If you are interested in studying forensic psychology, either as a graduate or post-graduate student, this resource will be perfect for you! This article was written by the former EAPL-S representative for Greece: Vaitsa Giannouli.
Intro
In Greece, Forensic Psychology is a neglected specialty. Forensic Psychologists are now increasingly required in the Administration of Justice, Courts and Juvenile Courts, prison supervision and into various police forces, but the state does not provide official education on issues concerning law and psychology. Anyone interested in studying forensic psychology must study abroad or take relevant courses from Law (Civil and Criminal), Psychology (Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology) and Medicine (Neuroscience).
Forensic Psychology Programs
To obtain psychology diploma in Greece it is mandatory to complete full 4-year-long curriculum. Admission to these study programmes (apart from graduate admission examination) is defined by the Ministry of Education, which accepts and processes all entry applications. Unfortunately there are no structured forensic psychology programs in Greece. There are only a couple of undergraduate courses in the School of Psychology in the University of Crete, two elective undergraduate courses (criminology and forensic psychology) in the School of Law-Sector of Penal and Criminological Sciences in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and two elective undergraduate courses (Criminal Psychology: Clinical applications I and II) in the School of Psychology in the Panteion University.
Existing postgraduate programmes do not directly focus on forensic or legal psychology. There are some programmes mainly for legal experts:
A two-year MSc postgraduate programme in Democritus University of Thrace, Law School.
A recent two-year relevant programme of postgraduate studies entitled ‘The Contemporary Criminality and its Confrontation’ in the Department of Sociology of Panteion University.
No private or public institutions offer Master degrees on forensic psychology issues, but periodically seminars are organized across Greece. There are currently no forensic psychology PhD programs in Greece, so someone has to search for professors from different Schools who may be willing and able to serve as supervisors for forensic psychology theses. Three to five years is the typical duration for a PhD. Applicants that wish to be admitted to PhD Study Programmes (3rd cycle) must hold a MSc degree (or other equivalent) and they must satisfy all the requirements defined in the respective Internal Regulation for each Postgraduate Study Programme. In exceptional cases it is possible for a student to become admitted to a PhD programme without holding an MA or MSc after a legitimate and documented decision of the Faculty/School. In this case, the PhD student will have to successfully attend and complete a courses cycle as mandated by the Faculty/School. There are no tuition fees in public universities, but knowledge of the Greek language is required.
Associations
Another good way to study and stay in touch with professionals in Forensic Psychology is through the Association of Greek Psychologists. There are no specific associations for Forensic Psychology, but you may find relevant medical and legal expert associations such as
- Hellenic Forensic Psychiatric Association
- Hellenic Society of Criminology
- Panteion University Criminology Society
Who’s Who in Greek Forensic Psychology
Application areas and names of some of the established Forensic Psychology researchers in Greece are below.
- Criminological Psychology (University of Crete): Dr Olga Themeli
- Legal Psychology (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki): Dr Athanasios Zaxariadis
- Forensic Psychology (Panteion University):Dr Fotini Tsalikoglou
Journals
There are no official journals on forensic psychology in Greece, but you may find relevant information in:
- Atë, is a journal edited by Hellenic Forensic Psychiatric Association
- Psychological Issues, edited by the Association of Greek Psychologists
- The Art of Crime, an electronic journal edited by the Centre of Penal and Criminological Research
The Future
The future of Forensic Psychology in Greece depends on the expected changes in academic curricula. In Greece this field is growing in popularity and receives more and more attention, but it still has a long way to run!
You can email us at eaplstudent@gmail.com if you would like more information about studying abroad.
Best wishes from Greece!
– Vaitsa Giannouli