Psychology, M.A. - Accelerated Pathway

Psychology |View/Print PDF

The M.A. in Psychology – Accelerated Pathway has been designed to provide high-achieving students with an opportunity to finish their graduate degree in one year, following the successful completion of a B.A. in Psychology (Concentration: B.A. to M.A. Accelerated Pathway) or B.S. in Psychology (Concentration: B.S. to M.A. Accelerated Pathway) at Southern Connecticut State University.

This program is designed for SCSU Psychology students to extend their research training and to develop creative problem-solving skills which will be applicable in clinical, industrial, and educational settings. The program provides ideal training for those intending to strengthen their competitiveness for doctoral program admissions, or who need to gain research and methodological skills that can be applied in professional setting related to psychology. The program is designed to lead to the completion of a Master’s thesis, but can also be completed through a comprehensive exam. While this program is not a clinical or counseling training program, and does not lead to licensure, some course are relevant to clinical psychology. Emphasis is placed on faculty advisement to help tailor the program to the needs of the individual student.

For further information: PsychologyGrad@southernct.edu

Application Deadline

Undergraduate students at Southern Connecticut State University are encouraged to apply for graduate admission no later than the spring semester of their senior year in collaboration with a faculty advisor in the Psychology department. All materials should be submitted to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies the Friday prior to the start of spring break. Students will select the M.A. in Psychology degree and the Accelerated Pathway concentration. Please consult the admission requirements below and within the Admission section of the graduate catalog for more information.

Admission Requirements

Students interested in applying for admission to the M.A. in Psychology-Accelerated Pathway should apply online through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies:

www.southernct.edu/gradadmissions

Students must meet the following minimum requirements to be admitted to the program:

To apply to the program, students must submit all of the following to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies:

Candidates must complete their bachelor’s degree requirements and have attained a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (out of 4.0) prior to entry into the program. Students will be granted early acceptance to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies through the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, which is conditional upon meeting all requirements as listed above. A final transcript noting the degree and date awarded must be received by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies prior to the beginning of the first semester of graduate enrollment. Upon final approval of the application and planned program by the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, those accepted into the program will receive a letter of acceptance from the School of Graduate and Professional Studies verifying their status as a matriculated graduate student.

Program Sequence - 30 Credits

The normal sequence for completion of this accelerated master’s degree program is two consecutive semesters of classwork that includes completion of a thesis or comprehensive exam.

As sequencing changes, it is highly recommended that students meet with their program advisor to finalize a list of requirements for graduation. 6 credits of graduate coursework will be completed within the B.A. in Psychology (Concentration: B.A. to M.A. Accelerated Pathway) or B.S. in Psychology (Concentration: B.S. to M.S. Accelerated Pathway) and the student will have 24 credits of graduate coursework remaining.

B.A./B.S. to M.A. Accelerated Pathway

6 Credits Required

Completed during the student’s senior year of undergraduate study.

Required Courses

24 Credits

Graduate Capstone

Thesis Track: students must complete the following

Comprehensive Exam Track: students must complete the Comprehensive Exam and 18 credits of PSY 500-Level electives (from the list below)

Thesis Track

Students planning to apply to doctoral programs or anticipating a career in research are encouraged to select thesis as an option.

The thesis option is granted to students who have accumulated at least fifteen graduate credits in psychology including PSY 500 (Design & Analysis in Psychology) and PSY 589 (Thesis Seminar), at Southern Connecticut State University with a grade point average of "B+" (3.3). PSY 589 may be waived at the discretion of the Graduate Coordinator.

It is the candidate's responsibility to have formulated a preliminary idea to be researched and to seek out a faculty member in the psychology department who is interested in serving as a thesis sponsor. The normal sequence is for students to have completed PSY 500 in the fall semester and PSY 589 in the spring semester of their senior year of undergraduate study. Students will register for their thesis proposal (PSY 590) in the fall semester of the first year in the M.A. degree along with additional 500-level psychology coursework. After approval of the thesis proposal by the faculty sponsor, graduate committee, and graduate dean, the thesis is then completed the following semester along with additional 500-level psychology coursework. The complete thesis is reviewed for acceptance by the sponsor and department graduate committee.

Comprehensive Exam Track

This option requires a written comprehensive examination in addition to 30 credits of course work. Students should select their courses so that they are well prepared for the different sections of the exam. The comprehensive exam will be scheduled twice a year, in April and November. Students selecting this option should apply to the Graduate Coordinator no later than the second week of classes of the semester in which they intend to take the exam.