Online Bachelor’s in Forensic Psychology Curriculum

An introductory survey of psychology. Psychology as a field is very broad, and we will be examining most of the major sub-areas that comprise psychology, including the development of psychology as a science, learning and memory, biological foundations of behavior, sensation and perception, human development, motivation and emotions, cognition, abnormal psychology, and social psychology. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and understanding the scientific methods used in the discipline.

A knowledge of normal growth and development is essential to professional practice in many disciplines. This course explores the process of human development, particularly in Western cultures. A holistic life-span approach is used to promote an understanding of the biophysical, cognitive, affective, social, and spiritual functioning of healthy individuals.

This course covers the domains of psychopathology as it is represented in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Students will examine the nature, course, symptoms, consequences, and treatment of abnormal behavior. Current empirically-based treatments and evidenced-based practices will be reviewed.

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence, relate to one another, and ultimately create meaning. It involves understanding how people affect, and are affected by, others around them. This course introduces you to the theory, empirical findings, and research methods of social psychology. You will develop the ability to analyze social situations that you encounter in your everyday lives through the application of theory and methods in social psychology.

This course explores the application of principles underlying the theory, interpretation, and administration of psychological tests, including tests of intelligence, achievement, personality, and ability. Students will learn how theories, principles, and concepts are applied in educational, clinical, and employment settings, and will compute and interpret basic psychometric statistics.

This course is intended to introduce and familiarize students with the concept of multicultural psychology. The course will address issues of human diversity theory and research that are emphasized by the American Psychological Association, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and SES. The course will also encompass issues related to identity, oppression, bias, acculturation, and workplace diversity, as well as research methodologies utilized to promote greater understanding.

This course presents a practical and applied approach to the various roles and functions of a forensic psychologist. In addition to discussing psychologist roles in correctional settings, topics covered include the evaluations forensic psychologists most often conduct, including criminal, civil, insanity defenses, child custody, personal injury and others. Criminal investigative techniques, trial consultation and the unique ethical challenges and requirements for forensic psychologists are also addressed.

This course covers the fundamentals of human cognition including processes such as perception, attention, memory, language, problem solving, and decision-making. The course will begin with a general discussion of cognition and its neural bases. The course will be divided into three sections: a) cognitive neuroscience, perception, and attention, b) theories of memory and knowledge representation, c) language, problem solving, and decision-making.

This course surveys the connection between biological systems and human behavior. Topics range from sleep and dreams to drugs, stress and health, memory, emotion, and psychological disorders. Primary attention is given to different parts of the brain, neurotransmitters, hormones, etc. Emphasis is given to the interaction of nature and nurture, neural flexibility (neuroplasticity), and prospects for individual change.

This course introduces the fundamental concepts and frameworks used in the criminal justice studies. It provides a survey of the various agencies making up the U.S. criminal justice system, primarily the criminal court, law enforcement, and corrections.

This course focuses on the challenges present in policing multicultural settings. Issues pertaining to understanding diverse cultures and effective communication across cultures from the standpoint of law enforcement are explored in detail.

This course is a comprehensive approach to the examination and treatment of physical evidence as it relates to the criminal justice system. Students will be involved in an interactive learning experience tied to the securing and preserving of crime scenes and maintaining the integrity of trace evidence for future court proceedings.

This course explores the evolution of correctional practices in the United States. It also examines and assesses the variety of correctional options utilized within the criminal justice system.

This course will examine substantive criminal law and the elements of specific crimes, including crimes against persons and property. Students also will be introduced to the sources of criminal procedural law and the steps involved in a prosecution. Defenses and immunities to crimes will be discussed also.

This course offers an introduction to criminology and a survey of the major theoretical traditions within criminology over the past three centuries.

This course surveys the criminal and deviant conduct of youths. Theoretical and treatment patterns are also considered.

This course explores the theoretical underpinnings that attempt to explain and predict criminal behavior and human aggression, including investigation of biological, cognitive, social and other explanations. Additionally, the course investigates juvenile delinquency, psychopathy, mental illness, mass murder, sex offending, terrorism, white collar crime and the unique features and profiles of each.

This course explores psychological principles as applied to aspects of police officer’s career. Some of the topics to be examined are: the unique psychological stresses of police work, the effects of that stress on both the officer and his or her family; identification and management of the problem police officer; psychology of crowds; riots and their effective control; and the application of psychological principles to detective work. The interpersonal dynamics of the police with civilian complainants, victims, and violent, aggressive individuals will also be covered

This course explores the importance of scientific critical thinking and ethics as they relate to advancing scientific knowledge, understanding, and application of knowledge in the Social Sciences. Students will develop a firm theoretical and scientific background related to scientific critical thinking and values in the Social Sciences to become critical thinkers within their disciplines.

This course examines the process of scientific research in the social and behavioral sciences and the fundamental role research methodology plays in our understanding of human behavior and social affairs. Students explore the principles, ethics, and methods of social science research (correlational research, observational and survey methods, experimental and quasi-experimental design, variable control, secondary data analysis, and interpretation of results). Students formulate an original research question, develop hypotheses related to that question, and create a proper and detailed methodological strategy for investigation. Students learn how to synthesize existing research literature into a research proposal and develop an understanding of the formal writing processes used by social science researchers.

This course introduces students to both descriptive and inferential statistics. The following concepts and techniques are included: measures of central tendency and variability; sampling distributions; interval estimation; hypothesis testing (t-test, ANOVA); correlation and regression; chi square tests. Statistical software projects are required. Prerequisite: MATH 102 or 115 or higher

This course is the culminating, capstone experience in the social science curriculum. Students will review and discuss their course of study and its application beyond graduation. Students will work with a social science faculty member conducting and completing a research project exploring an area of interest in the student’s field of study. This will include data collection, analysis, a written paper adhering to APA standards, and a presentation. Note: A passing grade cannot be achieved without completion of the research project. Note: This course replaces SOSC-481 and SOSC-482 (no longer offered)

This course is designed as a culminating experience to integrate theory and practice in the context of an approved field-based experience under the supervision of the course instructor. Practicum requires completion of 150 clock hours on site along with coursework relevant to the student’s field experience.

This course is designed as a culminating experience to integrate theory and practice in the context of an approved field-based experience under the supervision of the course instructor.  Practicum requires completion of 135 clock hours on site along with coursework relevant to the student’s field experience.