Neumann University will offer a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology starting in the fall of 2022.

 The program is designed for people now working in law enforcement, corrections, social services or psychology who want to develop skills in psychological and intelligence analysis in the criminal and civil justice systems.  

The degree focuses on understanding, evaluating, and treating offenders and victims.

 The 36-credit program, which has an application deadline of February 15, 2022, can be completed in two years.

Kristen Acosta, a Criminal Justice professor at Neumann helped design the program.

She notes that a graduate “can become a juror consultant, forensic interviewer, or go on for a law degree.”

The master’s degree can also lead to employment in homeland security, correctional systems, and social services. Some courses will introduce students to basic criminal profiling concepts.  

The new master’s program will use the Analyst’s Notebook program, a visual software tool that helps students turn data into intelligence.

 It is commonly used by law enforcement, the military, and government intelligence agencies.

Neumann University has been using this program for the past several years with undergraduate Criminal Justice majors.

This software is used by all 50 states and Scotland Yard to track criminal activity.

Using these tools, students learn how to analyze financial information as well as identify relationships between individual organizations and their financial institutions.

Hands-on knowledge of Analyst’s Notebook is a benefit for law enforcement professionals who want to advance their careers, says Acosta.

Some of the courses offered in the program are:

• Intelligence Analysis of Organized Crime
•  Criminal Behavior
• Psychopathology
•  National Security Analysis
•  Forensic Assessment and Interviewing, and
• Intelligence Analysis of Terrorism.

The curriculum includes a group of required courses, with some flexibility to customize coursework based on individual interests.

In the second year, students may choose a traditional track or an intelligence studies track using Analyst’s Notebook.

According to Acosta, many schools in the Delaware Valley now offer separate master’s degrees in Criminal Justice or Psychology, but there are few graduate programs in Forensic Psychology, which combines the two fields.

or more information, visit www.neumann.edu/forensicpsych.