Community Clinical Psychology and Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
The Department of Psychology provides academic studies leading to the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with two areas of concentration, Clinical-Community Psychology and School Psychology. The program requirement for graduation with the M.A. degree requires 60 graduate credit hours of coursework, 450 hours of practicum, and successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination.
Community Clinical Psychology
This concentration is designed for the development of students who wish to study the empirical and theoretical foundations of psychology with application to a variety of urban settings . This includes community, clinical, and educational institutions with a focus of serving historically disadvantaged and medically underserved communities. Through a combination of coursework and field experiences, the student is prepared to qualify for positions in mental health and social services agencies, junior and community colleges, or similar functions in business and industry.
Alternately, the student may pursue a plan designed to develop research competencies which can be applied toward the investigation of problems of a psychological nature, especially those related to the improvement of life in the urban community.
The Clinical-Community Psychology concentration emphasizes theoretical and applied aspects of psychology and requires 60 semester credit hours in addition to any undergraduate prerequisites needed. It is designed to be completed in less than 3 years. The first year is devoted to preparation in foundation areas , laboratory work in assessment methods , and psychological counseling techniques. During the second and third years, the program includes a combination of academic work and supervised practice (a minimum of 450 clock hours) in an approved agency or institution.
Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to apply for licensure as a Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) from the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council or from boards in other states which have similar requirements.
School Psychology
This concentration is designed for students interested in the theory and practice of school psychology. This concentration requires a total of sixty (60) semester credit hours. The first year is devoted to preparation in the basic foundations of psychology, including assessment and diagnosis of learning, emotional and behavioral problems.
The second and third years include training in counseling, consultation, intervention strategies, supervised practice (150 clock hours), and an internship of not fewer than 1,200 clock hours, of which 600 must be in a public school. U pon completion of this program and an acceptable score on the National School Psychology Examination, students are eligible to apply for licensure as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology from the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the graduate programs in the Department of Psychology is competitive. A student may be admitted to the graduate program if, in the judgment of the faculty, his or her qualifications indicate a strong likelihood of successful completion of the graduate program. It should be noted that not all qualified students can be admitted. Non-psychology majors or minors may be required to take undergraduate prerequisites in order to be considered for admission to t he program . The department considers the entire packet of information in the application for admission. Students are selected on the basis of their total record of academic achievement, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and relevant experience.
Specific requirements are:
• A minimum overall GPA of 2.75
• A minimum GPA of 2.75 in psychology courses
• Graduate Records Examination (GRE) score
• Application, vitae/resume, all college transcripts
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation (3)
• Application processing fee $50.00 and $ 75.00 for international students
• An interview with one or more members of the of the department’s Admissions Committee.
• A minimum of twelve (12) semester credit hours of undergraduate psychology
• A score of at least 213 on the test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if the applicant is a foreign student with limited English proficiency.
Degree Requirements
In general, the departmental requirements for advancement to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree in Psychology are as follows:
• Hold advanced candidacy status.
• Have completed 60 semester units of graduate courses of which:
- All must have been earned within the past 7 years immediately preceding completion of the requirements for the degree.
- Not more than 6 hours may be transfer, extensions, and/or Classified or Unclassified Post-baccalaureate course.
- Not more than 15 hours may be a combination of fieldwork and thesis/project when taken as individual supervision.
• Have obtained at least a 3.0 average in all units offered as satisfying the requirements of the degree program.
• Cannot have a more than two course grades of C+ or lower
• Have successfully completed the Comprehensive Examination.
Candidacy
The Masters Comprehensive Examination is offered twice a year, once during the Fall semester and once during the Spring semester. Departmental regulations allow students who fail the exam, one opportunity to retake the exam. If students wish to attempt the exam a third time, they must submit a petition to the Psychology Department.
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Financial Assistance
In 2020, the Department of Psychology at TSU was awarded the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students grant award (4 T08HP39322-01-01). This 5-year grant award was designed to increase the number of students coming from disadvantaged communities in mental health graduate programs to address the shortage of mental health care providers in these communities. An objective of this grant is to mold future mental health clinicians who will prioritize providing evidence-based assessments and therapies to individuals and families from historically disadvantaged and medically underserved communities upon completion of the graduate program.
Students accepted into the program will receive an annual scholarship and stipend for their duration in the program, contingent on future funding, continued financial need, and good academic standing. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is June 1st. Only students with complete applications prior to this deadline will be considered. More information on the program can be found here: https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-grant/faq-scholarships-disadvantaged-students.
Please submit all completed applications to Program Director, Dr. Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth at arlene.gordon@tsu.edu.