MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health

The University of Manchester

United Kingdom, Manchester

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Home/United Kingdom/Manchester /The University of Manchester/MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health

The University of Manchester

United Kingdom , Manchester

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesJanuary-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 12 month(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 33,600 / year

Next Intake January-2026

MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health

About

Specialise in forensic psychology if you already have a psychology degree and want to work in forensic or forensic mental health services.
Study on a course accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Cover topics such as psychology applied to investigative and legal processes, forensic risk assessment, offending behaviour interventions, research methods, and assessment and interventions for personality disorders.
Study ata university ranked 7th in theUK for Psychology, according to the2024 QS World University Rankings.
Learn when it suits you through our choice of full-time or part-time study.

Our MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health course is aimed at graduates who want to pursue a career as a Chartered Psychologist and/or register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Forensic Psychologist.

You willcomplete units examining professional practice in forensic psychology,psychology applied to legal and investigative processes, forensic risk assessment, offending behaviour interventions, research methods, and assessment and treatment of personality disorders.

Teaching will comprise a blend of face-to-face and online delivery and will be based on case examples from forensic and clinical practice.

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

The BPS outlined nine areas of good practice and three commendations following the June 2024 BPS accreditation visit. The commendations were:

The programme team are commended for its focus on transferable skills, core skills, reflective elements (e.g. reflective portfolio), excellent graduate outcomes, and employability, including preparing students for future studies (i.e., Stage Two). (Programme standards: 5.2 & 5.3).
The provider is commended for the high calibre, quality and for a mix of both practitioners and academics on the programme team who contribute to the accredited programme. (Programme standard: 6.2.4).
The programme director is commended for their unwavering enthusiasm, commitment, and accessibility, fostering a supportive relationship with students, and ensuring a high-quality experience. (Programme standards: 5 & 6).

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.

Disciplines

Master of Science

Requirements

Entry Requirements

We require you to have:

a BSc Psychology degree (minimum Upper Second) or overseas equivalent , which confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) status with the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you are unsure whether your degree will give you eligibility for the GBC, you can check whether your degree was accredited for your intake year on the BPS website ;
evidence of attaining a minimum of an Upper Second across all BSc research methods taught units and the dissertation;
an understanding of the role of the forensic psychologist working in the UK, the applied nature of forensic psychology and why you wish to undertake further study of this field via your personal statement. You must demonstrate all three points in your personal statement to be considered for interview. Please review the guidance under the application tab for more detail on what your application must include.
ideally, you might have some relevant voluntary or paid experience involving forensic settings/forensic clients, eg working with offenders/people at risk of offending, victims, or observation of criminal courtroom proceedings. This should be demonstrated via your CV and/or reflected in your understanding of the field in your personal statement.

Full entry requirements

English Program Requirements

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system. We ask for English language proof from applicants from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found here ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

IELTS : minimum 7.0 overall including 7.0 in the written section
TOEFL: 100, including 25 in the written section

See further information about requirements for your country .

Career

Career opportunities

BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology

MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health

Forensic psychologists work across all agencies within the criminal justice system, primarily in prison and probation services, secure hospitals, the police and the courts. These agencies and organisations will be your primary employers if you graduate from this MSc.

Our course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Discover more about a career in forensic psychology on the BPS website and the University's careers website .

Qualifying as a Forensic Psychologist after gaining an MSc

Gaining a BPS accredited MSc is the first step towards becoming a Forensic Psychologist. The next step is to complete approved applied training, one route is the Qualification in Forensic Psychology provided by the BPS. This short video offers information about the training route.

Our graduates

Visit our blog and read aboutwhat our graduates have progressed into.

Career opportunities

For more information about a career as a Psychologist in Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) please see the following videos.

Hear Sagheer's story reflecting on his changing role in the Prison and Probation service over the years.
Hear Georgia's story reflecting on her development in the Prison and Probation service over the years.
Hear Kerensa's story reflecting on her development in the Prison and Probation service over the years.
The Prison and Probation Service isthe biggest single employer of psychologists in the country.It works hard to understand the real story inside the people it works with.