Program Requirements

Master’s Program Design

The program is designed to be completed in two academic years of full-time study. The University of Denver is on a quarter system, and students must attend fall, winter and spring quarters. The program focuses on three knowledge and skill areas and provides the necessary training for an individual to work as a Master’s level mental health professional in agency and institutional settings or under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist. The three areas of competency include assessment of a variety of populations, individual and group therapy across the lifespan, and consultation in a variety of legal and criminal justice settings.

Master’s Program Requirements

All students are required to successfully complete all courses, consisting of 72 quarter hours of coursework The two year course of study is designed to provide training in the areas of: the interface between psychology and law; applied forensic psychology; law courses relevant to the mental health professional; and research issues.

During the two year full-time study, students are also required to complete 18 credit hours of community field placement and supervision. Students must spend a minimum of eight hours a week at their placement. The supervised professional experiences include, but are not limited to: police departments, district attorney’s offices; probation and parole agencies; correctional facilities; law firms; victim advocate agencies; juvenile residential treatment centers; juvenile diversion programs; and treatment agencies working with offenders.

Clinical Competency Exam

Students will be required to take a clinical forensic competency exam in the spring of their second year. This written exam is clinical in nature and is modeled, in part, on the Colorado Licensing Exam. Successful completion of the exam is required for graduation.

Master’s Thesis

In lieu of the competency exam, students may opt to submit a Master’s thesis by the spring of their second year. Acceptable theses may include empirical research or a comprehensive theoretical study of a pre-approved topic. All theses must demonstrate evidence of original thinking and scholarship.