HOW I'VE TURNED MY UNDERGRADUATE PSYCH PROGRAM
INTO
A FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
(OR WHAT COURSES TO TAKE TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR
FORENSICS)
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By: Michael W. F. Decaire, HBSc (candidate)
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UPDATED 01-17-99
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For prospective forensic graduate students, the possibility
of leaving an undergraduate psychology program with virtually no knowledge
of relevance to their future endeavors is far to realistic. With
so many courses offered at a typical university, and with very few actually
offering a forensic psychology course, one must be very intuitive to pick
the proper courses that will ideally shape their knowledge base.
As I enter my 4th year of the HBSc psychology program I do realize that
I have made some wrong choices. I've written this section in a hope
to catch those mistakes for you, before it is to late for you to obtain
the ideal forensics background.
First of all, any student planning to enter a
graduate school should take the following:
-
statistics, both introductory and advanced
-
a research methods class
-
psychometric testing
All three of these classes are usually mandatory for graduate schools
and if you don't take them now you'll be taking them with the undergraduates
when your in grad school.
As for psychology courses that are particularly
relevant to forensic psychology one should consider the following (be aware
of the comments regarding which disciplines they would be especially relevant
too)
-
Social Psychology
- this class is relevant to virtually all areas of forensic psychology.
Studies of violence and aggression can be of particular importance to both
criminal profilers and correctional psychologists. How people work
together and react socially is of particular relevance to the police psychologist
that work with, design programs for, and provide consultation to police
officers. Social psychology also has many implications in the court
system, for example findings have show that certain personal factors can
influence a jury's decision making processes.
-
Abnormal Psychology & Personality
Psychology - typically these are two different courses.
Both are of extreme relevance to those considering both careers in criminal
profiling and correctional psychology. Basically any area of forensic
psychology that involves the interaction with criminally insane offenders
will find that a strong background in abnormal personality is extremely
important.
-
Child Psychology & Developmental
Psychology - again these at some schools may be two different
courses. In most circles it is believed that criminals (especially
the most sadistic) are created not born. Child and Developmental
Psychology allows one to see how a child's personality is shaped, and how
certain experiences can sometimes transform into future criminal behavior.
-
Industrial Psychology
- any psychologist working directly with a police force will often be asked
to perform the tasks of an industrial psychologist. In order to do
this effectively one must be trained in that area. Such psychologists
would often be used to aid in the hiring of police officers, create work
related programs in order to improve conduct/efficiency etc., and to solve
certain job related problems/disputes.
-
Behavior & Drugs
- criminals often are found to be drug abusers. Drugs, whether they
are recreational or medicinal, can drastically effect our behavior.
Knowledge regarding the behavioral effects of drugs can be of extreme importance
when painting a particular criminal profile or while dealing with convicted
offenders in a correctional-psychiatric institution.
-
Psychotherapy - psychology
staff in correctional institutions will often have to provide psychotherapy
to their clients. Abnormal psychology courses will provide an introduction
to such courses but a more specific class (such as a 4th year psychotherapy
course) would be a strong asset.
-
Motivation - the study
of why we do the things we do. Understanding the motivational processes
behind our behavior has key implications towards forensics. This
class would be particularly relevant to corrections and profiling.
One should however not let their forensics education end with psychology
courses. Many schools have numerous other departments that offer
related courses that may be extremely relevant.
-
Political Science Department - Introduction
to Criminal Law: Anyone who is working in the criminal justice
system can benefit greatly from a thorough introduction to the criminal
law system within which they will be working.
-
Sociology Department - Criminology:
criminology is a very diverse field that can be of particular interest
to the forensic psychology major. Here you can find discussions on
criminal patterns, as well as a comprehensive look at the theories regarding
criminal behavior and violence.
-
Anthropology Department - Forensic
Anthropology (may be listed under special topics in medical anthropology
or Human Skeletal and Dental Biology): Of particular interest to
prospective criminal profilers, forensic anthropology is particularly relevant
to crime scene analysis. No profiler should ever be without a background
in this field.
One of the most important suggestions I can make
is that if students are able to take a psychology-science degree instead
of a arts one, do it! Your first year marks may not be as high (there
is not as many science 'BIRD' courses you can take) but nothing prepares
you more for future research and work in a mental health discipline then
a strong scientific background. Psychology needs more scientists.
Arrogance regarding the need for scientific rigor is what allows "Pop psychology"
and ineffective "new age" disciplines to flourish and take psychology a
step back towards the dark ages.
***
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