A number of applicants do find it beneficial to spend a year after their first degree in some practical context. This may be in a law firm, working in a probation department, in a prison or assigned to a police force or as a member of a research team. This is encouraged but unfortunately the Centre for Investigative Psychology cannot help with the placements. Of course, gaining such an experience and obtaining a good degree result does not guarantee a place (much depends on the competition pool) but it certainly substantially increases your chances. Another piece of advice - even academics are human - so it does not bode well if you attend an interview and have not bothered to check out the website or any of the members of staff's written work. We have interviewed students who have displayed remarkable ignorance of the course and have been of the opinion, for example, that the course is a three-year clinical forensic course. In such cases, it is clear that the course is not right for the student and the student is not right for the course.

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