Thank you for your interest in ASU’s Ph.D. Program in Law and Psychology. Based on the questions that people have written in so far, we have created this FAQ that we hope will answer many of the questions that you might have.
First, some program basics:
- The program leads to a Ph.D. in “Law and Psychology”
- It takes 4-6 years to complete, depending on whether you have an existing MA/MS (only a BA/BS is required)
- Students complete a thesis and receive a MS in Law and Psychology in the second year of the program
- A comprehensive exam is required in year 3-4
- The full program is 84 credits, 30 of which are research
- Admissions are made only for the Fall semesters
- Transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement are required for the application. The GRE is optional and recommended only if you believe it will strengthen your application.
- Students apply to and are paired with a specific faculty mentor/advisor who oversees their training
What is the tuition? Will I receive financial aid? Will I be given a Teaching / Research Assistantship?
Like most similar programs, the PhD in Law and Psychology seeks to fully fund its students. ASU policy does not allow us to “guarantee” funding, but students are only admitted if we expect to have adequate funding to support them for 4-5 years. Funding may come in the form of a Teaching or Research assistantship, which involves 20 hours per week of responsibilities. The average amount of support for a 20-hour TA/RA academic year position at ASU is a $28,000-$30,000 stipend, health insurance, and full tuition remission. Summer funding is available (typically $8,000-$10,000), but is not guaranteed.
Can I practice forensic psychology with this degree? Is the program APA accredited?
Our program is research-oriented and not a clinical training program. As such, it is not intended to qualify you for licensure as a clinical / forensic psychologist. (And, as such, we are also not involved with APA accreditation.) If you are specifically interested in practicing as a psychologist, we recommend attending a clinical psychology PhD program.
What if I already have a master’s degree?
Generally, students with a thesis-based MA/MS degree will have 30 credits waived and will not need to complete another MS thesis. Students with a non-thesis MA/MS may have credits waived but will need to complete a thesis as part of the program. We examine each student on a case-by-case basis to see exactly which program requirements/credits can be waived.