Key takeaways
- What do forensic psychologists do depends largely on their job and the organization they are employed in.
- Forensic psychology involves the study of crime, criminal behavior, victimology, assessing mental health, and more.
- Job opportunities that you can pursue in the field of forensic psychology include Crime Analyst, Jury Consultant, Victim Advocate, Forensic Psychologist, and so on.
- A bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology is the ideal entry-level qualification for aspiring forensic psychology professionals.
- Forensic psychologists also help devise strategies, protocols, and provide recommendations for the treatment and prevention of the development of criminals.
- As a forensic psychologist, your contributions to criminal case proceedings will ensure a fairer and more thorough trial.
When it comes to solving criminal cases, it is never a one-man job. There is a whole team involved in the investigation process, and an even bigger team involved in the whole criminal justice administration process, including fighting court cases and justice administration. Among the team are forensic psychologists who play a pivotal role in the criminal justice system. But what do forensic psychologists do?
In this article, we provide the answer to ‘what does a forensic psychologist do’, and more in detail, to help aspiring forensic psychologists, or criminal justice professionals, understand what the profession is all about. Here you will also learn about the path to becoming a forensic psychologist, where do forensic psychologists work, and who do forensic psychologists work with.
What is forensic psychology?
Forensic psychology is the use of psychological principles to aid criminal investigations. It is a broad field with different areas of specialization, including field work and desk jobs. The exact job roles and responsibilities of a forensic psychologist vary based on their job title and the organization of employment. Those involved in field work will undertake operations significantly different from those employed at desk jobs.
However, the primary goal of forensic psychology is not only to aid criminal investigations but also to understand the criminal mind by studying criminal behavior. Forensic psychologists take traditional psychological principles and apply them to different cases to better understand the motivations behind criminal activities, highlighting factors influencing the development of criminal minds. They can use their knowledge of psychology to provide suggestions for the treatment of criminals with underlying medical conditions.
Moreover, forensic psychology includes criminology and victimology, which is the study of victims of crimes, especially violent crimes. Through the application of the knowledge and understanding of psychology, forensic psychologists assess the impact of a crime on a victim to gauge how traumatic the experience has been and whether there may be long-term repercussions or not.
What do forensic psychologists do?
Forensic psychologists are called upon to perform a variety of functions in the criminal justice process. Their responsibilities are varied and dependent upon their exact role and the organization of employment. Given that forensic psychology is the study of crime, criminal minds, and victimology, it is safe to say that forensic psychologists generally perform a variety of tasks within the scope of forensic psychology.
These can include:
- Evaluating the mental health of criminals and witnesses to determine their eligibility to testify in court.
- Analyze criminal behavior to better understand the criminal mind.
- Analyzing crime scene images, evidence, witnesses, and victim accounts to understand how a crime was conducted.
- Double-check all evidence to determine consistency in the evidence gathered.
- Testify in court as an expert witness to attest to the authenticity of claims related to psychology.
- Provide suggestions for treatment plans for incarcerated criminals.
- Devise prevention strategies and tactics to reduce the crime rate and criminal activities, especially violent crime.
- Taking part in or leading research in the field of forensic psychology.
Even though a forensic psychologist’s job description varies, they are integral to the criminal justice administration process. Forensic psychologists play an essential role in designing correctional programs for incarcerated criminals. It is their job to assess a criminal’s mental health and determine the motive behind the actions. If they find an underlying mental health condition, they provide recommendations for treatment and for handling the case.
Interesting facts about forensic psychology
Forensic psychology is a very interesting field with many applications in the field of criminal justice. If you are someone who is considering pursuing the field as a profession, here are some interesting facts that may help sway your decision.
- As a forensic psychologist, you get to do the jobs portrayed in renowned shows such as Criminal Minds, Mindhunter, Hannibal, and so on.
- Criminal profiling not only helps catch criminals by identifying key traits and behavioral patterns, but also helps professionals detect early signs of the development of criminal behavior.
- With the help of forensic psychology, you can make a positive impact on society by identifying factors contributing to the development of criminals and helping devise prevention strategies to prevent young minds from going down the wrong path.
- Forensic psychology provides interesting insights into a criminal investigation, which can help criminal investigations be fairer, taking in every known and unknown contributor, and quicker.
- The field offers many diverse work opportunities, from evaluating criminal investigations, to witness testimonies and mental health, to stand trial, as well as assessing child custody cases and threat assessments such as sexual harassment, stalking, and so on.
- As a forensic psychologist, your contributions can determine custody cases, sway sentencing and parole, and play a major role in determining the corrections, treatment, and procedures for certain criminals.
List of forensic psychology careers
Forensic psychology is a growing field with many job opportunities, including forensic psychologist, forensic therapist, and more. With a degree in forensic psychology, you can also get a criminal psychologist job. Even though the terms criminal and forensic psychology are often used interchangeably, the two fields have some differences.
While criminal psychology and forensic psychology are related, criminal psychology primarily deals with the criminal mind and focuses on understanding criminal behaviors and the factors that contribute to the development of criminals. In contrast, forensic psychology has a broader scope, which not only covers the study of criminals, but also of victims, threat assessments, assessing mental health and competency to stand trial, overseeing child custody cases, and so on.
Here are some careers you can pursue with a forensic psychologist degree for those wondering what can you do with forensic psychology.
- Crime Analyst
- Victim Advocate
- Forensic Psychologist
- Forensic Therapist
- Jury Consultant
- Social Worker
- Police Officer
- Expert Witness
- Researcher
- Correctional Psychologist
- Clinical Counsellor
- Probation Officer
What is the education needed for forensic psychology?
In this section, we answer some important questions for aspiring forensic psychologists, including forensic psychology requirements, what degree do you need to be a forensic psychologist, steps to be a forensic psychologist, how many years forensic psychology takes, and more. So, if you want to learn how to become a forensic psychologist, this is the section for you.
The skills and education needed to be a forensic psychologist vary depending on the role you aspire to pursue. If you wish to join the clinical side, you will need an advanced degree and additional training and licenses to practice. However, to enter the field, you need at least a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology or a related field. You can also opt for a degree in criminology with forensic psychology as a minor.
To become a counsellor or a therapist, you will need to pursue a master’s in psychology or forensic psychology, complete an internship, or fulfill experiential learning opportunities, and obtain a state-issued license to practice clinical psychology. So, if you are wondering what schooling you have to take for forensic psychology, know that the answer varies depending on the exact job you want to pursue. Employers generally list education requirements in the forensic psychology job description.
Forensic psychology degree requirements
A formal education is one of the non-negotiable forensic psychologist education requirements. Thus, pursuing a college education in the field is essential for aspiring professionals, and a bachelor’s degree is generally the ideal entry-level qualification. The entry requirements for degrees needed to be a forensic psychologist vary depending on the college. However, the general entry requirements for a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology are as follows:
- High school diploma
- Students must meet minimum high school GPA requirements as well as any specific subject requirements listed by the college.
- General Education Department equivalent in case a high school diploma is not available
- Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) – students must meet minimum subject scores as listed by the college.
- English language testing scores for international students
- 2-3 recommendation letters
- Personal Essay
- Completed application form
- Application fee
If selected, you may be called in for an interview. Moreover, some colleges have additional requirements you need to fulfill to secure admission, so make sure to discuss those with an on-campus counsellor.
Once you secure admission to the program, it will serve you well to go over the program requirements, which generally include:
- Total number of credit hours to be completed – 120 to 135 (varies by college and program)
- Credit hour distribution between different sections and components such as general Education, major-specific, and electives.
- Experiential learning requirements, such as completion of an internship
- Minimum grade in all subjects
- Minimum CGPA
- Completion of all assignments and submissions
If all is done right, you can obtain your bachelor’s degree in 4 years. Other degrees you can pursue in forensic psychology may take longer or less than a bachelor’s degree. An associate’s degree takes 2 years, a master’s degree takes 1 to 3 years, and a PhD can take anywhere between 3 to 5 years to complete.
Forensic psychologist job description
The job requirements of a forensic psychologist are vast, especially if they are working multiple roles. Thus, the exact job description will vary by forensic psychology employment type. For example, a forensic psychologist employed in law enforcement agencies will work directly with criminal investigations, while those working in courts will primarily be working with witnesses, evidence, and on cases involving child custody, and so on.
The general job description of a forensic psychologist is that they apply psychological principles to the legal system to aid criminal justice administration. They are often responsible for criminal profiling, understanding criminal behavior, threat assessment, evaluating mental health and conditions, victimology, and so on. The complete list of roles and responsibilities involved in a forensic psychology job is mentioned above.
Become a forensic psychologist with the right education!
Forensic psychology is a growing field for a number of reasons. It is safe to say that forensic psychology is changing the criminal justice system and is improving the way criminal cases are handled. If you are wondering how forensic psychologists help, then the basic answer to that is by providing psychological insights into criminal activity. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg, and the role they play in criminal justice administration is far greater.
If you want to make a positive impact on society, this is the field for you, and enrolling in a forensic psychology program is the best step forward into the field. All Bachelor Degrees offers a college search tool that can help you find the right program and the right college for your career aspirations!