Forensic Psychology

Advising

Certificate of Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology refers broadly to the research and application of psychological knowledge to the justice system, including the empirical and theoretical knowledge of behaviour and decision-making of suspects, offenders, judges, lawyers, police, victims, jurors, and others involved in the justice system. Topics of study include police psychology, eyewitness memory, juror decision-making, crime victims, offender behaviour, criminal responsibility, and forensic risk and competency assessments.

Students may enrol in the Certificate program in Forensic Psychology as a stand-alone program, either prior to completing or following completion of a bachelor’s degree. Students who major in psychology as part of either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree may also obtain a Certificate in Forensic Psychology by selecting an appropriate set of courses. Please note that no more than 12 credit hours of courses required for the psychology major can be used to fulfil requirements for the certificate. Psychology students interested in this certificate may wish to take additional PSYC courses as degree electives to fulfil the credit hour requirement. Students returning to Saint Mary's after completion of a psychology major will be required to take a minimum of 12 credit hours to fulfil requirements for this certificate.

Admission requirements for students who wish to complete the Certificate as a “stand alone” are the same as the admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree OR a minimum of four years employment in a relevant field. Introduction to Psychology (formerly PSYC 1200) (Group C) (PSYC 1000), Research Methods in Psychology (formerly PSYC 2340) (Group C) (PSYC 2010) and Psychological Statistics (formerly PSYC 2350) (Group C) (PSYC 2020) are included in the admission requirements.

Students will earn the Certificate in Forensic Psychology by completing twenty-four (24) credit hours as indicated below. The mean GPA for all courses comprising this Certificate (24 credit hrs) must be at least 3.0.

Please note that some core courses have prerequisites that are not part of the Certificate, which will extend the duration of study for students entering the Certificate without a background in Psychology.

Note: Please view the Psychology Courses page within the Undergraduate Academic Calendar for course prerequisites.  It is important to keep this in mind when planning your academic career.

Required Courses:6
PSYC 3710
Psychology and Law (formerly PSYC 3320) (Group B)
PSYC 3720
Forensic Psychology (formerly PSYC 3338) (Group B)
Select at least nine (9) credit hours from the core courses listed below:9
PSYC 4710
Advanced Psychology and Law (formerly PSYC 4443) (Group B)
PSYC 4720
Advanced Forensic Psychology (formerly PSYC 4438) (Group B)
PSYC 4730
Offenders and Victims (formerly PSYC 4201) (Group B)
PSYC 4740
Sexual Offending (formerly PSYC 4202) (Group B)
PSYC 4750
Psychology of Crime Victims (Group B)
Select the remaining electives from the courses below:9
PSYC 2610
Psychopathology: History and Theories (formerly PSYC 3335) (Group B)
PSYC 3130
Drugs and Behaviour (formerly PSYC 3349) (Group A)
PSYC 3610
Psychopathology: Specific Disorders (formerly PSYC 3336) (Group B)
PSYC 4760
Contemporary Issues in Forensic Psychology (Group B)
Total Credit Hours24

Other courses may also be used to satisfy Certificate requirements (if they are directly related to forensic psychology and with permission from the Department Chair or Undergraduate Program Coordinator).  For example: Directed Research in Psychology (formerly PSYC 4445) (Group C) (PSYC 4010), Honours Thesis (formerly PSYC 4549) (Group C) (PSYC 4060), or Seminar in Psychology (formerly PSYC 4446) (Group C) (PSYC 4080).