Psy.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology

Program Description

The Clinical Forensic Psychology Psy.D. program prepares students to apply the art and science of psychology within the legal system and related fields. Students in the Chicago Campus program have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience at The Chicago School Forensic Center, which provides high-quality forensic psychological services and programming to improve the health and well-being of individuals within diverse communities. Through a range of community partnerships, the Center provides students powerful opportunities to put classroom learning into practice in real-world settings-including victim-related trauma treatment for women transitioning from correctional facilities into the community, job readiness preparation for adult offenders, psycho-educational training workshops for parents who have abused or neglected their children, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy to help reduce the risk of future incidents of abuse and neglect. Students also benefit from a range of applied learning experiences rarely available at other schools—such as providing expert witness testimony in front of practicing judges and attorneys during a realistic mock trial experience, and participating in a realistic hostage negotiation simulation.

Upon graduation, licensure students are academically qualified to sit for national licensure as a clinical psychologist and to provide a broad range of assessment and treatment services within the community and for the criminal, civil, and family court systems. The program integrates the eight core competencies informed by the educational model of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), helping prepare students to sit for the national licensure exam in clinical psychology. Students may tailor their coursework to meet particular educational and professional goals.

Department

Concentrations

Licensure

Total Credits

Fieldwork Requirements

Degree

• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution

Coursework

• 18 semester hours of psychology credit with grades earned of C or better including two specific courses;
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Statistics

Additional

• N/A

Admission Requirements

• Clinical Forensic Psychology Requirements 

GRE Requirements

Sample Courses

Family Systems and Family Treatment

Introduces students to treatment within the major models of family therapy. Primary theorists, assumptions, and techniques of each family systems model are discussed and students have the opportunity to learn through video examples of various theoretical approaches. This course focuses attention on working with multi-stressed and diverse families.

Group Processes of Therapy

Explores the key concepts of the theory and practice of group counseling with particular emphasis on group therapy in forensic settings. Various theoretical approaches are discussed along with issues such as group development, group process, group leadership, and the use of group counseling with diverse client populations.

Diversity in Forensic Psychology

Engage students in a level of self-awareness through self-reflection to identify their personal value systems, culture, and biases. In addition, students gain knowledge with regard to the worldview of others in the context of psychological, socio-political, historical, privilege/power, and economic factors that form social identity. This course specifically addresses individual and group differences across racial, ethnic, gender, age, disability, social class, sexual orientation, and religious boundaries. Attention is given to diversity-related issues within the forensic context.

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Faculty

• 
  Laura Benton Program Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor Forensic Program
• Kendell Coker

  Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology

  Forensic Program
• 
  Michael Fogel

  Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Psychology

  Forensic Program
• 
  Evan Harrington

  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor
   

  Forensic Program
• 
  Michelle Hoy-Watkins Department Faculty -Forensic Psychology
  Chair of the Forensic Department Forensic Program
• 
  Jim Iaccino Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor
  
  Forensic Program
• Erika Liljedahl Forensic Program
• 
  Perry Meyers Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor Forensic Program
• Kelly Neville Forensic Program
• 
  Darlene Perry

  Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Executive Director, The Forensic Center

  Forensic Program
• 
  Wendy Schiffman Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Assistant Professor
  Associate Chair Forensic Program
• Casey Sharpe Department Faculty
  Forensic Forensic Program
• 
  Nancy Zarse Department Faculty
  Forensic Psychology
  Associate Professor Forensic Program