Online Forensic Psychology Degree Programs

Did you ever hear the story about the would-be bank robber who handed the teller a note demanding money and walked out with a bag full of cash, only to get busted a short time later because he'd written the note on the back of his business card? Did you later find yourself wondering, "What was he thinking?" Believe it or not, people get paid to answer those kinds of questions. If you've ever though about a career in law enforcement, that kind of curiosity could portend a career as a forensic psychologist.

A Forensic Psychologist is Not a Profiler

Many people confuse forensic psychologists with profilers, people who create a psychological profile of an unknown suspect based on scant clues and major assumptions. In fact, real-life profilers are in one way similar to people suffering from multiple personality disorder: they are relatively commonplace on TV and in movies, but exceedingly rare in the real world.

Forensic psychologists, on the other hand, are a respected and integral part of the justice system. Forensic psychologists are called upon to interview crime suspects, victims, and witnesses, and use their training to evaluate such things as state of mind, the reliability of someone's recollection, criminal responsibility, and whether and to what degree mitigating factors should be considered. In civil lawsuits, forensic psychologists may be called upon to testify on a variety of matters including child custody, medical malpractice, and civil commitment cases.

Education Required for Forensic Psychology Career

As with many careers in psychology, you can break into entry level positions with a bachelor's degree, but to make a career of forensic psychology you will need at least a master's degree, and a doctorate is strongly recommended. In fact, a doctoral degree is a prerequisite to become certified by the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, although certification isn't required to work as a forensic psychologist.

There are dozens of colleges and universities that feature forensic psychology programs, as well as numerous online degree programs offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Depending on your specific career plans, you may also have to go through your state's Basic Law Enforcement Training (which is called different things in different states), which is the certification training program police officers in most states must pass before becoming sworn law enforcement officers. These courses last anywhere from three months to a year, and are usually offered at police academies and community colleges.

As a forensic psychology student, expect to study the standard psychology course load, including biology, social sciences, statistics, research methods, cognition and behavioral psychology, clinical science, and developmental and social psychology. On the crime-fighting side, expect to take classes in criminal justice and family and juvenile law.

Career Opportunities for Forensic Psychologists

As the criminal justice system continues to grow, so too will opportunities for forensic psychologists. Improvements in forensic technology--and thus a greater degree of reliability with regard to evidence--will create job demand. Also, the so-called "CSI effect" (named after the "CSI" TV shows that focus on forensic investigation techniques) has caused prosecutors to rely more heavily on expert testimony in recent years, creating a greater demand for highly-trained forensic psychologists.

As a specialty, forensic psychology has emerged recently enough that the U.S. Department of Labor does not report salary statistics. However, psychologists, in general, made an average of $83,610 in 2007.

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