Forensic Psychologists apply the art and science of psychology within the legal system and related fields. Many in the field of forensic psychology work with individuals residing in correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, or community-based agencies, where they conduct diagnostic and risk assessments to determine whether their patients are at risk of re-offending, and provide psychotherapy and other services to help minimize or eliminate the psychiatric symptoms that led to their patients’ criminal acts.

Other Forensic Psychologists work in the court system as jury consultants (advising attorneys on jury selection and trial strategy) or as forensic psychology expert witnesses (testifying about defendants’ mental states at the time they committed their crimes, as well as their competency to stand trial).

Still other Forensic Psychologists work primarily with victimized or at-risk populations such as inner-city youth, victims of sexual / domestic abuse, trauma survivors, substance abusers, the chronically mentally ill, and others. They provide assessments, counseling, case management, advocacy, and other services to help their clients cope with the mental and emotional effects of traumatic experiences, overcome addictions, make more positive life choices, and more.

Forensic psychology is one of the fastest growing areas of psychology and practitioners find work in an ever-expanding range of settings—including child welfare agencies, forensic units in state mental health facilities, jails and prisons, community mental health centers, juvenile correctional facilities, government agencies, family courts, and private practice.

• Offered in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Irvine.
• Four to five years full time. (Offered in both traditional and accelerated formats in Chicago, and a unique every-other-weekend format in Los Angeles.)
• The Forensic Psychology graduate 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 earning their forensic psychology degrees enjoy opportunities to do empirical and applied research within a range of forensic settings and populations—and may tailor their coursework to meet particular educational and professional goals.
• Graduates of the forensic psychology graduate programs offered at The Chicago School are equipped with the requisite academic foundation to become head practitioners and senior administrators in both educational and forensic settings, and to conduct criminal competency evaluations, criminal responsibility evaluations, forensic child interviews, fitness for duty evaluations, risk assessments, and clinical interventions for a broad range of disorders and populations.

Chicago Campus

• Students 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 forensic psychology 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.

Southern California Campuses

• Students of the forensic psychology masters degree program benefit from a broad range of applied and real-world learning experiences such as: helping to launch a groundbreaking, city-wide Prison Re-Entry Project through which Chicago School students will conduct staff training, forensic assessment, clinical treatment, and program measurement; providing California Bar-Approved training to prosecuting and defense attorneys; leading mental heath trainings for LAPD officers at weekly role call meetings; serving as lead presenters at an annual Chicago School crisis intervention conference attended by representatives from the Mayor’s Office, LAPD, Homeland Security, and other local and national government agencies. Forensic psychology students also benefit from countless opportunities to bolster their knowledge and expertise by participating in frequent educational seminars on topics such as hostage negotiation and police de-escalation techniques.
  

M.A. in Forensic Psychology

• Offered in Chicago and Washington, D.C.(This program will be offered in D.C. pending approval from our accrediting bodies.)
• Two years full time or up to four years part time
• Internship placement rates typically exceed 95% for students enrolled in the Forensic program licensure track.
• Prepares licensure track students to sit for the professional counselor licensure exams in Illinois (LPC and LCPC).
• Students earning their forensic psychology masters degree may tailor their coursework to meet particular educational and professional goals and may choose from forensic psychology concentrations in child protection, sex offenders, or corrections.
• Students at the Chicago Campus gain hands-on experience at The Chicago School Forensic Center, which provides high quality forensic psychological services and programming (such as evidence-based interventions, policy advocacy, and program development) to improve the health and well-being of individuals within diverse communities. Through a range of community partnerships, the center provides students powerful service-learning opportunities that prepare them to be competent and civically engaged forensic mental health practitioners.
• The M.A. in Forensic Psychology is designed in accordance with licensure requirements in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware and can be adjusted to conform with the requirements for licensure in other nearby states in the region.
• In addition to traditional preparation in forensic psychology, the M.A. in Forensic Psychology at the Washington, D.C. Campus will take advantage of its location in Washington, D.C. to also prepare students to work with the federal criminal justice and security systems.
• Students benefit from a range of applied forensic psychology 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, participating in a hostage negotiation simulation, or providing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to families involved with the juvenile court system.
• Graduates of the forensic psychology M.A. program are able to perform assessments, interventions, and treatment planning for various problems and populations—preparing them to work in legal and public policy arenas in an ethical, academically informed, and research-based manner.

M.A. in Forensic Psychology: Applied Forensic Psychology Services

• Offered online
• Completed in as little as 20 months (offered in a flexible format convenient for working professionals)
• This forensic psychology degree is designed for students who wish to advance their current careers by learning strategies that positively affect human behavior and how to apply those skills within a wide range of contexts, from local police precincts to child welfare agencies.
• Students enjoy opportunities to do empirical and applied research within forensic settings, and gain knowledge of psychology and mental health, as well as the technical skills necessary to perform risk assessments, interventions, and treatment planning within a range of settings and populations.

Certificate in Applied Forensics

• Offered online
• Completed in as little as five months. (Offered in a flexible format convenient for working professionals)
• Specifically tailored to working professionals who wish to deepen their understanding of forensic psychology and strengthen their ability to apply that knowledge to their current professional challenges
• Students may apply their certificate credits toward earning a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology.