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Canyon College

online Introduction to Forensic Psychology course at Canyon College forensic psychology department

COURSE SYLLABUS: Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Course Title: PY505 - Introduction to Forensic Psychology
Department: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Instructor: This course is available now. Instructors assigned as required.

Software Requirements NOTE: If you do not have MS Office or can not afford it, go to http://www.openoffice.org and download the FREE generic version that is fully compatible.

Course Description

Upon completion of this course the student will have an understanding of the roles of mental health professionals in the legal system. The course topics will include: an introduction to forensic psychology, the use of psychology in civil and criminal proceedings, intervening with offenders and ethical issues in forensic psychology.

Methods of Instruction Required Texts  Online Bookstore

Hess, A & Weiner, (2005/2006). The Handbook of Forensic Psychology 3rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN-13: 9780471692324  ISBN: 0471692328

Grading

The course grading will be based on a midterm essay, a final essay and a project paper. The points will be distributed as follows:

300 Midterm Essay
300 Final Essay
400 Project Paper

The grading scale is:
A 90 - 100%
B 80 - 89%
C 70 - 79%
D 60 - 69%
F 59% and below

Course Schedule

All reading assignments are in The Handbook of Forensic Psychology

Week One: Week Two: Week Three: Week Four: Week Five: Week Six: Week Seven: Week Eight: APA FORMAT REQUIRED CORRECT FORMAT IS A PART OF YOUR GRADE
For all writing assignments in this class you are required to use the American Psychological Association (APA) 5th Edition style of format and source citation. An example of this can be found at the OWL site. Below the OWL site is a link for citing e-sources. Use the link below to resolve any questions you may have about APA format. You may also request a model APA paper from me by email. Here is a web link for additional information:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html#General%20Format

http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html for electronic citations.

Plagiarism

Main Entry: pla·gia·rize
Function: verb
Etymology: plagiary
transitive senses: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source
intransitive senses: to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
Do not plagiarize! I use an Internet service to scan all papers. If I find a plagiarized paper, you will receive an F for that paper. A second offense results summary expulsion with an F.

Midterm Paper: In a 1500 word or more paper, summarize your learning to Chapter 18 as it relates to your career goals.

Final Exam: In a 1500 word or more paper, summarize your learning from Chapter 19 to Chapter 27 as it relates to your career goals.

Project Paper: Given the hypothetical case given below and utilizing the sum total of your learning, write a 2000 word scholarly paper covering the following items:
  1. Identify the problem, include methods of verification
  2. Identify solutions, cite sources
  3. Design a treatment plan to recommend to the court
  4. Prepare a summary of your testimony
  5. Support your findings and recommendations vigorously with citations. A recommended balance for APA style papers is two references for every 500 words.
Roger is a 25 year old male with a criminal history of misdemeanors. He is in court this time for a DWI. You strongly suspect by physical signs that he is afflicted with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. http://www.rsoa.org/lectures/07/07.ppt#660 give it time to load. Follow steps 1-5.