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Program Overview

The rapidly growing field of Forensic Psychology focuses on the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s M.A. Forensic Psychology program offers three distinct tracks: two campus based Professional Counselor Licensure Tracks and one Non-Licensure Track that offers all classes in an online format. Each track is designed so that students will gain a mastery of forensic psychology, enabling them to bring psychology into the legal and public policy arenas in an ethical, academically informed, and research-based manner. The three tracks are as follows:

M.A. Forensic Psychology: Professional Counselor Licensure Track (Washington D.C. and Chicago)

• This 60-credit hour track option includes a practicum and internship experience. This track is intended for students who wish to provide professional counseling and mental health services in areas that state laws typically require licensure as a master’s-level mental health professional.

• Upon completion of the program, graduates from the Washington D.C. campus meet the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Washington DC and Virginia. It also currently meets the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland. 

• Upon completion of the program, graduates from the Chicago campus meet the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois. 

M.A. Forensic Psychology: Professional Counselor Licensure Track (Los Angeles/Irvine)

• This is 65 credit-hour track that includes a practicum experience.  This track is intended for students who wish to provide professional counseling and mental health services in areas that state law typically requires licensure at the master’s level.
• Upon completion of the program, graduates from the Los Angeles and Irvines campuses meet the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPCC) in California.
• Los Angeles and Irvine campus based students have the option of completing a concentration in Police Psychology.  Students who complete this concentration increase their total program credit hours from 65 to 71 credits.

M.A. Forensic Psychology: Non-Licensure Track (Online)

• This 37-credit-hour track is designed for students who are employed in related field in the legal and public policy arenas and where law integrates with psychology. Students must complete an applied research project that integrates and applies program learning to an authentic workplace situation. This Track does not enable student to apply for licensure.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

• Relationship: develop and maintain effective professional relationships with clients, peers, supervisors, faculty, and other professionals.
• Intervention:  integrate a basic knowledge of theory, research, and professional literature to guide interventions and promote optimal mental health and well-being.
• Diversity:  recognize and respect individual and group differences as well as practice with cultural competence.
• Research:  demonstrate an understanding of the research methods in the social and behavioral sciences, the benefits and limitations of research, and the scientific and professional literature relevant to the field of forensic psychology.
• Assessment:  demonstrate fundamental knowledge of psychometric theory, assessment techniques, and forensic literature to evaluate various dimensions of human experience, outcomes of interventions, and psycho-legal issues.
• Ethics: organize professional activities by ethical and professional codes, standards, and guidelines; statutes, rules, and regulations; and relevant case law.

Admission Requirements

There are separate admission requirements and application procedures for the Licensure and the Non-Licensure Track.  Applicants interested in the M.A. Forensic Psychology program should inquire about the specific admission requirements at www.thechicagoschool.edu under “Prospective Students” and must apply directly at www.thechicagoschool.edu.  Applicants interested in the M.A. Forensic Psychology, Non-Licensure Track must apply directly into the Track.

Application to the M.A. Forensic Psychology program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors that are considered in admission are: undergraduate and any graduate coursework, GPA from undergraduate and any graduate schools, successful work history after completion of the baccalaureate degree, the admission essay, and letters of recommendation. Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned. It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all schools where credit was received to enhance their applications. Please see the application for detailed instructions and information regarding application requirements, application deadlines, and letters of recommendation.

The program also requires applicants to have successfully completed at least one (1) undergraduate course in either statistics or research methods with a grade earned of ‘C’ or better.  Applicants without one of these courses must be complete them in accordance with the policies outlined in the Progression Requirements section below. 

Professional Counselor Licensure and Non-Licensure Track Progression Requirements

These tracks require applicants to have successfully completed (with a grade earned of ‘C’ or better) at least one (1) undergraduate course in either statistics or research methods by the end of their first semester for Licensure Track students and 2nd term for online students. Students must successfully meet this progression requirement through one of the following options:

• A grade of “C” or higher in TCS 390 Introduction to Statistics or TCS 385 Introduction to Research Methods;
• A grade of “C” or higher in a comparable course at the Chicago School; or
• A grade of “C” or higher in a comparable course at another regionally accredited institution.

Applicants accepted with no previous statistics or research methods coursework will be required to register for TCS 385 or TCS 390 in their first ground semester or two online terms. All students enrolled in these tracks must meet this progression requirement by the end of their first semester for Professional Counselor Licensure Track students and 2nd term for Non-Licensure Track students. Students who do not successfully fulfill this requirement will not be allowed to register in any future coursework within the program of study until this requirement is met. Failure to register may result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the program. Extensions can be granted by the Program Chair or designee when extenuating circumstances prevent completion of the requirement in the specified timeframe. Requests for an extension must be submitted in writing to the Program Chair for consideration.

Additional Non-Licensure Track Requirements:

In additional to the admission criteria currently in place, applicants to this track should have three or more years of full-time, related, post-baccalaureate relevant work experience. Because the coursework for this track is offered via distance learning format, students within this track must have access to a computer that is less than three years old, a broadband internet connection, and the Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, and at minimum, the following computing skills:

• A comfort with basic Internet technology
• The ability to open and attach files from and to email
• The ability to send and receive email
• The ability to save documents

Non-Licensure Track Applicants who do not have the required undergraduate coursework but who have sufficient relevant work experience may be granted a waiver of one or more these requirements for admission by making a request to the Department Chair or designee.

Standardized Testing

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required; however, students who have taken the exam may submit their scores to enhance their application. Scores should be sent directly to the school (GRE School Code: 1119) for consideration.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and students will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Articulation Agreements

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has established an agreement between the M.A. Forensic Psychology (Non-Licensure Track) and the B.A. Psychology programs to allow qualified students to enter early into the master’s program. This agreement allows qualified students to begin their master’s study while completing their bachelor’s degree. Click on this link  for details.

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has also established an agreement between the M.A. Forensic Psychology and the Psy.D. Clinical Forensic Psychology and Technology programs to allow qualified students to early entrance into the doctoral program. This agreement allows qualified students to begin their doctoral studies while completing their master’s degree. Click on this here  for details.

Philosophy 

The curriculum exposes students to the relevant psychological and counseling theoretical principles, scientific research, and practice skills that enable students to apply the science and practice of psychology to issues of law and the legal system, and to assume professional responsibilities in a variety of forensic settings. The program emphasizes critical thinking, sensitivity to ethical principles, the role of personal values, and cultural diversity and endeavors to be flexible in order to adapt course content to reflect developments in the field.   For on-ground students, The Chicago School Forensic Center (Chicago campus) and Forensic Training Institute (California campus) offer service-learning opportunities to educate students to become competent and civically engaged forensic mental health practitioners. 

Ethical and Professional Behavior

Students are expected to adhere to the ethical and professional behavior guidelines as set by the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Code of Ethics.

Reference will be made to additional ethical codes, such as the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists (American Psychological Association, 2013), and international codes as applicable. Acceptable student conduct is derived in large part from these sources of information.

Please refer to the policies located in the Student Rights and Responsibilities  and section of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook.

Professional Development Group and Academic Advisor Assignment

All campus-based track students are required to enroll in Professional Development Group during their first semester in the program. A student’s Professional Development Group instructor serves as his/her academic advisor throughout their duration in the program. Students wishing to change academic advisors may petition to do so upon completion of their first semester in the program.  

Concentrations

All students in the Chicago based Professional Counselor Licensure track must officially declare a concentration during the first semester of study. This declaration will then outline the course of study for each subsequent semester.  Students have the option of selecting a concentration in Corrections, Child Protection, Sex Offenders, and Generalist. In these concentrations, students take a two-or three-course sequence of coursework that is relative to the subject matter. Each concentration affords students a broader perspective concerning treatment, assessment, public policy, legal issues, and other nuances of working with each population. Note that these concentrations may increase the total track credit hours.

All students in the Los Angeles/Irvine based Professional Counselor Licensure track have the option of selecting a concentration in Police Psychology. Students must officially declare the concentration during their first semester of study. This declaration will outline the course of study for each subsequent semester. Students who complete this concentration will increase their total program credit hour from 65 to 71 credits.  

Practicum/Internship for Professional Counselor Licensure Track Students

Students in the Professional Counselor Licensure Track must express their intent to apply for practicum/internship (see the Office of Applied Professional Practice Forensic Training Manual). Faculty reviews each student’s progress in the program to inform decisions regarding student’s readiness to apply to practicum/internship.

More specific information is located in the campus specific training manuals.

Forensic Competency Examination (FCE)

Students who complete a practicum/internship are required to pass the FCE, which is completed during the spring term of the student’s practicum/internship seminar, in order to fulfill program requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Forensic Psychology. The paper will be reviewed and evaluated by the student’s practicum/internship seminar group instructor on a “High Pass,” “Pass,” “Pass with Revisions,” or “Fail” basis.

The objective of the FCE is for the student to demonstrate the ability to apply relevant theory, empirical literature, assessment, and intervention to a case formulation, program proposal, or program project. In addition, the aim of the FCE is for the student to demonstrate an understanding of professional practice (e.g., ethical behavior), clinical dynamics (e.g., client/therapist relationship), broader systems (e.g., family, school, community, court, political, other treatment professionals/programs), and areas of diversity and difference (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status) as contextual variables.

More specific information is provided to students during the practicum and internship training experience

Licensure

The MA in Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure Track program at the Washington, DC campus meets the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Washington DC and Virginia. It also currently meets the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland.

The MA in Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure Track program at the Chicago campus meets the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois.

The MA in Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure Track program at the Los Angeles and Irvine campuses meets the degree and coursework requirements to be eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPCC) in California.