Overview
REGULATIONS FOR THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY (MFPC)
1.0 PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME
- To equip students with critical thinking skills required to demonstrate a sound knowledge of psychological principles and tools for use at crime scenes and during court sessions
- To impart in students theories of crime and crime prevention
- To equip students with the requisite skills to develop and record accurate forensic mental health assessments of victims, witnesses and crime perpetrators or suspects
- To produce graduates who can assist the legal and justice system by studying the behavior of criminals and develop brief profiles based on common psychological traits and theories
- To provide opportunities for students to visit crime scenes, note details including time and date, scan adjacent areas for clues to determine the nature of offenders, and also ensure the safety of other investigators
- To prepare students for further studies in related fields of Psychology
- To produce graduates who are ethically and socially responsible
2.0 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Normal Entry: Minimum of an upper second class (2.1) in a BSc Honours Degree in Psychology, and BSc in Counselling Psychology
3.0 PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTICS
- Areas of study: Forensic Psychology; Criminology
- Specialist focus: Forensic Psychology; Psychology and Law; Perpetrators, suspects, victims and eye-witnesses; The legal justice system; Correctional, rehabilitation juvenile delinquency facilities; Role of Psychologists in court proceedings with a specific focus on cases involving child victims and the vulnerable.
- Orientation: Scientific-Practitioner Paradigm.
- Distinctive features: The programme builds on the philosophy of giving a psychological perspective on issues related to crime.
- Other: Practical in approach i.e. not too theoretical, and must be relevant on the ground.
4.0 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND FURTHER EDUCATION
Careers:
- Forensic Psychologists
- Research specialists
- Probation Officers
- Youth Justice workers
- Consultants on issues of crime
- Career Advisers
- Legal justice systems
- Crime analysts
- Crime interventions facilitators
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Expert witnesses in courts of law
- Academia
- Probation and parole institutions
- Prison, Correctional and Rehabilitation officers
Further Studies: Doctoral studies in Forensic Psychology and Criminology
Programme Structure
| Level 1 Semester 1 | Credits |
|---|---|
| MFPC 731: Theories of Forensic Psychology and Criminology | 18 |
| MFPC 732: Psychology and Crime | 18 |
| MFPC 733: Advanced Developmental Psychology | 18 |
| MFPC 734: Courts and Forensic Psychology | 18 |
| MCP 735: Community Safety and Crime Prevention | 18 |
| Level 1 Semester 2 | Credits |
|---|---|
| MFPC 735: Personality Disorders and Crime | 18 |
| MFPC 736: Legal & Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychology & Criminology | 18 |
| MFPC 737: Psychology of Criminal Behaviour | 18 |
| MCP 737: Advanced Research Methods and Statistics | 18 |
| MFPC 738: Forensic Mental Health | 18 |
| Level 2 Semester 1 | Credits |
|---|---|
| MFPC 831: Internship 1 | 24 |
| MFPC 832: Forensic Assessment | 18 |
| MFPC 833: Criminal Investigative Psychology | 18 |
| MCP 833: Advanced Psychometrics | 18 |
| MFPC 834: Legal and Criminal Justice System | 18 |
| Level 2 Semester 2 | Credits |
|---|---|
| MFPC 835: Internship 2 | 24 |
| MFPC 836: Clinical Forensic Interventions | 18 |
| MFPC 837: Dissertation | 90 |
| Total Credits | 474 |
MODULE SYNOPSES
MFPC 731 Theories of Forensic Psychology and Criminology
The module equips students with knowledge of the theory and practical implications of psychological factors in Forensic Psychology and Criminology. Concepts covered include: Principles in Forensic Psychology and Criminology; Theories of Psychology of emotion, Psychology of choice and Psychology of belief.
MFPC 732 Psychology and Crime
The module identifies common traits of criminal behaviour tendencies such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression, sensation-seeking or risk-taking, extroversion, external locus of control and inability to delay gratification. Required is an application of the knowledge to assist with predicting and identifying perpetrators. Other requisite factors include anti-personality disorders, mental illness, low/high intelligence levels, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and moral development as contributors to behaviour maladjustment and dysfunction
MFPC 733 Advanced Developmental Psychology
The module imparts knowledge required to deal with juveniles, the elderly, and the law. Focus is on: Policy-making rather than treatment of those with mental problems; How changes in human developmental milestones influence criminal behaviour tendencies; The role of nature/biology and nurture/environment in criminal behaviour tendencies; How human developmental theories explain behaviour changes that result in the perpetration of crime.
MFPC 734 Courts and Forensic Psychology
The module prepares students for attending various types of court sessions, inclusive of family, civil and criminal courts. The focus is on the use of acquired knowledge in assisting the legal and justice system to make decisions and reach conclusions about criminal suspects, perpetrators, victims and eyewitnesses
MCP 735 Community Safety and Crime Prevention
Crime prevention and reduction, community safety and security, alongside the challenge of community governance, are at the heart of the most significant and controversial questions about crime control, social control and social policy. Required is the analysis and application of theories of crime prevention and examination of perceived failures/limitations of traditional approaches, and recommend/contemporary means of crime reduction, community safety and rehabilitation of prisoners.
MFPC 735 Personality Disorders and Crime
The module uses illustrative case studies and recordings of clinical interviews with clients of diverse personalities to explain the risk of harming themselves, others and/or their properties. The module aims to show the relationship between personality disorders and offending behaviour, and hence the need for crime risk management for disordered personalities.
MFPC 736 Legal and Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychology and Criminology
This module covers standards for professional conduct as it applies to practice in the programme of study. It includes codes of conduct, ethical and legal decisions such as the scope of the profession, legal and ethical rights of clients, licensing laws, regulations and customs, and professional liability. Also covered are case examples, current regulations and standards for utilizing assessment data.
MFPC 737 Psychology of Criminal Behaviour
The module equips students with knowledge of theories of criminal behavior. The theories include Social Conflict, Social Process, Social Structure, Trait, Psychodynamic Trait, Rational Choice Theories, and Eysenck’s Theory of Personality and Crime. The theories are analysed to give an appreciation of an eclectic approach to explaining criminal behavior tendencies.
MCP 737 Advanced Research Methods and Statistics
The module is a build-up of the undergraduate module. It equips students with advanced knowledge and skills in triangulated research approaches; technologically data gathering; and statistical data processing.
MFPC 738 Forensic Mental Health
The module prepares students to work with the legal justice system as it relates to laws regarding mental health issues. Students are availed with opportunities to attend situations and court sessions as and when their services are required and these are: Custody cases, divorce, negligence, malpractice, workplace violence and homicide. Case studies are also used to augment practical visits.
MFPC 831 Internship 1
(Before students begin their Internship 1, it is a prerequisite that they register with the Allied Health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe in their own individual capacities).
The module provides an opportunity for students to integrate theoretical knowledge with professional practice. The placement is for 15 hours per week for 15 weeks at an appropriate site approved by the Department. Students document all client contacts and cases dealt with and attend a practicum session once every fortnight across the semester. At the end of the semester, they submit a file on cases handled.
MFCP 832 Forensic Assessment
The module equips students with the knowledge and skills required in courts on psychological assessments of crime-related issues. Focus is not on the treatment of psychological issues that may arise; It is on issues that assist decision-making and prediction of criminal behaviour by the legal and criminal justice system in their consideration of whether or not a defendant is competent to stand trial or the risk of managing an inmate in certain ways.
MFPC 833 Criminal Investigative Psychology
The module imparts knowledge on interpreting cognitive interviewing procedures, eye-witness testimony and interrogative interviewing, including false confessions, lie detection and suggestibility; safeguarding the psychologically vulnerable such as crime victims and eye-witnesses. Students also attend Victim-Friendly Courts and guest lectures to gain skills in the role of Forensic Psychology in the legal justice system.
MCP 833 Advanced Psychometrics
The module builds on and covers concepts introduced and taught in the Honours Degree Programme. However, the focus is now on having more comprehensive content which is given in the context of the specialised programme of study.
MFPC 834 Legal and Criminal Justice System
The module provides knowledge on principles and theories of offending behaviours which are applicable to the legal and criminal justice system, inclusive of key themes underpinning Forensic Psychology and mental health. It aims to give an overview of the forensic environment, specialist forensic populations and settings.
MFPC 835 Internship 2
(Before students begin their Internship 2, it is a prerequisite that they register with the Allied Health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe in their own individual capacities).
The placement is for 15 hours per week for 15 weeks at an appropriate site approved by the Department. The module integrates theoretical knowledge with professional practice. Students document all client contacts and cases dealt with at the placement. In addition, students will attend a practicum class once every fortnight across the semester. A file should be submitted to the Department at the end of the semester.
MFPC 836 Clinical Forensic Interventions
The module equips students with knowledge, critical reasoning ability and applied competence in clinical forensic diagnosis and treatments. Students acquire competencies to utilise quantitative and qualitative diagnostic approaches in studying forensic behaviour and conduct follow-up action plans. In researching, emphasis on the usual steps of any research process as covered in the Dissertation module action plans.
MFPC 837 Dissertation
The module provides guidelines for students on the whole research process. Working under the supervision of a lecturer in the Department, students plan, design, and conduct research on a topic of their interest. The topic must address current issues and the research must be in line with current trends in the programme of study. The guidelines cover all the requisite aspects of how to conduct and document research.