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Forensic Psychology Minor
The forensic psychology minor provides students with an understanding of the interactions between psychology
and the criminal justice and legal systems. This minor will expose students to the basic components of the criminal
justice system and the various roles that forensic psychologists assume within the criminal justice and legal
systems. Students in the minor will explore such topics as: the legal standards related to working as a mental
health professional or serving as an expert witness in the legal and criminal justice systems; common types of
forensic evaluations conducted by psychologists for the courts,; roles for psychologists in the screening, evaluating,
treatment, and/or training of law enforcement officers; methods of assisting attorneys in selecting jurors or in
evaluating various trial strategies; and psychological research findings that have relevance to the criminal justice
and legal systems. This minor also will discuss some of the factors that contribute to the development and
maintenance of criminal behavior and some of the evaluation and treatment procedures used by correctional and community mental health workers to manage criminal offenders. The forensic psychology minor is suitable for
criminal justice majors or any individual wishing to pursue a background in psychology and criminal justice. The
minor would be good preparation for those individuals wishing to pursue pre-law or social work and for individuals
considering graduate work in forensic psychology. The forensic minor is open to all non-psychology majors.
Forensic Psychology Minor Requirements (18 credits)
Core Courses (12 credits)
CRJU 1100 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
PSYC 1020 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 2450 Forensic Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 3270 Psychology of Criminal Behavior (3 credits)
Minor Electives (6 credits)
Select 6 credits from the following courses:
PSYC 3160 Social Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 3180 Stereotypes, Prejudices, and Discrimination (3 credits)
PSYC 3260 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 3600 Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse (3 credits)
PSYC 3760 Multicultural Issues in Psychology (3 credits)
PSYC 4050 Psychological Assessment (3 credits)
