Pursue a career that combines psychology with fascinating aspects of criminal investigation and law by earning your Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. Enjoy working with others and want to use your skills in a job that intersects with the legal field or justice system?

Our online forensic psychology degree was created to help you go further. First, you'll work on building transferable skills. Then, you'll tailor your degree with in-depth forensic psychology courses, giving you a specialty that you can use to your advantage in your job search. The forensic psychology concentration instills critical thinking and research skills while providing an overview of the field and the workings of the criminal mind. You'll gain an understanding of anti-social behavior and what influences it, the ways in which crime impacts individuals and society, and the interplay between psychology and the justice system. And, with 39 free electives, and the added bonus of a 12-credit embedded certificate in Data Literacy in Psychology, this program is both industry-relevant and transfer-friendly.

In this program, you'll learn how to:

- Understand the interaction of abnormal psychology and criminal behavior

- Assess crime's impact on individuals, groups, and society

- Analyze psychosocial factors and motivations behind anti-social and criminal acts

- Validate social psychology's application in the courtroom

- Explain witness testimony and its role within the courtroom

- Apply psychological concepts to understanding criminal behavior

Upon graduating, you'll be prepared to either pursue careers spanning a broad range of fields or continue your studies by enrolling in a graduate psychology program. The online forensic psychology degree is based on a solid liberal arts foundation that provides a well-rounded education to support your study of psychology and beyond. This online psychology degree concentration will challenge you to apply your research skills, technical knowledge, and critical thinking abilities to a variety of issues in the legal system.

"The forensic psychology concentration provides students with grounding in the foundations of forensic psychology with opportunities to practice and apply their learning," said Dr. Michelle Hill, executive director of social sciences. "Throughout the forensic psychology program, you'll strengthen your skills in research and assessment, criminal psychology, social psychology, and theories of personality."

As part of the concentration, you'll be required to take the following forensic psychology courses:

- Forensic Psychology: Learn how to apply psychology to issues within the criminal justice system. Emphasizing the social psychology of the courtroom, course topics cover adolescent violence, witness interviews, recovered memories, expert testimony, and factors affecting the credibility of witnesses, victims, and offenders.

- Criminal Psychology: Understand crime from a psychological perspective. Focusing on the psychosocial environment's influence on offenders, this course gives you the insight to analyze the motives behind criminal behavior.

To finish your concentration, you'll also be able to choose from classes like:

- Social Psychology: Learn how people's thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by their interactions with others. You'll discuss the effects prejudice, conformity, attraction, and violence have on society.

- Sociology of Crime & Violence: Applying both legal and sociological lenses, you'll study law and the criminal justice system, the nature, and causation of criminal acts, and the different kinds of crime.

- Counseling Process and Techniques: Study the history and philosophy of specific occupations in psychology, sociology, and human services.

Using different theoretical perspectives, you'll apply your newly gained knowledge to role-play situations. You'll also have the option to explore your career goals and put your skills to use through experiential learning and internship opportunities. Providing real-world knowledge, these experiences can help better prepare you for the competitive job market. Tara Parker '21, a graduate of the forensic psychology concentration, said she was able to take advantage of the experiential learning opportunities in her program. "I have been able to obtain the real-world skills to [assist me in] running my own private psychology practice while also working alongside the criminal justice system," said Parker.

Your forensic psychology courses are taught by professionals with first-hand experience. Whether they've offered expert testimony during trials, performed forensic evaluations for court systems, or committed their careers to statistical research, your instructors will share real-world experiences drawn from their work in forensic psychology.

"The knowledge and experience the instructors brought to the virtual environment was beyond amazing," said Kimberly Custodio '18 '21G, who went on to graduate with her master's from SNHU after finishing her bachelor's degree. "The experience and knowledge the instructors provide are difficult to find anywhere else."

If you, too, would like to take your education further, SNHU offers a master's in psychology program with several specializations to choose from including an online master's in forensic psychology concentration.

Part of SNHU's mission statement is to expand access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That's why you can apply at any time and get an acceptance decision within days of submitting all of your required materials. Decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

$150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)