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According to the American Psychological Association, forensic psychology is the “psychological assessment of individuals who are involved, in one way or another, with the legal system.” Like any other practice of psychology, forensic psychologists must have clinical skills that include assessment, listening with the ability to discern underlying emotions and intentions, the ability to communicate effectively, and critical thinking. Additionally, a forensic psychologist must also have legal training. The career is often described as the intersection of the criminal justice system and mental health.
Although the licensure requirements can vary among the states, forensic psychologists generally must have a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. They must also have specified hours of supervised fieldwork, pass one or more exams, and obtain work experience. More details are available at How to Become a Forensic Psychologist.
Accreditation for Online Forensic Psychology Programs
It’s essential to attend a college or university that is accredited. Accreditation is a process by which an independent agency evaluates an educational institution’s programs, faculty, and student outcomes for quality. This process is important for students, employers, and for licensure. Graduating from accredited programs is often required to apply to master’s or doctoral programs, and licensure boards typically require graduation from accredited programs to earn a professional license.
Prospective students should look for institutional accreditation. This type of accreditation happens at the regional and/or national level, and applies to the entire university. The Department of Education (DOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are umbrella organizations for the wide range of organizations accrediting at this scale.
Programmatic accreditation applies to specific programs within an institution. The American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) is a programmatic accrediting agency for professional education and training in psychology. Forensic psychology training is within its purview.
Featured Online Forensic Psychology Programs
Many schools offer forensic psychology programs. You can find a selection at forensic science programs, online forensic science degree programs, and forensic psychology programs.
The programs profiled below provide examples of online forensic psychology programs. Note that the programs are all non-licensure, and graduates are only qualified for non-clinical employment. Individuals must have at least a doctorate to obtain licensure as practicing psychologists.
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University offers a forensic psychology concentration in its bachelor of arts psychology degree. The program is offered online or on-campus. The forensic psychology concentration consists of 40 credit-hours and includes topics such as fundamentals of forensic psychology, criminal minds, assessment and testing, evaluation of special populations, and a seminar in forensic psychology.
Students gain knowledge in areas like the roots of criminal behavior, principles of criminal profiling, ethical standards, and psychological concepts in behavior.
- Location: Manchester, NH
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: 120 credit hours
The online master of arts in applied forensic psychology offered by The Chicago School is a nonclinical pathway for students who want to apply psychological principles in the criminal justice system. The 30-credit curriculum includes trauma, risk assessment, psychopathology, and culturally responsive care. Students may select optional concentrations in police psychology, criminology, or corrections.
Graduates are prepared for employment in such positions as victim advocates, policy analysts, correctional program coordinator, and law enforcement consultants, among others.
The Chicago School also offers an on-campus MA in forensic psychology professional counselor licensure track and PsyD track in clinical forensic psychology which is taught in a blend of on-campus (Anaheim and Los Angeles campuses) and online studies. The MS is a two-year program and the doctorate is a four-year program. The doctorate is available at several campuses.
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Ten terms
The online MS in forensic psychology at Walden University is designed for students interested in the link between human behavior and the criminal mind. The 48 quarter-credit curriculum includes intersection of crime, psychology, and the law; abnormal behavior; criminal behavior; research theory, design, and methods; and understanding violence, risk, and threat assessment. Additionally, students select specialization coursework that fits their employment goals. Specializations include, among others, psychological aspects of violent crime, criminal investigative analysis and profiling, and victimology. They may also select coursework to fit a self-designed specialization.
Graduates are prepared to seek employment in a variety of settings, such as prisons, community corrections agencies, law enforcement agencies, victim’s advocate programs, governmental agencies, and similar organizations.
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
The University of North Dakota offers an online MA in forensic psychology and an on-campus MS in forensic psychology. Students who already have careers in fields such as law enforcement, military, hospitals and social service agencies are candidates for the MA program. Students who are more interested in research and solving problems in entities such as courtrooms, prisons, and police departments may find that the MS program better fits their goals.
Both programs are designed to provide students with a foundation in psychological principles and theories, forensic knowledge and experience, communication and evaluation skills, and an understanding of the legal system.
The curriculum includes topics such as advanced social psychology, cognitive psychology, behavior pathology, diversity psychology, psychology and law, and advanced univariate statistics. Graduates are qualified for positions in organizations that include, but are not limited to, community mental health centers, family, civil, and criminal courts, hospitals, juvenile facilities, prisons and jails, protective services, and state forensic services.
- Location: Grand Forks, ND
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The online master of science in forensic psychology offered at Arizona State University provides knowledge of criminal law, criminal behavior, and the psychology of legal decision-making. Graduates can seek employment in positions such as case managers, victim advocates, jury consultants, crime analysts, and program evaluators, among others.
The 33-credit curriculum includes advanced correctional psychology, advanced forensic psychology, advanced legal psychology, advanced psychology of criminal investigation, and psychopathology. Students also select from a variety of electives that fit their career goals. They complete a total of eleven classes that last 7.5 weeks each.
- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The MS in forensic psychology offered by Nova Southeastern University is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference in their communities. The 36-credit program is fully online, with start dates in the fall, summer, and spring. Students may choose from two concentrations: forensic psychology in the legal system; or forensic psychology for mental health workers, first responders, and disaster teams.
Coursework includes therapeutic jurisprudence and problem-solving courts; assessment of psychological injury for legal cases; psychological issues in juvenile justice assessment and intervention; psychological evaluations of competencies, syndromes, and sanity issues; behavioral criminology; suicide prevention and crisis intervention skills; trauma-informed assessment and intervention; intervening in school and workplace violence; and others. Students will also complete a capstone project.
Graduates are qualified for careers in law enforcement, child welfare agencies, legal firms, social agencies, and prisons and treatment facilities.
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
Forensic psychology is one of the concentrations offered in the Purdue Global online master of science in psychology degree. The degree takes 60 to 75 credits to complete. Students may choose to complete a thesis or opt for a capstone project. Both require 12 to 15 courses.
As well as core courses such as foundations of professional psychology, applied statistics for psychology, and life span development, students choosing the forensic psychology concentration also complete course work in foundations in psychopathology, principles of forensic psychology, forensic psychology and the law, theories of criminal behavior, and advanced principles of forensic psychology. They also select from a range of electives to meet their career goals.
Graduates will understand the roles and responsibilities of forensic psychology, and the legal, diversity, sociocultural, and ethical issues they will encounter in their careers. They are prepared with evidence-based psychological concepts and theories to advocate for populations in the criminal and civil legal fields.
- Location: West Lafayette, IN
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 1.5 years
Concordia University offers an online certificate in forensic behavioral health that can be completed in 15 credit hours. The five-course curriculum includes human services; family violence, PTSD and trauma; research methods in human services; psychopathology in human services; and ethical and legal considerations in human services.
Graduates gain enhanced communication skills, problem-solving strategies, advocacy, and the ability to present testimony in the courtroom.
- Location: St. Paul, MN
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
The forensic psychology graduate certificate at Rosemont College is available online in an accelerated format. Law enforcement officers, first responders, social workers, and public health officials are only a few of the professionals who will benefit from the certificate.
Students complete 12 credits from coursework that includes contemporary issues in forensic psychology (required); psychology and sociology of information security; victimology; juvenile justice, delinquency, and development; and offender treatment.
Note: Rosemont College will “merge with Villanova University through a phased, multi year transition beginning in 2027. Rosemont will continue operating as a separate entity during this period, allowing current students to complete their studies and graduate with Rosemont degrees through the Spring 2028 semester. By 2028, the institution will fully integrate, becoming “Villanova University, Rosemont Campus.”
- Location: Rosemont, PA
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Expected Time to Completion: Seven weeks
Grand Canyon University offers a graduate certificate in forensic psychology online in which students explore theories of criminal behavior and how it affects criminals and communities. They also consider diversity issues and how crime and society are affected by those issues.
The 16 credit-hour curriculum features psychology and the legal system, psychopathology of crime, and offender rehabilitation and reintegration. Students learn through the coursework, scientific research, and case studies. Topics include victimology, critical criminology, violent crimes, property crimes, and public order, among others.
Graduates are qualified for employment in a variety of settings, including law firms, government agencies, correctional facilities, and juvenile detention centers.
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Eight weeks
Career Outlook and Occupational Demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not collect data for forensic psychologists apart from all psychologists. It anticipates a six percent increase in employment opportunities for all psychologists between 2025 and 2035 (BLS 2026). That’s twice as fast as the overall increase in all jobs and will result in 11,600 new positions by 2035.
How Much Do Forensics Psychologists Make?
Pay rates depend on experience, education, and location. The table below includes examples of salary data nationwide.
The BLS information is the latest salary data for all psychologists as of May 2025—the latest data available as of September 2026.
Although BLS data is generally regarded as the most accurate, the table below includes more up-to-date statistics specifically for forensic psychologists from other sources, which vary widely. Those sources typically have additional information for states and cities.
| BLS May 2025 | Zip RecruiterSept 2026 | PayscaleSept 2026 | Salary.comSept 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of workers | 159,540 | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| Average annual salary | $107,410 | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available |
| 10th percentile | $59,080 | $41,000 | $51,000 | $109,675 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $99,010 | $87,877 | $81,175 | $132,394 |
| 90th percentile | $163,380 | $137,500 | $131,000 | $147,089 |
Resources For Forensic Psychologists
- American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)
- American Board of Forensic Psychology, Inc. (ABFP)
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- American College of Forensic Psychology (ACFP)
- American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS)
- International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology (IACFP)
- Society for Police and Criminal Psychology (SPCP)
Sandra Smith
WriterSandra Smith worked as a bookkeeper and secretary for a small air-conditioning contractor. She eventually became a CPA and started her own practice specializing in small business taxes and accounting. After retiring from business, she began writing articles for newspapers, magazines, and websites. She also authored four books. Sandra makes her home in the mountains with a rescue dog that naps on her lap as she writes.