Master in Forensic and Legal Psychology
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Is this the programme you're looking for?
This master's track focuses on psychological contributions to both forensic and legal contexts.
The study programme in a nutshell
This programme will give you insight into why people misbehave and commit crimes, what the concept of criminal irresponsibility is, and how forensic patients need to be treated. Besides these typical forensic topics, the programme offers insight into legal psychological topics such as deception detection and legal decision-making.
What does this study entail?
This programme will teach you how to apply scientifically validated knowledge and instrumentation to forensic problems. You will be able to better understand underlying neural, social and behavioural mechanisms of criminal behaviour, to help assess criminal irresponsibility and to treat criminals with a mental disorder. You will also learn how legal fact findings work, that is, how to evaluate criminal evidence.
- The programme aims at implementing state-of-the-art scientific insights in the field of forensic psychology (i.e. evidence-based practice), with a possibility of focusing on clinical forensic (neuro)psychology, or legal psychology.
- The programme employs various educational approaches ranging from lectures to practical assignments.
- This programme is unique in its combination of forensic (neuro)psychology and legal psychology in a 1-year programme.
Curriculum
The study program in a nutshell
Approximately 10% of all 13,000 psychologists in the Netherlands who are members of the Dutch Association of Psychologists (NIP) are forensic psychologists. Meanwhile, forensic psychologists are in numbers by far the most influential forensic experts
This master's program will teach you how to become a forensic psychologist, either in practice or as a scientific researcher. You can alternatively choose to prepare for a career as a legal psychologist. Bear in mind that forensic psychologists study criminal irresponsibility, while legal psychologists study the strength of (criminal) evidence. These two fields are related yet distinct.
The curriculum consists of 3 courses (including practicals and assignments) that are relevant to forensic and legal psychology, an advanced statistics course, a research internship, and either a forensic practical internship or a moot court. The first three courses are:
- Introduction to forensic and legal psychology,
- Etiology of offender types and neuroscience,
- Forensic diagnostics and treatment.
In these courses, there is much attention to psychological influences on crime, and functional, neuroscientific concepts of misconduct and crime. The fourth course is uniform for all psychology masters: A study in advanced statistics.
In the second semester, students who wish to pursue a career in forensic (neuro)psychology complete a practical and research internship. Students who wish to specialize in legal psychology complete a research internship and an elaborate moot court assignment in which they practice doing legal psychological research and writing legal psychological reports. Depending on personal interest, topics can be chosen such as deceptive behavior in psychopathy, neuroscience of antisocial behavior, or the validity of eyewitness testimony.
To graduate, all students need to write a master's thesis based on a research internship. In addition, students may choose to do an external practical internship. Practical internships are not obligatory and may be hard to find for students in the specialization of Forensic and Legal Psychology who do not speak Dutch.
Please click on one of the courses in the program overview below to see the course description.
Curriculum
Block 1
- Introduction to Forensic and Legal Psychology
- Forensic Psychological Assessment in Crim.
Block 2
- Etiology of Offender Types & Foren.
- Techniques in Forensic Neuroscience
Block 3
- Forensic Diagnostic and Treatment
- Treatment Interv. in Forensic Popu.
Block 4
- Applied Multivariate Data Analysis
- Multivariate Data Analysis
Block 5
- Moot Court Legal Psychology
- Practical Internship
- Research Proposal
- Thesis
Ideal Students
Is this the right programme for you?
The programme aims at implementing state-of-the-art scientific insights in the field of forensic psychology (i.e. evidence-based practice), with a possibility of focusing on clinical forensic (neuro)psychology, or on legal psychology.
The programme employs various educational approaches ranging from lectures to practical assignments.
This programme is unique in its combination of forensic (neuro)psychology and legal psychology in a 1-year programme.
Career Opportunities
Opportunities after graduating
Graduates of this program are well-prepared for diverse career opportunities in the field of psychology. This includes roles as junior psychologists in mental health care, policy researchers, and advisors in mental health care institutions, as well as positions in higher education institutions. Additionally, some graduates may find roles in research at institutions like the WODC, NSCR, Trimbos Institute, or NIVEL, work in the forensic field, governmental agencies, or as policy advisors for mental health care institutions and health insurance companies. The program also serves as an excellent foundation for those interested in pursuing a Ph.D. position. For more details, see below.
Working in the Mental Health Care Sector
Interested in practicing Psychology internationally?
It's important to keep in mind that each country has its unique requirements for psychology practice and admission to post-academic programs. While a master's degree in psychology from EUR may provide you with a strong foundation, there is no guarantee that this master's degree is aligned with foreign requirements.
Interested in practicing Psychology within the Netherlands?
In early 2022, the Netherlands introduced the "Zorg Prestatie Model" (ZPM), which outlines essential criteria and conditions for individuals aiming to work within the Dutch Mental Health or Forensic Care sector. To be eligible for reimbursement within the healthcare system, practitioners must meet the ZPM criteria. Failing to meet these requirements means you cannot operate within the ZPM framework, and any care provided will not be eligible for reimbursement by healthcare providers. For anyone aspiring to work in the Dutch Mental Health Care sector, it is crucial to meet the qualifications outlined by ZPM.