Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

Doctor of Forensic Psychology (DForenPsy)

Degrees

Degree types explained

Doctor of Forensic Psychology
Duration

Degree duration details
Start date
September
Location Streatham Campus
Study modes

Study mode details

Full time, 3 years

Overview

  • A new programme developed to look to the future of forensic psychology
  • Combining the portfolio expertise in training therapeutic skills with training in complex forensic understanding
  • Opportunity to join a programme engaged with a network of forensic providers across different forensic settings
  • Commitment to interprofessional learning and development
  • Supervisors with extensive experience in forensic psychology, clinical neuropsychology and mood disorders
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion and promoting diversity

View 2024 Entry

Apply online (Applications will close 17th May 2024)

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Accreditation

The Doctor of Forensic Psychology programme is an integrated taught, research and placement-based training programme for aspirational early career forensic psychologists seeking to learn the knowledge, skills, values and competences required to practise as a Health and Care Professions Council registered Forensic Psychologist and meet Chartered status within the British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology.

Supervision

Students have access to senior, research active supervisors and teachers in a range of research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative, with a wide spectrum of research interests. For more information about the course team and their clinical and research interests, see our Staff Profiles. 

You can expect:

•    High-quality research supervision to develop and nurture your potential
•    A tailored supervision approach to help best suit your requirements
•    Accessible supervisors who are enthusiastic about working directly with postgraduate research students
•    Regular meetings with your supervisor
•    Regular meetings with your supervisory team, other members of your research group, and mentors

Course content

This exciting new Forensic Doctorate aims to train highly skilled professionals to enable to work in prisons, in the community, and within the criminal justice system.  The programme trains students in conducting psychological applications and interventions, research, communicating psychological knowledge to others, and to train other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge.  The programme is integrated with our DClinPsy programme ensuring quality teaching in therapeutic skills, as well as providing separate specialist forensic training. It is designed to support students to engage in the dual role of forensic psychologist practitioner and researcher, with students receiving a professional doctorate degree as an output.  

Course design

This programme consists of an academic taught element, and research thesis, and placements. The programme aims to develop student competencies across the 4 core roles of a forensic psychologist and the relevant core competencies to practice as a forensic psychologist. The curriculum includes teaching on:

  • Assessment & formulation
  • Therapy & Intervention skills
  • Theories of offending
  • Professional issues & ethics
  • Mental health & neurodevelopmental disorders   
  • Risk assessment     
  • Psychology & the court system   
  • Psychology, law & criminal justice   
  • Leadership & consultancy  
  • Supervision   
  • Research  

Structure and delivery

The programme is delivered across 3 years, with the academic year starting in the last week of September. Students will attend Streatham Campus for a week of block teaching at the start of the Autumn, and Spring terms. The rest of the programme’s taught element and research supervision will be delivered online. In a usual week, students will spend: 1 day being taught academic content online, 1 day conducting their own research, and 3 days working on placement.

Collaboration with services

This programme is a collaborative endeavour with service providers.  We have worked hard to identify not just the professional requirements of the British Psychological Society, and Health and Care Professions Council, but also to explore with service providers what they need from Forensic Psychologists.  In this way students have the opportunity to join a doctorate that is grounded in practice, while also offered by a research-intensive university to gain the best of both dimensions.

DClinPGR Portfolio

The DForenPsy is located within the DClinPGR Portfolio, which offers a range of professional doctorates, providing candidates opportunities to develop interprofessional working skills, and to gain greater insight into people undertaking doctoral training as Health Care Professionals, Psychotherapists and Clinical Psychologists.  

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Entry requirements

Graduate Basis for Registration (GBC) confirmed at time of application from the British Psychological Society.

 Plus one of the following

  • 1st class or 2:1 psychology degree or a non-psychology degree plus completion of an accredited psychology conversion course.
  • 2:2 undergraduate psychology degree plus a relevant research Masters, DPhil or PhD. 
  • 2:2 without a Masters if one of the contextual admissions criteria is met.

You should be able to demonstrate research experience beyond undergraduate (e.g. audit).

You should have relevant experience, preferably in forensic psychology or a clinical psychology setting, beyond observation of working with a client a forensic psychologist would work with.

You should be able to demonstrate an ability to manage conflicting perspectives.

You should have experience of working with groups and managing complex relationships.

You should have an understanding of forensic contexts (minimum criteria of this would be through an observation).

You will need to pass an Enhanced DBS check.

We actively welcome applicants from a diversity of backgrounds (e.g., culture, socio-economic status).​

International students

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2: view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country

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How to apply

Applications will be through the university

The information below applies to self-funded DForenPsy applicants.  In some cases there may be funded places available through trusts or other organisations. 

  • Apply online through the University applications system.
  • Complete the application form and include your relevant academic and work history.
  • Include a personal statement that covers all of the additional entry information.
  • If proceeding to the next stage, attend an interview with the programme team.

For international students, not based in the UK you will need to:

  • Identify a BPS accredited supervisor and Forensic placement
  • Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
  • Apply online
  • Complete the application form and include your relevant academic and work history.
  • Include a personal statement that covers all of the additional entry information.
  • If proceeding to the next stage, attend an interview with the programme team.

Funding opportunities will be provided by the programme as they become available.  Please email dforenpsy@exeter.ac.uk for further details.

We are currently liaising with a number of placement providers throughout England and Wales and so we are welcoming applications from a wide range of geographical locations. Although trainees will be required to attend the University for three weeks per year for block teaching at the start of each term.

Please note: programmes are subject to minimum enrolment cohort numbers.

Please note: The programme start date will be dependent on university academic approval.

For 2024 entry, the timeline is likely to be:

  • May 17th Admissions close
  • May 24th Interview offers sent out
  • June 6th and 7th Interviews held in person at Exeter Streatham Campus
  • June 7th and 10th Conditional offer letters sent
  • Last week of September/first week of October Programme start date

Read more

Fees and funding

In terms of funding we will put you in touch with any partners who may offer funding or sponsorship to trainees, if this becomes available. However, you may also wish to access a student loan, the details are available here. Please ensure you read the PGR Student loans page carefully.

We accept applicants who intend to use Accreditation of Prior Learning to transfer onto this doctoral programme. Please ensure you read the PGR Student loans page carefully.

Tuition fees per year 2024/25

Home:

  • £14,000 per year for 3 years

International:

  • £25,000 per year for 3 years

Funding opportunities will be provided by the programme as they become available. Please email dforenpsy@exter.ac.uk for further details.

Careers

This degree is an integrated Stage 1 and Stage 2 doctoral programme that on completion will allow you to practise as a Forensic Psychologist, and to be eligible for registration with the HCPC as a Forensic Psychologist.  There are a range of different jobs that you will be eligible for on graduation including in prisons, secure services and community locations. There is increasing demand for Forensic Psychologists, making them highly employable. We are working with multiple employers who are keen to employ our graduates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We are expecting to offer a maximum of 20 places in our first year. Future offers will depend on demand, resources and placements.

Please do not let competition dissuade you from applying; we're really looking forward to hearing from you... and ultimately developing a strong forensic psychologist workforce in the South West and nationally!

First, you will complete your application online, including a personal statement and reference or referees’ details to comment on your academic and work experience suitability.

Applications will be screened against eligibility criteria, and successful applicants will be invited to an in-person interview via email.

If you are an international student, we can hold the interview online but please note that this is an exceptional circumstance.

Shortly after interviewing, you will hear the outcome of your interview.  If you are successful at this stage, you will be given a conditional offer and will have a short timeframe to accept your place.

Offers are subject to satisfactory completion of a DBS and occupational health check, which must be completed prior to starting the programme.

There is no maximum number of times you can apply to the programme.

A minimum of 6 months in a forensic or forensic-relevant setting that includes experience beyond purely shadowing/observation of a psychologist’s work.

This work could include experience within a variety of settings, voluntary or paid.  For example, within prisons, mental health services, public, private or third-sector organisations.

You do not have to have held an Assistant Psychologist position.

Yes! We have placements across Devon, the South East of England into Kent, London, the Midlands, Oxford, Birmingham, and Staffordshire. Once we establish which area trainees are based in, we can identify placements in an area suited to you.

We encourage you to apply early to facilitate the process of identifying placements.

Yes! You could discuss this with your line manager and ask whether they are able to amend your Assistant Psychologist post into a Trainee Forensic Psychologist post.

This would be dependent on your organisation.

Initiate the discussion with them and then put us in touch if we are not already, and we can take the discussions into partnership further.

Do bear in mind that you will need a breadth of experience on placement across the doctorate, which is likely to include working in different settings, and working with different clients, so this may not work for the full programme.

What if my current role is not as an Assistant Psychologist: could this be a placement?

People will arrive at this programme from different circumstances, backgrounds, and employment. We want to support you as best as we can to secure you a place on the programme.

You could be volunteering with an organisation that may wish to take you on as a trainee forensic psychologist, unpaid or sponsored in some way. We can assess each workplace setting as to whether they would meet the criteria to be a placement.

Do bear in mind that you will need a breadth of experience on placement across the doctorate, which is likely to include working in different settings, and working with different clients, so this may not work for the full programme.

The best first step is to initiate the discussion with your organisation to see what they could offer.

Ask them to email the programme’s admin team at dforenpsy-selection@exeter.ac.uk

Currently, no.

However, we are continually liaising with our placement providers about sponsoring and funding trainees.

You may be able to negotiate support from your employer if you are working in a relevant setting.

We will try our best to locate your placement as close as possible to where you are based. However, there is an expectation that you travel to your placement, much like with placements on other professional doctorates and clinical training programmes.

Not yet. We have started discussions about offering a part-time provision in future. Watch this space!

I am an international student: how do I find out about funding opportunities specific to me?

While we cannot offer advice on funding to all potential trainees, if you are an international student, we can offer a discussion to see what funding is available to you, as each experience is unique. Sometimes your government might be able to provide funding. Sometimes there are different organisations that support international students. Have a look around, talk to your current employer and then get in touch with us: dforenpsy-selection@exeter.ac.uk

I am an international student: would I be able to complete placements in my country?

You can complete placements in your own country, however, you do need to do this with an approved supervisor, following the course guidance.  We would also need to approve the placement and check that it is appropriate for gaining competencies.

You may wish to register in a different country on completion.  In these circumstances, we would need to discuss this with you individually.

What if I have an MSc (BPS Stage 1) in Forensic Psychology?

We have developed routes into the programme.

If you have a BPS-accredited MSc in Forensic Psychology /BPS Stage 1, you can join our programme and ‘fast-track’ into year 2.

We will not be able to accept trainees in this circumstance into the programme in 2024, as we will only have a year 1 cohort. However, you can apply now for year 2.

Please note, this might impact on your eligibility for the doctoral loan.

Are you offering a route into the doctorate for people who have Stage 1 and Stage 2?

Yes. You can join the programme and skip certain modules, depending on your prior learning.

For trainees who have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2, you will likely need to enrol onto the research modules of the professional doctorate only.

We’ll be uploading a document onto this webpage detailing pathways onto the programme in due course.

But if you have any queries, email us at dforenpsy-selection@exeter.ac.uk

 

Yes.

You can join the programme and skip certain modules, depending on your prior learning.

We’ll be uploading a document onto this webpage detailing pathways onto the programme in due course.

Meanwhile if you have any queries, email us at dforenpsy-selection@exeter.ac.uk

Like our other professional doctorate programmes here at Exeter, we provide a pack of information about supervisors and potential projects/interests on arrival.

We also hold a research fair where you can find out about the research topics and supervisors available.

You will identify your preferences and we will use this to allocate you a suitable supervisor before the end of the first term.

Allocations will depend on the capacity and popularity of supervisors. We endeavour to give everyone their top 3 options.

We have spaced out three in-person weeks of teaching throughout the year, one per term, to support building relationships within your cohort. Our experience suggests that these regularly-spaced face-to-face events support the bonding of students online.

We use a range of online approaches including break-out rooms to facilitate relationships.

We hope you will look forward to the block weeks to catch up and arrange any social events.

We work with you to identify trainee reps, and will hold regular Post Graduate Liaison Forums to discuss how learning is working.

Throughout the rest of the year, you will meet with your cohort online for teaching sessions (live, not recorded), which will include seminars and group discussions.  We will hold regular peer reflective practice spaces online throughout the year.

We are keen to develop the best programme possible, so will be regularly asking for trainee feedback as well.

Please do email the programme’s admin team at dforenpsy-selection@exeter.ac.uk

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