精东传媒

Forensic Psychology - Main Campus

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Students of forensic psychology apply the principles and insights of psychology to the fields of criminal justice and law in order to better understand criminal and human behavior.

Graduates from the program embark on a variety of career paths working with adolescent and adult offenders, court advocacy, domestic violence, families, gang members, sexual assault survivors or perpetrators, and persons dealing with substance abuse or trauma. Some students enter the workforce upon graduation, while other students go on to pursue master's and doctoral degrees. 

Getting Out of the Classroom:

The hallmark of the Traditional undergraduate forensic psychology program is the experiential components embedded in the coursework. Students don’t just read books - they participate! 精东传媒 has a unique program that allows students to gain experience, network, and explore career opportunities throughout their academic career as part of several courses. Additionally, the 精东传媒 University psychology department offers an opportunity to participate in a paid co-op experience (must qualify), and students complete a 240-hour internship their senior year. 

The RISE-UP Program (Hampden County Sheriff’s Office)
This is a unique integrated learning experience that combines female residents in the Western MA Recovery and Wellness Center with undergraduate students from 精东传媒 University in a positive, collaborative learning environment. The program focuses on students and female offenders working together on issues related to self-esteem, relationships, and addiction. 

Alianza DV Services (Domestic Violence)
Students take part in various activities with Alianza DV Services. Some services provided by the agency include emergency sheltering; building personal safety plans; navigating the court system; 1:1 advocacy and support; support groups; and providing information and referrals. 

Community Accountability Board (Hampden County Sheriff’s Office)
Students actively participate in the Community Accountability Board meetings, a restorative justice program that helps offenders gain insight into the consequences and effects of their actions as the first steps towards making amends with the community prior to release. 

Homework House of Holyoke
Students work with youth in 1st – 7th grades in an after-school program. “Homework House strengthens our community by promoting educational success and providing free tutoring and mentoring for children living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.” This program helps highlight the issue of the school-to-prison pipeline. 

The Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr Resource Center
Students mentor, provided supportive contacts, assist with activities, tutor, and read with children ages 5-15 who have been impacted by gun violence. 

Guest Speakers
A variety of guest speakers come to classes each semester to share their experiences working in the field, illustrate different career paths, and help the students network and make contacts.

* The above service-learning experiences are embedded in the junior-level forensic psychology courses and are subject to change.

The best part of the Forensic Psychology program is the experiential learning opportunities because I got to work with offenders in the high risk re-entry program at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department for my internship, and participate with female offenders in treatment for addiction as part of the RISE-UP program. As part of my coursework I also had an opportunity to work with offenders in the Sheriff’s Department Community Accountability Board, a restorative justice program that helps prepare them for re-entry into the community." - Amber, Forensic Psychology Major

As a Forensic Psychology major, you will:

• Learn the motivations of criminal behavior
• Study the roles of gender, society and mental illness in criminal activity
• Explore ethical considerations that arise when the legal, criminal justice and mental health systems are involved in a case
• Understand how crime and incarceration affects victims and families
• Gain real-world experience through internships at a wide variety of sites including law enforcement agencies, Department of Youth Services, courts, correctional facilities and substance abuse agencies

I was able to participate in a book club with incarcerated youth as part of my Psychology of Criminal Behavior course. It was very eye-opening to see how they opened up to us over time and this experience confirmed my interest in wanting to work with youth." - Isatu, Forensic Psychology Major

Other Out-of-Class Learning Opportunities:

• Co-operative Education (optional, must apply for acceptance)
  Earn 3 credits and over $1,000 for 85 hours of training at one of our community partner sites.
• Internships
  Sophomore level: 120 hours, 3 credits (optional)
  Senior level: 240 hours, 6 credits (required)

I have had the opportunity to network with the most amazing people and attend very inspirational and educational conferences like the Center for Human Development's Through Her Eyes Conference." - Alissa, Forensic Psychology Major