Introduction to Forensic Psychology and the Law
UndergraduateLTU-LCR2PSY2026
Course information for 2026 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 5 July 2026
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Start dates
- 13 July 2026
- Price from
- $2,174
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Introduction to Forensic Psychology and the Law
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand and critically analyse key concepts relating to forensic psychology and the law.
- Evaluate the impact of forensic psychology on criminal law and procedure.
- Understand the policy environment in which psychology and the law interact.
- Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively.
- Introduction to forensic psychology and the law
- Expert evidence in courts
- Perception at crime scenes: eyewitness evidence
- Detecting deception: The psychological dimensions of juror decision-making
- Interrogations and false confessions
- Special topic (1): The forensic needs of female offenders
- Mental disorder and the law (1): Introduction and fitness to plead
- Mental disorder and the law (2): The defence of mental impairment
- Special topic (2): Violent and sex offenders: Bad or Mad? Predicting offending
- Special topic (3): Forensic issues working with Indigenous offenders
- Special topic (4): Youth offenders and doli Incapax
This subject introduces you to a range of areas where psychological research has shaped criminal law and procedure, such as the rules relating to expert evidence in criminal trials, and how the psychological literature informs criminal justice responses to particular groups of people. This includes exploring factors that may contribute to miscarriages of justice, such as: the psychology of interrogations and false confessions; the psychological dimensions of juror decision-making; and what the psychological research on memory, perception and recall suggests for the limitations of eyewitness identification. The subject also critically examines the laws and procedures relevant to the criminal prosecution of people with mental illness and/or cognitive impairment, including fitness to stand trial and the defence of mental impairment. Drawing on a range of case studies, the subject examines how the criminal justice system has developed to take into account developments in our understanding of human behaviour.
- Online quizzes (800 words equivalent) (20%)
- Group oral presentation (which may include written or visual component) (1,000 words equivalent) (30%)
- Final written assignment (2,000 words) (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- LAT-CRM-DEG-2026 - Bachelor of Criminology
- LAT-CPS-DEG-2026 - Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Psychological Science
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 90 credit points.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateLAT-CRM-DEG
Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-CPS-DEG