PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

www.bsu.edu/psysc

North Quadrangle 104, 765-285-1690

PROGRAMS

Master of arts (MA) degrees in clinical psychology and in cognitive and social processes

Admission requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School; have an undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; have a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000; submit three letters of reference, transcripts of all previous graduate and undergraduate course work, and departmental applications; and have taken undergraduate courses in psychology that include experimental design and methodology and statistics.

MASTER OF ARTS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

A two-year program designed to provide training consistent with that expected of a scientist-practitioner clinical psychologist.

Degree requirements

PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE CR HRS

PSYSC 632 Abnormal 3

640 Assessmnt 1 3

644 Assessmnt 2 3

652 Intr Psythrp 3

653 Adv Psythrp 3

685 Clinical Int (3-6) 6

EDPSY 642 Interim Stat 3

PSYSC 616 Percp Cognit (3)

623 Theor Persnl (3) 3

668 Physiologcal 3

680 Res Meth Psy 3

691 Systems 3

696 Sem Divrsity 3

Additional requirements

Approved electives by the

graduate program director

and/or RES 697 or THES 698 9

———

48 hrs

PSYSC 623 is required if no undergraduate personality course was taken. The university research and writing requirement is met by PSYSC 680 and EDPSY 642.

All graduate courses in psychological science are required to include diversity as a course objective.

MASTER OF ARTS IN COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL PROCESSES

A two-year program designed to provide extensive training in social and cognitive psychology, research methods and statistics.

Degree requirements

PREFIX NO SHORT TITLE CR HRS

EDPSY 642 Interim Stat 3

PSYSC 616 Percp Cognit 3

617 Memor 3

618 Thinking 3

623 Theor Persnl 3

680 Res Meth Psy 3

691 Systems 3

696 Sem Divrsity 3

SOPSY 610 Social 3

615 Social Cog 3

660 Contemporary 3

Electives (general) 6-12

THES 698 or RES 697 or elective

approved by graduate program

director 3-6

———

42-45 hrs

The university research and writing requirement can be met by PSYSC 680 and EDPSY 642. All graduate courses in psychological science address diversity as one of the course objectives. PSYSC 691, SOPSY 610 may be waived if equivalent undergraduate course(s) taken.

Internship Placement

The department maintains a training agreement with local community mental health agencies, hospitals, and the university Counseling and Psychological Services Center. Clinical students complete an internship (minimum 400 hours) at one of these facilities during their second year.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Approximately 65 percent of students are awarded assistantships and partial fee remissions. In return, students help faculty instructors or assist in faculty research. Exceptional second-year students may be offered the opportunity to teach introductory-level classes.

Interdepartmental Cooperative Arrangements

The department maintains a cooperative teaching and research arrangement with the counseling psychology and educational psychology departments for maximum flexibility in training. In addition, the department is involved in the university’s Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE (PSYSC)

524 Psychology of Women. (3) Psychological approaches to the study of women with special emphasis on achievement motivation and dependency, attitudes toward women, development of sex-role identity, biological and social influences on women’s behavior, self-concepts and psychological conflict in women, and a critical appraisal of research in sex differences.

Not open to students who have credit in PSYSC 324.

573 Industrial Psychology. (3) Application of psychological principles to personnel selection and training, worker motivation and satisfaction, leadership, engineering psychology, and personnel problems in industry.

Not open to students who have credit in PSYSC 373 or equivalent.

574 Organizational Development: A Psychological Perspective. (3) Examines organization change and development techniques from the perspective of psychological theory and research. Emphasizes individual and team level interventions.

Prerequisite: any one of PSYSC 373, 573; MGT 300, 500; or equivalents, or permission of the instructor.

Not open to students who have credit in PSYSC 474 or equivalent.

575 Advanced Industrial Psychology. (3) Principles of personnel testing as applied to the selection and placement process. Focuses on the development of predictors and criteria, selection of an appropriate validation model, and the psychological dynamics of interview processes.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 373 or 573, or permission of the department chairperson.

584 Experimental Psychology. (3) The study of behavior by the experimental method. Experimental studies will be conducted to evaluate research techniques and appropriate controls.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 241 or EDPSY 641.

Not open to students who have credit in PSYSC 284.

595 Special Topics in Psychology. (1-12) Investigation of various topics related to psychology. Topics will vary at the discretion of the instructor.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 12 hours of credit may be earned.

613 Developmental Psychology. (3) Concepts, principles, theories, and research concerning the biological and environmental influences on behavioral and psychological development. Emphasizes issues and topics related to the normal human life span. Designed primarily for students without undergraduate work in human growth and development.

Prerequisite recommended: PSYSC 241 or the equivalent.

615 Learning and Motivation. (3) Analysis of research and theories of basic conditioning, learning processes, and motivation. Biological bases of motivation will also be considered. The major concentration will be on animal learning and motivation, but parallels to human behavior will be drawn.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 284 or 584.

616 Perception and Cognition. (3) Analysis of research and theories of perception, cognition, and language. Covers information processing, attention, verbal learning and memory, problem solving, concept formation, and psycholinguistics.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 284 or 584.

617 Memory Processes and Applications. (3) Explores models of human memory processes, as well as biological, environmental, and social factors affecting memory.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 616.

618 Thinking. (3) Examines psychological theories, models, research, and applications of problem solving, decision making, reasoning, and other kinds of intelligent human cognitive processing.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 616.

623 Theories of Personality. (3) Review and comparison of theories of the structure, development, dynamics, and assessment of normal personality, with emphasis on empirical data presented by proponents of various theoretical positions.

Prerequisite recommended: PSYSC 241.

632 Abnormal Psychology. (3) Introduction to adult psychopathology with emphasis on contemporary systems of classification of behavior disorders, expression of behavior disorders in the context of cultural factors, problems associated with diagnostic decision making, and current research concerning descriptive boundaries, etiology, course, and prognosis.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 284; permission of the department chairperson.

Prerequisite recommended: PSYSC 317.

Open only to students in the clinical MA program.

640 Introduction to Psychological Assessment. (3) Theoretical and practical implications of psychodiagnostic tools including age, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, and culture factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups. Emphasizes issues of reliability, validity, and ethics, plus the development of basic diagnostic skills.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 623, 632.

Open only to students in the clinical MA program.

644 Advanced Psychological Assessment. (3) Continuation of PSYSC 640 with emphasis on the selection, administration, interpretation, and use of objective and projective personality assessment devices in conjunction with other techniques. Emphasizes development of advanced diagnostic skills and ethical considerations.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 623, 632, 640.

652 Introduction to Psychotherapy. (3) Introduction to treatment of abnormal behavior using individual psychotherapy. Selected theories and techniques are surveyed. Emphasizes development of basic therapeutic skills, therapist and client characteristics that influence helping processes, ethical considerations, and implications of sociocultural, demographic and lifestyle diversity.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

653 Advanced Topics in Psychotherapy. (3) Selected topics in psychotherapy and related interventions are examined, including crisis intervention, medications, prevention, and community intervention. Also covered are historical, legal, financial, and ethical considerations, procedures for determining accountability, and public policy issues related to mental health services.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 632, 652; permission of the instructor.

Open only to students in the clinical MA program.

668 Physiological Psychology. (3) Introduction to the physiological basis of behavior, involving the nervous system, its structure, biochemistry, and function. Emphasis on basic neuroscience and research methods. Includes a survey of the role of neurophysiology and neuroanatomy in functions of consciousness and mental disorders.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 284, 584.

670 Health Psychology. (3) A systematic introduction to the use of psychological procedures in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of such medical problems as cardiovascular disorders, headaches, obesity, asthma, and chronic pain.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 632.

680 Research Methods in Psychology. (3) Overview of research methods in psychology, including experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, single case, and program evaluation techniques.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 241, 284, or their equivalents; permission of the instructor.

682 Orientation to Professional Clinical. (1) A 100-hour clinical practicum in a mental health setting. Designed to introduce students to issues involved with professional practice, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

Open only to clinical graduate students in psychological science.

685 Clinical Internship. (3-6) Supervised applied clinical experience in one or more appropriate settings. Students must have earned 20 hours of graduate credit in psychological science, at least half of which should be from the clinical sequence.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

Open only to students in the clinical MA program.

686 Applied Practicum. (3-6) Supervised experience in an applied setting.

Prerequisite: 21 hours of graduate credit in psychology; permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned.

Open only to master’s candidates in cognitive and social processes.

687 Advanced Clinical Internship. (3) Supervised advanced clinical experience in one or more appropriate settings. Emphasizes the development of advanced skills, the integration of professional knowledge, and skills appropriate to professional practice.

Prerequisite: PSYSC 685.

Open only to students in the clinical MA program.

691 Systems of Psychology. (3) The major concepts of various schools of psychological thought and contemporary theoretical systems as they have evolved from their historical origins.

695 Seminar in Psychology. (1-3) Investigation in the current literature of psychology. Topics will vary each semester, at the instructor’s discretion.

Prerequisite: 12 hours of graduate credit in psychology.

A total of 3 hours of credit may be earned.

696 Seminar on Diversity. (3) Introduces the application of diversity perspectives to psychological research and practice. Race, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, disability, gender, sexual identity, age, and religious beliefs will be considered. Emphasizes why all psychological subdisciplines need to understand diversity issues.

Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

698 Psychological Investigations. (1-3) For students with special aptitude: an opportunity to pursue a line of psychological investigation individually under faculty supervision. Students will be expected to read the relevant literature and to participate in designing and conducting the investigation. Time spent in the investigation may vary from one semester to a full academic year, sometimes including the summer.

Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.

A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned, but no more than 3 in any one semester or term.