Forensic Psychology (Practitioner Programme) - PgD 

Course Overview

The course is designed to be placement based, with 9 workshops for students as well as placement and academic supervision.  Each student will be allocated a placement supervisor and an academic supervisor – at least one of these supervisors will be an appropriately qualified and experienced Forensic Psychologist.

Course Content

There are 5 modules to the programme: 

• Practice Portfolio (80 credits, Level 8)
This is the largest assessed piece of work and it provides credits towards a Professional Doctorate qualification that students may wish to undertake following this programme or at a later stage in their career.  The portfolio is an exemplar of work students have undertaken to demonstrate competence in the application of forensic psychology to assessment and intervention work with service users.  It will include case study presentations, reflective evaluations, practice logs (detailing a minimum of 360 days of professional practice), supervision logs and a variety of placement checklists.    

• Consultancy (10 credits, level 7)
This module explores the experience students have in demonstrating the application of psychology in the context of teaching or training others.  

• Teaching and Training (10 credits, level 7)
This module explores the experience students have in demonstrating the application of psychology in the context of consultancy.  

• Ethical and Professional Practice 3 (10 credits, level 7)
This module explores the experience students have in demonstrating the application of psychology within the appropriate ethical and professional boundaries that are required by Law (HPC), by appropriate professional bodies (BPS) and by the relevant organisations.  

• Functional Assessment and Formulation (10 credits, level 7)
This module explores the experience students have in demonstrating the application of psychology in applying psychological models of assessment, particularly functional assessment and case formulation.

Career Potential

The purpose of the PG Dip in Practitioner Forensic Psychology is to allow students to progress on from Masters level study towards Practitioner status, thereby boosting their employabilityAt the end of the programme successful students can apply to the HPC to be registered as Forensic Psychologists.  This course is essentially for students who wish to progress on to clinical work within forensic settings or more widely with forensic clients.  The programme is placement based and provides supervised support towards developing the competencies required to be an autonomous practitioner.

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally be expected to have a BPS accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology (or equivalent) or be currently enrolled on to the Forensic Psychology MSc at Cardiff Met.   We do not accept any other Accredited Prior Education or Learning.

In addition to the academic qualifications detailed above, applicants will be expected  to demonstrate extensive experience in a relevant area, for example, experience working with forensic populations, work with victims, offenders or service providers in a forensic domain. 

Additionally applicants must have (or be able to provide) a clear, Enhanced CRB report and be able to evidence that they meet the health requirements of their student placement.  Students will be asked to consent to participation in role play activities during the workshops associated with the programmes.  Students unable to consent to such activities will be required to work with the programme team to achieve a suitable alternative experience.  Finally students will need to able to evidence English language skills of IELTS 7 with a minimum of 6.5 on each subtest.

Key Facts

Aprroved by: Health and Care Professions Council

Campus:
Llandaff

School: Cardiff School of Health Sciences

Course Length: Two years full-time: usually 4 days per week for 45 weeks per year (students need to accrue no less than 360 days experience across the two year period).
Up to Five years part-time: Accruing 360 days experience across the period.
Note: There will not be a January 2014 intake for this programme. 


Assessment:
The programme is assessed by work based practice supervision reviews, and by coursework only, there are no exams. Examples of assessments include: case study exemplars, reflective reports, supervision and practice logs. 

How to Apply:
Applications for this course should be made direct to the university. For further information please visit our How to Apply pages at www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply

Selection Procedure:
Selection is normally based on a completed application form and interview.
 

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Student Recruitment Team on 029 2041 6044 or email courses@cardiffmet.ac.uk

For course specific enquiries, please contact the programme leader, Nic Bowes:
Email: mailto:nbowes@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Tel: 029 2020 1169 

See Also:
Cardiff School of Health Sciences Website