Psychology, MA

Administrative Unit

This program is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research through the faculty of Psychology, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences.

Objectives

The Master of Arts program in Psychology offers concentrations in either Clinical Psychology or Experimental Psychology. The programs provide advanced training both for recent B.A. and B.S. graduates, as well as for individuals who have been in the work force for a number of years. Our M.A. program provides students with instruction related to working in a wide range of settings, including mental health centers, juvenile detention centers, child service agencies, specialized school services, residential treatment facilities, family counseling agencies, governmental and community agencies, teaching in community colleges, or preparing for study at the doctoral level (Ph.D, Ed.D., or Psy.D.). Although some students subsequently enter doctoral programs and complete their doctorate, many immediately accept challenging positions in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. Students may complete the program on a full-time (at least 9 credit hours per fall and spring semester) or part-time basis. However, all program requirements must be completed within eight years from the date of admission.

Admission Requirements

• Complete a post-bac/graduate application. The application may be found at: https://www.ApplyTexas.org
• Request for official transcripts to be sent to the Office of Admissions.
• Applicants must provide three letters of reference, two of which must be from past professors who are in a position to evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study, the third letter, if not also from a past professor, should be from someone knowledgeable of the applicant’s knowledge and skills in a work or volunteer environment.
• Take the Graduate Record Examination general aptitude test (GRE) and meet the minimum University requirements.
• Submit a letter of “intent”. This should explain reasons for applying to one of the Master’s degree programs in Psychology. The applicant should also indicate their reasons for selecting UTPB and their preferred option of either clinical or experimental concentrations.
• The letters of reference, GRE scores, and letter of intent should all be turned in at the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

All application information should be completed by April 22 for admission to the subsequent summer or fall semesters, and by October 22 for admission to the subsequent Spring semester. Late applicants may be reviewed in July for enrollment the subsequent fall semester, providing sufficient faculty are present to constitute the “Graduate Acceptance Committee”. A letter will be sent noting whether or not an applicant has been admitted to the program. If an application is incomplete, the applicant may be contacted requesting the missing documents. However, it is the responsibility of the applicant to submit all required materials by the April 22 or October 22 deadlines. Failure to submit all necessary materials by the deadline will delay admission consideration.

Regular Admission

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in psychology or related discipline
• GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credit hours
• GRE scores at average percentile or better
• Entrance Score (ES): 1600 or above: ES = (GPA x 200) + [ (GRE Verbal + GRE Quantitative) X 3.44]
• Three letters of recommendation (two must be from professors)
• Statement of intent (this should be no longer than two typed pages and explain reasons for applying to the psychology program)
• All necessary course prerequisites.

Conditional Admission

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in psychology or related discipline
• GPA below 3.0 – 2.5 in the last 60 credit hours
• GRE scores at average percentile or better
• Entrance Score (ES): below 1600 but is above 1400: ES = (GPA x 200) + [ (GRE Verbal + GRE Quantitative) X 3.44]
• Three letters of recommendation (two must be from professors)
• Statement of intent (this should be no longer than two typed pages and explain reasons for applying to the psychology program)
• All necessary course prerequisites
• OTHER EVIDENCE:
• A written explanation describing extenuating circumstances that contributed to low GPA. Personal Interview (telephone or face-to-face)

Prerequisites

Five undergraduate psychology courses (15 hours minimum) are required for admission to the M.A. program in Psychology.

• Introductory Statistics (i.e., PSYC 3301)
• Experimental Psychology (i.e., PSYC 3403) or Research Methods in Psychology
• Theories of Personality (i.e., PSYC 3322)
• Physiological Psychology (i.e., PSYC 4304), or the equivalent, such as Biological Foundations of Behavior, or PSYC 6306 Psychopharmacology  
• An advanced, junior or senior level, course in psychology. Students interested in pursuing the M.A. in Clinical Psychology program are encouraged to take PSYC 4351, Tests and Measurement, as it is prerequisite or corequisite for two graduate testing courses required for the clinical concentration (PSYC 6351  and PSYC 6352).

Students with deficiencies in these prerequisites may be granted “conditional” admission status, and must take the specified prerequisite courses and earn a minimum grade of B during the first two semesters the student is enrolled conditionally in the program. Students may enroll in the necessary undergraduate courses (PSYC 3301, Statistics; and/or PSYC 3404, Experimental Psychology; PSYC 3322, Theories of Personality; and/or PSYC 4304, Physiological Psychology (or PSYC 6306 Psychopharmacology ) and in selected graduate courses concurrently. Note, all graduate courses are taught in the evening at UTPB. However, the undergraduate courses that are prerequisite courses may or may not be offered in the evening; we attempt to offer the undergraduate prerequisite courses at least once every two years in the late afternoon or early evening.

University policy permits some graduate coursework taken while students are classified as “provisional”. Specifically, students may apply six graduate credit hours without petitioning (and a maximum of nine with petition) toward the degree. Graduate hours in excess of nine cannot be applied to the Master’s degree. Further, courses in which students have earned a grade of less than “B” (i.e. a grade of “C” or less) are not transferrable to the degree program.

MA Thesis or Non-Thesis MA Project Requirement

Students in the Experimental Psychology concentration must complete a thesis. Students in the Clinical Psychology concentration may select either the thesis option or the non-thesis “project” option. Although there are differences between the thesis and non-thesis options, both are capstone courses which provide the student the opportunity to work with a graduate faculty member as supervisor.

The Clinical Psychology concentration allows a choice between the MA Thesis or the MA Project. Both emphasize core clinical/counseling content, basic research skills, and professional skills. Students who intend to proceed with doctoral work are encouraged to complete the MA Thesis. Students who want to practice in psychology and who will seek licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) after the award of the MA degree may consider the MA Project.

MA Thesis. Generally, a thesis is an empirical research study, written in APA-style, which includes an abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, and reference sections along with relevant appendixes (refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) for instructions on formatting your thesis). The purpose of the thesis is to enable the student to demonstrate:

• A thorough knowledge of some area of research
• The ability to design, justify, and carry out a research project that has the potential for furthering the knowledge of the area of research
• The ability to report research in a clear and concise manner using the guidelines set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition). Henceforth referred to as APA style.

MA Project. Working under the direction of a graduate faculty member, the MA Project may take one of several forms: a review of the literature on a topic in clinical psychology; completion of a case study; participation in an off-campus clinical internship and culminating reflection paper; or the testing of hypotheses and the collection and analysis of data. A case study, as defined here, is a thorough investigation of a single person, specific social group, or social event, in which data are gathered.