criminal justice, legal and forensic settings, and client groups.
  2. Demonstrate competence in applying psychological knowledge and skills (e.g., critical evaluation) to practice-based scenarios in forensic psychology.
  3. Demonstrate reflective and critical understanding of themselves as future practitioners.
  4. Demonstrate and consolidate a range of transferable and professional skills that are applicable to a range of forensic practice settings.
  5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of psychological research paradigms, research methods, ethical procedures, data analyses, psychological literature evidence and theory.

Interest Form

In order to get information about the program, please contact us with Live Chat located at the bottom of the page or Calling us at.: (+30) 210 3243222 or Submitting the form below





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