The two course titles, Investigative Psychology and Psychology and Investigation, are specifically set up so we can take on people without Graduate Basis for Recognition by the British Psychological Society. As far as we know we are currently the only course recognised towards Forensic Chartered Status that has this mechanism for including non-Psychologists. Of course, the non-Psychologists do not get a qualification that is recognised by the BPS towards chartered status. It is a BPS regulation that chartered status can only be given to people who do a recognised mastered course after they have completed a GBR Undergraduate degree.

The course does draw heavily on Psychology and Social Science theories and methodologies. It is a Post-Graduate course, not a conversion course. Therefore we only take on people who we feel will be able to handle the advanced conceptual and methodological issues on which the course focuses. This means that people without some experience of social science data collection and analysis, and without some contact with statistical software such as SPSS are likely to find the course to difficult to cope with. The consequence of this are that people, for example, with degrees in law or physics will just not have enough background in concepts and approaches to be able to get on with the course. We do look at each application on its merit and have for instance had very successful graduates with first degrees only in the law or geography. However, these were very unusual people with many other strengths.

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