FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY IS THE APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES TO LEGAL ISSUES AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE NEED FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF SKILL IN TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS, CONSULTATION, SOCIAL ACTION RESEARCH, AND THEORY CONSTRUCTION IS GROWING. PROBLEMS SURROUNDING DETERMINATION OF AN OFFENDER'S OR PATIENT'S 'DANGEROUSNESS' OR FITNESS TO BE RELEASED IN THE COMMUNITY ARE CITED AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THIS NEED. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE DEMAND BY DEVELOPING FACULTY TO TEACH THESE SPECIALIZED SKILLS IN OTHER ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. A RESEARCH CENTER FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEMS ARISING IN THE AREA OF THE CIVIL LAW; E.G., DOMESTIC RELATIONS AND CIVIL COMMITMENT, IS ALSO PROPOSED. THE PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE INTERDISCIPLINARY BUT FUNDAMENTALLY PSYCHOLOGICAL IN NATURE. INTERDISCIPLINARY SUBJECTS SUCH AS LAW, SOCIOLOGY, POLICE SCIENCE, CORRECTIONS, ANTHROPOLOGY, MEDICINE, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE WOULD COMPRISE 30 PERCENT OF THE CURRICULUM. COURSES IN ACADEMIC PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, AND PSYCHOLINGUISTICS WOULD BE REQUIRED. FOUR YEARS OF GRADUATE WORK WOULD LEAD TO A DOCTORATE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND/OR PHILOSOPHY, DEPENDING UPON THE BALANCE OF THE STUDENT'S WORKLOAD. INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF SUCH SPECIALLY TRAINED PSYCHOLOGISTS WOULD PERMIT EXPANSION OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S ROLE IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM AS WELL AS MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO MEET CURRENTLY UNSATISFIED NEEDS. BECAUSE OF THEIR SPECIALIZED TRAINING, THESE FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGISTS WOULD BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO PROMOTE REFORM IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM. EXTENSIVE REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MPK)