Program Overview

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice Degree, with a concentration in Forensic Psychology is a professional practical degree program that attracts skilled managers, agents, and clinicians from many components of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. Combined with the faculty who direct and facilitate the educational experiences in the MS program, the school's talented and multifaceted students complete the mixture and create an intellectual synergy that’s found in very few graduate programs.

Our faculty bring years of executive, operations-level, clinical, academic, and research experience in criminal justice to the graduate learning process in a way that sparks debate, fosters insight and elicits innovation. Joint student-faculty collaboration on learning projects is a common occurrence.

The Forensic Psychology Concentration is offered in a four semester format, with the addition of an intercession course or thesis option. This concentration is designed for students who are interested in examining the relationship between psychology and the criminal justice system. The focus of the program is on the many different aspects within psychology and law. The program is primarily research based and will prepare students for careers in the criminal justice system and/or mental health service agencies. Students will develop knowledge and expertise in substance abuse, psychopathology, personality assessment and research methods.

Students also study the application of psychological principles to the resolutions of problems in the administration of criminal justice, such as jury selection, police stress and employee counseling. Graduates can begin careers in either clinical settings where they work directly with offenders and victims or in a research setting where empirical answers are sought to crucial issues affecting the administration of criminal justice.