Curriculum & Course Description
To obtain a Masters in Clinical Psychology, 48 SCH hours/units (or 16 courses) are required of each student. The courses listed immediately below are the foundation courses and should be taken first in any sequence. Permission to waive or transfer credits from other institutions should be requested at the time of admission. Individuals are required to satisfactorily complete a written comprehensive examination as a part of the degree requirements. Specific requirements for the thesis or non-thesis clinical track, or the experimental psychology track are available from the Psychology Graduate Program Office.
Foundation/Core Courses
| Psy 6305 | Advanced Studies in Psychopathology |
| Psy 6311 | Advanced Theories of Personality |
| Psy 6320 | Advanced Perspectives in Physiological Psychology |
| Psy 6325 | Theoretical Issues in Learning |
| Psy 6332 | Research Design |
| Psy 6336 | Advanced Psychological Measurement |
| Psy 6340 | Multicultural Mental Health |
| Psy 6363 | Professional & Ethical Issues |
| Psy 6367 | Basic Statistical Methods (thesis track only) |
Clinical Application Courses
| Psy 6352 | Personality Assessment |
| Psy 6354 | Individual Psychotherapy |
| Psy 6356 | Group Psychotherapy |
| Psy 6364 | Supervised Clinical Practicum I |
| Psy 6366 | Supervised Clinical Practicum II |
| Psy 6368 | Internship (480 clock hours) |
Elective Courses: Two course selections are required, minimally, from the following list:
| Psy 6315 | Advanced Behavior Management & Self-regulation |
| Psy 6330 | Advanced Studies in Lifespan Psychology |
| Psy 6348 | Biofeedback and Self-regulation |
| Psy 6358 | Substance Abuse Treatment |
| Psy 6362 | Psychopharmacology |
| Psy 6376 | Directed Studies |
| Psy 6374 | Special Topics in Psychology |
| EdPsy 6393 | Marriage & Family Systems |
| EdPsy 6366 | Lifestyle and Career Development |
Course Descriptions
PSY 6305 Advanced Studies in Psychopathology
A study of the classification, etiology and treatment of abnormal behaviors.
Supporting outside readings will be emphasized. Prerequisites: Graduate standing
and 6 hours of psychology and/or consent of instructor.
PSY 6311 Advanced Theories of Personality A study of the development, structure and assessment of personality,with consideration of the major theoretical attempts to account for the psychological nature and behavior of man. Supporting outside readings will be emphasized. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and 6 hours of psychology and/or consent of instructor.
PSY 6315 Advanced Behavior Management
Behavior management and self-regulation techniques are presented in the treatment of aggression,
self-injurious, and health risk behaviors in the fields of mental retardation,
autism, and health psychology. Students will learn to
develop individual behavior management plans. Health psychology application in
regulating health risk behaviors including obesity, tobacco dependence,
impulse-control problems and other lifestyle behaviors are the main focus.
Opportunities for application and practice will be
provided. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and 6 hours of psychology
and/or consent of instructor.
PSY 6320 Current Perspectives in Physiological Psychology
In-depth study of the relationship between biological events and behavior.
Emphasis is placed on the physiological substrates of learning, memory, emotion
and motivation. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and 6 hours of psychology
and/or consent of instructor.
PSY 6325 Theoretical Issues in Learning
A survey of theoretical perspectives in learning and memory. Historical as
well as contemporary issues will be emphasized. Prerequisites: Graduate standing
and 6 hours of psychology and/or consent of instructor.
PSY 6330 Advanced Studies in Lifespan Development
A survey of the major theoretical traditions in lifespan development from
childhood through adolescence and adulthood. A thorough overview of major
psychosocial theories as they relate to adjustment and development during the
various stages of the lifespan are
presented. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and 6 hours of psychology and/or
consent of instructor.
PSY 6332 Research Design
Experimental research, methods and design in psychology.
PSY 6336 Advanced Psychological Measurement
Reviews theoretical and technical aspects of test construction, focusing on
standardized tests used in industry and healthcare settings. Instruction and
practice in standardized test administration and scoring, with emphasis on the
Wechsler and achievement tests. Prerequisite: Current admission to a
graduate program in psychology.
PSY 6340 Multicultural Mental Health
The course emphasizes the application of professional psychology practices in
the field of mental health when assessing and treating individuals from diverse
cultural backgrounds. Emphasis is placed on the unique psychological problems
associated with assessment and treatment of the four major minority groups in
the United States, namely, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic
Americans and American Indians.
PSY 6348 Biofeedback and Self-Regulation
An examination of the current research, theory and applications of autonomic
self-regulation and its implications for behavior medicine.
PSY 6350 Memory and Cognition
The experimental study of memory and of intellectual processes, including
pattern recognition, speech perception, attention, concept formation, thinking
and problem-solving.
PSY 6352 Personality Assessment
Development of personality testing. Study and administration of objective and
projective personality assessment techniques. Prerequisites: PSY 6336, PSY 6305 and admission to a graduate program with a major in Psychology.
PSY 6354 Individual Psychotherapy
Instruction and practice in technique of individual psychotherapy. Case
presentation and report writing. Prerequisites: PSY 6305.
PSY 6355 Psychology and Mythology
This course will study the impact and interrelationships of psychological
thought and mythological theory. The impact of the theories of Freud, Adler,
Jung, Levi-Strauss and others on mythology will be studied. Previous Course
Number: PSY 5355; a student may receive credit in only one course. Equivalent
Course: May be counted as ANTH 6355; a student may receive credit in only one
course. Prerequisites: 6 hours of psychology and consent of instructor.
PSY 6356 Group Psychotherapy
Instruction and practice in technique of group psychotherapy. Prerequisites:
PSY 6305.
PSY 6358 Substance Abuse Treatment
The Spectrum of approaches to treatment of substance abuse disorders will be
reviewed, including dual diagnosis disorders. Emphasis will be placed on
individual and group psychotherapy for these disorders. Common drugs of abuse,
including effects, side-effects and health complications, will be
presented. Prerequisites: Admission to a graduate program n a health
service field.
PSY 6362 Psychopharmacology
This course is an introdutory course in psychopharmacology for mental health
providers working with mentally ill clients. The focus of the course is to
expose participants to basic principles of psychopharmacology, common
medications used in the treatment of mental illness, and the most common side
effects of these agents. Critical thinking skills for determining the need
for referral for medication management, identification of side effects of
medications, and ethical issues in the use of medication will be
discussed. Prerequisite: PSY 6305: Advanced topics in Psychopathology or
comparable course.
PSY 6363 Contemporary Professional Issues and Ethics in
Psychology
Current ethical issues in the practice of psychology and related legal
principles.
PSY 6364 Clinical Practicum I
Application of psychological tests and psychotherapeutic procedures.
Prerequisite: Completion of core curriculum and designated electives for
Clinical Psychology.
PSY 6366 Clinical Practicum II
Application for psychological tests and psychotherapeutic procedures.
Prerequisite: Completion or concurrent enrollment in PSY 6364.
PSY 6368 Internship
Application of psychological tests and psychotherapeutic procedures in a
clinical setting. Students are supervised by a licensed psychologist as they
work in a clinical setting. A total of 480 clock hours are required for the
completion of the internship. Prerequisites: PSY 6364 and PSY 6366.
PSY 6374 Special Topics in Psychology
Selected topics in psychology. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
PSY 6376 Directed Studies
Individual readings and/or research on a selected topic under the supervision
of a faculty member with whom specific arrangements have been made. May be
repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Permission of
instructor.
PSY 7370 Thesis I
Design and complete a proposal for original research, approved by the thesis
adviser and thesis committee. A grade of "credit" is assigned
only after formal approval of the thesis proposal. If a grade of
"non-credit" is awarded, re-enrollment in the course is required.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
PSY 7372 Thesis II
Conduct and complete original research proposed in Thesis I, approved by the
thesis adviser and thesis committee. A grade of "credit"
is assigned only after formal approval of the thesis proposal (signed by all
three members of the thesis committee. If a grade of
"non-credit" is awarded, re-enrollment in the course is required.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.