MA in Forensic Psychology

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

George Washington University

Program Overview

The MA in Forensic Psychology at George Washington University examines how psychological principles can be applied within the legal and criminal justice systems, combining areas such as psychopathology, criminal behavior, psychological assessment, ethics, and expert testimony with practical externship training. It is well suited to students interested in law enforcement, homeland security, corrections, victim services, investigative psychology, criminal profiling, or psychological evaluation, with two informal study paths: Applied Forensics and Applied Psychology.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students build the core foundation of forensic psychology through courses such as FORP 6101: Psychology and the Legal System I, FORP 6103: Theories of Criminal Behavior, FORP 6104: Psychopathology, FORP 6105: Basics of Psychological Assessment, FORP 6106: Ethics in Forensic Psychology, and FORP 6107: Research and Statistics. This stage develops an understanding of criminal behavior, mental health, assessment methods, ethical practice, and the relationship between psychology and the legal system.

Year 2: Students advance toward professional application through FORP 6102: Psychology and the Legal System II, FORP 6108: Consultation and Testimony, and FORP 6130: Practicum/Externship, while selecting electives aligned with their interests. The Applied Forensics path can include Investigative Interrogation and Interviewing, Psychological Profiling, Police Psychology, and Counterintelligence, while the Applied Psychology path offers subjects such as Forensic Psychological Assessment, Victimology, Evaluation and Treatment of Sex Offenders, and Individuals with Mental Illness in the Legal System. Students also complete a comprehensive examination.

Focus areas: Applied Forensics, Applied Psychology, investigative psychology, criminal profiling, threat assessment, psychological assessment, offender rehabilitation, victimology, law enforcement, homeland security, corrections, and the relationship between psychology and the legal system.

Learning outcomes: Graduates develop knowledge of psychological concepts used in legal settings and skills in criminal-behavior analysis, psychological assessment, consultation, testimony, investigation, profiling, ethical decision-making, and the evaluation or treatment of justice-involved individuals and victims.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The MA in Forensic Psychology is offered through GW’s Professional Psychology program; GW specifically lists APA accreditation for its PsyD in Clinical Psychology, but does not identify the MA in Forensic Psychology as an APA-accredited program, so no separate professional accreditation should be attributed to this MA.

Reputation (employability rankings): The George Washington University ranked tied 59th among 427 U.S. institutions in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking, according to GW’s official September 2026 announcement. The university also highlights the program’s location in the nation’s capital and its externship connections with professional settings as important features of the Forensic Psychology experience.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MA in Forensic Psychology at George Washington University places practical experience at the center of the program through coursework, assessment training, research and statistics, consultation and testimony, and a required 250-hour practicum/externship. Students can tailor their externship to their professional interests and gain direct exposure to forensic settings across the Washington, D.C., area, while small classes at GW’s Alexandria Graduate Education Center support discussion and applied learning.

The program’s two curriculum paths also allow students to develop different practical skill sets: Applied Forensics includes investigative interrogation and interviewing, psychological profiling, counterintelligence, and investigative/police psychology, while Applied Psychology focuses on forensic assessment, rehabilitation and treatment, victimology, substance-abuse evaluation and treatment, and mental illness within the legal system. These opportunities connect classroom learning with real forensic organizations, research environments, treatment settings, correctional institutions and legal-service organizations:

250-hour externship: Every student is required to complete 250 hours of externship training, with placements tailored to professional interests. The program provides a list of approved sites, and students may petition to have an additional site approved when its activities are relevant to forensic psychology.
Externship settings: Approved and example placement environments include law enforcement agencies, mental health treatment sites, research sites, correctional institutions, public defender’s offices, prosecutor’s offices, and private psychology or law practices.
Psychological assessment: FORP 6105: Basics of Psychological Assessment gives students foundational assessment knowledge, while FORP 6110: Forensic Psychological Assessment provides a more specialized option within the Applied Psychology path.
Investigative skills: Students pursuing Applied Forensics can develop skills through FORP 6117: Investigative Interrogation and Interviewing, FORP 6118: Psychological Profiling, FORP 6119: Police Psychology, FORP 6120: Counterintelligence, and FORP 6129: Investigative and Police Psychology.
Treatment-focused experience: Students following Applied Psychology can study rehabilitation and treatment of incarcerated individuals, evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, substance-abuse evaluation and treatment, victimology, and individuals with mental illness in the legal system through specialized electives.
Research and statistics: FORP 6107: Research and Statistics develops research-oriented skills relevant to forensic psychology, while the program’s externship opportunities can place students in research settings.
Expert testimony and consultation: FORP 6108: Consultation and Testimony gives students academic preparation in communicating psychological expertise within legal contexts, complementing the program’s applied forensic training.
Specialized learning environment: Classes are held at GW’s Alexandria Graduate Education Center, and the program states that classes are small to encourage productive discussion. The center is the designated teaching location for the Forensic Psychology program.
Library resources: Students have access to Gelman Library’s Forensic Psychology Collection, specifically identified by GW as a graduate-student resource for the program.
Career and academic support: Program resources include CCAS Graduate Advising, Graduate Career Services and DegreeMAP, alongside the Forensic Psychology Collection at Gelman Library.
Washington, D.C. professional environment: The program’s location provides access to a wide range of federal and local law-enforcement agencies, legal organizations, social-service organizations, research sites and organizations serving victims and offenders, which directly supports its externship model.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MA in Forensic Psychology prepares graduates for professional work at the intersection of psychology, law, criminal justice, corrections, victim services, and homeland security. GW reports alumni moving into roles across federal agencies, law enforcement, correctional systems, courts, behavioral-health organizations, and social services, while others continue into doctoral study.

Typical career roles: Criminal Justice Specialist, Forensic Psychology Researcher, Behavioral Health Specialist, Investigative/Law-Enforcement Professional: the program offers an applied forensics path focused on criminal investigations and law enforcement, as well as an applied psychology path focused on direct services, assessment, and treatment.

Career services: GW’s Center for Career Services provides career coaching, career-preparation resources, internship and job-search support, employer connections, and access to on-campus employment opportunities. Graduate students can also use school- and department-based career services for specialized professional support.
Program career development: The Forensic Psychology program runs career-focused workshops in which alumni discuss professional pathways. Recent sessions have included alumni working with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center and the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Employment outcomes: GW’s official Forensic Psychology alumni outcomes page lists graduates working with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, DC Superior Court, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and other organizations.
Employment statistics: GW does not state a program-specific employment rate or median salary for MA Forensic Psychology graduates on its official program outcomes page. GW does publish broader post-baccalaureate outcomes, but those figures cover the university’s overall post-baccalaureate population rather than this specific degree and therefore should not be presented as Forensic Psychology outcomes.
Salary figures: A program-specific salary figure is not stated on the official GW Forensic Psychology outcomes page, so no salary figure is substituted from third-party sources.
Professional partnerships and connections: Students complete a required 250-hour externship tailored to their professional interests. Approved opportunities include federal and local law-enforcement agencies, clinical assessment and treatment organizations, legal services, social services, research sites, nonprofits, correctional institutions, public defender’s offices, prosecutor’s offices, and private psychology or law practices.
Alumni network: Recent alumni employers include the FBI, NCIS, U.S. Department of Justice, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, DC Superior Court, and several behavioral-health and correctional organizations, giving students exposure to a broad professional network through the program’s alumni community.
Accreditation value: GW is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), with its accreditation last reaffirmed in 2018 and the current reaccreditation process underway for 2025–27. GW also states that its Professional Psychology Program in CCAS is APA-accredited; students should note that this is distinct from claiming that the MA in Forensic Psychology itself has separate APA programmatic accreditation.
Graduation outcomes: GW reports that Forensic Psychology alumni commonly progress into homeland security, law enforcement, correctional systems, and social/community services, while doctoral progression is another established outcome.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into doctoral-level study in psychology and related fields. GW specifically describes the applied psychology pathway as a potential springboard for clinical work at the doctoral level, and GW alumni have subsequently pursued doctoral degrees, including a former MA student who went on to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology with a forensic emphasis.