Legal Psychology, M.Sc. Full-time
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Munich and Cologne, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Der Master Rechtspsychologie (M.Sc.) bereitet dich auf verantwortungsvolle Aufgaben in Justiz, Forensik und Beratung vor. Im Studium vertiefst du psychologische Grundlagen, Forschungsmethoden und wissenschaftliches Arbeiten mit engem Praxisbezug, unter anderem durch Exkursionen zu Gerichten.
Mit einer bestandenen Meisterprüfung oder einer beruflichen Qualifikation kann je nach den Vorgaben eine Aufnahme möglich sein. Der Studiengang ist als Vollzeitstudium angeboten und wird in deutscher Sprache studiert.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Builds legal-psychology foundations for practice-related work in judicial and forensic contexts
- Develops advanced knowledge in psychological diagnosis and assessment
- Covers research methods and academic work in the context of legal-psychology questions
- Introduces core themes such as credibility assessment and the creation of psychological reports
- Deepens clinical and psychological assessment topics applied to legal-psychology settings
- Trains written and oral reporting of psychological expert opinions
- Includes practice-focused learning through an eight-week internship
- Ends with the master’s thesis period to demonstrate scientific competence
Curriculum
Legal Psychology, M.Sc. full-time: study plan with Credit Points (CP) totaling 120 CP.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Study plan modules | Wissenschaftliche Vertiefung der Grundlagenfächer (Hausarbeit) | ||
| Empirisch-wissenschaftliches Arbeiten (Portfolio) | ||||
| Spezielle Störungslehre ausgewählter Störungsbilder und spezifische Anwendung wissenschaftlich geprüfter und anerkannter psychotherapeutischer Verfahren und Methoden: Störungsbilder, Zielgruppen und Settings (Klausur) | ||||
| Semester 2 | Study plan modules | Rechtsgrundlage, Rahmenbedingungen und Möglichkeiten der stationären, ambulanten und psychosozialen Versorgung psychischer Störungen (Klausur) | ||
| Qualitätssicherung und Qualitätsmanagement in der psychotherapeutischen Versorgung (Portfolio) | ||||
| Psychologische Diagnostik und Begutachtung: Vertiefung (Projektarbeit und Psychologisches Gutachten) | ||||
| Pflichtpraktikum (Praktikumsnachweis, unbenotet) | ||||
| PRAKTIKUM (ungraded internship credit portion shown in plan) | ||||
| Semester 3 | Study plan modules | Grundlagen der Rechtspsychologie (Klausur) | ||
| Rechtspsychologische Grundlagen in Strafrecht und Strafvollstreckungsrecht (Klausur) | ||||
| Aussagepsychologische Fragestellungen: Glaubhaftigkeitsbegutachtung und Aussagebeurteilung (Präsentation) | ||||
| Aussagepsychologische Fragestellungen: Glaubhaftigkeitsbegutachtung und Aussagebeurteilung (Präsentation) (additional credit shown in plan) | ||||
| Wahlpflichtmodule option: Familienrecht und familienrechtliche Begutachtung (Präsentation) | ||||
| Family law related module credit shown separately in plan (Präsentation) | ||||
| Semester 4 | Electives and thesis/disputation block | Wahlpflichtmodule (Wähle 1 aus 2): Psychologische Begutachtung im Strafrecht – Schuldfähigkeit (Präsentation) | ||
| Wahlpflichtmodule (Wähle 1 aus 2): Kriminal- und Gefährlichkeitsprognose im Strafrecht (Präsentation) | ||||
| Masterarbeit und Disputation (Masterarbeit und Disputation) | ||||
| Kolloquium (Präsentation, unbenotet) | ||||
| Total | All modules in the study plan (foundation, specialization/electives, practical component, and master thesis/disputation) | 120 CP | ||
Career outcomes
- You qualify for responsible work connected to legal psychology, forensic psychology, and evidence-based psychological assessment in Germany.
- You gain practical, applied skills in psychological diagnosis and expert reporting (written and oral), helping you perform effectively in assessment-related roles.
- The program’s practice focus, including an eight-week internship, helps you translate academic methods into real professional scenarios.
- You build expertise in credibility assessment and related legal-psychology evaluation topics, supporting your work in judicial and forensic contexts.
- You develop research and scientific working skills that help you continue into further professional specialization and advanced career pathways.
Employability rate
Graduates of legal-psychology and forensic-psychology related master tracks in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 78% and an unemployment rate of about 22%, reflecting steady demand for assessment and counseling roles that require specialized expertise.
Together, this points to a stable outlook when you pair your degree with relevant practice experience and professional documentation skills.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Psychology-related bachelor’s degree | International applicants need a psychology bachelor’s degree to start the M.Sc. in Legal Psychology (for example Psychology (B.Sc.) or Business Psychology (B.Sc.)). If you already have a master’s degree in psychology, the university states that you may be able to have 60 CP recognised toward this master’s programme. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Conditional | The university states the programme requires a psychology bachelor’s degree (for example Psychology (B.Sc.) or Business Psychology (B.Sc.)). If your prior degree is in a different field, you should confirm eligibility during the admissions document review. |
Language requirements
The Master program at Hochschule Fresenius is taught in German. International applicants must therefore provide proof of German language proficiency as specified by the university.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 850 / per month | Semestergebuehr shown as 850,- € monatlich for this program. |
Proof of financial resources
For studying in Germany, international students typically need to prove they can cover living costs and study-related expenses. The university tuition and application fee information is published for this program, and you should also prepare your documents for visa/immigration financial proof where required by German authorities.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A |
| Semester begins | October 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Submit your online application
Apply online via the university application form. For this programme, the university states the application is possible year-round (no application deadline). After you submit, the university sends access details to an upload area for your application documents.
Upload your documents for admission review
Upload your certificates and other application-relevant documents in the university’s upload area using the access details sent by email. The university reviews your submitted documents to check whether you meet the specific admission requirements for your chosen master’s programme. Make sure you provide all required academic documents as requested for the admission assessment.
Receive feedback on your admission decision
After the university has reviewed your documents, you will receive feedback on whether you are admitted to the programme. If additional steps are required (for example, an admissions interview), the university will communicate this as part of the process. Keep an eye on your email because instructions are provided after your application is received.
Complete enrolment (Immatrikulation) after admission
If you are admitted, the university sends your study contract to sign and return promptly. In the upload area, you will also see which documents are still needed for enrolment. Submit any documents that must be sent as certified copies by post by the stated deadlines shown in the upload area.