What is Forensic Psychology?
Many people have an interest in becoming a psychologist, but the interest in forensic psychology in the past decade has risen rapidly. This increase in interest is mainly due to crime TV programs such as Criminal Minds where criminal profilers seem to have a virtually psychic ability to provide detailed behavioral and personality profiles of alleged criminals. While this is not exactly an accurate portrayal of the life of a forensic psychologist, the widespread exposure of the profession on television is spurring interest in the field. (APA.org)
In the real world, the practice of forensic psychology involves a psychological assessment of a person who is involved in one way or another in the legal system. While it is necessary for a forensic psychologist to have training in forensic psychology and law, excellent clinical skills are by far the most vital. Skills such as clinical assessment, interviewing, report writing, and excellent verbal communication skills are needed to succeed in forensic psychology.
If you are interested in forensic psychology, you will need to earn at least a master’s and probably a doctorate in the field. Below is more information about the forensic psychology field.
What Is Forensics?
The US Department of Justice states that forensics is a vital element of the criminal justice system. A forensic scientist examines and analyzes evidence from crime scenes to come up with objective findings that can help in the investigation and prosecution of criminals, or absolve an innocent party from suspicion. (AAFS.org)
Forensics also means the application of many types of science to answer questions of interest in the criminal and legal systems. The word ‘forensic’ is derived from the Latin word forensic meaning ‘public.’ Today, it means used in or suitable to courts of judicature or to public discussion or debate. (AAFS.org)
So What Is Forensic Psychology?
Forensic psychology is the intersection of the practice and study of psychology and the law. Psychologists who work in this specialty often work in prisons, jails, rehabilitation facilities, police departments, law firms, schools, or in private practice. (Psychologytoday.com)
One of the most interesting assessments that a forensic psychologist performs is in ‘mens rea’ or insanity cases. In the United States, a person cannot be found guilty for a crime if he did not have a ‘guilty mind’ at the time the alleged crime was committed. There are several psychological conditions where the law recognizes that the person is not in possession of a guilty mind.
A common standard of insanity in many states is whether the person knew what he was doing was wrong. The forensic psychologist must determine how the person’s mind was functioning a the time the crime took place. Therefore, much of the specialist’s work is retrospective; the forensic psychologist must depend on third party information, written communications, etc. to determine if the person was of sound mind.
How Does Forensic Psychology Help The Patient?
As you would expect, a forensic psychologist works hand-in-hand with the justice system. Some of the responsibilities they have are to do screenings and assessments of prisoners. These assessments help to understand the mental health of the prisoners, which is important to understand if the prisoner was capable of committing a crime or was of sound mind when the crime was committed.
Forensic psychologists also help patients by studying and investigating psychological disorders in criminal and civil court defendants. They also examine the mental condition of criminals to find out if they are able to stand trial.
These specialists also develop relationships with clients by giving one-on-one therapy, especially when the police are involved or there has been a court order. These sessions are for study and research, but also to provide therapy to the patient. Prison life is often difficult and stressful for those who are incarcerated, and a forensic psychologist can help by providing individual or group therapy sessions. (Verywellmind.com)
What Can You Do with a Forensic Psychology Master’s Degree?
While you’ll need a doctorate to become a licensed psychologist, there are plenty of career opportunities for professionals with a master’s in forensic psychology. Whether serving victims, offenders, or other criminal justice professionals, every corner of the American justice system needs masters-prepared psychology professionals.
This list of potential careers is by no means comprehensive, but it can give you an idea of the sheer number of possibilities you have as a masters-prepared forensic psychology professional.
Corrections Counselor
Corrections counselors help prisoners, parolees, and probationers through issues with mental health, behavior, and substance use disorders. Their work is instrumental to preparing offenders for successful reintegration into society. At the same time, corrections counselors are powerful advocates for prisoners’ rights.
Corrections counselors most often work for jails, prisons, and probation offices. Some work for mental healthcare agencies that have contracts with their local corrections departments. In addition to earning a Master’s of Forensic Psychology, you’ll also need to become a Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor through your state board of counseling.
Victim Advocate
Even though getting justice for victims is one of the main purposes of the criminal justice system, that doesn’t always happen. And even when it does, the process can be long, harsh, and dehumanizing. When people who have already gone through so much need a voice, victim advocates step in.
Victim advocates have an extremely wide range of duties including:
- Offering emotional support and counseling.
- Educating victims about their rights.
- Helping clients fill out and submit paperwork.
- Connecting victims to resources like emergency housing and legal representation.
- Acting as a liaison between victims and criminal justice professionals.
- Keeping detailed notes that can help a victim’s case.
- Advocating for victims in court.
While you can become a victim advocate with a bachelor’s degree, leadership positions typically require a master’s. And if you want to provide much-needed counseling, you’ll also need a state-issued license.
Victim advocates can work in a wide range of settings. Many work for their state’s department of victim advocacy (typically overseen by the attorney general), nonprofit organizations, law enforcement agencies, hospitals and psychiatric facilities, and private law offices.
Expert Witness/ Consultant
Lawyers are experts in legal maneuvering, but the psychological effects and causes of crime aren’t necessarily in their wheelhouse. However, science-based psychological analysis can make or break a case. In those instances, legal teams rely on expert witnesses and consultants for help.
Master’s-prepared expert witnesses can help a legal team in many ways. They can help them decide what charges to pursue, uncover motives, and shed some light on the hows and whys of a case. Lawyers consult expert witnesses privately and call on them to testify in court.
Expert witnesses often work on a freelance or contract basis and can be held on retainer by law offices. They can serve government and private legal offices alike. To become one, you’ll need at least a master’s degree and some experience in forensic psychology. Many expert witnesses have other jobs or run their own private practices.
Crime Analyst
If you’re looking for a more investigation-focused forensic psychology career, becoming a crime analyst might be the path for you. These professionals help law enforcement agencies of all kinds solve crimes and uncover meaningful trends in crime data.
As a crime analyst, your duties would include:
- Studying evidence such as crime scene photos and interviews.
- Reviewing local crime statistics to inform law enforcement policy.
- Presenting your findings to detectives, courts, and other audiences.
- Aiding attorneys during trials.
- Reviewing previous cases, identifying issues, and creating solutions.
In addition to earning a master’s in forensic psychology, gaining experience in law enforcement (whether as an officer or support personnel) and getting trained and certified through an agency like the International Association of Crime Analysts can be a big help.
FBI Special Agent
As a forensic psychology professional, your career options aren’t limited to support roles. Law enforcement agencies also need highly-capable frontline professionals to handle the toughest and most dangerous cases. There’s no better example of this than the FBI’s team of special agents.
To become an FBI special agent, you don’t necessarily need law enforcement or military experience — you’ll get plenty of field training for that. And you also only need a bachelor’s degree. However, if you want to become a member of one of the Bureau’s illustrious Behavioral Analysis Units, a master’s in forensic psychology can give you quite the edge.
Behavioral Analysis Units assist federal, state, and local agencies on particularly complex cases, especially cold cases and those involving serial offenders, criminal networks, missing persons, terrorism, and children. Their expertise is also integral to creating proactive measures that prevent crime in the first place.
How Can You Become a Forensic Psychologist?
The best way to become a forensic psychologist is to get your Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology. While you may find some positions in the field with a master’s degree, the intense competition for forensic psychology positions often necessitates earning your doctoral degree.
Some of the typical courses you will take in a forensic psychology doctoral program include: (Walden.edu)
- The Intersection of Crime, Psychology, and the Law
- Understanding Violence, Risk, and Threat Assessment
- Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology
- Research Foundations
- Legal Issues and Social Change in Forensic Psychology
- Treatment of Forensic Populations
- Psychology in the Courts
- Police Psychology
Depending on the program you choose, you may be able to specialize in a certain area of forensic psychology, such as Crime Response, Victimology, Legal Issues, Crisis Leadership Management, and others.
What Do You Need to Apply to the Program?
Every university and psychology department has different admissions requirements, but most will require these elements:
- College transcripts: Almost all doctoral programs require all of your past transcripts, including bachelor’s and master’s programs. If you went to several universities for your previous college work, you probably need official transcripts for all of them.
- Letters of recommendation: Doctorate in psychology programs accept only the top candidates, so you will need several excellent letters of recommendation from earlier professors who can highlight your ability to handle difficult college coursework in psychology.
- Prerequisites: If you have a master’s in psychology, you probably will meet most prerequisite requirements for a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology program. If you have a master’s in another field, you may need to take several prerequisites before you can apply for your Ph.D.
- Personal essay: Excellent written communication skills are important for admission into any doctoral psychology program.
- Application: Every university has its own application, which is probably online. Pay attention to all deadlines and provide everything they ask for, or your application could be rejected.
What Do Exams and Licensing Involve?
To practice as a forensic psychologist, you must take and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). This test is required in all 50 states. To qualify to sit for the EPPP examination, you need to finish a doctoral program with a suitable GPA, complete one or two years of supervised work experience during the program and after graduation.
Is The Job Outlook for a Forensic Psychologist Good?
While the forensic psychology field is fairly young, it has grown rapidly in the last 20 years as we see an undeniable connection between mental health and the kind of behaviors that get people caught up in the criminal justice system. In fact, the demand for forensic psychologists continues to outstrip the supply as the legal system finds more ways to put forensic psychologists to work. The demand is so high, in fact, that some clinical psychologists are branching out into this subspeciality.
Demand for all types of psychologists is growing quickly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is expected the need for clinical and counseling psychologists will rise by 13.3% between 2023 and 2033, which is much faster than average. As the demand for clinical psychologists increases, it is expected that a similar increase will occur with forensic psychologists.
Additionally, the BLS groups forensic psychologists in its category of all other psychologists. It reports the number of jobs for these professionals should increase by 5% between 2023 and 2033.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics labor market information for Psychologists and Psychologists all other is based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2025.
Further Resources for Candidates in Forensic Psychology
Do you still want other resources to learn more about forensic psychology? Here are a few to help you:
- How Much Do Forensic Psychologists Make?: This field also is defined as the application of research and experimentation to other parts of psychology, including cognitive and social, to the legal field.
- How to Become a Forensic Psychologist: Forensic psychologists are heavily motivated to make the world a better place through these skills. In an effort to do so, they may perform a wide variety of different duties and responsibilities.
- Law and Human Behavior: This is the official journal of the American Psychology-Law Society that is of interest to students and professionals in the forensic psychology field.
- Forensic Psychology Dual Relationships: An article about psychotherapists serving as expert witnesses. A common role of forensic psychologists is to be expert witnesses in trials.
- Working as a Forensic Psychologist at the FBI: An article at the American Psychological Association by a Ph.D. holder who works as a forensic psychologist at the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit.
Now that you have a good understanding of what forensic psychology is and how you can help patients in the legal system, the only thing you need to do is get started!