Marymount University
Graduate Catalog 2016-17
Forensic and Legal Psychology
Forensic and Legal Psychology (M.A.)
This master's degree program provides graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to provide effective, high-quality services in a variety of forensic and legal settings. These include probation and parole, victim assistance, mitigation and sentencing advocacy, law enforcement, intelligence, trial consultation, policy, advocacy, and research. To accomplish this goal, the program balances traditional psychological knowledge and skills with a specialized understanding of the legal system.
Upon successful completion of the forensic and legal psychology program, students will be able to:
- research and write critically about issues in forensic and legal psychology;
- develop and deliver effective oral presentations on topics in forensic and legal psychology;
- argue the strengths and weaknesses of policy issues relevant to the field of forensic and legal psychology;
- propose and evaluate solutions to major problems in the legal system; and
- identify strategies to appropriately address ethical dilemmas in the field.
Admission Requirements: In addition to universitywide requirements for graduate admission, the following are required:
- a bachelor’s degree and satisfactory GPA (an undergraduate major in psychology is preferred, however candidates from other fields will be considered)
- satisfactory scores on the GRE (including the Analytical Writing score), as determined by the department
- two letters of recommendation, using the official recommendation form provided by the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services, that speak directly to the applicant’s academic and interpersonal skills
- a personal statement, maximum 500 words, describing the applicant’s background and motivation for entering the field of study, as well as the applicant’s rationale for applying to Marymount’s forensic and legal psychology program.
Intelligence Studies Concentration Admission Requirements: Forensic and legal psychology students, who are interested in completing the intelligence studies concentration, must meet the following requirements (after at least one semester in the program):
- declare their intent to complete the concentration by the spring semester of their first year in the program
- complete a minimum of 9 FLP credits (including FLP 570)
- complete FLP 570 with a B or higher
- have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or department chair approval
- once these criteria are met, students will meet with their academic advisor to complete a Change of Program form in order to formally enter the intelligence studies concentration.
Application Deadlines: Students are admitted for the fall semester only. Completed applications must be received by February 17. Applications received after February 17 will be considered for a future academic year.
Internship Prerequisite: In order to be admitted to an internship, students must have completed the internship application process, which includes a review of academic progress; prerequisite coursework; and appropriate paperwork. Students must also submit the required application fee and gain the permission of the faculty. See the Forensic and Legal Psychology Student Handbook for additional details.
Research Requirement: All graduate students are required to log a minimum of 20 hours of research assistance under the guidance of one or more members of the forensic and legal psychology faculty. See the Forensic and Legal Psychology Student Handbook for details.
Transfer Policies: Students in the program requesting course substitutions or course transfer from other institutions will be required to submit paperwork for review by the forensic and legal psychology faculty.
Academic Probation: Students may only be on non-consecutive probation once during their graduate studies. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 for a second consecutive time, the student will be dismissed. Students who wish to appeal their dismissal should refer to the Academic Dismissal section of this catalog for the proper procedure.
Degree Requirements — Forensic and Legal Psychology
39 credits
FLP 501 Bases of Psychopathology
FLP 502 Research Methods*
FLP 511 Legal and Investigative Psychology
FLP 512 Issues in the American Legal System
FLP 527 Psychology, Public Policy and Law
FLP 531 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
FLP 540 Forensic Assessment
FLP 599 Internship: Forensic and Legal Psychology
Five (5) courses from the following: CE 508 Crisis Intervention; CE 509 Substance Abuse Assessment and Intervention; CE 517 Neuropsychological Issues, Treatments, and Assessments; , FLP 503 Statistics, FLP 515 Death Penalty and Mitigation, FLP 520 Wrongful Convictions: Case Analysis, FLP 526 Field Experience in Criminal Court, FLP 533 Psychology of Sexual Violence and Exploitation, FLP 536 Victims of Interpersonal Violence, FLP 552 Psychology of Law Enforcement, FLP 555, Individual Profiling: International and Political, FLP 556 Group and Country Profiling: International and Political, FLP 559 Behavioral Criminology, FLP 560 Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence, FLP 563 Psychology and Treatment of the Juvenile Offender, FLP 566 Child Victimization, FLP 567 Juvenile Justice, FLP 570 The Intelligence Community: Theory, Process, and Challenges, FLP 571 Intelligence Analysis I, FLP 572 Intelligence Analysis II, FLP 573 Counterintelligence, FLP 574 Contemporary Terrorism and the U.S. Response, FLP 598 Project: Forensic and Legal Psychology
Intelligence Studies Concentration
Students in the intelligence studies concentration will complete the following five (5) courses, instead of five electives**:
FLP 570 The Intelligence Community: Theory, Process, and Challenges
FLP 571 Intelligence Analysis I
FLP 572 Intelligence Analysis II
FLP 573 Counterintelligence
FLP 555 Individual Profiling: International and Political; FLP 556 Group and Country Profiling: International and Political; FLP 574 Contemporary Terrorism and the U.S. Response; or IT 577 Human Considerations in Cybersecurity
*Students considering the forensic and legal psychology with clinical mental health counseling option (M.A./M.A.) need to be aware that, per CACREP requirements, FLP 502 is not an approved course. Instead CE 500 is required.
**Students who complete FLP 502 and FLP 503 should complete a research focused internship.
*** Students in the intelligence studies concentration must complete an internship in the intelligence community or at a private sector company that supports the intelligence community.
With prior approval of faculty, graduate credit for other elective courses can be applied toward the student’s degree.
Forensic and Legal Psychology/Counseling with Clinical Mental Health Specialization Dual Degree (M.A./M.A.)
Marymount offers a clinical mental health counseling option for students in the forensic and legal psychology program. This is an opportunity to earn both a Master of Arts in forensic and legal psychology and a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling, while completing the academic requirements needed for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC). Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) examination and begin the supervised experience necessary to become a licensed professional counselor.
Marymount’s clinical mental health counseling program focuses on clinical techniques applicable to specific populations, providing experiences that are transferable to the contemporary workplace. See the M.A. in clinical mental health counseling program for additional information.
Marymount’s forensic and legal psychology program prepares students to work in a variety of forensic settings through interdisciplinary coursework in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, and public policy.
Admission Requirement: To be admitted to this program, students are admitted to one program at a time and must meet the application requirements for each program’s admission requirements. Students who are admitted from the forensic and legal psychology program can begin classes in the clinical mental health counseling program only after completing 18 forensic and legal psychology program credits and must plan to begin classes in the clinical mental health counseling program in in the fall semester immediately following being accepted into the program. Students who are admitted from the clinical mental health counseling program can begin classes in the forensic and legal psychology program only after completing 40 clinical mental health counseling program credits.
Dual-Degree Requirements — Forensic and Legal Psychology/Counseling with Clinical Mental Health Specialization
75 credits
FLP 501 or CE 501 Bases of Psychopathology
FLP 511 Legal and Investigative Psychology
FLP 512 Issues in the American Legal System
FLP 527 Psychology, Public Policy, and Law
FLP 531 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
FLP 540 Forensic Assessment
CE 500 Research and Evaluation*
CE 502 Foundations, Ethics, and Professional Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
CE 503 Advanced Human Growth and Development
CE 508 Crisis Intervention
CE 509 Substance Abuse Assessment and Intervention
CE 510 Survey of Testing and Assessment
CE 520 Theories of Counseling
CE 522C Counseling for Individuals
CE 523C Group Counseling Techniques
CE 524 Theories and Techniques of Family Counseling
CE 530C Career Development Counseling
CE 536 Advanced Counseling: Theories and Techniques
CE 551 Multicultural Counseling
CE 597C Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum
CE 599C Internship: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (6 credits)
Nine (9) credits of electives from counseling education or forensic legal psychology courses. Electives must have approval from an advisor. Students should consult with their state licensing board to determine appropriate electives.
*FLP 502 will not count in place of CE 500 due to CACREP and licensure requirements.
Catalog Contents
Academic Information and Policies
Academic Integrity Policy Summary
Dual Academic Programs or Degrees
Students Called to Military Duty
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