2009-2010 Catalog

PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELING

The Department of Psychology and Counseling offers the Master of Education degree with a major in counseling, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree with majors in (1) professional counseling and (2) marriage and family therapy; a Master of Science in Psychology degree with majors in (1) psychological associate and (2) experimental psychology (offered online), and a Specialist in School Psychology degree with a major in school psychology. These degree options are designed to help students improve their competencies in their respective fields by developing new skills and in-depth knowledge, which are requisites for assuming roles of increased responsibility and leadership.

Basic Procedures

Graduate advisors are designated in each of the major program areas to assist new students and those for whom graduate committees have not been appointed. The graduate committee chair, when appointed, assists the student in developing a degree plan and, along with the committee members, assumes the responsibility for preparing the student for the comprehensive examinations.

To receive full admission to any degree program offered in the Department of Psychology and Counseling, an applicant must meet all standards established by the College of Graduate Studies and all departmental program requirements and be recommended by the graduate advisor, committee chair, or the program admissions committee.

Students who meet the general requirements for conditional admission and are recommended by the department for full admission will be permitted to pursue one of the major areas in the department. Typically, the student admitted conditionally will be required to complete 12 semester hours with a 3.25 GPA.

To remain in good standing, students who have full admission status are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA. Students whose GPA does not meet the minimum may not enroll for additional work without special permission from the department head.

Consideration for accepting transfer credits will be given only after a student has full admission to graduate study. Credits transferred from an approved institution must meet the guidelines outlined in Limitations on Transfer and Correspondence Courses in General Requirements for the Master's Degree.

Admission Guidelines

• The student must be admitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
• The student must meet admission requirements as specified in the Application for Admission to the Professional Counselor Program or the Graduate Psychology Program. Application forms may be obtained from the department office or website.
• The student must return the completed application for admission and all documentation according to the following schedule:

  Fall Semester	July 15
  Spring Semester	November 15
  Summer Semester	April 15

• An admissions committee consisting of members of the graduate counseling or psychology faculty will convene every semester to review applications and make recommendations for acceptance or rejection of individual applicants. The following factors contribute to the decision of the admissions committee:

  • graduate admission status
  • performance in previous undergraduate and graduate coursework
• Additional coursework may be required if a student’s undergraduate degree is not in a field that is closely related to counseling or psychology.

  • Students seeking one of the masters of science degrees must have 9 semester hours in psychology, with at least 6 of these hours coming from upper level (junior/senior) coursework.
• All students failing to meet full admission requirements will be placed on conditional admission status until the first 12 semester hours are completed.
  • Students must enroll in coursework approved by a graduate advisor and receive a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or above on the specified coursework.
  • Students will not be permitted to enroll in additional coursework in counseling (CNSL), counseling psychology (CPSY), or psychology (PSY) beyond the first 12 semester hours if not fully admitted to the program.
  • If denied full admission, students may re-apply for admission after successful remediation. Students are responsible for this remediation following input from the graduate advisor and/or admissions committee.

Admission Review (all majors except experimental psychology)

Students’ admission status will be reviewed continuously throughout their course of study regarding their ability to develop competence in counseling, therapy, and/or assessment skills. Should a change in admission status be required, appropriate program procedures will be followed. Consult the student handbook or ask a graduate advisor for details.

Admission to Candidacy (all majors)

• Admission to candidacy is a requirement for all degree-seeking students. Upon completion of specific core courses, a student must be admitted to candidacy to continue progress on the degree plan.
• The requirements for candidacy are:

  1. Have a degree plan on file in the Graduate School and Department
  2. Be fully admitted to a Counseling, Counseling Psychology, Educational Psychology, or Specialist in School Psychology degree program and the Graduate School
  3. Have a 3.0 GPA and not be on academic probation
  4. Show satisfactory progress and acceptable standards of conduct
• For all majors except experimental psychology, submit an essay regarding the student’s learning as a result of taking the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire while enrolled in CPSY 550 or PSY 560
  • The essay must be introspective and utilize 16PF interpretation report information to address the student’s (1) reaction to the experience, (2) identified strengths, and (3) identified areas for growth as they relate to becoming a professional counselor, psychologist, or therapist. A fee must be paid at the time the 16PF is taken to cover the cost of materials and the production of an individualized interpretation report.

Comprehensive Examination

All counseling, counseling psychology, educational psychology, and specialist in school psychology degree candidates must pass a comprehensive examination during the semester in which graduation is anticipated.

Majors in counseling, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychological associate, and school psychology

Examinations will be administered three times per year. Examinees must have filed a degree plan and complete an application to be eligible to take the comprehensive exam according to the schedule that follows.

No examination will be administered other than on a regularly scheduled administration date without permission from the graduate advisor, the department head, and the Graduate Dean.

Comprehensive examinations will be composed of objective and essay sections. A student must receive a satisfactory grade on each section in order to successfully complete the comprehensive examination.

Section One. Each committee member will grade the essay questions that he/she submitted for the exam. The chair of the committee submits two questions, and each committee member submits one question. A committee member may choose to read a student’s response to all four questions.

Each of the exam questions will be graded on a 25 point scale. All four questions must be attempted. To pass this section, a student must receive at least 70 out of the possible 100 points. Points may be subtracted from an essay because of content deficiencies, grammar, or composition errors.

Section Two. This section of the comprehensive examination consists of a computer-graded, 100-question multiple choice examination over the course content of required courses. Each question is worth one point, and the student is expected to attain a score of at least 70 points.

Retake Policy. If an examinee fails either section of the examination, he/she may retake the failed section(s) at the next regular administration date. No one may retake any section of the examination more than two times without authorization from the department head and Graduate Dean.

Other Provisions. Blue books, furnished by the department, are required for all essay questions. Examinees will be required to purchase blue books at the door on the day of the test.

Majors in experimental psychology

An original research project will be proposed, conducted, and defended by the student in the form of a written thesis. The thesis will be done under the direction of a graduate faculty member as chair and two other faculty members as the student’s advisory committee. Refer to the Graduate School’s Thesis Manual for details regarding the preparation and submission of a thesis for approval.

Upon completion of the thesis, a final oral examination is scheduled with the student’s advisory committee. Major emphasis will be directed toward defense of the thesis, although the examination may also include related course work materials.

The oral examination may be attempted once per regular semester or summer. If the oral examination performance is not acceptable on first attempt, the specific area(s) of weakness will be identified to the candidate so that corrective action (additional review or course work) may be taken before the next attempt. No one may retake the oral examination more than two times without authorization from the department head and Graduate Dean.

Degrees:
Masters of Education in Counseling
Masters of Science Degrees in Psychology

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