Best Forensic Psychology Master's Programs Online

When I finished my Bachelors degree I knew I had to continue my education to land a career that I would love, I decided to attend Capella because of the programs that I could chose from and the support from their staff. It was an easy transition for me and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I would be successful in this new step. With that being said I decided to continue my education in Psychology specializing in Forensic Psychology and Applied Research. This step has been one of the best decisions... Read More I have made to a successful future.

I started SNHU in the Forensic Psychology program in a December, right before Christmas and right after having major surgery. I did one class per quarter until I felt like I could take on more. I am not doing two classes per quarter while I work full time (and then some) and have been doing really well thanks to the awesome and supportive instructors, my super on top of it and lovely advisor, and the interesting work we are being given. I did a BA my BA in Forensic Psychology so having to re-do research... Read More methods classes was my only complaint because it felt very heavy in that but once I actually passed through those classes I realized that they ended up being way more helpful long term than I thought they would be. SNHU provides a great schedule, good classes, a nice curriculum, and flexible schooling all for a not too expensive price. I would highly recommend my program. I can't speak to the other ones, but Forensic Psychology was a win!

I am currently seeking a MA from Argosy University. I am in the Forensic Psychology program with a focus on Homeland Security. I absolutely love this school, the pace, and the format. It is easy to keep up with assignments and due dates. All of my professors are easily accessible and usually respond to questions within 12-24 hours. My academic and finance counselors are truly amazing and just a quick email or phone call away! They are truly invested in my success. I have recommended this school and... Read More program to many others.

The online master's programs at UND are excellent for the price and usability, as well as ease of mastery. The professors are all experts in their fields and very accessible to their students. The biggest pro is the price; you can go to one of the top rated program in forensic psychology for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. Plus, no North Dakota winters. You have to complete a capstone at the end of your studies which requires you to travel to the campus, which I think is an excellent... Read More way to meet the professors face to face and network with experts. The one con so far is that the lower level courses are taught by rote; one class consisted solely on reading the book, taking three tests and writing one paper. I think there needs to be more immersive learning in the courses, more weekly assignments to keep students engaged and on pace with everyone else. However so far I am approving of my choice to enroll at UND.

I received my Master of Science in Forensic Psychology at Walden University. I entered the program fully aware and prepared to meet the challenges. I took the accelerated program and finished ahead of schedule. The course was demanding and required my full attention. I also had a full-time job and an overwhelming degree of family dynamics. Barriers presented themselves throughout the entire program. Everything that could happen happened: I became critically ill, I was hospitalized with a serious... Read More medical condition, and I was financially challenged. To add to the pot my daughter suffered and injury at work that demanded my care. I wanted the degree and giving up was not an option. I did most of my assignments from my hospital bed. My laptop was my traveling companion. I informed my instructors I was having medical issues and they granted me leniency. My advisors were available and ready to assist me with any questions I had concerning my program. The program was well organized, and there were plenty of services offered for students to meet their goals. I am now in my doctoral program, which is a monster of a project, but I am ready to grow in intellect and complete the program with the intent to go out into the world and contribute to the betterment of society. My vision and mission are equal to that of Waldens. I believe if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen. An old saying, If there is a will, there is a way.

Argosy University provided me the flexibility and freedoms to not only be a full time student, but also work full time while raising a rather large family. The MA in Forensic Psychology was a particularly interesting and informational degree program. The substance itself was fascinating, however the course was not as simple as I had originally hoped. I had taken courses at a different online school where I received my Bachelor's degree. This program required me to submit and participate in a discussion... Read More board weekly. While I understand the reasoning behind this, I felt it took too much personal time away from not only my family, but also in my learning the course material. I would rather do my assignment and move on. At Argosy, there were no discussion boards to have to participate in. The assignments were posted for us online; we were given a due date; and we submitted them. There were exams. The exams were cumulative, which wasn't awful, but it definitely made me work. The final exam was perhaps the worst part. It was also cumulative and in essay form. We were given three chances to pass before we failed the whole program. This was frightening. I passed my second time, with the help of a tutor and a LOT of studying. The professors do give excellent feedback on how to improve and what needs to be done to pass. I'm very grateful to have passed that course for it has lead me to other avenues of interests and showed me a bit more insight into the Forensic Psychology field of study. It has taught me that I have no interest in counseling, but would love clinical psychology and maybe, more specifically, just plain old research; everything fascinates me. This school provided me with a great education, a boost of self-esteem/pride, and the motivation to continue my education further.

I do agree with most that Argosy is very expensive. I wish I had researched other more economical options. This is where my unhappiness ends. I started Argosy in 2008. In late 2009 I married and my husband and I relocated. School was put aside for a while. When I decided to return to school I was able to resume my degree but because of a lack luster undergraduate GPA (I had a good GPA for the 1/2 of the degree I had already completed) I had to take an academic writing course. I was a bit put out... Read More by this lengthy course which doubled my work, but in the end found it to be very helpful. I had one of my favorite professors in this course. I got a call once a month from my AA and FA. This was a bit much and I assume a computer generated their call lists to check up on my status and see if I had any questions. So, those that have written about no contact I think Argosy heard you and are making changes. I admit that when I left Argosy the first time I did get a lot of calls, At one time I asked not to be contacted by phone at all because they were wanting me to restart my journey. But, they are required by law not to call if you ask them not to and when I did they honored that even noting that I now wanted calls when I contacted them to complete this degree. My academic advisor has been great. I think Jennifer is my third or fourth since beginning school but by far the best. She has been helpful, prompt, encouraging, and even soothing when the work load got to be too much with my own personal dynamics and life. My financial aid guy has called regularly. He is always nice, but other than telling me that he got my loan money and discussing my progress in the course I have had no need to reach out to him. I am still waiting for him to call and tell me I won a scholarship (HINT). For those of you who have problems with your professors I admit that I had one or two that were strange or even inappropriate in their comments at times. I shared this concern in the course survey and hopefully this was pointed out to them. Overall I have had GREAT teachers. They were usually prompt in responding and very helpful. They encouraged critical thinking and discussion. I admit that I was a bit leery of not being face to face with classmates and professor but found that I was able to censor myself and my writing before submitting. I have had some GREAT classmates. I am not good with names, but recognize a few of the same people in some of my classes. Online learning is not for everyone. I do not think it should be used as the primary school for undergraduate degrees. I think that you need some self discipline, motivation, and encouragement to stay on task with the demands of these courses. If you are the type that flies by the seat of your pants a 5 week program is not for you. As for those who are upset about losing money if you drop a course this happens in all upper level education situations. This is not unique to Argosy and should not be held against them. Again, Argosy has been a great option for me in pursing a master's degree. I would not recommend this type of learning to everyone.