Program Learning Outcomes - Forensic Psychology, PhD

1. A thorough, substantial and current understanding of the psychological principles and constructs that impact the justice system, including but not limited to:

The manner in which psychological principles and constructs are employed to evaluate concepts related to legal proceedings, including interrogations, confessions, and eyewitness testimony.
The manner in which variation in the integrity of psychological constructs (e.g., memory, decision-making, attention, emotion) may impact legal proceedings.
The historical and recent research pertaining to the psychological underpinnings of antisocial behaviour.
An awareness of, and an ability to, independently and critically evaluate the assumptions that the justice system makes about human behaviour.
A thorough and critical understanding of the impact that burgeoning research (e.g., neuroscience, genetics) is having on the justice system, including the technological, methodological and moral/ethical issues that this research raises.

2. A conceptual understanding and methodological competence that:

Support the ability to conceptualize, design and implement research for the generation of new knowledge, applications, or understanding at the forefront of forensic psychology.
Support a critical evaluation and interrogation of current research in the field, and an ability to devise potential solutions to complex issues, sometimes requiring the development of novel methodologies.
Support the development of a sustained, thorough, and critical argument pertaining to the field of forensic psychology, both orally and in written thesis form.
Support the production and submission of original research, or other advanced scholarship, of quality sufficient to satisfy peer review.

3. The capacity to:

Undertake pure and/or applied research at an advanced level.
Contribute to the development of skills, techniques, tools, practices, ideas, theories, approaches and/or materials relevant to academic, legal or civic communities.

4. An ability to communicate complex and/or ambiguous ideas, issues and conclusions clearly and effectively, to a range of audiences.

5. An ability to communicate, thoroughly and critically, the theoretical, methodological and analytical details of their thesis work, including its implications for the academic and/or legal communities, orally and in writing, to a range of audiences.

6. A recognition of:

The limits of their own knowledge.
The uncertainty inherent within the psychological sciences, which can only predict outcomes with incomplete certainty.
The current limits of knowledge in the discipline as a whole, and the fact that these limits are continuously evolving.

7. Qualities and transferable skills necessary to support employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility, accountability and largely autonomous initiative, in both individual and group contexts, and the capacity to make decisions in complex contexts.

8. The intellectual independence to be academically and professionally engaged and current.

9. Ethical behaviour consistent with academic integrity and social responsibility, as seen through their coursework, their thesis work, and their interactions with students, faculty and the university and civic communities.

10. The ability to evaluate the broader implications of applying knowledge to particular contexts.