Membership in the Forensic Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Section

Academy Requirements

Both at the time of application and at the time the application is being considered for approval, an applicant for Student Affiliate status must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program that would support a forensic science career accepted by the section to which application is being made.  Each Student Affiliate must certify eligibility annually with the AAFS.

Student Affiliate status may be maintained for two consecutive calendar years beginning at the end of the calendar year within which graduation occurs. During the two-year period, once employment in a forensic discipline recognized by a section of the AAFS is attained, Student Affiliates will be required to upgrade their membership to Trainee Affiliate or Associate Member.

Section Requirements

NOTE: Please contact the AAFS office for requirements for applicants outside the U.S. (membship@aafs.org)

AAFS Basic Requirements for Student Affiliate must be fulfilled.

Academy Requirements

Trainee Affiliate status is limited to persons who have completed the educational requirements, but not the experience requirements for Associate Member in the section to which application is being made. Both at the time of application and at the time the application is being considered for approval, applicants for Trainee Affiliate status must be actively working toward completion of the experience requirements by participating in a training program or employment that supports a forensic science career accepted by the section. Each Trainee Affiliate must certify eligibility annually.

Section Requirements

NOTE: Please contact the AAFS office for requirements for applicants outside the U.S. (membship@aafs.org)

AAFS Basic Requirements for Trainee Affiliate must be fulfilled.

Academy Requirements

Academy membership shall be available only to those persons of professional competence, integrity, and good moral character:

1. who are actively engaged in the field of forensics sciences and who have made some significant contribution to the literature of forensic sciences, or
2. who have advanced the cause of forensic science in some other significant manner, and
3. who satisfy the requirements for membership of the section applied to or recommended for, and
4. who have earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, or from a non-U.S. college or university bearing equivalent accreditation.

Section Requirements

1. AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
2. Psychiatrists must hold an MD or DO degree, and have completed an ACGME- approved residency in psychiatry, and must devote the majority of their medical practice in the specialty of psychiatry.
3. Clinical Psychologists must meet the following requirements: a. PhD or PsyD degree in clinical, neuro-, forensic, counseling, or school psychology from a program approved by the American Psychological Association, and completion of an internship approved by the American Psychological Association; or b. PhD or PsyD degree in clinical, neuro-, forensic, counseling, or school psychology from a program approved by one (1) of the six (6) regional accrediting institutions of U.S. Department of Education, and licensure to practice psychology in one state, and successful passing of the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP).
4. Research Psychologists must have a PhD in any other area of psychology not covered above, approved by one (1) of the six (6) regional accrediting institutions of the U.S. Department of Education, and have substantial evidence of multiple publications in the peer-reviewed literature of direct relevance to forensic behavioral science.

Academy Requirements

The criteria for promotion are applicable to all members seeking promotion to Member or to Fellow. Applications must be received and completed by October 1 to be considered for approval at the AAFS annual conference.

The criteria for original membership, as stated in the bylaws for the AAFS Basic Requirements, still apply to promotions:

Membership shall be available only to those persons of professional competence, integrity, and good moral character:

1. Who are actively engaged in the field of forensic sciences and who have made some significant contribution to the literature of forensic science, or
2. Who have advanced the cause of forensic science in some other significant manner; and
3. Who satisfy the requirements for membership of the section applied to or recommended for; and
4. Who have earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, or from a non-U.S. college or university bearing equivalent accreditation.

 In addition, the following criteria for service to the AAFS and to forensic science in general are used:

1. Service to the AAFS. This includes attendance at the annual conferences and participation in the program. Attendance at a minimum of one (1) conference is required for advancement from Associate Member to Member and one additional conference for advancement from Member to Fellow. However, if exigencies such as workload requirements, finances, or ill health preclude such attendance, this will be taken into consideration. It is AAFS policy that members who exhibit at the annual conference must pay the conference registration fee, if the exhibitor wishes to receive continuing education credit or count the conference attendance toward fulfilling a requirement for membership promotion.
2. Service in the general area of forensic sciences. This is intended to recognize the individual who performs outstanding service in the execution of his/her regular responsibilities but who, in so doing, is unable to excel in other endeavors.
3. Service in the area of forensic science research. Any contribution which the individual has made since his/her admission to the AAFS, or latest advancement will be given consideration.
4. Service in the area of forensic science education or training. Any effort (either by formal or informal curricula) to disseminate the scientific information which the individual has acquired throughout his/her career will be considered.

Section Requirements

While serving as an Associate Member, the applicant must:

1. Fulfill the AAFS Basic Requirements for Promotion; and
2. Register and attend a minimum of one (1) annual conference of the AAFS. The conference at which the title of Associate Member was conferred, if attended, may be counted; however, the conference at which the title of Member is being considered shall not be counted.

NOTE: Please contact the AAFS office for requirements for applicants outside the U.S.

References not required.

Academy Requirements 

The criteria for promotion are applicable to all members seeking promotion to Member or to Fellow. Applications must be received and completed by October 1 to be considered for approval at the AAFS annual conference.

The criteria for original membership, as stated in the bylaws for the AAFS Basic Requirements, still apply to promotions:

Membership shall be available only to those persons of professional competence, integrity, and good moral character:

1. Who are actively engaged in the field of forensic sciences and who have made some significant contribution to the literature of forensic science, or
2. Who have advanced the cause of forensic science in some other significant manner; and
3. Who satisfy the requirements for membership of the section applied to or recommended for; and
4. Who have earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, or from a non-U.S. college or university bearing equivalent accreditation.

 In addition, the following criteria for service to the AAFS and to forensic science in general are used:

1. Service to the AAFS. This includes attendance at the annual conferences and participation in the program. Attendance at a minimum of one (1) conference is required for advancement from Associate Member to Member and one additional conference for advancement from Member to Fellow. However, if exigencies such as workload requirements, finances, or ill health preclude such attendance, this will be taken into consideration. It is AAFS policy that members who exhibit at the annual conference must pay the conference registration fee, if the exhibitor wishes to receive continuing education credit or count the conference attendance toward fulfilling a requirement for membership promotion.
2. Service in the general area of forensic sciences. This is intended to recognize the individual who performs outstanding service in the execution of his/her regular responsibilities but who, in so doing, is unable to excel in other endeavors.
3. Service in the area of forensic science research. Any contribution which the individual has made since his/her admission to the AAFS, or latest advancement will be given consideration.
4. Service in the area of forensic science education or training. Any effort (either by formal or informal curricula) to disseminate the scientific information which the individual has acquired throughout his/her career will be considered.

Section Requirements

While serving as a Member, the applicant must:

1. Fulfill the AAFS Basic Requirements for Promotion; and
2. Be certified by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology in general and forensic psychiatry (or equivalents for international members), or be a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology/American Board of Forensic Psychology and Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (or equivalents for international members), or for research psychologists (admitted under Associate Member, C.4) who have attained the rank of Fellow of the American Psychology – Law Society (Div. 41 of the American Psychological Association); and
3. Register and attend a minimum of two (2) annual conferences of the AAFS. The conference at which the title of Member was conferred, if attended, may be counted; however, the conference at which the title of Fellow is being considered shall not be counted; and
4. Have served three (3) years as a Member or one (1) year in the event of participation in a joint session of the AAFS or scientific presentation in a section other than the Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Section; and
5. Demonstrate active participation in the Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Section. Participation may include the presentation of a scientific paper or serving as a moderator at an AAFS annual conference, publication in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, or active participation on a working committee within the Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Section.

References not required.