3 Interesting Courses You Might Take When Earning an MS in Forensic Psychology

1. Psychological Aspect of Cyber Crimes

Cybercrime is on the rise, costing businesses a collective $2.7 billion in 2018.¹ Hacking, identity theft, human trafficking, and cyberbullying are trends we hear about in the news—but what are the psycho-behavioral factors influencing criminals who engage in these activities? This course explores the roots of cybercrime, guiding students to identify distinctive traits in perpetrators and victims. You will also learn about the growing global problem of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children, using the legal system and social structures as a backdrop to aid understanding. Ultimately, you’ll come away with a deep knowledge of the ways technology enables perpetrators, and a keen vision for preventing and responding to cybercrimes.

2. Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue

Public safety officers, caregivers, counselors, and other helpers often suffer psychological distress after working with victims of traumatic events. A helper’s empathy can evolve into vicarious trauma, a terrifying experience of PTSD symptoms as he or she bears the mental burden of the victim’s experiences. A related condition, compassion fatigue, happens when a caregiver neglects adequate self-care and experiences a combination of exhaustion, heightened stress, and depression. In this course, you will consider ways to treat and prevent vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, drawing on wisdom from counselor educators, clinicians, and supervisors. The course includes several hands-on opportunities, including a needs-assessment exercise and the opportunity to make recommendations for educating trauma-response-helping professionals about dealing with vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. To conclude the course, you’ll interview a trauma-response-helping professional and create a wellness plan for the individual and their organization.

3. Criminal Investigative Analysis and Profiling

Crime scene investigators face complex situations and must take a structured approach, evaluating case elements using careful methodologies that take both scientific and behavioral perspectives into account. In this course, you will take on the role of an investigative analyst considering a criminal case, learning how to sort through and consolidate background information and apply offense-specific profiling concepts to the victim, the offender, and the crime. You’ll learn to develop logical arguments based on your investigation and create a written report to communicate them.