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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology
Header image Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology

Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology

Past victimization, previous offending, psychopathology, aggression, being male: which of these variables might be the best predictor of future violent (re)offending?

And which variables might increase the chance of (re)victimization? How can interventions help to prevent crime? How can victims of violence and crime overcome their victimization?

If you are intrigued by questions about the psychology of violence and crime, and you are not satisfied with easy answers, consider entering the master's degree programme Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology. In this programme we aim to understand acts of violence and crime from both the victims' and the offenders' perspective.

You will gain a theoretical insight into the correlates of violence and crime and their consequences. Moreover, you will acquire practical skills to enable you to assess and intervene in both offender and victim contexts. Our unique integrative approach aims to highlight the many psychological nuances between the black-and-white of the victim and offender dichotomy.

Facts & Figures
Degree
MSc in Psychology
Course type
Master
Duration
12 months (60 ECTS)
Croho code
60260
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Behavioural and Social Sciences
Why study this programme in Groningen?

This is the only international programme that

  • combines clinical forensic psychology and victimology;
  • integrates offender and victim perspectives;
  • prepares you for research and practice with offenders and victims of violence and crime.
Programme

To meet the requirements for the Clinical Forensic Psychology & Victimology master's track, you will complete two basic courses, one clinical forensic skills course, one methods course, and two elective courses to tailor your education. Furthermore, you will complete a master thesis research project and an internship.

The master thesis has several varieties and comprises either 10 EC for Dutch students or 20 EC for international students. While working on your thesis, you will gain experience doing scientific research on a topic in clinical forensic psychology or in victimology.

The internship comprises either 20 EC for Dutch students or 10 EC for international students. The internship is a practical introduction to the work of psychologists working in forensic psychology. For the internship you will arrange a place at a host institution. For Dutch students, this will generally be in the Netherlands, for international students, in your country of choice outside of the Netherlands. In general, an internship in your home country is advised because of the important role of language in your work.

Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Crime and psychological vulnerability - Foundation course (5 EC)
Repeated measures - Methods course (5 EC, optional)
Capita selecta interventions in clinical forensic psychology & victimology - Elective study (5 EC, optional)
Combination of research and internship (30 EC)

The master's thesis encompasses either 10 or 20 EC, the internship also consists of either 10 or 20 EC. Taken together, these two always encompass half of the master's degree (30 EC).

Clinical forensic skills - Skills course (5 EC)
Crime and psychological assessment and intervention - Foundation course (5 EC)
Test construction - Methods course (5 EC, optional)

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional
Entry requirements

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Your previous education and chosen master track determine the application procedure and whether you are eligible for admission to the master or a possible premaster. Check https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/admission-prior-education to find the admission requirements that apply to you.

language test

All bachelor's students from a Dutch university meet the language requirements. For more information, please look at the following page: https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/language-requirements

other admission requirements

Selection Procedure
For this master's track, there is a selection process. For more information, please have a look at this page .

Registration procedure

The information can be found on the page about Application, Admission and Selection .

Attention! The track Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology only starts in September.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 March 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 March 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 March 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Your previous education and chosen master track determine the application procedure and whether you are eligible for admission to the master or a possible premaster. Check https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/admission-prior-education to find the admission requirements that apply to you.

language test

All bachelor's students from a Dutch university meet the language requirements. For more information, please look at the following page: https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/language-requirements

other admission requirements

Selection Procedure
For this master's track, there is a selection process. For more information, please have a look at this page

Registration procedure

The information can be found on the page about Application, Admission and Selection

Attention! The track Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology only starts in September.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 March 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 March 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 March 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2023-2024€ 2314full-time
non-EU/EEA2023-2024€ 17800full-time
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 20800full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Besides giving you the knowledge and skills to obtain a position as a psychologist in several fields, our master's also gives you a solid foundation for postgraduate study and training in clinical psychology, forensic psychology and victimology.

Options for advanced training in clinical (forensic) psychology:

In The Netherlands (Dutch language programs only)

  • "Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog” (2 year programme);
  • "Klinisch psycholoog” (3 year programme on top of the “gezondheidszorgpsycholoog” training).

In Germany (German language programs only)

  • Licensure as “Psychologische/Psychotherapeut/in” (3 year full-time or 5 year part-time) to get paid by the statutory health insurance;
  • Licensure “Heilpraktiker Psychotherapie” (HPG, no extra requirements) to be legally allowed to treat patients, but not eligible to get paid by the statutory health insurance.

Note: Following the master's track Clinical Forensic Psychology & Victimology does not automatically guarantee meeting the criteria for admission to:
- The Dutch postmaster's training program for “gezondheidszorgpsycholoog”.
You can check requirements about the postmaster's clinical training in the Netherlands at https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/education/postmaster;
- The German postmaster's training program “Psychologische/Psychotherapeut/in".
For more information about the postmaster's training in Germany check requirements locally as they differ from state to state, some requiring a 2-year master's programme or extra credits.

Career services BSS
Where do you want to work after your studies? You can contact
Career Services already during your studies. They will help you orientate on your career, develop your skills, apply for jobs and find an internship.

Job prospects

The programme gives you the knowledge and skills to obtain a position in the field of: (forensic) mental health care, penitentiary institutions, victim support services, offender-victim mediation, educational settings, social work, crime prevention.

Job examples

  • Psychologist in very different settings e.g.:
    • (forensic) mental health care;
    • penitentiary institutions;
    • victim support services, offender-victim mediation;
    • educational settings;
    • social work;
    • crime prevention.
Research

Teaching in this master's programme is inspired by the contributors' research projects on a wide variety of psychological phenomena and processes that are central in the field of clinical forensic psychology and victimology, such as:

  • risk for re-offending;
  • complicated grief and victim support;
  • memory and trauma;
  • trauma and dissociation, deception and malingering, sexual interest and sexual deviance;
  • addictions, aggression, revenge, and forgiveness.

We collaborate with mental health institutions such as the in- and outpatient clinic GGZ-Drenthe (e.g., psychotic disorders section), the in- and outpatient facilities of Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland (e.g., addictions), FPC Dr S. van Mesdag in Groningen, Forensisch Psychiatrische Kliniek in Assen, AFPN in Leeuwarden (e.g., forensic psychiatric care), and Fier Fryslan (e.g., trauma). Professionals from these institutions also teach in the master's, and share their knowledge and experience on, for instance, risk assessment in violent offenders (Dr. Marinus Spreen, FPC Dr S. van Mesdag, Stenden University), motivating change (Dr. Eric Blaauw, VNN, Hanzehogeschool Groningen).

Teaching staff

Judith K. Daniels , Associate Professor
Expertise: posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociation, neuroimaging, trauma therapy.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological vulnerability (theme cycles of violence); crime & psychological assessment and intervention (themes prostitution, risk of (re-)victimization, clinical forensic skills (themes stabilization techniques and trauma confrontation techniques), master's thesis research supervision.
Research: Judith’s research focuses on the long-term consequences of childhood trauma. She combines neurobiological methods such as neuroimaging (fMRI) with behavioural and self-report methods. She is also trained in trauma therapy and passes on her clinical knowledge in the master’s practical [link here pointing to PSMFV-1). One of her research interests therefore is also how therapists cope with listening to their patients' trauma narratives and if they experience 'secondary traumatization'.

Rafaele J.C. Huntjens , Associate Professor
Expertise: dissociative disorders, trauma, memory.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological assessment and intervention (theme deception and malingering), capita selecta experimental psychopathology: dissociative amnesia, master’s thesis research supervision.
Research: The main focus in Rafaele’s work is on cognitive and behavioural processes in trauma-related disorders (dissociative disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder), with a special emphasis on memory processes.

Ineke Wessel , Associate professor
Expertise: emotional memory, recovered memories, eyewitnesses, psychology and law.
Teaching in the master's: crime & psychological vulnerability (theme eyewitness memory), crime & psychological assessment and interventions (theme effects of therapy on memory), master's thesis research supervision.
Research: Ineke’s research focuses on the reconstructive nature of memory, including emotional memory. Interests include the question of how therapeutic interventions or interactions with co-witnesses might influence memory consistency.


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Contact

  • Service Desk Onderwijsbalie (gmw) (appointment academic advisor & more see website (onderwijsbalie))
    Telephone: +31 (5)0 363 6301
  • Study Advisors Psychology (about the programme, enrollment, studying)
    Email: studyadvice.psy rug.nl
  • Admissions Office Bss (for students with a non-Dutch diploma)
    Email: bss.msc.admission rug.nl
  • Admissions Board Admissions Board Master Psychology (about admission & application, for students with a Dutch diploma)
    Email: toelatingscommissie.masterpsy rug.nl
  • Dr. Julie Karsten (Coordinator master programme Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology)
    Email: j.karsten rug.nl
    Telephone: 050 3636507
  • 
						Testimonial of student Martin Kansy

    I am going to work at the psychiatry department of a military hospital.

    – student Martin Kansy
    Read more

    I started thinking about doing Forensic Psychology in the second year of my bachelor. To see what it is like to work in this field, I did an internship in a prison in Germany in the summer for six weeks.

    I did intakes and interviewed prisoners about their attitude towards their crimes and prison time. In the beginning it was quite hard, the offenders did not really like to talk about their crimes and many rejected counselling, but as time went on it became easier and I really liked it, so I decided to apply for the master.

    The master is interesting. Next to theory courses, we also had a lot of practical seminars. There was a professional actor who would play offenders. We would interview him in front of the class. Afterwards we got feedback from the teacher and classmates. It was really great to work with him and after each session I had the feeling I was better prepared for the job.

    Now I am finishing my thesis (which is only 11 credits) and I am about to start my internship (19 credits). This time I will not work with offenders, but with people who lived through terrible experiences. I am going to work at the psychiatry department of a military hospital, with many patients being soldiers suffering from PTSD, but also civilian patients and victims of crime. I am very excited but I feel quite prepared after the master. Of course, I am going to make mistakes, but that is okay; I will learn a lot.

    A great thing about this master was the small amount of students, only 23. Everyone knew everyone, also the teachers knew everyone by name. There was a great atmosphere, I made friends and the teachers were very good. We also had guest lectures from experts in the field, for example from a psychotherapist who worked in the forensic field for more than 10 years. It was very interesting to listen to them, because they knew what they were talking about.


    Martin Kansy, (Bonn, Germany)

    Close
  • 
						Testimonial of student Noel Frentiu

    I wrote my thesis about filicide, the deliberate act of parents killing their own offspring.

    – student Noel Frentiu
    Read more

    The 'Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology' master was a new and fascinating experience. It helped me to get a more practical sense and deeper knowledge of the topic of 'Clinical Forensic Psychology'. I consider the study programme a solid foundation for the practical work with offenders.

    After the master, I will do postgraduate psychotherapy training for three years. Thereafter, I intend to start my own practice and work as a criminal therapist.

    My favourite aspect of the course was the clinical skills training we had with an actor. We were able to apply the theory we learned in all of the courses and we received a first-hand experience on how to apply it, whilst getting feedback from the instructors. To me, this was very helpful and eye opening. Moreover, I liked the motivational interview parts, where we learned about a new technique, which I think is very important in the field of clinical forensic psychology.

    I wrote my thesis about filicide, the deliberate act of parents killing their own offspring. I reflected on the psychopathology of these people, predisposing factors, underlying motives, methods of killings, gender differences and how they dealt with their crime in terms of grief processes. Furthermore, available interventions and preventative strategies were highlighted. Whilst working on my thesis, I did an internship in a prison during which I did group therapy sessions with sexual and violent offenders.

    Close

Study associations

VIP

VIP is the study association for the Psychology students at the University of Groningen.
VIP organizes study-related and social activities. As a VIP-member, you receive a discount on study books as well as a discount on VIP activities. On this website, you can find more information about VIP, our events, committees, and the book sale.
https://www.vipsite.nl/
Read more
Student profile

You

  • are curious, hard working and concerned with people
  • have an analytical mind
  • are autonomous yet possess team-oriented attitude
  • are persistent in reaching your goals, have stamina.
Study support

Our academic advisors inform and advise prospective students, students enrolled in one of our programmes, and alumni. You can turn to them with all kinds of questions, e.g. about the programme itself, study planning, choice of courses/minors, enrolment, rules and regulations that apply to a study programme, attending courses at other faculties and studying abroad.

Please do not hesitate to contact one of our academic advisors or plan an appointment with one of them. Navigate to https://www.rug.nl/gmw/psychology/education/study-and-supervision or click the Contact button on this page.