Forensic Psychology Programs

What Is Forensic Psychology?

Forensic psychology is a part of the justice system and a part of psychology. Those in forensic psychology must understand criminal law in various jurisdictions that are relevant to their expertise. The understanding of criminal law is required in order to work with attorneys, judges and other legal professionals. In addition, the ability to testify in court is required. Forensic psychology often involves translating psychological information into a language that legal professionals can understand in the courtroom. In order for a forensic psychologist to be an expert witness, that forensic psychologist must understand the rules and philosophy of the judicial system. Other things that a psychologist must understand in order to work in the forensic psychology field include the exclusionary rule, rules regarding hearsay evidence and the adversarial system.

Forensic Psychologist Education

There is a chance for someone to work in the forensic psychology field with a bachelor’s degree. However, this work normally only includes research. In order to work in forensic psychology, many psychologists must obtain a master’s degree or Ph.D. Certification and licensing are also required. All practicing psychologists must obtain licensing in order to find work. Licenses can be obtained by taking exams through their state’s psychologist licensing board.

The American Board of Professional Psychology offers certification exams in forensic psychology. This is because the American Board of Professional Psychology recognizes forensic psychology as a specialty. It is highly beneficial for psychologists who are interested in forensic psychology to minor in law. There are even some men and women who obtain doctorates in both law and psychology. Different forensic psychology jobs will require different levels of legal education. Legal education is required because forensic psychology deals with how psychology works with the law. Many forensic psychologists believe that they must continue their education while working in order to gain more merit.

Forensic Psychologist Salary

The average forensic psychologist can make anything between $34,457 and $140,323 each year. Base salaries can normally range between $34,886 and $104,960 a year. Base salaries normally depend on the forensic psychologist’s level of education. Bonus money that forensic psychologists get each year can range between two hundred dollars a year and forty thousand dollars a year. As the forensic psychologist gains more experience and education, their earnings can possibly double or triple.

How long a forensic psychologist has been working in his other field can affect how much he or she makes each year. For example, those who are more experienced will get more requests for work and larger monetary offers. However, many forensic psychologists have had to work for ten years or longer in order to obtain a salary that is more than one hundred thousand dollars. Something else that affects how much a forensic psychologist makes is where that forensic psychologist works. For example, the highest paying city in the United States of America is Washington D.C. Men and women who work in forensic psychology in this state can make anything between sixty thousand dollars a year and $245,569 a year.

What Do Forensic Psychologists Do?

Many forensic psychologists work in private practices, government agencies, schools, law firms, police departments, rehabilitation centers and even prisons. These men and women often work with patients, families of patients, pupils, victims of serious crime, offenders, defendants and attorneys. Forensic psychologists who work in corrections will normally have to take care of the mental healthcare needs of the inmates in the prison. Work might also include psychological assessments, screenings and perform evaluations of inmates as ordered by the court. Forensic psychologists might also check in with inmate attorneys and prison staff regarding the mental health of various inmates.

Forensic psychologists who work with attorneys every day normally have to perform competency evaluations and psychological assessments of various men and women. Those who work in police departments will have to provide crisis management and counseling to employees of the police department.

Forensic Psychologist Resources

American Psychology Law Society: This website is an extremely large website that lists details of various forensic psychology job listings and forensic psychology conferences. The American Psychology Law Society is a division of the American Psychological Association and is designed to help others learn more about the law and psychology.

Crimes and Clues: This website is a surprisingly well-organized website that offers highly useful information. The information that is provided by Crimes and Clues involves the science and the art of criminal investigation.

Deviant Crimes: The Deviant Crimes website is dedicated to provide more information about deviant crimes. This information is specifically presented in order to study the investigative process and the psychological process of deviant crimes.

Inquisitive Mind: This website is also known as the In Mind. It is technically an online magazine that provides various articles on social psychology. It is a quarterly magazine.