As experts of both psychology and law, forensic psychologists work within the judicial system to support criminal investigations, assess accused criminals to determine sanity and competency to stand trial, serve as expert witnesses and much more.
Whether working on behalf of prosecution or defense teams, forensic psychologists are charged with the duty of objectively determining motivation and mental stability during criminal proceedings. Their findings have the power to influence court cases, ensuring that justice is served and that rehabilitative counseling is available when necessary.
Forensic psychologist, Dr. Christine Tellefsen, who rose to fame in Washington State for her analysis of Pacific County resident and convicted murderer, Brian Brush, has a uniquely illustrious educational background to support her forensic expertise. She received initial psychiatry training at MIT, completed a forensic psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland, and earned her M.D. from the University of Illinois.
If you’re ready to begin your career as a forensic psychologist in Washington, you’ll also start by gaining impressive educational credentials before going on to become licensed through the Washington State Department of Health Board of Psychologists.
Steps to Becoming a Forensic Psychologist in Washington
For step-by-step instruction on how to become a licensed forensic psychologist in Washington, review this guide:
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Psychology
Earning a bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology means being prepared with an understanding of the basic theory and practice of mental health in the context of the criminal justice system. Your undergraduate program would involve an exploration of psychopathology of the mentally ill, the incarcerated population, newly released offenders, and/or juvenile offenders.
Bachelor’s degrees in forensic psychology include, but are not limited to:
- Bachelor of Arts or Science in Forensic Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts or Science in Criminal Justice – Forensic Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts or Science in Psychology – Forensic emphasis
- Bachelor of Arts or Science in Forensics – Psychology emphasis
In these programs, you will complete 124-130 credit hours of courses, including:
- General education
- Core psychology
- Forensic psychology
- Electives
- Internship
- Capstone project
Core psychology courses would include:
- Statistics
- Research methods
- Research design
- Psychopathology
- Theories of personality
Courses specific to forensic psychology include, but are not limited to:
- Psychology and law
- Drugs and society
- Death and dying
- Psychology of sex crimes
- Criminology
- Victimology
- Crisis intervention
Once you complete your bachelor’s degree, you will be ready to move on to graduate school.
Step 2. Complete a Master’s and Doctoral Degree Doctoral in Forensic Psychology
Earning a clinical psychologist license in Washington State requires you to hold a PhD or PsyD.
Many doctoral programs in clinical psychology allow you to enroll directly after completing an undergraduate program. However, many aspiring forensic psychologists choose to pursue a terminal master’s degree first in preparation for post-graduate studies before beginning a doctoral program in forensic psychology.
Although each university is different, advanced programs in forensic psychology – both master’s and doctoral – often have stated admissions requirements that include:
- Bachelor’s degree at minimum from an accredited institution
- 0 GPA or higher
- High GRE scores
However, some of the more selective colleges offering doctoral programs may have additional admissions requirements, such as taking the Psychology GRE Subject Test, having a 3.2 GPA, or having conducted previous research.
Finally, both your master’s and your doctoral program should be APA-accredited.
Earning a Master’s Degree
Master’s degrees available to aspiring forensic psychologists in Washington State include, but are not limited to:
- Master of Arts or Science in Forensic Psychology
- Master of Arts/Juris Doctor in Forensic Psychology
- Master of Arts or Science in Psychology – Forensic Psychology
- Master of Arts or Science in Criminal Justice – Forensic Psychology
These programs include between 30-60 credit hours, including:
- Forensic psychology courses
- Internship/practicum
- Master’s thesis
Courses in these programs include, but are not limited to:
- Foundations of Graduate study in Psychology
- Criminal Behavior
- Introduction to Forensic Psychology
- Research, Theory, Design, and Methods
- Psychology of Personality
- Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis
- Lifespan Development
Once you complete your master’s-level courses, you will be able to gain hands-on experience and conduct first-hand research that will better prepare you for your doctoral program.
Earning a Doctorate
Doctorate programs in forensic psychology available through schools in Washington State include:
- PhD or PsyD in Clinical Forensic Psychology
- PhD or PsyD in Forensic Psychology
- PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology – forensic specialization
- PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology / Juris Doctor
The three APA-accredited clinical psychology doctoral programs in Washington are located in Pullman and Seattle.
According to the Washington Board of Psychology, your doctoral program should include, at minimum:
- 40 semester hours of graduate courses in specified curriculum areas
- A 300-hour practicum
- A 1500-hour internship
- At least one year in residency
- A dissertation requirement
Next, your practicum should include:
- At least 300 hours of direct experience
- At least 100 hours of supervision
Supervised experience within your practicum must involve activities that include:
- Discussion of services provided by student
- Selection of service plan
- Discussion of and instruction of theoretical concepts underlying the work
- Discussion of relevant state laws and rules
- Discussion of ethical principals
Finally, because you are aspiring to write your dissertation on forensic psychology, it is advised that you complete your internship and residency in a forensic setting, such as a correctional institute or juvenile probation center.
APA accredited internships and residency programs in Washington include, but are not limited to the following:
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System – Seattle
- University of Washington School of Medicine – Seattle
- Western State Hospital – Tacoma
- Washington State University – Pullman
- Columbia Valley Community health – Wenatchee
- Madigan Army Medical Center – Tacoma
Step 3. Complete 3300 Hours of Supervised Experience
You will only need to complete post-doctoral supervised experience hours if you have not already completed 3000 hours of supervised experience by the end of your doctoral program.
Most students complete their hours of supervision through a combination of:
- Practicum – at least 300 hours
- Pre-internship – up to 1500 hours
- Doctoral internship – at least 1500 hours
- Doctoral residency – at least 750 hours (or one year)
However, if you have not earned at least 3000 hours of supervised experience by the end of your doctoral degree program, then you can earn up to 1500 hours of supervised post-doctoral experience to satisfy the requirements.
Step 4. Submit a Washington State Psychology License Application Packet
Next, you will submit your application for examination and licensure. This application serves as your application:
- For approval to take the National Written Examination (EPPP)
- For approval to take the Washington Jurisprudence Exam
- For approval for a Washington Psychology License
To complete the application packet, you will submit:
- Psychologist License Application
- Professional Reference Forms
- Official Doctoral Transcripts
- $291.00 Application Fee
You can send all initial application documents to the Washington Board at:
Department of Health
P.O. Box 1099
Olympia, WA 98507
For any additional documents not sent with the original application, mail them to:
Board of Psychology Credentialing
P.O. Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504
Step 5. Pass the National Written Examination and the Washington Jurisprudence Examination
To receive your license, you will need to pass two exams: the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Washington Jurisprudence Examination.
Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)
Once the Board approves your application, you will receive an application directly from the examination vendor – Professional Exam Services (PES).
Once you receive the application, you will fill it out and return it to PES along with the examination fee. PES will then send you information on scheduling the date, time, and place of your examination.
For further questions, consult the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, which is responsible for the EPPP. The Association provides information regarding the exam, including:
- EPPP Exam Content
- Candidate Handbook
- Registration Information
- Practice Exams
Once you’ve passed the EPPP with a score of 500 or higher, make sure to send your scores directly to the Board.
Washington Jurisprudence Examination
The last step before becoming a Washington State licensed psychologist is passing the Washington Jurisprudence Examination. This is an open-book, multiple-choice exam that the Board administers each month.
Once the Board has received verification that you have passed the EPPP and completed 3300 hours of supervised experience, the Board will send you the examination electronically.
You will have 3 hours to complete the 25-question exam, but if you move on from an answer, you will not be able to go back and change it, so take your time finding the correct answers.
Topics on this exam will include Washington’s psychology laws, such as:
- Psychology Law
- Uniform Disciplinary Act
- Health Care Information Act
- Abuse of Children
- Mental Illness Act
- Abuse of Vulnerable Adults
- Psychologists Rules
- Whistleblower Complaints
- Administrative Procedures and Requirements
You must score a 90% or higher on this open-book exam to pass.
If you fail the exam, simply contact the Board to have another exam re-sent. If you pas the exam, you will be issued a Washington psychology license.
Step 6. Begin your Career as a Forensic Psychologist in Washington
As a forensic psychologist, you can choose to establish your own private practice and work as a forensic psychology consultant, or you can look to enter jobs in law enforcement, government, education, or nonprofits, such as:
- Expert witness
- Inpatient/outpatient therapist
- Juvenile delinquent therapist
- Juvenile probation officer
- Rape victim therapist
- Forensic clinician
Washington organizations and agencies that may look to hire forensic psychologists include, but are not limited to:
- Washington Corrections Center – Shelton
- Washington State Penitentiary – Walla Walla
- Monroe Correctional Complex – Monroe
- Washington State Supreme Court – Olympia
- Court of Appeals – Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane
- Support and Advocacy Resource Center – Benton County
- Sexual Assault Program – Clark County
- Beyond Survival – Aberdeen
- Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress – Seattle
Step 7. Complete 60 Hours of Continuing Education Every Three Years
You will need to renew your license every year on or before your birthday in order to continue working as a licensed forensic psychologist in Washington State.
Along with this, you will need to verify that you’ve completed at least 60 hours of continuing education every three years, consisting of:
- Ethics – 4 hours each renewal period
- Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management – 6 hours every other renewal period
APA-approved continuing education providers in Washington include, but are not limited to:
- At Health, Inc. – Snoqualmie
- Behavioral Medicine Research and Training Foundation – Port Angeles
- Washington State Psychological Association – Seattle
Forensic Psychologist Salary Information for Washington
Forensic psychologists earn high salaries for their combination of psychological and judicial expertise. Criminal profiling is one area that many of these professionals pursue, and legendary criminal profiler John E. Douglas consulted with police in Washington to assist in identifying and apprehending the Green River Killer. Other forensic psychologists specialize in serving the court as expert witnesses in child custody cases or determining the competency of individuals to stand trial.
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, healthcare services, including mental health care, is provided to approximately 19,500 incarcerated individuals by more than 800 healthcare professionals and support personnel.
The Center for Forensic Services at Western State Hospital just outside of Tacoma has 500 patients that include defendants being evaluated for their mental state at the time of their offense and/or inpatient evaluation for competency to stand trial. Additionally, a number of forensic psychologists work with mentally ill inmates.
Salaries for Washington’s Forensic Psychologists
As of May 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that forensic psychologists in Washington earned an average salary of $105,640 – or about $16,000 more than the national average of $89,010 for this profession.
Early-career forensic psychologists in Washington earned about $96,200 as of May 2021, according to the BLS, while those with the most experience earned more than $131,210 during this time.
Job Growth for Forensic Psychologists in Washington
Strong salaries here are supported by a growing profession that is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the BLS projects that in the ten years leading up to 2028, the number of forensic psychologist jobs in Washington will grow by 17.2% – that’s much higher than the national projected growth rate of 11% for this profession during this time.
Forensic Psychologist Salaries Throughout Washington
As of May 2021, the Seattle metro area ranked among the top metro areas in the nation for its average pay of forensic psychologists. Here, those at the peak of their professional career earned about $131,210, mirroring the state average for this group.
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for psychologists, all other. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2022.