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Forensic psychologist

Alternative titles for this job include Criminal psychologist, investigative psychologist, legal psychologist

Forensic psychologists study criminal behaviour and the reasons behind it, and help to treat people who have committed offences.

Average salary (a year)

£35,000 Starter

to

£57,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 39 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

Meet Fiona

Fiona works in a medium secure unit as a senior forensic psychologist.

1 minute 40 second watch

View transcript

My name’s Fiona. I'm a senior forensic psychologist here based at Newton Lodge, which is a medium secure unit over in Wakefield.

We all operate here as part of a multidisciplinary team. So there's lots of meetings that we attend, and part of our role within that is really to provide psychological understanding from a range of different, maybe problems that we're experiencing on the ward or with individuals.

We also have a role in training, training other professionals. In addition to that, we also provide assessments. So we might think about people who are coming into the service. So stepping down from different services, and how we can support them whilst they're here, and to really navigate their pathway through medium secure services, hopefully down to low secure and back out into the community. So that's a huge part of our role.

And then the other component is therapy, so we provide a lot of different interventions and therapeutic activities for people to become involved in, whether that's group based work but also individual therapies.

It's a really broad role, encompasses lots of assessments, formulations, intervention, consultancy, training and also some research, which we’re quite lucky to do here.

It's just a great career. It is a great career! It’s breadth, there’s breadth, it's never boring, it's never boring. So yeah, I would encourage people to have a look, make contact with people, get to understand their experiences, consider the different environments that you can train in as well and think about which one best suits your values. But equally where you want to be professionally.

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become Forensic psychologist

You can get into this job through a university course or by working towards this role.

University

To become a forensic psychologist, you can either follow the accredited degree process or complete a doctorate programme.

Accredited degree process

  1. Do a psychology degree or conversion course that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
  2. Apply for graduate membership to obtain the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
  3. Study for a master's degree in forensic psychology that is accredited by BPS, known as stage 1.
  4. Complete 2 years of supervised practice as part of stage 2 of the BPS qualification in forensic psychology.

Doctorate programme

Some universities offer a doctorate programme in forensic psychology. This is the equivalent of the accredited master's degree and 2 years of supervised practice.

There's a lot of competition for postgraduate training. To apply, you may need:

  • a first or upper second class (2:1) degree
  • evidence of excellent research skills
  • relevant work experience, for example in a prison, probation or youth offending service

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
  • 3 A levels or equivalent

More Information

Work

You may be able to start your career as an interventions facilitator in HM Prison Service.

You could study for a psychology degree part-time while you work. You would then apply for a trainee forensic psychologist role.

More Information

Registration

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the The British Psychological Society for professional recognition and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about how to become a forensic psychologist from The British Psychological Society and Health Careers.

You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of psychology
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • analytical thinking skills
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent written communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a forensic psychologist, you could:

  • help police identify possible suspects, known as criminal profiling
  • advise on how to reduce stress and improve life inside prisons
  • provide psychological therapy to help people understand and overcome their problems
  • carry out research, prepare risk assessments and write reports
  • offer advice to parole boards, mental health tribunals and courts
  • work closely with other professionals and train new psychologists

Working environment

You could work in a prison, in an NHS or private hospital, at a police station or in the community.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could:

  • become a senior psychologist in a prison or hospital secure unit
  • move into a policy, strategy or service management role
  • work freelance as a consultant, for example as an expert witness

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a Forensic psychologist right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Psychology

  • Provider: TURTON SCHOOL
  • Start date: 10 September 2025
  • Location: Bolton

Psychology

  • Provider: HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM SCHOOL
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Leatherhead
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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