The Department of Psychology
INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS
I. ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY
- Persons applying for entry into the graduate program in
psychology must first be admitted to the University.
Application forms for the University may be obtained
from a
major library, community college or another California
State
University.
- The Psychology Department
application forms should be returned
to King Hall, C3104 with transcripts of all previous
academic work. CSLA graduates do not need to file
transcripts
with the department. Applicants to the Applied
Behavior
Analysis program must also complete an interview for
fieldwork
eligibility.
- Entering students must have an undergradute degree in
Psychology or its equivalent from an accredited
institution
and have achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or
above
in the last 90 units of under-graduate work at an
accredited
institution.
- Students who do not have a bachelor's degree in
Psychology
at the time of admission must complete 31-35 units with a
GPA
of 3.0 or higher. Specificially, the following prerequisite
(or their equivalents) must be complete before beginning
the
Masters program. Whenever possible, credit will be
given for equivalent course work taken
elsewhere.
II. TO BECOME A CLASSIFIED GRADUATE STUDENT:
- Satisfy the Writing Proficiency Requirement. Students must
pass the Writing Proficiency Examination during the first
two
quarters of their Masters Program. The examination is
listed
as UNIV 400 in the current Schedule of Classes. Those who
do
not pass this examination by the end of the second quarter
in
residence will be suspended from further work on their
programs until they have passed the examination.
- Establish an official Masters Program. The steps for
accomplishing this are as follows:
- After receiving a letter of acceptance from the
university, make an appointment with a Graduate Advisor
to review your application status.
- Complete the first page of the
worksheet (copy
attached)
for the Masters degree in Psychology with the
assistance
of the Graduate Advisor.
- Complete the second page of the worksheet in
consultation with a program adviser within your area
of
interest. For Marrige, Family and Child Counseling
see
Dr. Anson. Levine; for Applied Behavior
Analysis see Dr. Barry. Lowenkron.
- Return the completed worksheet to the Graduate
Secretary
(KHC3104). Students will be notified by mail when
to
return to the office to sign their official program.
- Within one quarter students will receive a letter
from the Coordinator of Dean of the School of Natural
and
Social Sciences confirming their classification.
- Graduate programs can be changed however, the
application
(GS-5) forachangemustbe madebeforethe courseto be
substituted is completed. Students are permitted to
take
additional courses not on their programs.
- No more than 13 units of graduate credit, completed at another unviersity, may be applied to a Masters program.
- After receiving a letter of acceptance from the
university, make an appointment with a Graduate Advisor
to review your application status.
III. GRADUATE CORE REQUIREMENTS:
Graduate core courses must be completed within the first 16 units in order to be eligible to advance to candidacy. A grade of "B" must be attained in graduate core courses to continue in the graduate program.
- Research Methodology (one course). All students except
those
must choose one course from among PSY 411 Research
Methodology
in Psychology, PSY 414 Analysis of Variance, or PSY 429
Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis. Students
enrolled
in the Applied Behavior Analysis program must complete PSY
417
Single Case Design. Students who have
completed the
equivalent of these courses as an undergraduate with a
grade
of "B" or better, need not repeat these courses as
graduate
courses. The requirement must be met within the first 16
units
of course work taken or within the first two quarters.
- Introduction to Graduate Study (PSY 555). This course must
be completed within the first 16 units of course work taken
or
within the first two quarters in attendance. This course
may
be waived for students satisfying one of the
following
conditions:
- Undergraduate psychology majors who have attained a
3.4
gpa in their last 90 units and non-majors who have
attained
a 3.4 gpa in the 31-35 units of undergraduate
prerequisities forgraduate study in Psychology.
- Undergraduate Psychology majors with a 3.0 gpa in their
last 90 units or non-majors with a 3.0 gpa in the
31-35 units of the undergraduate
prerequisities who earn a
score of at least 550 on the Advanced Psychology test
of
the GRE.
- Students who fall in either of the above categories must substitute another 500-level course chosen with approval of a departmental adviser, to be taken within the first 16 units of their graduate program.
- Undergraduate psychology majors who have attained a
3.4
gpa in their last 90 units and non-majors who have
attained
a 3.4 gpa in the 31-35 units of undergraduate
prerequisities forgraduate study in Psychology.
IV. ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY