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“There is a significant need in forensic psychology, as the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and Department of Corrections (DOC) are having difficulty hiring. Also, given the scientific and technological advances and demographic changes, we need students who are competent in these areas.”
Thomas D. Kennedy, PhD, BCB, Associate Professor and Director of Academic Affairs, Nova Southeastern University College of Psychology
Doctor of psychology (PsyD) programs prepare students to become licensed psychologists who work directly with people, instead of focusing mainly on research. For aspiring forensic psychologists, that type of training is important because most forensic psychology jobs—such as court evaluations, risk assessments, or treatment work in correctional or clinical settings—require a strong clinical foundation and a license to practice. A PsyD provides that foundation through hands-on training, supervised clinical experience, and an internship.
A PhD in psychology is another doctoral path that can lead to work in forensic psychology, but that path is structured differently, placing more emphasis on research, data analysis, and scientific writing, alongside clinical training. PhD students often complete a dissertation and may be interested in careers that combine practice with research, teaching, or policy work. Like PsyD graduates, PhD graduates can become licensed psychologists and work in forensic settings, especially when their training includes clinical internships and forensic-focused coursework or placements.
For students who want to work directly with the legal system—going on to practice in courts, correctional facilities, and government agencies—a PsyD is a common and practical choice. Specialized forensic training is usually offered as a concentration within a clinical psychology PsyD, or taken up through post-graduate study. But while some coursework may be offered online, fully online PsyD programs are rare because clinical training must be completed in person.
To learn more about online and on-campus PsyD programs for forensic psychologists, read on.
| Featured Doctoral Programs in Psychology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Behavioral Health - Clinical (DBH) | |
| Walden University | PhD - Clinical Psychology | |
| Walden University | PhD - Criminal Justice: Behavioral Sciences | |
| Walden University | PhD - Forensic Psychology | |
| Walden University | PhD - Forensic Psychology (BS Entry) | |
| Walden University | PsyD - Behavioral Health Leadership | |
| sponsored × When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details. |
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Meet the Expert: Jason Linville, PhD
Dr. Tom Kennedy is an associate professor and director of academic affairs in the College of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. He earned his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Miami and his MA in clinical psychology, with a specialty in neuropsychology, from Southern Methodist University.
Dr. Kennedy’s research interests include two forensic tracks: at-risk children and adolescents; and domestic violence, human trafficking, and false confessions. He’s published books, chapters, and articles in the areas of juvenile crime, intimate partner violence, and forensic assessments.
ForensicsColleges.com: What’s something you wish more people knew about PsyD programs?
Dr. Kennedy: I wish more people knew about the broad range of expertise we have across our 37 full-time faculty members in the doctoral program.
ForensicsColleges.com: Do you have any advice for aspiring PsyD students, especially those interested in forensic psychology and criminal justice?
Dr. Kennedy: There is a significant need in forensic psychology, as the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and Department of Corrections (DOC) are having difficulty hiring. Also, given the scientific and technological advances and demographic changes, we need students who are competent in these areas.
Featured Online and Hybrid PsyD Programs
Please note that while some of these programs aren’t strictly directed towards forensic psychology, online psychology doctorate students can focus their clinical research or projects in that area with permission or through external programming.
California Southern University
CalSouthern’s School of Behavioral Science prepares students for various practice options, including all the requirements for a clinical psychology license in ten states.
Students spend much of the 66-credit online program focusing on a doctoral project, including an action-research project; a clinical application or analysis on a certain topic; or a discussion about a current topic that can provide guidance. Students can elect to complete this work in the forensic subfield. The general program focuses on counseling and therapy, and less on research and statistics.
The core curriculum includes courses such as advanced theories of personality; history and systems of psychology; ethical and professional issues; advanced psychopathology; cognition, emotion, and motivation; psychopharmacology; physiological psychology; statistical methods and analysis; and research methods in psychology.
- Location: Chandler, AZ
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Four to five years
National University’s JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences offers a PsyD designed for students pursuing professional practice as licensed psychologists. The program emphasizes applied clinical training and psychological assessment, with coursework delivered primarily online and with required in-person clinical training. Students may choose to add a concentration in correctional and forensic psychology.
The 60-plus credit program focuses on developing core competencies in clinical assessment, diagnosis, and intervention, alongside professional ethics and multicultural practice. Students complete a doctoral project that emphasizes applied scholarship rather than traditional experimental research, aligning with the program’s practitioner-oriented model.
Core coursework includes subjects such as advanced psychopathology, psychological assessment, theories of psychotherapy, ethical and legal issues in psychology, multicultural counseling, research methods, and statistics for clinicians. Clinical training is a required component of the program and must be completed in approved settings under qualified supervision, consistent with California’s state licensure expectations.
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: Four to five years
Meridian University’s PsyD in clinical psychology is a practice-focused doctorate that emphasizes holistic clinical training, blending applied clinical work with approaches that draw from orientations such as somatic, transpersonal, and depth psychology. The program is explicitly positioned as client-centered and includes required fieldwork so students can apply training in real-world clinical settings.
The 108-credit curriculum combines core, clinical, and research courses and culminates in an original clinical case study rather than a traditional dissertation. Students will be prepared for educational eligibility toward psychologist licensure (and, separately, eligibility for MFT/LPCC pathways) in multiple states, with state-by-state details provided through its licensure resources. Note that the program is available in online and hybrid learning formats, with hybrid including in-person coursework at Meridian’s Los Angeles campus.
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Accreditation: WASC
- Expected Time to Completion: Three to four years
While not exactly a PsyD degree, this doctoral program is the only online PhD program specifically focused on forensic psychology.
This online PhD in forensic psychology accepts up to 53 transfer credits from qualifying academic work. In addition to a general track, the program is offered in several specialization tracks, including criminal justice (self-designed), crisis leadership management, crisis response, crisis leadership management, legal issues in forensic psychology, victimology, and a self-designed option. However, as of this writing, only the general and self-designed options are accepting new students.
Once admitted, students in this program are sorted into two tracks: Track I is for students with a master’s degree in forensic psychology, and Track II is designed for bachelor’s or master’s degree holders from disciplines other than forensic psychology. Students in Track I complete 80 quarter credits and students in Track II complete 110 quarter credits.
Courses include abnormal behavior; criminal behavior; treatment of forensic populations, the psychological aspects of violent crime; victimology; themes and theories of psychology; and understanding forensic psychology research, among others. Additionally, students need to complete a dissertation and four four-day residencies.
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 2.5 to eight years
On-Campus PsyD Programs
As previously mentioned, online PsyD programs for forensic psychologists are rare, but several on-campus programs exist.
Nova Southeastern University’s College of Psychology offers a doctor of clinical psychology (PsyD) built for students pursuing professional practice as licensed psychologists. The program is a five-year, campus-based curriculum, and requires a one-year predoctoral internship and successful completion of a Clinical Competency Examination.
The curriculum is composed of 119 credits across general psychology foundations, assessment, intervention, and clinical methodology. Students can choose to add a concentration in clinical forensic psychology. Specialized coursework includes topics such as: forensic psychology assessment, psychological interventions in forensic settings, and special issues in forensic psychology (supervision, consultation, ethics, and controversial issues).
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Accreditation: American Psychological Association (APA)
- Expected Time to Completion: Five years
The Chicago School’s PsyD in Clinical Psychology at the Chicago campus is a practitioner-oriented doctorate designed to prepare students for professional practice as licensed psychologists. The program combines a comprehensive clinical curriculum with multiple years of supervised practicum and a full-time clinical internship, and it is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The 106-credit curriculum is built around intensive coursework and three years of required practicum, plus a dissertation and a minimum of 2,000 internship hours that are typically completed at APA-accredited or APPIC-member sites. Students can choose Forensic Psychology as a major area of study, allowing them to focus their coursework and clinical experiences on the application of clinical psychology in legal and forensic settings.
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Accreditation: American Psychological Association (APA)
- Expected Time to Completion: Five years
The University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) offers a campus-based doctor of clinical psychology (PsyD) that follows the Vail practitioner–scholar model, with a strong emphasis on applied clinical training, psychological assessment, and professional practice. It has offered the PsyD since 1976, making it one of the earliest PsyD programs in the United States.
The curriculum emphasizes assessment as a core professional competency, with extensive training in cognitive, personality, and diagnostic assessment integrated throughout the program. Clinical training begins early and includes both in-house training clinics and a wide range of community-based practicum placements, allowing students to work with diverse populations and presenting problems under close supervision. Students may choose to focus their studies in one of several areas, including forensic psychology.
- Location: Denver, CO
- Accreditation: American Psychological Association (APA)
- Expected Time to Completion: Four to five years
Admissions
Candidates for PsyD programs can approach from two directions: having only a master’s degree or having a master’s degree and a standard PhD (e.g., if a medical professional wants to expand their skills in the psychology realm). Other academic or professional requirements vary by institution, but generally these can include:
- A master’s degree from an accredited U.S. school with a competitive GPA (>3.2)
- Letters of recommendation, especially from past employers or academic supervisors, such as department heads or program chairs
- Transcripts from all academic programs, including workshops or seminars
- A personal statement expressing interest and sharing a summary of experiences
- TOEFL scores for a foreign student
Farheen Gani
WriterFarheen Gani writes about forensics schools across the United States, and has covered topics such as forensic chemistry and forensic science and biochemistry since 2018. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).
Matt Zbrog
WriterMatt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2018, he’s written extensively about the increasing digitization of investigations, the growing importance of forensic science, and emerging areas of investigative practice like open source intelligence (OSINT) and blockchain forensics. His writing and research are focused on learning from those who know the subject best, including leaders and subject matter specialists from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS). As part of the Big Employers in Forensics series, Matt has conducted detailed interviews with forensic experts at the ATF, DEA, FBI, and NCIS.