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Forensic Psychology Course

Explore the fascinating link between the mind and criminal behaviour.

Ever wondered what drives someone to commit a crime—or how psychology is used to solve it?

Our Forensic Psychology Diploma Course is designed to give you a compelling introduction to the psychological principles used in criminal profiling, behaviour analysis, and investigative processes. Whether you’re simply curious or considering a future in the field, this course gives you the tools to start exploring forensic psychology in a flexible and accessible way.

Course overview:

Certified

Accredited

10 Modules

Study Group Access

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What Will You Learn?

Step into the fascinating world of forensic psychology and discover how psychology plays a vital role in criminal investigations. Through this course, you’ll gain insight into how professionals study behaviour to detect, understand, and help prevent criminal acts. You’ll explore the psychological theories that explain criminal motivation and delve into essential areas such as profiling, eyewitness testimony, and interview techniques.

Is This Course for You?

Whether you’re captivated by true crime, curious about human behaviour, or considering a future in psychology or criminology, this course offers the perfect starting point. It’s ideal for students thinking about a degree in the field, professionals working in education, law, or social work who want to expand their understanding, and anyone with a passion for learning. You do not need any previous experience—just an open mind and a willingness to explore.

What You Can Expect

While this course will not qualify you to work as a forensic psychologist, it will provide a solid foundation in the subject. You’ll gain an understanding of how psychology is applied in real-world criminal contexts and what a career in this field involves. It’s an excellent way to test the waters before committing to formal study, offering flexibility and a chance to learn from home, at your own pace.

Inside the Course

You’ll explore the key differences between criminal and deviant behaviour, the realities of psychological profiling, and how biology, environment, and personality influence criminal actions. You’ll learn how memory can fail in eyewitness testimony, the challenges of rehabilitating offenders, and the ethical complexities of working in this field.

Your Path Into Forensic Psychology Starts Here

Whether you are looking to enhance your current role, explore a new career path, or simply indulge a personal interest, this course opens the door to a world where psychology meets crime—and where understanding the mind can help solve some of society’s biggest mysteries.

This course is perfect for anyone curious about the fascinating world of Forensic Psychology, whether you're just starting out or already working in a related field.

This course is ideal if you:

Are a complete beginner looking to explore forensic psychology before committing to a full qualification.
Are considering a career change and want an affordable, flexible way to gain insight into the field.
Work in teaching, coaching, counselling, or training, and want to expand your knowledge.
Are a current Forensic Psychologist or criminal justice professional seeking to refresh and reinforce your understanding.
Have a general interest in psychology, crime detection, or crime prevention, and want to learn more about how the mind plays a role in criminal behaviour.

You’ll gain a solid foundation in forensic psychology, build confidence, and discover whether this is the right path for your personal or professional growth—all without the time or financial commitment of a university degree.

Introduction
Part 1: Defining Forensic Psychology
Part 2: Ethical Issues
Part 3: History of the Development of Forensic Psychology
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 1 Assessment

Part 1: Research Design and Methodology
Part 2: Research Planning and Design
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 2 Assessment

Part 1: Applications in Forensic Psychology
Part 2: Critical Evaluation of Psychological Research
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 3 Assessment

Part 1: Introduction to Theories of Offending
Part 2: Theories of Criminology
Part 3: Theories and Typologies of 'Non-Sexual' Violent Offenders
Part 4: Serial and Mass Murder
Test your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 4 Assessment

Part 1: Male Sex Offenders
Part 2: Female Sex Offenders
Part 3: Juvenile Sex Offenders
Part 4: Theories and Typologies of Fire-Setting Behaviour
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 5 Assessment

Part 1: Personal Characteristics of Offenders
Part 2: Personality Disordered Offenders
Part 3: Psychopathic Offenders
Part 4: Mental Illness and Offending
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 6 Assessment

Part 1: An Introduction to Offender Profiling
Part 2: Approaches to Offender Profiling
Part 3: (In)effectiveness of Offender Profiling
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 7 Assessment

Part 1: Eyewitness Testimony
Part 2: Memory
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 8 Assessment

Part 1: Expert Witness Testimony
Part 2: Ethics
Part 3: Persuasive Demeanour for Expert Witnesses
Part 4: Attitudes Towards Victims
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 9 Assessment

Part 1: 'What Works' Literature in Reducing Re-Offending
Part 2: Interventions to Reduce Risk of Re-Offending
Part 3: Incident Management (Crisis Negotiation)
Conclusion
Resources
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 10 Assessment

The Forensic Psychology Course will take you up to 150 hours to complete, working from home. There is no time limit for completing this course, it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

This is a Level 3 course and will give you 150 CPD (Continued Professional Development) points.

Upon completion of your course assessments, you receive 2 certificates. A certificate from the Centre of Excellence and a CPD certificate displaying the number of CPD points earned from the course.

This course is endorsed by the Quality Licence Scheme. Therefore, upon successful completion of this course, learners can also receive a certificate of achievement from Quality Licence Scheme and a Learner Unit Summary, which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course. (This certificate is optional and costs an additional £25).

The Quality Licence Scheme is part of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations that share similar values and objectives. With more than 100 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group’s strategic partnerships create opportunities to inform, influence and represent the wider education and skills sector.

The Skills and Education Group also includes two nationally recognised awarding organisations; Skills and Education Group Awards and Skills and Education Group Access. Through their awarding organisations they have developed a reputation for providing high-quality qualifications and assessments for the education and skills sector. They are committed to helping employers, organisations and learners cultivate the relevant skills for learning, skills for employment, and skills for life.

Their knowledge and experience of working within the awarding sector enables them to work with training providers, through the Quality Licence Scheme, to help them develop high-quality courses and/or training programmes for the non-regulated market.

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FAQs

There is no time limit for completing your course it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

All of our courses vary in length but most of our courses will take you between 50 - 250 hours to complete. The length of this course can be found in the Accreditations section above.

Once purchased your course is located in your Learning Centre on our website. Please log in using the same email address that you used when you purchased your course.

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