The Chicago School offers forensic psychology education at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, with California-based options in Los Angeles and Anaheim as well as distance-learning programs. These programs focus on human behavior, mental health, counseling, psychological assessment, corrections, law, and public policy.
They are not forensic science or crime scene investigation programs. A student preparing to become a criminalist, forensic chemist, evidence technician, or crime scene investigator generally needs a different curriculum involving chemistry, biology, laboratory methods, evidence handling, photography, fingerprints, or scene processing. The Chicago School’s forensic programs instead address subjects such as offender assessment, violence risk, treatment, correctional psychology, police psychology, mental health law, and the role of psychological evidence in legal proceedings.
The institution’s verified offerings include a criminology bachelor’s specialization, two distinct master’s routes, a dedicated clinical forensic psychology doctorate, and a forensic major area within the Anaheim clinical psychology doctorate. The appropriate route depends largely on whether the intended career involves non-clinical forensic work, licensed counseling, or doctoral-level psychology practice.
The latest authoritative curriculum source located during research was The Chicago School’s 2025-2026 academic catalog with its spring addendum. A newer 2026-2027 catalog and current official tuition schedule were not available in the reviewed sources.
The Chicago School’s forensic psychology options
| Program | Format and location | Clinical orientation | Practical or culminating requirements | Primary career alignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization Track | Distance learning | Pre-professional, not a clinical license program | Criminology capstone; limited lab or special-topics option | Entry-level criminal justice, corrections, victim services, community programs, graduate study |
| MA Applied Forensic Psychology | Distance learning in the current catalog | Non-clinical | Applied Research Project | Corrections, policy, advocacy, research, community services, police psychology, government or nonprofit work |
| MA Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure | Anaheim, Los Angeles, and distance learning | Clinical counseling and licensure-oriented | 100-hour practicum, 600-hour internship, and comprehensive examinations | Counseling with forensic or clinical populations and the California LPCC pathway |
| PsyD Clinical Forensic Psychology | On-site in Los Angeles and Anaheim | Doctoral clinical and forensic practice | At least 1,200 practicum hours, 2,000-hour internship, testing experience, competency examinations, and dissertation | Psychological assessment, treatment, consultation, and psycholegal practice |
| PsyD Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study | On-site in Anaheim | Broad clinical psychology doctorate with forensic specialization | Two forensic assessment or therapy practica, forensic dissertation, plus the broader PsyD training requirements | Clinical psychology practice with a defined forensic focus |
The Chicago School is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, commonly called WSCUC. Institutional accreditation applies to the university. It is not a specialty accreditation in forensic psychology, counseling, or clinical psychology.
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BA Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization Track
The BA in Criminology is a 120-credit distance-learning degree. Its 21-credit Forensic Psychology Specialization Track combines the criminology major with selected psychology and forensic psychology courses.
The 39-credit criminology core covers law and society, juvenile delinquency, criminological theory, research methods, corrections, statistics, victimology, personality theory, criminal law, contemporary criminal justice issues, and a capstone. This foundation is more closely aligned with criminal justice systems and human behavior than with physical evidence analysis.
The forensic specialization includes Introduction to Forensic Psychology, Ethics and Professional Issues, Psychopathology, and Assessment and Treatment of Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders. Students then select coursework associated with one of the school’s graduate pathways. Available subjects can include human development, counseling theory, trauma intervention, violence risk assessment, offender evaluation and treatment, and profiling.
Some specialization courses contain graduate-level work. Entry into those courses requires at least 80 completed credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, completion of IDS 499 Preparing for Graduate Education, and department approval. Qualifying graduate coursework may later be associated with one of The Chicago School’s forensic master’s programs under the institution’s applicable policies.
The degree also includes a criminology capstone. A one-credit Restorative Justice Facilitator Lab or special-topics course appears among the specialization options, but the program does not include the extensive clinical field training found in the counselor-licensure master’s degree.
This is an undergraduate pathway into forensic psychology, not a professional license. Its coursework can support work in corrections, victim services, community programming, criminal justice agencies, or related entry-level settings. It can also reduce the transition between undergraduate and graduate study for eligible students pursuing one of the school’s forensic psychology master’s programs.
The specialization is less suitable for careers that require scientific examination of physical evidence. Its curriculum does not provide the upper-level chemistry, biology, instrumental analysis, or laboratory training associated with criminalist positions. It also lacks the concentrated evidence documentation, fingerprint, photography, and scene-reconstruction coursework expected in many CSI-focused programs.
MA Applied Forensic Psychology
The MA in Applied Forensic Psychology is the school’s non-clinical master’s route. The current catalog describes it as a 30-credit distance-learning program. WSCUC’s location inventory also associates the degree with both on-site and distance-education approval in Los Angeles, but the current catalog provides the clearest evidence for distance delivery.
The base curriculum covers forensic psychology, psychopathology, ethics, research methods, violence and risk assessment, mental health law, diversity, offender evaluation and treatment, and psychological applications in legal and correctional systems. Students complete an Applied Research Project rather than a clinical practicum or counseling internship.
Three optional six-credit concentrations are available:
- Corrections
- Police Psychology
- Criminology
Selecting a concentration raises the program total from 30 to 36 credits. These concentrations are curriculum options within the MA in Applied Forensic Psychology, not separately awarded degrees.
The Corrections option is the most directly aligned with institutions and programs serving incarcerated or justice-involved populations. Police Psychology adds focused study related to law enforcement organizations and personnel. Criminology gives greater attention to crime, social systems, and justice policy. Each remains part of a non-clinical forensic psychology degree.
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university. The school generally expects an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants also need an undergraduate statistics or research-methods course completed with a grade of C or better, although the catalog permits that requirement to be satisfied after entry under its progression rules. The GRE is not required.
This MA fits careers involving policy, research, program administration, advocacy, corrections, government services, nonprofit work, and community-based justice programs. It can also support roles where knowledge of behavior and legal systems is useful but clinical treatment is outside the employee’s scope.
It is not a counseling licensure program. The curriculum does not include the supervised clinical sequence required for the professional counselor route, and it does not prepare graduates for psychologist licensure. Someone planning to provide psychotherapy or pursue a California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor credential needs the licensure-oriented MA rather than this applied degree.
The Applied Research Project also creates a clear academic emphasis. A professional interested in program evaluation, justice policy, organizational work, or behavioral research may find that structure better aligned than a degree dominated by counseling practica. A career centered on diagnosing and treating clients requires clinical education and supervised experience that this program does not supply.
MA Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure
The MA in Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure is the school’s master’s-level clinical pathway. It is offered in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and through distance learning, along with locations outside California. The current catalog section reviewed for this program does not specify a residency or campus-attendance requirement for the distance-learning format.
Its curriculum combines standard counseling preparation with forensic psychology. Subjects include counseling theory and techniques, assessment, diagnosis, psychopathology, group counseling, family systems, career counseling, research, ethics, cultural foundations, mental health law, trauma, substance-related disorders, and forensic practice.
Anaheim and Los Angeles students complete an additional 10-credit California core. The catalog also identifies a 45-credit common core, field training, and electives that vary by program version. Because the reviewed materials did not provide one unambiguous total for every California format, a single program-wide credit total would be misleading.
Clinical training is substantial at the master’s level. Students complete:
- A 100-hour practicum
- A 600-hour internship
- 700 total field-training hours
- The Forensic Competency Examination
- The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination
Practicum and internship placements may involve forensic or general clinical populations. Earlier catalog materials described settings such as prisons, jails, detention centers, police departments, psychiatric hospitals, substance-use treatment facilities, and community programs. Placement type can affect how directly a student’s field experience relates to corrections, justice-involved clients, or other forensic populations.
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited institution. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 is generally expected. Application materials include transcripts, an essay, a resume or curriculum vitae, and three recommendations. Applicants also need an undergraduate statistics or research-methods course completed with a grade of C or better, subject to the catalog’s progression provisions.
The degree is designed to prepare graduates to seek professional counselor licensure. Earning it does not itself grant a California LPCC license. According to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, the state pathway includes qualifying education, Associate Professional Clinical Counselor registration, 3,000 supervised hours completed over at least 104 weeks, required examinations, and a licensure application. The examinations include the California Law and Ethics Examination and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination at the applicable stages of the process.
This program is better aligned with counseling justice-involved clients, trauma survivors, people with substance-use disorders, correctional populations, or clients receiving services in community and legal-system settings. It is not designed for independent psychological testing at the level typically associated with licensed psychologists, and it does not lead to the psychologist credential.
The main difference between the school’s two forensic master’s degrees is professional function. Applied Forensic Psychology emphasizes non-clinical research, systems, policy, and behavioral applications. Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure adds assessment, diagnosis, treatment, supervised clinical work, and a defined counseling licensure direction.
PsyD Clinical Forensic Psychology
The PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology is a 105-credit, on-site professional doctorate offered in Los Angeles and Anaheim. WSCUC’s program inventory identifies both California delivery locations and records the program’s implementation in 2009.
This is the institution’s most concentrated doctoral route for clinical forensic practice. The curriculum integrates clinical psychology with forensic assessment, psychopathology, interviewing, intervention, ethics, mental health law, research methods, substance-use issues, multicultural practice, violence and risk assessment, and legal-system applications.
The program follows a practitioner-scholar model. Students learn to assess and treat clients while applying psychological knowledge to courts, corrections, law enforcement, and related psycholegal environments. The curriculum is centered on clinical and behavioral questions rather than physical evidence collection or laboratory analysis.
Completion requirements include:
- At least 1,200 hours of supervised practicum
- Practicum training typically divided into 600 hours in each of two academic years
- Approximately 40 to 60 percent direct service during practicum
- A 2,000-hour supervised internship acceptable for California psychologist licensure
- At least eight comprehensive psychological test batteries
- Clinical forensic competency examinations
- A dissertation in clinical forensic psychology
The testing requirement helps distinguish master’s-level counseling from doctoral psychology. Psychologists may perform advanced psychological assessment and testing within their training and legal scope. The PsyD’s required test batteries, competency evaluations, practicum sequence, and dissertation provide deeper preparation for assessment and expert clinical work than either master’s program.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited institution. A GPA of at least 3.0 at the undergraduate or graduate level is generally expected. The admissions review considers academic history, relevant employment, an essay, three recommendations, and an interview.
Applicants must have completed at least 15 semester hours in psychology or a related discipline, including abnormal psychology. Statistics must be completed no later than the first semester or first two terms under the program’s progression requirement.
Eligible doctoral students may petition for an embedded MA in Forensic Psychology, Non-Licensure Track after completing specified requirements. That master’s award is an intermediate credential within the PsyD. It is not a separately verified admissions route for applicants seeking a standalone master’s degree.
The doctorate supports careers involving clinical assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, correctional practice, forensic evaluation, and psycholegal services. Actual responsibilities depend on professional licensure, training, legal scope of practice, and the position. Forensic psychologists can work with courts, correctional systems, hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, or private clinical practices.
California psychologist licensure after the PsyD
California psychologist licensure has requirements beyond completing a doctoral program. The California Board of Psychology identifies several major components:
- A qualifying doctoral degree
- 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience
- At least 1,500 supervised hours accrued postdoctorally
- Required prelicensure coursework
- The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology
- The California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination
- Fingerprinting and the state application process
California recognizes qualifying psychology doctoral degrees in fields that can include forensic or clinical specializations, provided the degree and institution satisfy the state’s education rules. The word “forensic” in a degree title does not complete the other licensing requirements.
The PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology is offered by a WSCUC-accredited institution and appears in WSCUC’s program inventory. The current catalog does not identify this doctorate as accredited by the American Psychological Association. The separately titled PsyD in Clinical Psychology at the Los Angeles campus is identified as APA-accredited, but that program-specific status does not transfer to the Clinical Forensic Psychology PsyD.
APA accreditation applies to specific doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral programs rather than every psychology program at an institution. It can be relevant to access to particular accredited internship pathways or to decisions made by a specific employer or licensing authority. The exact program title and campus therefore need to match any accreditation requirement attached to a planned internship or professional pathway.
PsyD Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study at Anaheim
Anaheim also offers a separate PsyD in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study. This is not the same program as the dedicated PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology, even though both are available in Anaheim and both contain forensic training.
The primary credential is a broad clinical psychology doctorate. The forensic major area adds at least nine credits through Criminal Psychology, Correctional Psychology, and Civil Psychology and Law. Coursework addresses subjects such as:
- Competency assessments
- Correctional psychology
- Forensic assessment
- Expert testimony
- Trial and deposition procedures
- Child custody matters
- Intimate-partner-violence cases
- Employment and fitness-for-duty evaluations
- Forensic report writing
The major area also requires two assessment or therapy practica and a dissertation on a forensic psychology topic. The dissertation must be chaired by a faculty member with relevant expertise. These requirements give the specialization more depth than a short elective cluster while preserving the broader identity of the clinical psychology doctorate.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree and a specified psychology foundation. The current catalog requires five undergraduate psychology courses completed with a grade of C or better: introductory or general psychology, abnormal psychology or psychopathology, statistics, and two additional psychology courses. Introductory psychology can be waived for applicants who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in psychology.
This route serves a different academic purpose from the dedicated forensic doctorate. The Anaheim Clinical Psychology PsyD provides general clinical psychologist preparation first, then adds a defined forensic major area. The Clinical Forensic Psychology PsyD builds forensic assessment, law, corrections, and psycholegal applications into the identity of the entire doctorate.
Institutional accreditation comes through WSCUC. The current catalog materials reviewed for the Anaheim program do not support attributing the Los Angeles Clinical Psychology PsyD’s APA accreditation to Anaheim. APA accreditation is program-specific and cannot be transferred between campuses or differently titled degrees.
Historical catalogs used “concentration” for the Anaheim forensic option. The current 2025-2026 catalog uses “Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study,” which is the accurate current designation.
What these programs do not prepare students to do
The term “forensic” appears across several unrelated professional fields. At The Chicago School, it refers to applying psychology to legal, correctional, public-policy, counseling, and clinical settings. It does not indicate training in forensic chemistry, DNA analysis, toxicology, firearms examination, fingerprints, digital evidence, or crime scene reconstruction.
A laboratory criminalist typically needs substantial coursework in chemistry and biology, often including organic chemistry, quantitative or analytical chemistry, molecular biology, statistics, instrumental analysis, and laboratory methods. The Chicago School’s forensic psychology curricula do not provide that science sequence.
Field CSI preparation also requires a different practical emphasis. Relevant coursework commonly addresses evidence recognition and recovery, crime scene photography, fingerprint development, documentation, measurements, reconstruction, chain of custody, report writing, and courtroom testimony about physical evidence. The verified programs at The Chicago School center on people, behavior, treatment, assessment, and legal systems rather than scene processing.
The bachelor’s degree carries the title Criminology, but even its forensic psychology specialization should not be confused with a CSI credential. Its psychology and justice coursework can support graduate education or human-services work within the justice system. It does not replace technical crime scene education.
Costs, fees, and program planning
A current authoritative tuition rate was not available in the sources reviewed, so a reliable per-credit or total program estimate cannot be presented. Program length varies considerably, from a 21-credit specialization within a 120-credit bachelor’s degree to a 105-credit doctorate. Clinical programs also require substantial time at practicum and internship sites, which can affect scheduling and a student’s ability to maintain full-time employment.
The current catalog lists several program-related charges:
- The BA catalog information identifies a $100 enrollment deposit credited toward tuition.
- The two master’s programs list a $50 application fee and a $250 enrollment deposit credited toward tuition.
- The counselor-licensure MA lists a one-time $195 experiential-learning technology fee.
- The Clinical Forensic Psychology PsyD lists a $50 application fee, a $250 enrollment deposit credited toward tuition, and a one-time $195 experiential-learning technology fee.
- The Clinical Psychology PsyD identifies a $250 enrollment deposit, with other course, training, or technology fees potentially applicable.
Distance delivery can reduce routine commuting, but the counselor-licensure MA still includes a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship at approved training sites. Those field obligations should be incorporated into work, transportation, and scheduling plans. The current forensic psychology program materials reviewed do not establish a separate residency or campus-attendance requirement for the distance-learning MA.
A note on the forensic psychology bridge certificate
The 2024-2025 catalog described a Certificate in Forensic Psychology, MA Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge. It was intended for graduates of certain non-licensure forensic psychology or applied forensic psychology master’s programs who sought additional licensure-oriented education.
The 2025-2026 catalog still mentions the certificate in a criminal-background-check policy, but the current materials reviewed did not contain a full program description, admissions section, curriculum, delivery format, or completion plan. It therefore cannot be presented as a current, separately admissions-bearing option. The available evidence establishes its historical existence but not current admissions availability.
Choosing among The Chicago School’s forensic psychology programs
The clearest way to choose is to start with the professional function, not the word “forensic.”
The BA in Criminology with the Forensic Psychology Specialization Track is the entry route for someone who has not completed a bachelor’s degree. It combines criminal justice systems with psychology and can feed into graduate study. It is appropriate for non-clinical support, community, corrections, or victim-service directions, but it does not authorize counseling or psychological practice.
The MA in Applied Forensic Psychology fits work involving corrections, police organizations, criminology, policy, advocacy, research, and program administration. Its applied research capstone and optional concentrations provide focused preparation without adding clinical fieldwork. It is the better match when counseling licensure is not the objective.
The MA in Forensic Psychology, Professional Counselor Licensure is the relevant master’s route for clinical counseling. Its 700 field hours, counseling curriculum, and examinations separate it from the applied MA. California graduates then continue through APCC registration, post-degree supervised experience, state and national examinations, and the Board of Behavioral Sciences licensure process.
The PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology provides the most concentrated doctoral education in forensic assessment, treatment, testing, mental health law, violence risk, and psycholegal practice. Its extensive practicum, internship, testing, examination, and dissertation requirements reflect the demands of doctoral clinical training.
The Anaheim PsyD in Clinical Psychology with the Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study takes a broader route. It retains general clinical psychology as the primary degree and builds in forensic coursework, two relevant practica, and a forensic dissertation. It aligns with applicants who want broad clinical psychologist training while maintaining a formal forensic specialty.
None of these routes is designed for criminalistics or crime scene processing. Careers involving physical evidence call for science or CSI curricula rather than forensic psychology. Within psychology, the decisive choice is between non-clinical systems work, licensed counseling, and doctoral-level assessment and practice. The Chicago School offers a verified route in each category, but the training requirements, professional scope, and California licensing process differ substantially.