Top Forensic Psychology Schools
- Kaplan University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
- Florida Tech University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
- Walden University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
Masters in Forensic Psychology
An online Masters in forensic psychology will help you get the online education you need to succeed in this highly competitive top career. Those who hold a Masters in forensic psychology will be eligible to gain employment at a variety of positions throughout the law enforcement community, such as government agents, FBI agents, or law enforcement agents such as police officers and crime scene personnel. This degree can be completed through various distance learning opportunities from a host of top online universities, who provide the convenience to complete your program in under two years or as long as three years, depending on how much time you have to put into the program each semester. Throughout your program, you may choose one of many concentrations in the forensic psychology field that will enhance your opportunities to gain employment in the position you desire. These concentrations may include Homeland Security or Law Enforcement and Treatment. This is an exciting top career to get into where you can truly experience criminal justice and psychology.
Courses Required
There are numerous courses required for the Masters in forensic psychology degree program, including core courses as well as elective courses which will count toward your concentration of choice. Some of the core courses that will count toward your 39 total credit hours of coursework include human growth and development courses which give you a better understanding of how the mind develops and what may cause a criminal to make their decisions. This may be a result of developmental issues, theories of personality and counseling, and clinical interviewing and assessments. There are also elective courses which also count toward your total credit count. These are courses where you get to pick which ones you want to take and what you do not want to take, however; each school will have a set amount of required elective courses that are required for your Masters in forensic psychology program. These elective courses may include: psychology of criminal behavior, violence and aggression, victimology, rehabilitating offenders, crisis intervention and various court courses. These courses will give you a better understanding of how the court system works and how the criminally insane are handled throughout the court system.
Externships and Thesis
Many of the top online colleges also require that you take various externship opportunities to enhance your education. These externships give you on the job training to better understand the degree program you are working for. Most externships in the field of forensic psychology require 3 credit hours of fieldwork in the forensic psychology field. These credit hours may be completed by working or volunteering in the law enforcement field such as homeland security or a police department. If you do not have the time or opportunity to fulfill this requirement, some colleges offer a thesis program that can be done instead of the externship. This thesis program will require you to complete a total of 42 hours of coursework instead of the 39 required if you choose to do the externship. In addition, you must take any required courses that pertain to the thesis program. So if this is interesting to you, you might want to consider getting that Masters in forensic psychology today!
