Graduate Certificate of Completion in Forensic Psychology
Online: 8 weeks
Overview
Explore the Psychology of Crime
The Graduate Certificate of Completion in Forensic Psychology program is offered through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and is designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, nursing or a similar field who want to study criminal behavior.
You will be prepared to critically think about legal issues and policies relating to criminality with an emphasis on protecting the community, rehabilitating offenders, providing restitution to victims and promoting crime awareness. Biological, genetic and chemical factors are factors in criminal behavior, and this forensic psychology certificate program helps you understand society’s role in fostering, preventing and solving criminal behavior in the future.
Degree Outcomes
Understand Sociological Factors in Crime
Explore current criminal and psychological theories of criminal behavior and its impact on both individuals and communities, as well as public policies and research methods used to successfully integrate individuals with criminal backgrounds back into society. Develop strong criminal justice ethics and engage in a deeper examination of diversity issues related to crime and society.
By studying and analyzing theories, case studies and sociological factors behind criminal behavior, you gain an understanding of successful crime-prevention strategies to help you develop initiatives, policies and best practices. Psychological, environment and social theories behind crime causation are studied, along with the role our court system, government entities and individuals themselves play in criminal behavior and prevention.
What You Will Learn
Apply Theories to Real-Life Case Studies
Course topics include:
- Theories of criminal behavior
- Psychology and the legal system
- Psychopathology
- Rehabilitation and reintegration
Career Outcomes
Find a Career in Law Enforcement and Criminal Forensics
In addition to serving as a stepping stone to a variety of graduate degrees, the forensic psychology certificate is well-suited for forensic-related jobs throughout the government and education sectors, including law enforcement, criminology and university-level instructor.
Course List
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course explores classic and contemporary theories of crime causation, including psychological, developmental, and social causes of crime and theories of punishment.
Course Description
This course provides a psychological perspective for understanding legal issues, an examination of the various roles, functions, strategies, and interagency relationships of the courts, government entities, elements of the crime, and the individual as it relates to due process within the context of crime control.
Course Description
This course requires students to comprehensively examine various psychopathologies behind criminal behavior. Topics such as biological, genetic, neurochemical, cognitive, and sociological factors underlying criminal behavior will be examined. A focus will be placed on addiction, brain imaging, and future biopsychosocial research.
Course Description
This course examines various approaches to rehabilitative treatments in offender populations. A close look at rehabilitative methods within sex offenders, drug offenders, white collar criminals, cyber criminals, female offenders, juveniles, and mentally ill populations will be taken. Students will examine public policy and research based methods for successful prevention and community reintegration.
Program Locations
Online
Evening
* Please note that this list may contain programs that are not presently offered as program availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability of the program.
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program's published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution's catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who started the program in the same year and then graduated within the published program length.
Online and Evening program disclosures* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.