Forensic & Legal Psychology Internships & Careers

Internships

The internship experience (FLP 599) is a highlight for students seeking the Master of Arts in Forensic and Legal Psychology. Marymount University’s location near Washington, DC, provides students with numerous, exciting internship choices.

Internship opportunities exist with federal, local, corporate, legal, and nonprofit organizations. Some examples include:

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (Honors, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, and National Security Division)
  • Naval Criminal Investigative Service
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
  • Drug Enforcement Agency
  • Defense Intelligence Agency
  • Department of State
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  • United States Marshals Service
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Arlington County Police Department
  • DC Metropolitan Police Department
  • Arlington County Victim/Witness Program
  • Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County
  • Court Appointed Special Advocates
  • Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
  • Federal Bureau of Prisons
  • Jury Services, Inc.
  • Northern Virginia Capital Defender’s Office
  • Public Defender at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
  • Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

Some students are already working in the field; but unless they have several years of experience, they are still required to complete an internship. Otherwise, they are missing out on valuable knowledge and skills acquisition, as well as the opportunity to apply what they’re learning in their classes. There are numerous options for students to ensure that they can conduct an internship while working and going to school.

The exceptions to not using a work site as an internship are as follows:

  • Students are completing their internship at their place of employment, but with a different unit and supervisor than their everyday job, or are completing a project or assignment that is not part of their regular position functions. This internship has to be applicable to the Forensic and Legal Psychology Program and approved by the Internship Coordinator.
  • Students are employed with a Federal Government Student Temporary Employment Program. This is still an internship, but students are in it for two years with the federal government. This needs to be applicable to the Forensic and Legal Psychology Program.

The exception to completing an internship is as follows:

Students have three plus years of experience in a current position that is applicable to the program.

If students do not meet the criteria listed above, they are required to complete an internship at another location in order to graduate.

For more information on the internship experience, please contact the FLP Internship Coordinator, Ms. Madison Schoenfish.

Careers

After graduation, students have found employment in a wide variety of positions, such as:

  • federal, state, and local law enforcement
  • counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence
  • probation and parole
  • intelligence analysis
  • insider threat analysis
  • crime analysis
  • correctional case management
  • victims’ assistance
  • criminal justice reform advocacy
  • forensic child advocacy
  • mitigation/sentencing advocacy
  • students pursuing the dual FLP/CMHC degree have also gone on to work in forensic mental health and correctional settings, providing such services as sexual offender treatment

Further Education

Graduates of the Forensic and Legal Psychology MA have also elected to continue their education by completing doctoral programs in psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling), policy studies, and criminal justice, as well as law school.