Program Overview

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Forensic Psychology DForenPsy

Overview

Become a skilled, forensic psychologist, who'll be eligible to register with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) allowing you to work effectively within the NHS and equivalent organisations. The course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), conferring eligibility for becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

Course Details

• Duration: Up to 3 years (full-time), up to 6 years (part-time)
• Start Date: September 2026
• UK Fees: To be confirmed
• International Fees: To be confirmed

Research Overview

The Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (3 years) is offered by the Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology (CFFP) under the Academic Unit of Mental Health and Neurosciences, School of Medicine in collaboration with Nottinghamshire Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust’s Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Professional Organisations

• The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Upon graduation, you are eligible to apply for BPS Chartered Psychology status, HCPC registration as a Forensic Psychologist, and full member of the Division of Forensic Psychology.

Related Programmes

• Doctorate in Forensic Psychology Top-Up programme
• MSc Forensic and Criminological Psychology programme

Course Content

The programme is competency-based and conforms to the Standards for Education and Training of the Health and Care Professions Council and the accreditation criteria of the British Psychological Society.

Year 1

• University-based academic teaching
• Service-based practice learning
• Clinically relevant research
• Five forensic psychology modules
• Research methods and statistics training
• Research project/dissertation

Year 2 and 3

• Apply knowledge to forensic psychology research and practice while on placement in forensic environments
• Attend the University of Nottingham for two weeks of block teaching each year (usually October and January)
• Develop skills and competency in four core areas:
  • Conducting psychological assessments and interventions with victims and offenders
  • Case studies, research, and evaluation
  • Communicating knowledge and information to other professionals and clients
  • Training other professionals in psychological skills and methods

Entry Requirements

• Home/UK Students:
  • 2:1 in psychology (or international equivalent) recognised by the BPS as conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with a minimum grade of 60% overall, plus 60% in your final research project.
  • One clinical and one academic reference from your most recent clinical and academic experiences respectively
  • Academic transcript(s)
  • Personal statement
  • Abstract of your most recent research project
  • At least 50 days on application of forensic experience supervised by a registered psychologist
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate issued within the last 12 months (can be issued by the university)
• EU/International Students:
  • 2:1 in psychology (or international equivalent) recognised by the BPS as conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with a minimum grade of 60% overall, plus 60% in your final research project.
  • International and EU equivalents: We accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world.
  • IELTS: 7.5 with no less than 7.0 in each element
  • English language requirements: As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications.
  • One clinical and one academic reference from your most recent clinical and academic experiences respectively
  • Academic transcript(s)
  • Personal statement
  • Abstract of your most recent research project
  • At least 50 days on application of forensic experience supervised by a registered forensic psychologist
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate issued within the last 12 months (can be issued by the university)

Applying

• We only consider applications submitted between 1 December to 30 June.
• You do not need to write a research proposal or select a supervisor as part of your application.
• You must include a personal statement of no more than one side of A4 paper.

Fees

• Home/UK: To be confirmed
• International: To be confirmed

Additional Costs

• All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
• We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus.
• For more information, please check the equipment advice.
• As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, such as printing or travel to placements, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

Funding

• A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.
• We have strong relationships with our placement providers, resulting in a variety of scholarships and bursaries, allowing us to increase the breadth and inclusivity of applicants that we can consider for our programmes.

Support

• Researcher Training and Development:
  • The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them.
  • We work together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.
• Student Support:
  • You will have access to a range of support services, including:
    • Academic and disability support
    • Childcare services
    • Counselling service
    • Faith support
    • Financial support
    • Mental health and wellbeing support
    • Visa and immigration advice
    • Welfare support

Careers

• Careers Advice:
  • Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers.
  • You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.
• Career Progression:
  • International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route.
  • Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.
• Accreditation:
  • The Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (3 years) and the Top up Professional Doctorate in Forensic Psychology (2 years) are approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and therefore confer eligibility to apply for HCPC registration as a ‘forensic psychologist practitioner’ for those successfully completing the Doctorate programmes.
  • They are also both accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and on completion you are able to apply for Chartered Membership of the BPS and Full Membership of the Division of Forensic Psychology, which is a division of the society which promotes the professional interests of Forensic Psychologists.

Related Courses

• Psychology PhD:
  • Study the psychological and biological basis of behaviour.
  • Projects available across our research from computational neuroscience to social psychology.
• Forensic Psychology Top-up DForenPsy:
  • Train to become a skilled forensic psychologist and be eligible to register with the HCPC and chartered by the BPS to work with victims and offenders of crime.