The Master of Legal and Forensic Psychology Program at UC Irvine is a two-year professional degree program. Students are required to complete 52 credits of graduate courses. Preceding the first fall quarter of instruction, students will attend a one-week, mandatory in-residence course. During each of the two following academic years, students will complete 6 online courses. Each quarter consists of 2 online courses. A sample schedule for the first summer and first academic year is provided below:
Mandatory Introduction Course On the UCI Campus
P200- Introduction to Legal and Forensic Psychology (4 units) - Though the majority of the program is online, students are required to take a mandatory introductory course on the UCI campus at the beginning of their course of study — "Introduction to Legal and Forensic Psychology." This accelerated 5-day introductory course is normally scheduled in late August/early September, prior to the start of fall quarter. This course is scheduled for Sunday (evening) September 7th - Friday, September 12th, 2025 for Fall 2025.
Year 1 Coursework
Fall Quarter
- P202- Quantitative Methods (4 units)
- P215- Psychology & Law (4 units)
Winter Quarter
- P208- Research Methods (4 units)
- P224- One elective course (4 units)
Spring Quarter
- P222- Forensic Assessment (4 units)
- P242 -Legal Reasoning (4 units)
Year 2 Coursework
Fall Quarter
- One elective course (4 units)
- One elective course (4 units)
Winter Quarter
- Capstone Requirement (4 units)
- One elective course (4 units)
Spring Quarter
- One elective course (4 units)
- One elective course (4 units)
Example Electives (please note that Electives are subject to change):
- Children and the Law
- Sex and the Law
- Race and the Law
- Mental Health and the Law
- Clinical Interviewing and Treatment
- Family and the Law
- Psychosis and the Law
- Addiction and the Law
Capstone Course
In lieu of a thesis, students are required to take a capstone course in the winter quarter of the second year of study. Students will be required to write an independent term paper as the culmination of their coursework in the program. Students will demonstrate how the knowledge and skills learned in this program can be applied to a research project. Students may select a topic of their choice that is relevant to legal and forensic psychology, and write a paper that shows originality and thoroughness in the conception and systematic treatment of the topic.
Program Competencies
- Engage in Social Science Inquiry - Formulate questions and effectively locate, summarize, and evaluate social science research to answer those questions
- Interpret & Use Data Evidence - Critically consume and use data and representations of data by evaluating their relative strengths and limitations as evidence
- Synthesize Research - Summarize and combine theories, concepts, and research evidence to answer questions and solve problems
- Communicate & Collaborate with Stakeholder Partners - Value communication and collaboration as tools for negotiating, creating, and implementing new solutions
- Create & Apply Solutions - Work to solve local, national, and international problems at the intersection of psychology and law with the goal of strengthening communities and improving lives
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Engage as Empowered Actors - Act within professional communities in a way that both embodies personal values and beliefs as well as aligns with scientific evidence