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Investigative Psychology MSc (Distance Learning)

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    This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.
    This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.
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    Overview

    Investigative psychology is the systematic science that developed out of early ‘offender profiling’ contributions by psychologists and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to police investigations and court cases. In recent years this sub-discipline has become an increasingly dominant area of forensic psychology. This course allows you explore this specialised field of practice, from the application of psychological principles to the diverse aspects of the analysis, investigation, and legal processing of crime.

    • You’ll undertake intensive training on advanced statistical methods, which may open doors to many jobs beyond crime and investigations.
    • Engage with the Research Centres and Institutes across the University.
    • Hear from visiting speakers including experts from around the world, reflecting on real life cases.
    • Learn about the full range of contributions that professional psychologists make such as evaluating the validity of suspect or witness accounts, assessing the decision-making processes of detectives or jurors, developing profiling inferences about likely offender characteristics, and geography. Intensive examinations of the variations in criminal behavioural style are a central feature of this course.

    The course aims to provide in-depth expertise in all aspects of Investigative Psychology. It has a strong research emphasis, helping to equip you with the expertise to conduct your own crime research projects in diverse professional contexts.

    This course is delivered 100% online, full- or part-time, giving you the flexibility to fit your studies around your other commitments.

    Discover more about Distance Learning at Huddersfield.

    Key Information

    Entry requirements

    Entry requirements for this course are normally one of the following:

    • An Honours degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent qualification in Psychology, Criminology or other relevant discipline.
    • Other appropriate professional qualifications and/or experience will be considered on an individual basis.

    You must have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection and the ability to access and use online study guidance and support as this course is delivered through distance learning.

    You may also be eligible to gain Recognition for your Prior Learning (RPL).

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent, or Duolingo English certificate, score 105 or above. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page. If you have alternative qualifications or do not meet the IELTS requirement we also offer a range of Pre-Sessional English Programmes.

    Start dates

    8 September 2025

    19 January 2026

    11 May 2026

    Duration

    1 year full-time
    2 years part-time

    Course Detail

    Introducing Investigative Psychology: From Offender Profiling to the Science of IP

    Investigative psychology is concerned with the psychological input to a range of issues related to the management, investigation and prosecution of crime. You'll be introduced to the scope of investigative psychology and the principles on which it is based. The module explores the contributions that psychologists can make to police investigations, the emergence of investigative psychology from offender-profiling, processes of detection, the significance of inference and the main questions investigative psychologists ask.

    Investigative Psychology for Violent, Acquisitive and Sexual Crime of IP

    You will explore the complexities in the process of drawing offender inferences from offence behaviour and why deriving such inferences empirically is not as straightforward as it is expected. You will study ‘criminal narratives’, considering the life stories of offenders and the roles they perceive themselves as playing throughout their lives. Theories and models for a range of different crime types including robbery, burglary, fraud, murder, stalking, domestic violence, sexual offences, organised crime and terrorism will be critically examined.

    Improving Legal Testimony and Evidence in Court and Investigation

    In this module you will explore potential sources of error within the evidence at each stage of an investigation, from initial witness statements and comments from suspects, to how the evidence is presented in court. You will examine the challenges of investigative information and investigative decision making, explore the procedures that have been developed to improve the effectiveness of investigative interviews and consider factors that lead to false confessions and reasons for false allegations. In addition you will learn about the regulatory constraints relating to the interviewing process.

    Investigative Psychology: Tactics and Strategies For Studying Criminal Action

    Through this module you will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the variety of research methods used in investigative psychology. You will conduct and interpret advanced statistical analyses, as well as communicate research findings in a format suitable to the research community. You will also explore data sources, research design, analysis of qualitative data, multivariate statistics, inferential statistics and multidimensional scaling.

    Offender Spatial Activity: Beyond Geographical Offender Profiling

    This module will examine how offence locations relate to the lives of offenders. You will explore the significance of closeness of the crime locations to key places in the offender’s life and the geometry of the distribution of the offences. You will also study propinquity (the distance offenders travel), morphology (whether investigators can predict the offenders home area), variations in criminality and offender geography and geographical profiling systems.

    Clinical Forensic Psychology

    This module will introduce you to the major issues within clinical forensic psychology. You will explore the psychology of criminal behaviour and the relationship between mental disorder and crime. You will also study mental disorders, the different interventions, treatments and rehabilitation of offenders, as well as the risk factors and risk assessment measures used to assess the risk of (re)-offending and approaches to helping victims.

    Professional Issues and Applications

    This module explores the importance of professional and ethical issues in the application of investigative psychology. You will have the opportunity to study topics including professional applications relating to forensic medical sciences (pathology and toxicology), forensic physical sciences, legal processes and expert evidence, as well as behavioural investigative advice and crime analysis.

    Dissertation (Investigative Psychology)

    You will undertake a project, which you will design, implement and analyse. This will be in the form of a literature review of a focused topic using a systematic approach or an empirical study that draws on and makes a contribution to investigative psychology. The project must demonstrate appropriate design, methods and techniques along with interpretation and evaluation of the findings reported to a high professional standard.

    Teaching is delivered 100% online through a mix of asynchronous activities and synchronous sessions. Asynchronous learning includes pre-recorded video lectures, audio materials, and animated content, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Synchronous elements feature live interactive discussions and seminars, fostering a dynamic and collaborative learning environment.

    Assessment aims to support learning and to measure achievement. Assessment is a combination of coursework, competency-based learning and examination. The nature of the assessment varies from module to module and mirrors the modes of communication expected of graduates in this field, for example, grant proposal, professional case report, and presentation to an expert audience.

    Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    1. Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    2. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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