Description / Duties:
     The forensic psychologist applies his (her) education and training in various fields of psychology to the field of criminal justice. They are often employed by law enforcement agencies to form theories about a suspect's behaviors and intent before, during, or after committing a crime. This can often be used to narrow a list of suspects or create criminal profiles of possible suspects. After a suspect is in custody, the psychologist may be ask to conduct an interview in order to determine the suspect's mental state at the time they committed the crime or to collect information about the mental state or past history of that suspect which will help the detectives or other law enforcement officials develop a line of questioning for the interrogation. They can also perform the same function when interviewing the victims of crime or potential witnesses.
     Forensic psychologist may also serve as consultants to attorneys, public defenders, judges, and other legal officials or representatives. As when working with the police, they will report the mental state of the accused before, during, or after committing the crime. They are often asked to act in an official and independent capacity for the court to determine whether or not the accused person is competent to stand trial.
     Some of these psychologists chose to work with the criminals once they've been sentenced. They may be hired by or serve as consultants at prisons, half-way houses, or alongside parole officers. Yet others focus their studies and practice on the law enforcement system by providing psychological support for the police officers, detectives, and other officials.

Schedule:
     The work schedule for the forensic psychologist depends on the organization for which they work. Some may set a standard weekly schedule, while others may include the requirement for the psychologist to be on-call and report for work whenever they are needed.

Requirements:
     While there may be a few colleges and universities that offer forensic psychology as a major, most do not. The person interested in pursuing this career most often majors in psychology and minors in other fields such as criminal justice or law. A PhD is required to become a licensed psychologist. There are some law enforcement agencies that will utilize the services of a person holding a lower degree and limit the duties involved because they don't have the license to evaluate patients.