Overview of Master of Science Degree Program in Forensic Psychology

---

What is Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology is a subfield of psychology that focuses primarily on the criminal justice and legal systems. A forensic psychologist may work in the prisons, in the court system, and occasionally at crime scenes.

Within the prison system, a forensic psychologist will work with inmates who have mental health issues. A Forensic Psychologist will often provide counseling and therapy to the inmates, as well as education to help them deal with their condition, and improve their lives.

Forensic psychologists may also serve in court to help assess the mental health of defendants, as well as providing expert testimony at trail. They perform their duties through observation of the individual, and face to face interviews. Their services are often required in both family and criminal court situations.

A few forensic psychologists will work at crime scenes and as profilers with various law enforcement agencies. Others teach at colleges and universities, or work in private practice.

Availability of Programs

In some regards, Forensic Psychology is still an emerging specialty that bridges the gap between Psychology and Criminal Justice. As such, the number of universities offering graduate programs, including the Master of Science in Forensic Psychology degree is more limited than for other specialties. Currently, only a handful of universities offer graduate programs in Forensic Psychology.

What to Expect from a MS Forensic Psychology Program

Most Master of Science in Forensic Psychology degree programs are designed to move the student on to a doctoral program in Forensic Psychology. Oftentimes, these programs will be offered by the Psychology department in conjunction with the Criminal Justice department.

Since most programs seek to advance student onto doctoral programs, research is often an expected component of the MS Forensic Psychology program. At California State University, 66% of master degree candidates in Forensic Psychology presented research at either a national or regional conference during the 2009-2010 academic years.

Most programs also either require or offer internships and/or practica. California State University requires a minimum of 12 hours of practica in order to graduate. Students in their second year are required to complete a nine month practica affiliated with the court system and police departments.

Financial aid is often offered in the form of scholarships and/or teaching and research assistantships, grants, or stipends. Entrance requirements as well as program length varies from university to university. Most require an undergraduate GPA of 3.0, with a few allowing an undergraduate GPA as low as 2.8, for admittance. Very few universities require the applicant to submit GRE scores. The programs last anywhere from one to four years with majority taking two years to complete.

Career Outlook

For most positions, an individual holding a MS Forensic Psychology degree will need to complete a doctoral degree then become a licensed psychologist. Forensic Psychologists are often certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

On average, Forensic Psychologists earn $60,952 per year, with salaries ranging from $35,169 to $124,993. The FBI is one of the most common employers of Forensic Psychologists and the government expects the number of jobs will grow by 19% between 2008 and 2018.