MSc - Entry Requirements - Centre For Investigative Psychology

Entry Requirements

In general, graduates will have at least a 2:1 degree. Non-graduates will typically have five years appropriate professional experience, having achieved at least the rank/status normally considered appropriate after that number of years service. In general, direct experience of criminal investigations or of police intelligence work is the type of professional experience that is deemed appropriate for this course. It is also acknowledged that many areas of professional activity that are not directly associated with criminal investigations, such as clinical assisting in a forensic context, the probation services, and even working in a lawyers office, are relevant. Also, experience of research activities relevant to investigative psychology provide a useful basis for the course. Discretion is therefore exercised in selection, taking into account the particular strengths and weaknesses of each applicant.

Please note we have not set a closing date for applications to the MSc in Investigative Psychology. We do process applications on a first come first served basis and have usually filled all our places by the end of May. So the sooner you can get your application back to us the greater the chance of finding a place. We invite people to come and see us and learn about the course once they have passed the initial paper sift based on the application form. We start holding the interviews usually in February.

Fees and Grants
Course fees* are £4325 for UK applicants and £8800 for overseas applicants. UK applicants may be eligible to apply for an award from the ESRC, further details of this are outlined below. For outstanding applicants it may be possible to provide bursaries that help defray the cost of fees.

*fees are for the academic year 1999/2000 and are likely to be subject to an annual increase.

FUNDING FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

There is no funding specifically assigned to the MSc course.

There are university-related awards for postgraduate students, but it is very unusual indeed for these to be given to people on a Masters course although not unknown.

It should be made clear that application for the course is judged on academic merit and experience and bears no relationship to any possible, or even improbable funding. Students therefore need to be confident that they can fund themselves on the course at the time that they apply.

Some students have been able to get sponsorship from Charitable Trusts, or business ventures, but this has been entirely their own arrangement and there are no lists available from the CIP of individuals who are willing to sponsor students. It is probably also worth pointing out that so far no Police Forces, Detective Agencies, or any other organisations that might have a special interest in people with investigative psychology skills, have been willing to support students on the course other than the very rare circumstance in which Police Forces second police officers in their employ directly to the course.

The possibility of being funded to carry out a small project that can be incorporated into the course work, or dissertation, has been actively pursued by a number of students. But although we are very keen to encourage such a working relationship, no-one has yet managed to obtain that type of funding. If any applicant thinks this is a possibility they should discuss it with the Course Director as part of the application process.

Overseas students do have other options available in terms of applying for funding, but most of the British based funding is only really available for PhD study, although in principle it is possible for outstanding applicants to seek these funds. Generally, there is far more opportunity for funding through their own country than directly from Britain. Such funding agencies as the British Council usually make their funding available through the student's own country.

Most students seem to find the funding through a variety of career development loans and personal savings.

The University does provide a booklet on funding possibilities and this available from either:

UK Student Recruitment Office
tel: +44 (0) 151 794 5927
fax: +44 (0) 151 794 2060

or

International Relations and Recruitment Office
tel: +44 (0) 151 794 6730
fax: +44 (0) 151 794 6733

Typically, we have about two hundred applicants a year, most of who seem able to find the money to do the course. So, although it is demanding, many people are able to cope.

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