145 CE Hours
12 Self-Paced Programs
$4,150 USD Total
This certificate provides a structured, practice-focused foundation in criminal forensic assessment. Participants will develop the competencies needed to evaluate psycho-legal questions, apply current legal and empirical standards, communicate opinions clearly in writing and testimony, and manage complex ethical, cultural, and methodological challenges.
The program emphasizes real-world forensic application, including admissibility and evidence standards, ethical decision-making, culturally informed assessment, DSM-5-TR implications for forensic work, forensic case formulation, report writing, expert testimony, bias mitigation, and specialized criminal evaluations such as competence to stand trial, malingering, criminal responsibility, and high-stakes sentencing
- Builds core competencies for criminal forensic evaluation and psycho-legal opinion formation
- Led by nationally recognized experts in forensic psychology and forensic mental health practice
- Designed for real-world use in courts, forensic hospitals, correctional settings, and private practice
- Strengthens the quality, defensibility, and credibility of forensic opinions in high-stakes matters
Enroll in Full Certificate | $4,150 View Individual Certificate Trainings
Designed for Working Professionals
This certificate includes 12 training programs designed to build competency from foundational principles to advanced criminal forensic assessment practice. Delivered as a fully self-paced pathway, it provides comprehensive training alongside shareable, blockchain-verified digital credentials that demonstrate your expertise.
This certificate supports forensic mental health professionals who want a structured, practice-focused pathway across core forensic evaluation competencies, from ethics and cultural considerations to report writing, expert testimony, and evaluations used in high-stakes legal decisions.
Intended audience
- Forensic psychologists and other forensic mental health professionals involved in criminal forensic assessment and consultation
- Clinicians transitioning into forensic work or expanding into more complex forensic referral questions
- Professionals seeking to strengthen defensible, ethically grounded forensic decision-making
Experience setting
- Early- to advanced-career practitioners who conduct or support forensic evaluations, or who are building competence across foundational and advanced practice areas
- Professionals seeking to reduce bias and error, improve the reliability of forensic opinions, and align practice with forensic standards and ethics
Work environment
Court-involved and forensic practice settings where evaluations inform legal decision-making, including:
- Criminal courts and attorney-retained practice
- Public sector and correctional environments
- Hospital- and community-based forensic services
This certificate is designed to fit in with your professional responsibilities without sacrificing depth or rigor.
Self-paced learning - progress through the training on your own schedule
12 months of access - revisit content anytime throughout the year
Flexible completion - start, pause, and resume as your workload allows
Across the full certificate learning path, participants strengthen end-to-end competence in forensic psychological practice, including the ability to:
- Apply ethical principles to forensic roles, boundaries, methods, and professional judgment
- Integrate cultural considerations into forensic assessment and interpretation
- Use current diagnostic frameworks (including DSM-5-TR revisions) with attention to forensic implications
- Formulate forensic cases and develop treatment planning approaches aligned with forensic contexts
- Produce clear, organized, and legally relevant forensic reports
- Provide effective expert testimony grounded in the evaluation record and sound reasoning
- Recognize, reduce, and manage bias and common sources of error in forensic judgment
- Conduct evaluations for high-stakes matters (including sentencing contexts such as capital and juvenile murder cases)
- Evaluate competence to stand trial using best-practice approaches
- Assess malingering and response style as part of a defensible forensic assessment
- Evaluate mental state at the time of the offense (criminal responsibility/insanity) using structured reasoning and forensic relevance
The training is structured as a sequenced, practice-oriented learning path that builds competency across the full scope of criminal forensic evaluation. Participants will:
- Progress through a sequenced learning pathway covering the core competencies required for criminal forensic evaluation
- Build from foundational standards (ethics, cultural considerations, DSM-5-TR implications) to applied evaluation skills (formulation, report writing, testimony, and bias mitigation)
- Develop expertise in high-stakes referral questions, including competence to stand trial, malingering, criminal responsibility, and sentencing evaluations
- Strengthen their ability to move confidently through the full evaluation workflow, from referral question to defensible written reports and effective expert testimony
Digital credentials are embedded throughout the pathway. As participants complete key training components, they earn shareable, blockchain-verified digital badges that reflect specific competency areas. These credentials can be used to showcase specialized skills to employers, clients, and professional networks.
As all required credentials are completed, they stack into the full certificate, providing clear milestones along the way while building a comprehensive, recognized body of expertise.
Criminal Forensic Assessment Certificate Curriculum
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Training Instructors
Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP
Professor and Chief of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Tess M.S Neal, PhD
Associate professor of psychology and Dean's Professor
Iowa State University
Tracy Thomas, Ph.D., ABPP (Forensic)
Forensic Psychologist
Michele Galietta, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Amanda Fanniff, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
Palo Alto University
David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychology and Professor of Law and Director of JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology
Drexel University
Mark Cunningham, PhD, ABPP
Board-certified clinical and forensic psychologist and researcher
Patricia A. Zapf, PhD
Vice President for Continuing & Professional Studies
Palo Alto University
Barry Rosenfeld, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychology
Fordham University
Ira Packer, PhD, ABPP
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Frequently Asked Questions
A certificate program is a structured sequence of courses designed to develop both foundational and specialized competencies in a specific area of practice. Unlike standalone CE programs, certificate programs offer a comprehensive learning path and may include milestones, badges, and formal recognition of advanced training.
While this certificate is a standalone credential, many learners use it to supplement graduate training or professional licensure. It does not confer college credit at this time.
Yes. Upon completing all required trainings in the program, you will receive a digital certificate recognizing your achievement. You will also earn individual digital badges for each course, which you can display on platforms like LinkedIn or include in your professional portfolio to demonstrate your specialized training.
In addition, all trainings within the program provide continuing education (CE) credit. You will receive CE hours and a certificate of completion upon completion of each training. The full certificate program includes 145 CE hours. CE credit is available through approvals from the American Psychological Association (APA), National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), depending on your licensing board.
A certificate is a focused, non-degree training program designed to help you develop professional skills in a specific area, in this case, Criminal Forensic Assessment. It is typically shorter than a degree program and does not confer academic credit toward a college degree.
For self-paced programs, all required materials are included.
There is no expiration for the certificate or the digital badges once you’ve completed the program. Learners have access to each course for the duration of the certificate program, but course content access ends one year after you complete each course. While your credentials remain permanent, you will no longer be able to review the course materials after that one-year window.
There is no formal application or admissions process. You can get started at any time by enrolling in an individual course or purchasing the full certificate.
There are no degree or licensure requirements to enroll. However, the content is designed for individuals with a background or strong interest in psychology, criminal justice, or mental health, and some material assumes familiarity with clinical concepts and terminology.
Students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs are welcome to participate. The program is appropriate for both advanced learners and early-career professionals.
The certificate is delivered entirely online and is self-paced, allowing you to complete coursework on your own schedule.
Most learners complete the full certificate in approximately 6–12 months, depending on their availability and pace. You do not need to take all trainings at once. Programs can be completed individually over time, and you will still earn CE credit and digital badges as you progress.
There is no required training sequence, and you may complete them in any order. However, it is recommended to begin with foundational trainings as these provide important context for more advanced topics later in the program.
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