Graduate Programs in Psychology
Psychology, M.A.
The Department of Psychology offers an M.A. in
Psychology with concentrations in industrial/organizational
psychology, human factors/applied cognition, school
psychology, applied developmental psychology, and experimental
neuropsychology. The department does not offer an M.A.
in clinical or counseling psychology.
The industrial/organizational concentration trains
students in the conduct and application of psychological research
in work settings. Expertise can be developed in a variety
of areas including personnel selection, training,
leadership, motivation, and human performance assessment.
The human factors/applied cognition concentration
trains students in the application of cognitive science to
real-world problems. Students gain expertise in such areas as
human-computer interaction, cognitive system engineering,
cognitive ergonomics, and documentation. Faculty members
help place students who do not have real-world experience in
a part- or full-time practicum before completing the degree.
The school psychology concentration prepares students
for endorsement as fully certified school psychologists in
Virginia and in most other states. It is approved by the
Virginia Department of Education and meets the standards of
the National Association of School Psychologists.
The applied developmental psychology
concentration focuses on child development. It provides basic
knowledge about normal development, skills for assessing
developmental level, and techniques for planning and evaluating
programs that foster optimal development.
The experimental neuropsychology concentration
emphasizes training in the neurobiological bases of behavior.
Students are prepared for doctoral work or employment
in government or industry research laboratories.
Admission Requirements
In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for
graduate study, applicants must have 15 credits in
psychology, including a course in statistics and a laboratory course
in psychology. In addition, school psychology requires
courses in personality or abnormal psychology, developmental
psychology, and tests and measurements. All applicants
are required to submit the results of the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) taken within the last five years
(applicants should plan to take the GRE at least two months before
the deadline); three letters of reference from professors or
supervisors; and a departmental application. In addition,
applicants are asked to submit a biographical statement
outlining their background and experience and describing their
future goals in psychology. Generally, an overall GPA of 3.000
for the last 60 undergraduate credits, a minimum of 3.250
in undergraduate psychology courses, and combined
GRE scores of 1,000 or above are required. Work
experience, publications, or special recommendations may
compensate for deficiencies in other qualifications. The deadline
for receipt of all application materials is March 15.
Because the number of students admitted to each program is
limited, meeting these minimum requirements does not
guarantee admission.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available through graduate
assistantships and various forms of grants, loans, or employment.
Concentration in
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Students must complete 32 graduate credits including
the following:
- Three credits of core: PSYC 701, 703, or 667
- Eight credits of quantitative and research
methods: PSYC 611, 612
- Twelve credits of specialized content: PSYC 636 and
639; three credits from PSYC 557, 592, 631, 638, 640,
733, and 736; and select three credits from PSYC 592,
635, 735, 739, and 741
- Practicum (optional: six credits of practicum requires
permission of advisor)
- Thesis (optional: six credits of thesis requires
permission of chair)
- Electives: No more than six credits of
advisor-approved electives from outside the department
Concentration in Human Factors/Applied Cognition
Students must complete 32 graduate credits including
the following:
- Three credits of core: PSYC 701
- Eight credits of quantitative and research
methods: PSYC 611, 612
- Six credits of specialized content: PSYC 530, 645
- Nine credits of PSYC 734, 766, 768, or 737 (these may
be repeated)
- Practicum (optional: six credits of practicum requires
permission of advisor)
- Thesis (optional: six credits of thesis requires
permission of chair)
- Other courses within or outside the department may
be taken with advisor's approval
Concentration in School Psychology
Students must complete specific course requirements as
listed in the school psychology brochure, which is available from
the Graduate Psychology Office. Students must pass core
courses with a grade of B or better. These courses must be
passed before the internship and the awarding of the master's
degree. School psychology students are required to enroll fulltime.
A one-credit practicum during the first year and a
three-credit practicum during the second year are required at
the Psychological Clinic of the university. Students must
be screened and approved by the department before they
may conduct testing in the Psychological Clinic.
At the conclusion of course work, students may choose
to complete a thesis or practical research project
concurrent with the internship. All students must complete a full
year of internship. An unsatisfactory evaluation at any time
by the School Psychology Committee may result in
separation from the school psychology program.
Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology
Students must complete 32 graduate credits including
the following:
- Six credits of core: from cognitive (701, 766, 768),
biological (702, 558, 559), or social (703, 667 or 668)
- Eight credits of quantitative methods: PSYC 611, 612
- Nine credits of specialized content: from 592, 666,
669, 704, or 780
- Nine credits of electives
- Six credits of practicum or thesis optional (practica
contingent on availability; thesis only with permission of chair)
Concentration in Experimental Neuropsychology
Students must complete 32 graduate credits including
the following:
- Eight credits of quantitative methods: PSYC 611, 612
- Six credits of specialized content: 558, 559
- Three credits of methods or statistics: 646, 652, 693,
754, 755, or 756
- Nine credits of electives to be selected from
relevant courses including the following:
PSYC 531 Mammalian Neurobiology
PSYC 561 Behavioral Biology of Substance Abuse
BIOL 583 General Biochemistry
PSYC 646 Issues and Methods in Developmental Psychology
BIOL 693 Directed Studies, Bioinstrumentation
PSYC 702 Biological Bases of Behavior
PSYC 704 Life-Span Development
- Six credits of practicum or thesis: 792, 798, 799
(unlike other concentrations, practicum or thesis is required)
Nondegree Status
Applicants who qualify for degree status but who are
not applicants for a degree at the university may be admitted
to nondegree status. Nondegree status is not intended to
be used as a qualifying program for degree
status. While consideration may later be given to the application of
credits earned toward a degree program while in nondegree
status, applicants are not assured that such requests will be
granted. If granted, however, no more than 12 credits earned
in nondegree status may be applied to a degree program.
All students seeking to pursue this option should make
their interests known to the appropriate program coordinator.
Provisional Status Students
Students may be admitted to provisional status and
must take 12 credits in psychology before applying for
degree status. A minimum GPA of 3.250 must be earned in
those courses. The GPA is a major (but not sole) factor in
determining acceptance to the degree program.
Individualized study work does not count toward the 12 credits.
Psychology, Ph.D.
The goal of the doctoral program is to train students in
the principles and applications of psychology. To
accomplish this, the program provides students with both knowledge
of the basic content areas in psychology and practical
experience in applying this knowledge to solving human
problems in life, work, and school. The program offers the
following concentrations: industrial/organizational psychology,
human factors/applied cognition, clinical psychology, and
developmental psychology.
The concentrations in industrial/organizational
psychology and human factors/applied cognition, grouped under
the Applied Experimental Program, are focused on
educating psychologists in the use of psychological knowledge
and methods employed in settings such as industry,
government, consulting organizations, and research and
development organizations. Students develop skills in such areas as
human-computer interaction design, cognitive ergonomics,
training, personnel selection, and organizational psychology.
The clinical concentration focuses on educating
clinical psychologists to deal with the unique demands of
mental health systems and private practice.
The applied developmental concentration has two goals.
The primary goal is to train students to teach and do research
on basic processes and problems of development, and
for employment in such settings as universities and
teaching hospitals. Another goal is to train students to do applied
work in developmental psychology (i.e., assessment and
evaluation in schools and health care settings). Students
accepted in this concentration are required to complete all the
courses in the school psychology concentration of the M.A.
program. The program emphasizes infant, child, and
adolescent development, and students may focus on
cognitive, social/emotional, or physiological aspects of development.
Admission
Criteria
Entering students are accepted only for fall semesters.
The deadline for receipt of all application materials is
Jan.15. Space in the program is normally limited to 24 new
students each year 10 in industrial/organizational and
human factors/applied cognition; 10 in clinical; and 4 in
developmental. The department does not normally consider
applications that fail to meet the minimum criteria of
3.000 undergraduate GPA, 3.250 in psychology course work,
and combined GRE scores of 1100. Applicants who meet
this minimum receive continued consideration for the final
candidate pool on the basis of experience, letters of
recommendation, objective test scores, and an interview. No
specific set of qualifications guarantees admission.
Documents
Each applicant must provide the graduate program with
the following materials by Jan. 15 to be considered for admission:
- Completed graduate admission application, with fee.
- Completed Virginia Domicile Classification form.
- Completed Department of Psychology application form.
- All undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
- Three letters of recommendation (forms are enclosed
with general graduate application) from individuals who
have firsthand knowledge of the applicant's academic
capabilities and/or work experience.
- A two- to three-page typewritten personal
statement describing professional goals, past training history,
and reasons for seeking the Ph.D.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within
the last five years and before the Jan. 15 deadline
(applicants should take the GRE by October because
applications cannot be processed until these scores are
received). Scores must be sent directly from Educational
Testing Service, P.O. Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08541. Only
the aptitude scores are required, but scores for the
Advanced Test in Psychology may also be submitted.
- A writing sample selected from academic papers,
publications, or professional reports.
- Applicants in the final candidate pool are required to
participate in an interview.
All materials should be sent directly to the Graduate
Admissions Processing Center, College of Arts and
Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all materials
arrive before the Jan. 15 deadline.
Requirements
In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements,
applicants in the program are expected to have the following:
For the Ph.D. with a concentration in
industrial/organizational psychology or in human factors/applied cognition,
at least 15 credits in psychology, including a statistics
course and a laboratory course in psychology, are required. A
tests and measurements course is recommended.
For the Ph.D. with a concentration in clinical psychology,
at least 15 credits in psychology, including a statistics
course, a laboratory science course, and courses in personality
and abnormal psychology, are required. Courses in
developmental psychology, physiological psychology, and tests and
measurements are desirable.
For the Ph.D. with a concentration in developmental
psychology, at least 15 credits in psychology, including
statistics and a laboratory course in experimental psychology,
are required. Courses in personality, abnormal
psychology, developmental psychology, and tests and measurements
are also required for applicants to the school psychology
concentration within the M.A. program.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available through graduate
assistantships; doctoral fellowships; and various forms of
grants, loans, or employment.
Reduction of Credits
For students entering the doctoral program with a
master's degree or other graduate course work, the number of
credits required may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits
subject to the approval of the program faculty. Requests
for reduction of credit are reviewed by a committee only
after acceptance to the Ph.D. program.
Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. program has four educational components:
core courses, upper-level specialty courses, supervised
practica, and dissertation.
Core Courses
Various areas have core course requirements. These
courses cover the basic subject matter identified by the
profession as essential to doctoral training: biological bases of
behavior, social bases of behavior, cognitive bases of
behavior, individual behavior, and history of psychology. After
successful completion of 30 credits (including core courses),
a student is awarded an M.A. in Psychology.
Specialty Courses
The 700-, 800-, and 900-level courses provide doctoral
candidates with greater depth of study in specific content areas.
Practica
All psychology students are expected to perform at a
satisfactory level in all practicum placements. The purpose
of these practica is to provide a broad range of experiences
in settings related to the students' concentrations.
Dissertation
The dissertation requirement is designed to demonstrate
the student's ability to apply psychological principles to
research problems. Students take at least 3 credits of proposal
(998) and 3 of research (999) and must have 12 credits of 998
and 999 combined. (No more than 12 credits of 998 and
999 may be applied toward the degree).
Student Evaluation
A student in the doctoral program is evaluated on the
basis of grades, comprehensive examinations, and
communication skills. In doctoral courses, A and B are the only
acceptable grades. In addition to satisfactory course
performance, students in the doctoral program must successfully
complete comprehensive examinations after they have completed
the core requirements. These exams are administered each
year in August and January. A student who successfully
completes the comprehensive examinations is admitted to doctoral
degree candidacy and is then permitted to begin work on a
dissertation.
The applied concentrations within this program require
the development of communication skills. Written and oral
communication skills are assessed by faculty
continuously throughout the program in the form of papers and
reports. Students judged deficient in either communication area
are informed of the deficiency and may be required to leave
the program if the deficiency cannot be remedied.
Highly qualified students interested in other than the
traditional concentrations listed below may be admitted to
work with an individual faculty member.
Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Students must complete 88 graduate credits taken from
the following:
- Nine credits from cognitive (701, 766, or 768), social
(703, 667, or 668), and historical (705) core (one from each cluster)
- Eight credits of quantitative and research
methods: PSYC 611 and 612
- Twelve credits of advanced quantitative and research
methods: PSYC 754 and 756, and nine credits from PSYC
541, 557, 633, 652, 654, 755.
- Eighteen credits of specialized content: PSYC 636,
639; six credits from PSYC 631, 638, 640, 733, 736,
592/892; and six credits from PSYC 735, 739, 741, 592/892
- Three credits of special topics in professional
issues: PSYC 890
- Zero to 12 credits of electives, 9 credits allowed
outside the department with advisor approval
- Twelve to 15 credits of practicum (PSYC 730 and
897) (atleast one semester)
- Twelve credits of dissertation: PSYC 998 and 999
Concentration in Human Factors/Applied Cognition
Students must complete 88 graduate credits to include
the following requirements:
- Three credits of cognitive core: PSYC 701.
- Six credits of core from biological (702, 558, or 559),
social (703, 667, or 668), developmental (704, 666, or 669),
or historical (705).
- Eight credits of quantitative and research
methods: PSYC 611 and 612.
- Nine credits of advanced statistics or qualitative methods.
- Six credits of specialized content: PSYC 530 and 645.
- Nine credits of additional specialized content to
include PSYC 734, 737, 766, or 768.
- Three credits of Special Topics in Professional
Issues: PSYC 890.
- Options: To reach the 88 credits required for the
Ph.D., students may repeat 734, 737, 766, and/or 768.
- Six credits of practicum (PSYC 730) with permission
of advisor. (Students who do not have work experience
in applied cognition or human factors are encouraged to
take up to six credits of practicum.)
- Twelve credits of dissertation: PSYC 998 and 999.
Students are to take credits in PSYC 897 Directed
Reading and Research each semester.
Students are strongly encouraged to develop competence
in programming and computer science by course work
or independent study.
Students are encouraged to identify and take relevant
courses within or outside the department (with advisor's approval).
Concentration in Clinical Psychology
The clinical psychology program at George Mason
University is guided by the scientist-practitioner model. The
necessary preparatory training requires the following:
- A primary commitment by both faculty and students
to research and clinical work.
- The ability to conduct, evaluate, and apply research.
Clinical psychologists must be able to create new
knowledge and apply new discoveries to clinical problems. They
must be capable of, and committed to, evaluating the
services provided to consumers.
- A broad knowledge of psychological science. Clinical
psychologists must possess a fundamental knowledge of
their field.
- Exposure to a variety of approaches in clinical
psychology. Clinical psychologists must be aware of a range
of perspectives on psychopathology, assessment, and
intervention to ensure flexible and creative approaches to
problems they encounter.
- Acquisition of skill and experience in the major
techniques of assessment and intervention. Clinical
psychologists should acquire skills and substantial experience in
human service settings.
- A recognition of the need for skills for provision of
service to special populations and opportunities for
working with such groups.
The Psychology Department is strongly committed to
the support of cultural diversity within its programs.
This includes both admission and training of students from
diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds and exposure of all
students to issues of cultural diversity and to work with
diverse populations.
Students must complete 90 graduate credits. Clinical
students are required to enroll full time.
- Fifteen credits of core: PSYC 701, 702, 703, 704, 705
- Eight credits of quantitative and methods
courses: PSYC 611 and 612
- Two credits of professional seminar: PSYC 890
- Six credits of psychopathology: PSYC 822, 823
- Eleven credits of assessment and basic clinical
skills: PSYC 810, 811, and 880
- Fourteen credits of assessment and psychotherapy
supervision: PSYC 881
- Nine credits of theory and techniques of
psychotherapy: PSYC 830, 831, 832
- Six credits of community psychology: PSYC 840, 841
- Three credits of elective
- Clinical internship
- Clinical externship
- Twelve credits of dissertation: PSYC 998 and 999
Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology
Students must complete the following requirements:
- Fifteen credits of core from cognitive (701, 766, or
768), biological (702, 558, or 559), social (703, 667, or
668), developmental (704, 666, or 669), and historical (705)
- Eight credits of quantitative methods: PSYC 611 and 612
- Twelve credits of advanced specialized methods
including the following:
Quantitative methods: At least three credits
from PSYC 652, 754, 755, or 756
Research methods: At least three credits from PSYC
646 or 654
Specialized methods: PSYC 673, 684, 709*,
710*, 722*,786
- Eighteen credits of specialized content:
Foundations: At least nine credits from PSYC 558,
559, 561, 614, 666, 669, 892
Applications: PSYC 617, 780, EDSE 649
- Nine to fifteen credits of research/practicum
- Six to 12 credits of electives
- Three credits of professional seminar/professional ethics
- Twelve credits of dissertation: PSYC 998 and 999
George Mason University:1999-2000 University Catalog: Catalog Index: College of Arts and Sciences: Psychology: Graduate Programs in Psychology |
