Forensic Psychology Degree Online BA in Criminal Psychology Concentration

Flexible

With no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7.

Affordable

Take advantage of some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation, plus financial aid for those who qualify. We also make it easy to transfer to SNHU by accepting up to 90 credits from your previous institution.

Respected

Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 100,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.

Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:

• “Most Innovative” regional university honors from U.S. News & World Report each year since 2015
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth
• Recognition as a 2017 Digital Learning Innovator by the Online Learning Consortium

Network

At Southern New Hampshire University, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 200,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. All students are invited to join the online SNHU Psychology Club and to tap into our growing nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities.

96.5% of students would recommend SNHU.¹ Discover why SNHU may be right for you.

Part of our mission 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 a decision within days of submitting all required materials.

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

Simply work with an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options, answer all your questions and walk you through the application process. Start by:

• Completing a free undergraduate application
• Providing previous institutions attended – so we can retrieve transcripts for you at no cost
• Test scores are not required as part of your application.

The short answer? The university that's best for a forensic psychology degree is the one that’s best for you.

How to narrow it down? First consider 3 factors: cost, the time it takes to complete and convenience. Make sure the school is accredited. Then start drilling down into the extras.

Time, cost and convenience are just 3 reasons to keep SNHU’s online forensic psychology degree in your consideration set. The school’s tuition rates are among the nation’s most affordable. And because the program is online, you can squeeze in coursework around your schedule – a big plus for good work/life balance.

Rooted in the university's on campus program, our accredited online forensic degree comes with other key benefits, including:

• Faculty with real-world expertise
• Constant support from an online writing center and tutors for subjects like statistics
• Experiential learning and internship opportunities

Sandra Nieves '17 had been interested in this field for many years when she finally decided to return to school. She said it took some digging just to find schools that offered the forensic psychology concentration. “SNHU had great reviews and the staff I spoke to was extremely helpful and friendly,” she said.

Bachelor's degrees open doors – and few open as many as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

“It's a very broad-based degree,” said Barbara Lesniak, SNHU’s associate dean of social sciences.

A bachelor's in forensic psychology prepares you for entry-level positions in law enforcement and criminal justice, such as:

• Juvenile offender counselor
• Probation officer
• Jury consultant

With more training and qualifications, you could become a police officer.

Your forensic psychology courses will also help you check off the first step toward becoming a licensed clinical psychologist. While this concentration does not lead to licensure or certification, it will prepare you to pursue a master's in forensic psychology – the next step to earning your doctorate and becoming licensed as a psychologist.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “forensic psychologists use psychological principles in the legal and criminal justice system to help judges, attorneys and other legal specialists understand the psychological aspects of a particular case. They often testify in court as expert witnesses. They typically specialize in family, civil or criminal casework.”²

The prison system offers a lot of opportunities. Sandra Nieves '17 worked at a North Carolina state prison while pursuing her forensic psychology degree online. Her long-term goal is to work as a forensic psychologist conducting insanity evaluations and competency to stand trial assessments.

As an undergraduate student, Nieves applied what she learned in her courses every day at work. “Learning about different personalities has helped me to communicate better with not only the offenders, but also my co-workers,” she said.

Many students opt to enter the workforce right after completing their forensic psychology bachelor’s degree. Others go on to pursue a master's degree online or on campus.

Keep in mind, you’ll have to pursue additional education beyond a bachelor's degree to practice as a psychologist. Advanced degrees often focus on strengthening your research skills, according to Dr. Nickolas Dominello, associate dean for SNHU's undergraduate psychology program.

In most states, practicing psychology or using the title “psychologist” requires licensure. In all states and the District of Columbia, psychologists who practice independently must be licensed where they work.

Psychology graduate Nicole Der Boghossian '16 '18G wanted to finish her education before making a career change. Previously a criminal justice major at a different university, she took some time off when she had her first son to re-evaluate her career choice.

"I saw a commercial around the time I was getting ready to go back to school," Der Boghossian said. "When I found the forensic psychology concentration, I knew I had to apply."

With plans to continue her studies, she was thrilled to learn about the graduate-level forensic psychology concentration.

The American Board of Forensic Psychology defines forensic psychology as “the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system.”³ Those who specialize in the field often work in the court or prison system, in criminal justice, as a victim advocate and in many other roles.

Dr. Bernadette Boozer-Madison, who teaches forensic psychology online at SNHU, says it’s common for students to confuse forensic psychology with criminal justice.

“In most cases, they are drawn to forensic psychology because of how it is depicted on television in shows like ‘Law & Order,’ ‘CSI’ and ‘Criminal Minds,’” said Boozer-Madison. “Forensic psychology is a very exciting field, but it also hinges on and relies on the inter-workings of the judicial system and law enforcement.”

Our forensic psychology degree actually includes a criminal psychology course. Designed to provide insights about crime from a psychological perspective, the course focuses on how various systems influence criminal offenders. Put another way, criminal psychology is about the motives and influences behind antisocial acts.

SNHU adjunct faculty member Kathy Edwards helps put a finer point on the field. “Forensic psychology has been called ‘the intersection of law and psychology,’” she said. “It's a field in which psychologists apply their psychosocial knowledge to civil and criminal law.”

A forensic psychology education can take many forms, depending on your needs. To earn your bachelor’s degree, you may need to commit to 4 years of coursework. If you've already studied at another university, SNHU will accept up to 90 transfer credits, which can greatly shorten the time it takes to earn your degree.

Your program will feature a mix of high-level science, liberal arts, communication, social science, and arts and humanities courses as well as a final capstone course.

Although psychologists typically need a doctoral degree in psychology, a master’s degree may be sufficient for school and industrial-organizational positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.² Psychologists in clinical practice need a license.

When working under the supervision of a doctoral psychologist, master’s degree graduates can also work as psychological assistants in clinical, counseling or research settings.

Yes, it is. Psychology is commonly recognized as a social science and is included on the National Science Foundation's roster of recognized STEM disciplines.

Psychology's status as a science is grounded in the use of the scientific method, said Nickolas H. Dominello, PhD, associate dean for SNHU's undergraduate psychology program. Psychologists base their professional practice in knowledge obtained through verifiable evidence of human behavior and mental processes. They design psychological studies in much the same way as studies in other scientific fields.

Learning to design these studies and interpret the findings is a significant part of psychology education. Undergraduate students learn to develop a research question and select a data collection method. At the same time, they have the opportunity to design and refine a hypothetical research investigation.

Why do some people think of psychology as a "soft science"? Dominello offers an explanation: “I feel that in part it’s the fact that psychological science findings often lead to more questions and avenues of future research,” he said. “This contrasts with some of the more traditional sciences that only search for concrete, definitive answers.”

Research methods are either quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative research generates numerical data that can be analyzed. Qualitative research relies on questionnaires, interviews, observations and the like.

“Psychology as a science embraces this broader exploratory perspective in order to better understand human phenomena. When merged, qualitative data can breathe life into quantitative data,” Dominello said.

¹ According to a survey responses from over 9,200 SNHU online students conducted in the fall of 2019.

² Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm (viewed May 5, 2020). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

³ American Board of Forensic Psychology, at: https://abfp.com/ (viewed May 5, 2020).