Criminal Psychology Programs

Criminal psychology is one of the branches of psychology that looks at thought processes of criminals. It focuses on understanding intentions and reactions of criminals. The field probes into the motivations of criminals in committing crimes and subsequent reactions after that. Offender profiling and investigative psychology form part of this discipline. Criminal psychologists often help Courts and Juries understand mind of criminals. The discipline has useful applications for those in the Corrections field.

There are several programs offered in criminal psychology spanning Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees along side certifications too. To leverage opportunities in this field, a Master’s degree is normally recommended which takes around 3 years to complete including course work and thesis. Content revolves around psychopathic minds, criminal minds, sexual violence, domestic and workplace violence, cults and terrorism, principles of human behavior, criminal psychological assessments, psychotherapy methods, psychology of criminal behavior, clinical profiles of violent offenders and victimology. A career in research can also be pursued in which case Doctoral level degrees are required.

Opportunities on completing a Master’s degree involve examining eyewitness testimony and adding value to public policy. Additional applications can present themselves in moving to criminal profiling, police psychology and psychological autopsies. Starting salaries for criminal psychologists in this field are around $35,000 annually though they tend to go up through experience and establishment of successful practice.

Several institutions offer programs in criminal psychology and related fields like the University of Phoenix and Argosy University. Both are renowned institutions of learning that focus on quality education. Following them are Everest College of Business and South University. The former has skilled educators with strong academic backgrounds coupled with years of professional experience whereas the latter has academic credentials established over a century. Brown Mackie College follows a goal driven approach to ensure students achieve their dreams and aspirations.