The Forensic Psychology Special Topics Intensive (FPSTI) is available for MS and PhD students who would like to participate in a training experience to gain a greater understanding and awareness about various forensic psychology topics.  The retreat provides students with an intense and in-person immersion into content, case studies, and scenarios by leading experts in the field that can be applied to work within the field of forensic psychology. 

The intensive retreat will include topics from various areas of forensic psychology that may include serial and mass murder, sex crimes and criminal paraphilia, psychopathy, police psychology, school and workplace violence prevention, threat assessment and risk management, cyber-crime, consulting and expert witness, and many more. The retreat environment is participant-centered and provides interactive training in which there is ongoing integration, discussion, practice, engagement, and reflection.

Participants in the special topics intensive will have an opportunity to take a deeper dive into content material and gain a greater understanding and awareness about specific forensic psychological topics such as sex crimes, homicide and crime scene investigation. Attendees will develop expertise in these special topic areas which can then be applied to their current or future employment in the field of forensic psychology. Participants will also begin developing an expertise in each of these content-related fields within forensic psychology by gaining the content knowledge beyond the classroom, exposure to specific forensic psychology assessment tools, and achieve a greater understanding of the application of this content knowledge within the field setting. 

Participants will be required to complete a series of pre-work readings that will help to establish a working context for the material that will be discussed during the intensive. Case study review, role playing, small group work, and presentations will be part of the FPSTI retreat. At the conclusion of the FPSTI, participants will have developed unique content knowledge and skill set that can be leveraged into work as future forensic psychology professionals.

PhD forensic psychology students who have completed Residency 1 and 2 may use this experience to satisfy their residency 4 requirement. 

The following are key learning outcomes you will be expected to achieve as part of the FPSTI training experience:

1. Develop a greater understanding and a more thorough knowledge base of a unique special topic area in forensic psychology
2. Develop an understanding of the practice and application of the content knowledge obtained to the forensic psychology field.
3. Develop skills to integrate knowledge of the application of the forensic psychology forensic special topics to various agencies including but not limited to local, state and federal law enforcement and criminal justice entities.
4. Exposure and familiarization with assessment measures used for work in various forensic psychology special topic areas.
5. Develop the ability to assess and critique research in the field of forensic psychology.
6. PhD Residency 4 Students Only: Develop the ability to present research findings and incorporate peer and faculty feedback into research development.

Forensic Psychology Special Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Mass and Serial Murder
• Sex Crimes and Criminal Paraphilia Behavior
• Developing Forensic Psychology Consultative Skills
• Cold Case Homicide Examination
• Psychopathy, Offender Typologies and Interviewing Techniques
• Police Psychology/Suicide Prevention
• Expert Witness Testimony, Jury Selection, Trial Preparation
• Current Issues and Trends in Juvenile Delinquency and Prevention
• School and Workplace Violence Prevention
• Cyber Crimes: The Offenders, Their Victims and Prevention Strategies