Psychology and Law
Do criminals such as Marc Dutroux have a brain dysfunction making them permanently dangerous to society? Is Joran van der Sloot lying about his involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and how can that be determined? How reliable are the testimonies made by victims of traumatic events? Questions like these form the basis of Psychology and Law (PsyLaw).
Psychologists with a background in PsyLaw address questions with direct relevance to the legal arena. The aim of the programme is to make students familiar with typical themes from the PsyLaw domain. A central theme throughout the programme is memory, and how it relates to, for example, the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
Another issue that will be addressed is the use of psychological tests. What tests can be used to detect liars and malingerers and what does a decent assessment of criminal responsibility look like? In a practical, students will acquire skills in administering various tests that can be used in the psycho-legal field. In addition, they will learn how to write an expert witness report and learn about the proceedings in a mock court. More information about the specific courses and practical in this master's specialisation can be found in the menu on the left.
View all forensic master's programmes of Maastricht University.
After two years at the National Crisis Centre, I was accepted into a European master’s programme in International Humanitarian Action. >>