This degree is closed to new applications. You may be interested in other courses in Criminal psychology
Apply for this course by 23 February to study in this intake.
Need help? with a student advisor.
Graduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology
PostgraduateCUR-FPY-GCE2024
Course information for 2024 intake
For justice and health professionals interested in psychology
See how psychology interacts with the legal and criminal justice system. Explore the connections between crime and mental health. Deepen your understanding of victims and offenders. Apply your knowledge of human behaviour to real world settings.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Graduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology
About this degree
At the completion of this degree students will be able to:
- apply psychological theory and knowledge to evidence-informed practice in forensic settings
- generate effective approaches through critical analysis, reflective practice and professional reasoning
- critically appraise and evaluate information to inform best practice
- effectively communicate relevant knowledge to a range of professionals
- summarise core topics in forensic psychology and how they apply within real world settings
- demonstrate ability for self directed learning and reflective practice
- illustrate the limitations of and challenges to the application of psychology within forensic settings
- apply psychological knowledge to specific problems and challenges within relevant forensic psychological settings.
This programme is designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of service professionals interested in the area of psychology and includes people working within policing, governmental departments of justice and child protection, legal practitioners, community services professionals (e.g., social workers), and health professionals (e.g., clinical psychologists, nurses) working within these contexts.
Recommended study pattern
Students must complete 4 core subjects.
Award requirements
To obtain the award for the Graduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology, students must complete a total of 4 subjects (100 credits) as follows:
- PSB530 Crime and Mental Health (25 credits)
- PSB540 Psychology and Policing (25 credits)
- PSB550 Psychological Contributions to Understanding Crime (25 credits)
- PSB560 Understanding Victims and Offenders (25 credits)
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
This program has been withdrawn. Final intake was SP4 2023.
Students will be contacted by email, advised of the forthcoming deactivation of the course, and provided with a study plan to complete the degree in the required time.
The final study periods for the subjects in this program are as follows:
- PSB540 Psychology and Policing; SP1, SP3 2024
- PSB550 Psychological Contributions to Understanding Crime; SP1, SP3 2024
- PSB530 Crime and Mental Health; SP2, SP4 2024
- PSB560 Understanding Victims and Offenders; SP2, SP4 2024
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $15,890
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
Start your career with Curtin’s globally recognised courses and extensive industry connections. Through OUA, their online courses offer an interactive and collaborative learning experience that gets you the same degree as if you studied on campus. Curtin is a global university with a vibrant culture of innovation and collaboration and is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide.
Learn more about Curtin University.
Explore Curtin courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 13
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 14
Entry requirements
This is a restricted degree. Subject enrolment is only available to students admitted into this degree.
Applicants generally require a Bachelor Degree or equivalent credit gained for recognised learning. Any specific course entry and completion requirements must also be met.
Applicants without an undergraduate degree will be considered on the basis of at least four years relevant work experience.
If you are applying based on work experience you will need to meet the English Proficiency requirements.
If your education degrees were not solely in English, as per the International Handbook of Universities or the World Higher Education database, or you are applying based on work experience you will need to meet the English Proficiency requirements. Admission requires an overall International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) (or equivalent test) score of at least 6.5 and competence in all test components (IELTS score of 6.0).
Please refer to the 'Minimum English Entry Requirements' document at: https://study.curtin.edu.au/applying/english-language-requirements/.
Applicants are required to meet University academic and English language entry standards; details are provided at: https://study.curtin.edu.au/applying/english-language-requirements/accepted-english-proficiency-tests/
*** Please Note: If any academic or legal document is not in English, you must provide a colour scan of the non-English documents, including a colour scan of the official English translations of these documents. This is for comparison purposes. ***
Applications for credit towards a course are assessed on an individual basis. Credit reduces the amount of learning required to complete the course and may be granted for formal education qualifications, non-formal learning from non-award programs of study and informal learning through work experiences. Further information can be found at https://futurestudents.curtin.edu.au/credit-transfer/
Career opportunities
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Counsellors | $75K to $93K | Up 12.6% |
| Health and Welfare Services Managers | Over $120K | Up 56.6% |
| Human Resource Managers | Over $120K | Up 85.7% |
| Policy and Planning Managers | Over $120K | Up 53.8% |
| Psychologists and Psychotherapists | $93K to $120K | N/A^ |
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.