The MSc in Investigative Psychology is a unique, full-time, 12 month
course for:
- psychologists and other social psychologists
- police officers and others with experience of the law.
The course provides:
An understanding of the psychology of criminals and
the investigation of crime.
The research skills necessary to become investigative
psychologists.
The course assists:
Training of psychologists and other social scientists
in the knowledge and skills necessary to work with police and similar
agencies on the analysis and detection of crime.
Training for selected police officers in the use of social science theories
and methods.
The improvement of criminal and other investigations.
Crime prevention activities.
More effective liason between investigating officers and social scientists.
Police Enquiries
The course facilitates the acquisition of knowledge and skills relating to many aspects of the detection process, including:
- The collection and management of criminal intelligence, including the
effective use of computerised decision support systems and crime paftern
analysis
- The consideration of eyewitness testimony and various interviewing techniques
- Statement validity analysis
- Working with vulnerable witnesses, such as children and
people in a traumatised state
- Suspect elicitation and prioritisation, including the production of
'offender profiles'
- Preparing psychological autopsies
- Strategies for the interviewing of suspects and the recognition and
avoidance of false confessions
- The behavioural linking of offences and the analysis of similar fact
evidence
- The identification of the probable area of an offender's residence
The Benefits of an MSc in Investigative
Psychology to Police to Law Enforcement and related Agencies
On completing
the intensive twelve-month MSc course police officers have skills that
cover the following areas that are of direct value to their Forces:
· The ability to develop projects dealing with a wide range of crime-related
issues and to analyse the results and produce cogent reports of their
work.
· The ability to evaluate and contribute to investigative interviews training.
· The ability to help formulate policies for dealing with many crime problems.
· May provide guidance to ongoing investigations into a wide range of crimes
('profiling').
· The ability to assess the value and potential of many proposed developments
in computing within their Force.
· May give general advice to their Force on all psychological matters of
relevance to investigations.
· May contribute to development of crime prevention strategies.
· Can keep their Force in up-to-date contact with the developments world-wide
in Investigative Psychology.
The Centre for Investigative Psychology at Liverpool University has
regular contact with academics and police forces from countries including
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Norway, India,
Italy, Israel, Russia, South Africa, and the USA. In many cases joint
projects are being undertaken in relation to crime in these countries.
Nearly all police officers who took the course have been promoted, many
to superintendent, within a couple of years of completing their study
in Investigative Psychology.
The following police forces have seconded officers to the MSc course
so far: Barbados, Botswana, Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, Metropolitan, Newfoundland,
Perth, South Africa, Surrey, Thames Valley, Tayside, West Midlands.
For further information please write to:
Course Secretary
MSc in Investigative Psychology
The University of Liverpool
Centre for Investigative Psychology
Eleanor Rathbone Building
Bedford Street South
Liverpool L69 7ZA
Books 
Books 
Books 
Reading IP 
Journal