John Jay College Of Criminal Justice | The City University of New York

Program Coordinator:Professor James Wulach

The Four-Year Forensic Psychology MA/JD offers qualified students the opportunity to earn both a John Jay Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology and a New York Law School Juris Doctor degree in Law which may be completed in as little as four years. The curriculum is composed of the existing required and elective courses for the MA and for the JD, requiring a combined total of 128 credits, including 42 credits for the completion of the MA Program in Forensic Psychology and 86 credits for the completion of the JD Program in Law. However, 12 New York Law School credits focusing on mental disability law will be credited towards both the JD and the MA Program. Likewise 12 MA credits from the John Jay Forensic Psychology MA Program will be credited also to the New York Law School JD program. Consequently, due to the 24 transfer credits applied in the dual degree program, the actual number of credits taken will be 104, resulting in graduation for full-time students in four years instead of five.

Degree Requirements

The dual degree will require a combined total of 128 credits, including 42 credits for the completion of the MA Program in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College, and 86 credits for the completion of the JD Program at New York Law School. However, 12 law school credits, from the NY Law School mental disability law studies track, will be credited both towards the JD and the MA Program. Likewise 12 MA credits from the John Jay Forensic Psychology Program will be credited also to the NY Law School JD program. Consequently, due to the 24 transfer credits applied in the dual degree program, the actual number of credits taken will be 104, resulting in graduation for full-time students in four years instead of five.

The MA Program in Forensic Psychology will consist of 24 required credits; 15 forensic elective credits, including 12 credits from the NY Law School Mental Health and Disability Law track; and 3 credits of externship. The JD from New York Law School will consist of 41 required credits, 12 credits from the Mental Disability Law Studies, 12 transfer credits from the JJC MA Forensic Psychology Program, and 21 additional law school elective credits.

Students will be required to complete their first full year of law school without John Jay MA courses during that regimen; and they are likewise required to complete their first year of the MA Program in Forensic Psychology (24 Credits) without NY Law School courses (except for those counting towards the MA degree) during that period. However, they have the option of starting their first year in either of the two degree programs.

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Required Courses

I. MA Program in Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (42 Credits, including 12 Transfer Credits from New York Law School)

Required MA Courses (24 Credits)

• Psychology 700 Mental Health Professionals, Social Science and the Law. *[1]
• Psychology 715 Research Design and Methods.
• Psychology 745 Psychopathology.
• Psychology 769 Intermediate Statistics in the Social Sciences.
• Psychology 731 Human Growth and Development, or Psychology 741 Theories of Personality and Counseling.
• Psychology 760 Counseling and Psychotherapy Methods, or Psychology 761 Clinical Interviewing and Assessment
• Psychology 734 Criminal Psychological Assessment *
• Psychology 754 Advanced Forensic Assessment*

Required MA Supervised Externship (3 Credits)

• Psychology 780 Fieldwork in Counseling .

MA Forensic Electives (15 Credits)

A. Mental Health and Disability Law Electives (Select 4 courses, 12 Credits from NY Law School, maximum one per semester).**[2]

• Survey of Mental Disability Law (CRI 507). Required for this Specialty.
• Advocacy Skills in Cases Involving Persons with Mental Disabilities: The Role of Lawyers and Expert Witnesses (ADV 600).
• The Americans with Disabilities Act: Law, Policy and Practice (CON 275).
• Custody Evaluations, Juvenile & Family Law, & Mental Disabilities (FAM 160).
• Forensic Reports, the Role of Experts, and Forensic Ethics (CRI 280).
• International Human Rights and Mental Disability Law
• Mental Disability and Criminal Law (CRI 260).
• Mental Health Issues in Jails and Prisons (CRI 250).
• Mental Illness, Dangerousness, the Police Power and Risk Assessment (CRI 275).
• Race, Gender, Class, and Mental Disability
• Sex Offenders (CRI 508).
• Therapeutic Jurisprudence (UCI 125).
• Trauma and Mental Disability

B. MA Forensic Electives (Select 1 course, 3 JJC MA Credits)*

• Psychology 701 Psychology of Criminal Behavior.
• Psychology 705 Victimology.
• Psychology 714 Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
• Psychology 716 Assessment and Counseling of the Juvenile Offender.
• Psychology 718 Social Science Evidence in Court.
• Psychology 720 Social Psychology and the Legal System.
• Psychology 726 Mental Health Issues in Policing.
• Psychology 727 Eyewitness Identification.
• Psychology 742 Family Violence and Disputes.
• Psychology 746 Empirical Profiling Methods .

II.J.D. Program, New York Law School (86 Credits, including 12 transfer credits from John Jay College of Criminal Justice).

Required J.D. Courses (41 Credits).

• Civil Procedure (REQ 100). 4 Credits.
• Constitutional Law I (REQ 200). 3 Credits
• Constitutional Law II (REQ 250). 3 Credits.
• Contracts (REQ 300). 3 Credits.
• Criminal Law (REQ 400). 3 Credits.
• Evidence (REQ 650). 3 Credits.
• Lawyering (REQ 600). 3 Credits.[3]
• Professional Responsibility (REQ 450). 3 Credits.
• Legal Reasoning, Writing and Research (LWR 100). 3 Credits.
• Legislation and Regulation (REQ 150). 2 Credits.
• Property (REQ 500). 4 Credits.
• Torts (REQ 550). 4 Credits.
• Written and Oral Advocacy (LWR 200). 3 Credits.

J.D. Mental Disability Law Studies Electives[4]. (Select 4 courses 3 credits each, 12 Credit totals, maximum one per semester)

• Survey of Mental Disability Law (CRI 507). Required for this Specialty.
• Advocacy Skills in Cases Involving Persons with Mental Disabilities: The Role of Lawyers and Expert Witnesses (ADV 600).
• The Americans with Disabilities Act: Law, Policy and Practice (CON 275).
• Custody Evaluations, Juvenile & Family Law, & Mental Disabilities (FAM 160).
• Forensic Reports, the Role of Experts, and Forensic Ethics (CRI 280).
• International Human Rights and Mental Disability Law
• Mental Disability and Criminal Law (CRI 260).
• Mental Health Issues in Jails and Prisons (CRI 250).
• Mental Illness, Dangerousness, the Police Power and Risk Assessment (CRI 275).
• Race, Gender, Class, and Mental Disability
• Sex Offenders (CRI 508).
• Therapeutic Jurisprudence (UCI 125).
• Trauma and Mental Disability

MA Transfer Credits from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (12 Credits). *[5]

A. Required MA Courses (3 courses, 9 credits).

• Psychology 700 Mental Health Professionals, Social Science and the Law*
• Psychology 734 Criminal Psychological Assessment*
• Psychology 754 Advanced Forensic Assessment*

B. Elective (Choose one 3-Credit MA Course).*

• Psychology 701 Psychology of Criminal Behavior.*
• Psychology 705 Victimology.*
• Psychology 714 Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.*
• Psychology 716 Assessment and Counseling of the Juvenile Offender.
• Psychology 718 Social Science Evidence in Court.
• Psychology 720 Social Psychology and the Legal System.
• Psychology 726 Mental Health Issues in Policing.
• Psychology 727 Eyewitness Identification.
• Psychology 742 Family Violence and Disputes.
• Psychology 746 Empirical Profiling Methods .

J.D. Additional Elective Courses. (21 Credits).

Students must choose an additional 7 out of 250 other elective law school courses from groups outside the Mental Disability Law track, including those in administrative law, externship and clinic settings, constitutional law, criminal law, history philosophy sociology and theory of law, international law, professional skills, public interest law, and tort law. Course offerings vary from semester to semester, and the full catalog and listing are available online at the New York Law School website, www.nyls.edu.

 

[1] NY Law School will accept starred JJC MA courses (*) up to 12 credits towards J.D.

[2] JJC will accept 12 credits of these online NY Law School JD Mental Disability courses (**) towards the MA in Forensic Psychology. Current American Bar Association (ABA) and American Association of Law Schools (AALS) regulations limit students to one online course per semester, though it is likely that this rule will be relaxed in the near future.

[3] This course is expected to phase out shortly and be replaced with a new course in "lawyering skills"

[4] JJC will accept 12 credits of these online NY Law School JD Mental Disability courses (**) towards the MA in Forensic Psychology. Current ABA/AALS regulations limit students to one online course per semester, though it is likely that this rule will be relaxed in the near future.

[5] NY Law School will accept starred JJC MA courses (*) up to 12 credits towards J.D.