Clinical-Counseling Psychology Specialization
The Clinical-Counseling Psychology specialization provides students with a strong theoretical and applied foundation in mental health counseling and prepares them to assess, counsel, and treat a wide range of mental health problems. Students will receive training in a wide variety of content areas, including normal and abnormal development, assessment and counseling of individuals experiencing mental health conflicts, statistics and research methodology, and the ethical practice of mental health counseling.
This training prepares graduates to practice mental health counseling in a wide range of work settings and provides a solid foundation for those wishing to pursue a doctoral degree.
All students are required to complete two semesters of internship and two semesters of PSYC 697 - Applied Training in Psychological Research . Students are also encouraged to take electives both in and outside of the clinical counseling area.
Prior to internship placement, students will be evaluated to assess their suitability for internship. Successful completion of internship is required for the degree.
Students in the Clinical-Counseling Specialization are required to pass a comprehensive oral exam which tests the student’s grasp and ability to communicate knowledge in major areas within the field. The comprehensive oral examination committee must include three faculty members, with a minimum of two faculty members from the clinical-counseling master’s area. Students choosing the thesis option must complete an oral defense of their thesis project in addition to the comprehensive oral exam.
Students in the Clinical-Counseling Specialization will be expected to maintain professional behavior and judgment and to follow the ethical principles established by the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association while in the program. Failure to do so may result in immediate dismissal.
Job opportunities for graduates include working at community services boards, psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse facilities, women’s resource centers/domestic violence shelters, correctional facilities, university counseling settings, crisis stabilization facilities, and other settings.
Coursework in the clinical-counseling specialization may or may not meet individual state requirements for the coursework required for licensure at the master’s level. It is recommended that students check with the state in which they will reside for specific licensure requirements.
Final Comprehensive Examination – Clinical-Counseling
The final comprehensive examination committee shall be composed of three faculty members, at least two of which must come from the Clinical-Counseling specialization. This examination is intended to examine the student’s comprehensive grasp of the field and is independent of a defense of a thesis if one is submitted.
For students who complete a thesis as part of their M.A. requirements, a defense of the thesis constitutes an evaluation of the research component of the program only. A separate exam evaluating the student’s comprehensive grasp of the field is also required.
Experimental Psychology Specialization
The goal of the Experimental Psychology specialization is to provide students with a solid foundation in the core principles of psychology, as well as with supervised experience in laboratory research. The program allows students to apply their degree as a terminal master’s qualifying them to (a) serve as an instructor at the community or junior college level or to (b) conduct research in applied settings. The program also provides students with an opportunity to strengthen applications to doctoral programs in any subfield of psychology.
Experimental Psychology students are expected to develop a breadth of knowledge in psychology, as well as to acquire research experience within at least two content areas. Students take area core courses, as well as additional coursework designed to meet individual needs. Each student is expected to be actively involved in research or some other scholarly endeavor under the supervision of a faculty member after completion of the first semester and until the degree is awarded. Each student must also undertake a thesis project based on empirical research and successfully defend the thesis project in an oral defense. The Experimental Psychology faculty promotes interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to the study of psychology.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Specialization
The I/O specialization is designed for those students who want to apply psychological principles directly to the study of work behavior. The student will learn how to conduct a job analysis, construct and validate selection tests, and evaluate job performance. In addition, students will examine workplace motivation , employee training techniques, workplace attitudes, diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI) at work, technology in the workplace, and organizational leadership/change/behavior. There is considerable emphasis on applied projects, group work and developing technical skills aligned with the working in the field of I/O psychology.
Students in this specialty may elect either the Master of Arts (thesis option) or Master of Science (non-thesis option). All students must pass a comprehensive oral exam in the I/O specialty area. In addition, the student working toward the M.A. will also be required to complete a thesis, which offers six semester hours of credit (PSYC 699 ) and complete an additional oral examination on that thesis. (See “Final Comprehensive Examination .) The M.A. graduate must also complete a total of 37 semester hours.
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