Bachelor's Degree

• Aspiring criminal psychologists usually obtain degrees in either psychology or criminal justice as an undergraduate student. Many students take criminal justice and a double major or minor in psychology. This best helps prepare them for a career as a criminal psychologist. Some of the criminal psychology courses students will have to take include sex offender treatment and harassment, mental health laws and behavioral criminology.
  
  

Master's Degree

• After completing an undergraduate degree, aspiring criminal psychologists can complete a master's degree in either clinical or forensic psychology before pursuing a doctorate. Some of the courses that are required for a master's degree in psychology include advanced general psychology theory and methodology and ethics.
  
  

Doctorate

• Aspiring psychologists must complete an undergraduate degree followed by five years of full-time graduate work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Original research is required for to earn a doctorate from an accredited university.
  
  

Certification

• The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) provides psychologists with the opportunity to receive certification in 13 areas, including forensics, or criminal investigations. Aspiring criminal psychologists should complete a doctoral degree followed by certification as a forensic psychologist from the American Board of Professional Psychology. To become board-certified as a forensic psychologist, psychologists must take a state examination for that designation in the state they have a desire to practice in. Aside from passing a state examination, those wishing to obtain certification must also perform postdoctoral training in their specialty with on the job experience and recommendations from professionals within the field of criminal psychology.
  
  

Salary Prospects

• Forensic psychologists can earn as much as $84,633 a year, according to Pay Scale.com.