For the student who begins the study of criminal forensic psychology several basic courses must be taken. These can either comprise the first two years of a four-year bachelor's program or make up a two year Associate of Science degree, such as the one offered by Southern New Hampshire University. Core courses include mathematics, English, a fine arts course, introduction to psychology and public speaking.
A bachelor's degree in forensic psychology requires all of the core courses covered in an associate's degree; in addition, several psychology courses must be completed including human growth and development, psychology of abnormal behavior, psychology of personality and research methods. The concentration in forensic psychology involves four courses; two are basic courses in forensic and social psychology. A course in criminal psychology covers the criminal mind and explanations for criminal behavior using psychological factors; psychological methods are used to understand antisocial behavior. The last course, sociology of crime and violence, looks at the causes of crime from the viewpoint of society rather than the individual.
For the student seeking education beyond the bachelor's degree level, Tiffin University, a private college in north central Ohio, offers a Master of Science with a concentration in forensic psychology. The master's program takes four semesters plus an intercession course or thesis option. An example of a graduate course offering is victimology, which looks at the criminal justice system from the victim's viewpoint; the course examines how society treats victims of crime and the psychological services are available to respond to that treatment.
The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is home to the City of New York's doctoral program in forensic psychology. Students choose from one of two tracks: clinical or experimental. The clinical track requires 90 hours of coursework, a dissertation and a one-year internship; upon completion graduates are eligible to be licensed as psychologists. This track looks to produce academic scholars and trained professionals to render service. The experimental track calls for 60 hours of courses and a dissertation; graduates are not eligible to be licensed. The experimental track emphasizes research; graduates are prepared for either academic or research careers.