Forensic Psychology Degree Programs

The Study of Psychology Within the Legal System

Forensic psychology is recognized as a specialty by the American Psychological Association (APA). Forensic psychology exists at the intersection of psychology and law; its practitioners are experts who provide psychological expertise in legal matters within the judicial system. Their most common responsibility is to provide psychological assessments of individuals in the legal system. They may also do the following:

About the Forensic Psychology Degree Program

The educational journey to becoming a forensic psychologist requires a major commitment. Forensic psychology isn’t customarily offered as an undergraduate degree. The first step is to complete an undergraduate education in general psychology, setting the stage for a master’s and then doctoral degree in psychology. It is during graduate work that students delve into the practices specific to forensic psychology. There are two major undergraduate avenues: associate degrees in psychology and bachelor’s degrees in psychology. An associate degree is generally a bridge to a bachelor’s degree, which is the typical minimum educational requirement for admission to a master’s degree program.

Associate Degree Forensic Psychology Programs

Associate degree programs in psychology are designed to prepare students for entry-level careers, as well as future study at the bachelor’s and graduate levels. They aim to provide students with a solid foundation in the liberal arts, and arm them with basic skills for beginning jobs in the field of psychology.

A major benefit of associate degree programs is the option to craft a curriculum that matches the student’s interests to their future educational and professional goals. Although no specific forensic psychology specializations exist at the associate degree level, community college can still serve as the starting point for future forensic psychologists.

Associate degree programs are largely aimed at students who are seeking more flexibility in course scheduling; who need less expensive tuition; or who prefer to satisfy their general education requirements prior to enrolling in a four-year institution. Typically, students complete between 60 and 66 credit hours of study to earn their degrees, a process that requires about two years of full-time study.

The curriculum is divided between general education requirements, core (major) courses, and electives, with the major designed to provide students with a solid overview of the central concepts and underlying principles of psychology. Students should be aware that classes are meant to be introductory, and in most programs students only take between nine and 15 credit hours of psychology classes.

Goals of Associate Level Degrees

With a grasp of the fundamentals, students should then be prepared to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program in psychology. Common courses at the associate level include:

Bachelor’s Degree Forensic Psychology Programs

The bachelor’s degree in psychology is widely available, with more than 1,400 U.S. universities offering such programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. When selecting a program, students should find one that offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers research methods, experiment design, and statistics and data analysis, as well as one that includes a field experience component.

Two degree programs are available to students at the bachelor’s level

Psychology-specific courses consist of core major courses, electives and field experience requirements such as labs and internships. Following are a sampling of classes offered during the bachelor’s program:

Clinical experience and laboratory research are critical for undergraduate students preparing for graduate school, as they allow students to translate their classroom experience into real-world settings.

Although the requirements vary, research and supervised internships are components of most bachelor’s degree programs. Students usually complete between 120 and 150 hours in clinical practicums in either faculty research laboratories or in external volunteer internships.

Only a handful of institutions specifically offer forensic psychology as a concentration of a psychology degree. For the majority of students, the ultimate goal is to simply prepare for graduate school, which translates into getting a broad-based education that may also include coursework relevant to their future plans in forensic psychology, such as classes in law or criminal justice. Meanwhile, they need to complete courses that will prove critical at the graduate level, such as statistics and research methods. Students should be competent researchers when they enter graduate school and the emphasis shifts to clinical practice and forensic psychology as a specialty.

Student Forensic Psychology Resources

Both current and prospective students can benefit from myriad educational and professional resources in the field of psychology. A range of organizations and associations in forensic and general psychology provide educational assistance, scholarships and grants, student membership opportunities, conferences, and networking events. Below is a list of resources to help students identify support outlets and take advantage of opportunities: