Forensic psychologist
Explore the reasons why people commit crimes. You'll help offenders to make positive changes in their behaviour.
Also known as: criminal psychologist, investigative psychologist, legal psychologist
About the job
What it's like
Around one in five adults in Scotland were victims of crime in 2023-24. And almost 1.2 million crimes were committed. You could help reduce those numbers.
You'll work with a wide variety of people who have committed crimes. It could be anyone from young people experiencing the legal system for the first time to high-risk offenders with severe personality disorders. You may also work with families and people who have been victims of crime.
You'll try to understand why offenders act as they do. You'll find ways to help them overcome problems and make positive changes in behaviour.
Forensic psychology can be a demanding job. You'll deal with people acting aggressively, including possibly verbal or even physical assault. Patience, empathy and a genuine desire to help people will help you overcome challenges.
You could work in:
prisons
hospitals or other medical facilities
universities
charities
Your tasks might include:
developing and carrying out treatment and rehabilitation programmes for offenders
suggesting ways to reduce stress and improve life inside prisons for staff and prisoners
offering expert advice to parole boards, mental health review tribunals or court cases
supporting police investigations by doing criminal profiling
researching causes and effects of criminal behaviour to improve professional practice
writing reports
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Scottish Prison Service – careers in psychology
Health and Care Professions Council – approved forensic psychology training programmes in Scotland
NHS Scotland Careers – about this role in the National Health Service
NHS Education for Scotland – psychology training information for the healthcare workforce
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- understanding
- making decisions
- ethical
- observation
- problem solving
- written communication
- verbal communication
- listening
- cooperating
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Chemistry
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Human Biology
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Psychology
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Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies - RMPS
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Skills for Work: Health and Social Care
University
Becoming a forensic psychologist involves a lot of study at university. These courses can be very competitive so you should do plenty of research into what's available and what you'll need to get in.
To start work as a forensic psychologist, you need to register with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). Before you can do this, you'll need to go through these steps.
You'll need a psychology degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). You can also go through an accredited conversion course if you have a degree in another subject.
This allows you to gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS.
Getting further postgraduate training. This includes:
A BPS accredited Master's in Forensic Psychology
A BPS qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2. This involves two years of supervised practice
Some universities offer a Doctorate which combines a Master's and the Stage 2 qualification.
Your postgraduate training will qualify you for Chartered Membership of the BPS.
College
Getting an HNC or HND in Social Sciences can allow you to progress to some Pyschology degree courses at university.
Any other qualifications that show understanding of counselling, health and wellbeing will be helpful. For example, an SQA Wellbeing Award.
All forensic psychologists must pass a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check, run by Disclosure Scotland.
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