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Forensic Psychology Graduate Training: Your Options!

© Michael Decaire

I receive a lot of email in regards to forensic psychology. Most of the correspondence is in regards of criminal profiling. Since the media has really jumped upon the topic the requests for info and the profiler 'wanabee's has really dramatically increased. Most people are psychology undergraduates that want to know how to peruse this area in the graduate realm. I tell them all that your choices are very limited. That profiling is such a minute component of forensics that it is nearly impossible to find a place to get adequately educated in it, or a job for that matter. These people will often learn there idea is kind of unrealistic and they will pursue other avenues. A second group that mails me a lot is those who are interested in the correctional or court components of forensic psychology. These students are a persistent group and will often end up in a graduate school somewhere.

Students often ask me if I know of a 'Forensic Psychology' program in their area, or in the least a clinical program with a forensics subspecialty. Well the truth of the matter is, such schools are few and far between. And the few programs that have such training get flooded with people wanting to be in them. This leaves a lot of people disappointed, believing they cannot pursue the area they are most interested in.

I would argue, however, that you do not need a 'forensics' program to receive the training you need in this area to work in forensic populations. The truth is 'forensic' related psychology graduate programs are relatively new. The psychologists working in this field do not have training from such schools. And they seem to be doing fine. In fact, the president of one of America's forensic psychology organizations actually recommends against the more 'limited' focus forensics programs.

Graduate school is very different then undergraduate work. The departments tend to be 'very' flexible with a students interests. Along with the clinical requirements one needs for the degree there is much area to expand ones academia into realms that pique their interests. In my case for example I am currently taking three classes. Clinical Interviewing (how to do a interview, intake [assessment], and diagnosis), Psychotherapy (therapeutic methodology), and Clinical Assessment (test administration and interpretation). These courses alone are all aspects of ones knowledge foundation that is required in both clinical and forensics work. Dealing or testing a forensic population is really not that different then a normal one. There is standardized procedures to follow, and methodological considerations that transcend both types of clients.