Admission Requirements
Curriculum Sequence
Graduation Requirements

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This program prepares graduates for a highly specialized career that integrates their knowledge of human behavior with their active participation in the criminal justice system. Specialized coursework exposes students to the predominant theories and techniques of forensic evaluation, including the determination of a defendant's competency to stand trial, their sanity at the time of an offense, and their qualification for the death penalty in the event of a conviction for a capital crime. Students also develop a comprehensive understanding of the techniques associated with the forensic practitioner's involvement in criminal investigations; activities such as forensic hypnosis, offender and geographic profiling, and the ongoing review of police interview and witness identification procedures. Students are introduced to such specialized topics as the psychological effects of incarceration, jury selection, the evaluation of sexually-dangerous persons, and the psychosocial development of the criminal personality type. In addition, graduates become familiar with special issues and techniques related to therapeutic intervention with criminal justice professionals and their families.

Employment opportunities in this field are robust and highly resistant to economic downturns. An M.A. Counseling Psychology degree with a specialization in forensic psychology prepares graduates for positions in areas such as:

• Federal, state, and local police agencies.
• Private consulting firms engaged in the testing and evaluation of criminal justice job candidates.
• Federal and state prisons, correctional institutions, county jails, and probation offices.
• Private law firms.
• Federal, state, and local court systems.
• Child Advocacy Centers.
• Counseling Centers that serve the criminal justice community.
• Offender treatment programs.
• Criminal justice research programs.

Credentials
This program (62 credits) prepares graduates to take the exam for Professional Counselor Licensure in Illinois (LPC). It will also qualify interested students to seek certification as instructors in the behavioral sciences through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board. This latter certification will qualify graduates to deliver training programs relevant to their areas of expertise to police and correctional personnel.

Whats sets this program apart from other institutions?

• Educational training is focused on social responsibility, emphasizing the application of skills in advocacy, consultation, systems change, and leadership.
• By integrating this specialization with the M.A. Counseling Psychology program, Adler School is providing its graduates not only a strong theoretical foundation in areas related to forensic psychology, but also the clinical skills necessary to become practitioners in any one of a variety of different criminal justice endeavors.
• Graduates of this program are prepared to apply for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) examination in Illinois.
• With additional supervised experience, graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) examination in Illinois. Licensure requirements in other states are similar, but specific requirements may vary.
• The opportunity to take courses in a variety of formats, including in the classroom and online.
• A cadre of instructors who are actively involved in the areas they teach, including therapists, consultants, and criminal justice professionals.
• Downtown Chicago location provides students with a diverse learning environment.
• As the oldest independent psychology school in North America, Adler School offers students a vast alumni network.

Professional Affiliations for Student Networking

Society for Police & Criminal Psychology
http://psychweb.cisat.jmu.edu/spcp/

American College of Forensic Examiners
http://www.acfei.com/

International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology
http://www.ia4cfp.org/

American Board of Forensic Psychology
http://www.abfp.com/