To become a criminal psychologist, earn a degree in psychology, gain certification, and find a job in the field. Undergraduate college is the starting point, with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Graduate school offers research-based or clinical doctorates, with certification required for practice. Employment opportunities include prisons, police departments, hospitals, and private practice.
Those interested in the field of criminal psychology can enter the field by earning a degree in psychology, earning certification, and finding a job in the field of criminal psychology. Employment opportunities may include work in prisons, police departments, hospitals and private practice. Depending on your region, there are several pathways to a degree in psychology that will allow you to specialize in psychology, including a traditional research-oriented doctorate and a doctorate in clinical psychology. Most regions have criminal psychology-based professional organizations that regulate and issue board certifications for the profession.
A career in criminal psychology begins in undergraduate college, where you can choose to major in either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts psychology program. Both degree programs share the same psychology classes, but differ in the amount of math and science courses required to graduate. Psychology graduate schools may prefer that you have a Bachelor of Science, as many research-based programs prefer that you complete a higher level of science and math classes. At many undergraduate colleges and universities, psychology is a competitive discipline. At these schools, you are usually required to demonstrate a certain grade point average in entry-level courses before you can formally begin working towards your degree.
While it is necessary to obtain an undergraduate degree before taking a course in criminal psychology, you do not necessarily need to specialize in psychology. Typically, it is important to be certain that your degree program is academically rigorous and includes any required prerequisite courses. Additional qualifying items for acceptance into a graduate psychology program may include an entrance test, participating in extracurricular activities, and submitting letters of recommendation with your application. Graduate psychology is either research-based or clinical, with each type awarding a distinct doctorate, which will allow you to practice criminal psychology. While in graduate school, you should choose a program that focuses on the treatment and study of criminal behavior.
Once you earn your doctorate in psychology and complete your education, you will generally be ready to start a career in criminal psychology after earning board certification. Professional organizations certify psychologists through an examination process. Certification must be maintained for the entire life of a career and expires after a certain period of time. The criminal justice system employs psychologists to treat inmates, help solve crimes by analyzing patterns of criminal behavior, and provide expert testimony in court cases. Many criminal psychologists begin working with the court system through a private consulting practice, where they also provide therapy to patients.
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