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PSYC20050 - Introduction to Forensic Psychology

General Information

Unit Synopsis

Introduction to Forensic Psychology is a core unit in the Graduate Certificate in Applied Forensic Psychology. It is designed to introduce you to the key concepts, debates, and theories that underpin forensic psychology, and to prepare you for the subsequent units in the course. You will focus on the history of forensic psychology, the relationship between forensic psychology and other forensic sciences, and the distinction between science and pseudoscience. You will also examine the Australian criminal justice system, research methods and ethics. The unit will feature engaged teaching and learning, with real-world content, designed to prepare you to work with community-based organisations, or in private practice.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 9
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2020

There are no availabilities for this unit on or after Term 2 - 2020

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Essay 30%
2. Case Study 30%
3. Report 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2020 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 5 (on a 5 point Likert scale), based on a 16.67% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Student email.
Feedback
Students appreciated the support offered during the semester and flexibility over assignment deadlines.
Recommendation
Support will continue to be offered throughout the semester and deadlines can be renegotiated.
Action Taken
The unit has gone into teach out as the course it is housed within has been discontinued. T1 2021 will be the final term of offering.
Source: Student email.
Feedback
The weekly lectures were well received, with students commenting positively on the delivery style (e.g., lecturer's use of humour), and clear structures.
Recommendation
The lecturing style will be continued.
Action Taken
The unit has gone into teach out as the course it is housed within has been discontinued. T1 2021 will be the final term of offering.
Source: Student email.
Feedback
The readings were easy to access and the library's range of texts and journals was commended.
Recommendation
The lecturer will continue to ensure that set readings are available and that the university maintains an excellent selection of relevant texts and journals.
Action Taken
The unit has gone into teach out as the course it is housed within has been discontinued. T1 2021 will be the final term of offering.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the broad areas that forensic psychology encompasses
  2. Critically evaluate the history of forensic psychology
  3. Reflect on the roles forensic psychologists play within the criminal justice system.

N/A

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Essay
2 - Case Study
3 - Report
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Advanced Level
Professional Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Advanced Level
Professional Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Essay
2 - Case Study
3 - Report