Psychology

Master of Arts in Psychology
Mission Statement
Programs and Courses

George M. Diekhoff
Chair, Psychology Department

David Carlston
Graduate Coordinator

Graduate Faculty:

Carlston, Diekhoff, Guthrie, Siddiqui, Vandehey

Master of Arts in Psychology

The Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a Master of Arts with a major in psychology. Students may choose between a 50- or 60-hour curriculum and a thesis or non-thesis track.

Students may transfer up to (12) hours of psychology graduate credits from other institutions with approval of the Psychology Department Chair and the Dean of the Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Midwestern State University Graduate Program in Psychology is to provide the highest quality of training in the assessment and treatment of psychological disturbance whether found in children, adolescents, adults, families, or the community. Students leave the program with training in personal, interpersonal, educational, and vocational areas that impact individuals, families, and communities. The main focus is on the master’s level practitioner; however, we actively encourage our students to pursue doctoral training, and we see our program as a first step toward that goal.

Careful attention is paid to the values which provide a foundation for our approach to graduate training in psychology. Our values encompass the following domains: (1) scientific conceptualization - the application of scientific investigation and development of new knowledge to problem identification and problem-solving, (2) clinical objectives - the application of psychological theory and efficacious treatment to individual difference including cultural diversity, gender, age, socio- economic status, etc., (3) ethics - exemplary personal and professional conduct that betters the field of psychology, and (4) interpersonal ability - ways in which one’s behavior fosters trust, empathy, and self-awareness.

Our faculty members come from diverse theoretical orientations and professional experiences. Therefore, students can expect to become knowledgeable in a variety of psychological theories and practices.

Admission Requirements and Procedures

Applicants may obtain the requisite application materials from the Psychology Department, Graduate Coordinator, or online. Required application materials include an Application for Admission to The Graduate School at Midwestern State University, Application for Admission to the Master of Arts in Clinical/Counseling Psychology Program, three Student Recommendation forms, and a Scholarship Application Form. These completed forms, together with transcripts of all undergraduate work and official Graduate Record Examination scores, are to be returned to the Graduate School.

Graduate Coordinator Psychology Department
c/o The Graduate School
Midwestern State University
3410 Taft Blvd.
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
940-397-4920

Completed applications will be distributed by the Psychology Department Graduate Coordinator to the other members of the Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee for their consideration.

Applications for Fall admission will be evaluated May 1. Should positions remain open after May 1 evaluation, a second group of applications will be evaulated July 1. Applications for Spring admission will be evaluated November 1. Ordinarily, no applications will be processed unless they are complete. Although applications received or completed after these deadlines will be considered, no guarantee can be made that processing will be finished in time for registration. Early applicants will receive first consideration for admission as well as financial aid.

Unless special arrangements have been made with the Department Chair, no student will be allowed to enroll in any graduate psychology course unless he or she has applied for admission and has been accepted into the program. Under no circumstances may students continue in graduate psychology classes beyond the first semester of enrollment without applying to and being accepted into the program.

Admission standards are somewhat flexible, but the following guidelines are used by members of the Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee in making admission decisions:

Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. This degree need not be in psychology, but non-majors can anticipate a substantial amount of leveling work.

Applicants should have completed course work in the following areas of psychology with a grade of C or better: introductory psychology, statistics, learning, research methods, and one or more courses in the clinical area of psychology (e.g., clinical, abnormal, personality).

Note: It may be possible for some of these courses to be completed as leveling work at Midwestern, and in some cases, while the student is enrolled in graduate psychology courses.
Graduate Record Exam: Students must submit current (within five years), official Graduate Record Exam scores. Although Graduate Record Exam scores are not the sole criterion for admission consideration, they are required.
Letters of Recommendation: Students are required to submit three letters of recommendation. These letters will ideally be written by faculty members or others who are familiar with your academic achievements and are in a position to evaluate your academic potential. Be sure that a Recommendation Form accompanies each letter submitted.
Application for Admission to the Master of Arts in Clinical/Counseling Psychology Program: The program specific application contains many elements. Of these, perhaps the most important is the personal statement section. Although there are many formats for writing personal statements, we are primarily looking for three pieces of information: your professional goals, your background/preparation for graduate studies, and why you are interested int he MA in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at MSU.

Applicants may be admitted in two categories: unconditional admission or conditional admission. Unconditional admissions indicates that the applicant has been accepted to the degree program and will remain in the program given satisfactory performance. Conditional admission are infrequently granted by the Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee. Students admitted conditinally are provided specific requirements that must be met during a specified timeframe. Once these conditions are met, conditionally admitted students will be removed from the conditional status.

Continued enrollment in the graduate psychology program is dependent upon continuing satisfactory performance in three areas: academic, assistantship (if applicable), and clinical (when applicable) as discussed below.

Students are expected to participate actively in classes and in relevant extracurricular training opportunities, and to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher. It is further expected that students will receive no more than a single grade lower than a B.

Performance of Graduate Assistants is evaluated by the student’s supervisor. Research Assistants are expected to work reliably with minimal prompting by the supervisor and to perform assigned tasks in a timely and satisfactory manner. Graduate Teaching Assistants are expected to conform to all University and program standards, policies, and procedures in the performance of their teaching duties. Clinical skills are monitored by all clinical faculty members who are in a position to do so. These evaluations include readiness for initial practicum assignment, performance within clinical practicum settings, and observations of behavior outside the practicum.

Deficiencies in any of the three evaluation areas will prompt a General Performance Appraisal of the student, at which time deficiencies will be outlined, corrective actions specified, and a timetable established for completing these corrective actions. Failure to rectify deficiencies in a timely and acceptable manner will result in dismissal from the program.

Admission to Candidacy

Students are automatically admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of 18 hours of graduate psychology credits.

The Final Comprehensive Examination

All students must pass a final comprehensive examination prior to receiving the graduate degree. This examination is to be taken in the semester in which the student intends to complete the requirements for the degree. If unsuccessful in the examination, the student may be re-examined only once during the same semester. If the student fails this second examination, he/she must wait to be re-examined until the semester following the initial examination, except with the permission of the Department Chair. Before the petition for reexamination is granted, evidence of additional preparation must be presented. A student who fails the exam three times will be dismissed from the program.

The Final Oral Examination

When the thesis or applied research paper has received final approval by the Graduate Advisory Committee, the student should schedule the final oral examination. This examination must be completed at least two weeks before the end of the semester. The chairperson of the Graduate Advisory Committee will file in the Office of the Registrar a report on the examination, signed by the members of the Graduate Advisory Committee. This report will also contain a recommendation for or against approval of the candidate for graduation. If unsuccessful in the examination, the student may not be re-examined until the semester following the initial examination, except with the permission of the Department Chair. Before the petition is granted, evidence of additional preparation must be presented.

Thesis Requirements

The thesis is to be completed in a style consistent with the most current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The thesis should be submitted to the student’s Graduate Committee at least six weeks prior to the end of the semester (defined as the last day of finals). The final version of the thesis must be approved by the Graduate Committee at the oral examination at least four weeks before the end of the semester. The thesis is submitted at this time to the Dean of the College and to the Dean of the Graduate School.

An electronic copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester or summer term (last day of finals) in which all work for the degree is completed. A hard copy of the approval page, with signatures of the thesis committee members and department chair, and the Thesis Release Form will be submitted to the Graduate School concurrently with the electronic submission.

All theses will be archived electronically in Moffett Library. Students will have the option of allowing their theses to be uploaded to a searchable database that will allow their work to be accessed worldwide. Additionally, students will provide a bound paper copy of the thesis to the department. Students will provide a paper copy of the thesis on letter quality 20 pound, 25% rag content bond paper. The paper copy of the thesis will be submitted to the Graduate School along with a copy of the receipt for the binding fee from the Business Office. The paper copy and receipt will be provided to the Graduate School by the last day of finals.

Programs and Courses

Programs

Major

Psychology, M.A.

Courses

Psychology