Introduction to Forensic
Psychology
1
What is Forensic Psychology?
• The term “forensic”
• Forensic Fields
– Forensic Psychology
• The research, practice, or application of psychological
knowledge as it pertains to the legal system
– Forensic Science
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Forensic accounting
Questioned documents
Forensic dentistry
Etc.
Careers in Forensic Psychology
• Law Enforcement
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Local or federal officer
Crime scene investigation
Human resource management
Hostage negotiation
• Social Psychology
– Jury consulting
– Detecting deception
– Aggression/violence
• Expert Witness Testimony
• Clinical Psychology
– Critical incident counseling
– Competency and insanity
evaluations
– Fitness for duty evaluations
– Employee assistance
programs
– Victim assistance
– Counseling in a correctional
facility
Types of Forensic Psychology
Graduate Programs
• Master’s in Forensic Psychology
• Master’s in Psychology with a forensic
concentration
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a forensic
concentration
• Ph.D. in Psychology and the Law
• Ph.D./J.D. programs
Master’s Degrees in Forensic Psychology
University
Location
Castleton State College
Castleton, Vermont
John Jay College
New York City
Argosy University
District of Columbia
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Chicago, IL
Marymount University
Virginia
Sage Graduate School
New York
University of Texas, El Paso
El Paso, Texas
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio
University of Denver
Boulder, Colorado
Doctoral Programs in Forensic Psychology
University
Location
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia
Alliant International University
California
Long Island University
Brooklyn, New York
Queens University
Kingston, Ontario,
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia
Doctoral Programs in Legal Psychology
University
Location
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
University of Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia
St. Louis University
St. Louis, Missouri
University of Texas, El Paso
El Paso, Texas
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Joint Ph.D./J.D. Programs
University
Location
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Villanova University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania
Pacific Graduate School of Psychology
Palo Alto, California
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Professional Associations
• Society for Police and Criminal Psychology
• American College of Forensic Examiners
• Division 41 of the American Psychological
Association (APA)
• American Academy of Forensic Psychology
• American Association of Correctional
Psychology
Brief History of Forensic Psychology
1908
Hugo Munsterberg publishes “On the Witness Stand”
1917
William Marston develops first modern polygraph
1921
State v. Driver: First time a psychologist testifies as an
expert witness in an American court
William Marston becomes the first faculty member in
forensic psychology (American University)
Howard Burtt publishes Legal Psychology, the first
forensic psychology text book
1922
1931
1968
2001
Martin Reiser becomes first full-time police
psychologist (LAPD)
APA recognizes forensic psychology as a specialty