DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY
PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
Course Descriptions
Degree Programs
The Department of Psychology and Philosophy offers Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees in General Psychology and Clinical Psychology, a Specialist in School Psychology degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology.
The Clinical and School programs are designed to produce effective practitioners. The General program does not involve training in the delivery of psychological services, but does, as is the case with the Clinical and School programs, prepare students for further graduate study and/or junior college teaching.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission include:
1. 18 hours of coursework in undergraduate Psychology that includes a course in Research Methods and a course in Statistics;
2. a minimum of a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average;
3. three letters of recommendation;
4. a statement of personal interests and goals; and
5. submission of scores on the General Test of Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Ordinarily, the most useful letters of recommendation come from university faculty who are able to describe the applicant’s potential for success in graduate study. The Department does not use a recommendation form but rather asks referees to send letters on their own letterhead. Please submit all documents to:
Office of Graduate Studies
Box 2478 SHSU
Huntsville, TX 77341-2478
Students admitted to the Master’s programs in Psychology at SHSU have average undergraduate GPAs of 3.5 and average GRE scores (Verbal & Quantitative combined) of 1091. Those whose scores are not that high still may wish to apply. We recognize that students do not always demonstrate their potential for professional success through such traditional criteria. We seek promising students from all backgrounds who will enhance our program and, later, professional psychology. High test scores and grades do not guarantee acceptance, and students whose lower scores are offset by other exceptional qualifications may be admitted. In any case, all applications must be complete (with transcripts, GRE scores, letters, and a personal statement of interests and goals) before any admission decision is made.
Students are admitted each fall and are expected to begin their studies during the fall semester. The application deadline for admission is February 15. Complete applications are evaluated immediately after the deadline and offers of admission are made as quickly as possible. Please note that several of our admission requirements, policies, and deadlines differ from those of other programs at SHSU.
Inquiries about the Psychology Master’s programs may be directed to:
Jeffrey S. Anastasi, Ph.D.
Coordinator of PSY Master’s Study
Department of Psychology and Philosophy
Sam Houston State University
Box 2447
Huntsville, TX 77341-2447
Telephone: (936) 294-3049
Email: jeff.anastasi@shsu.edu
Information and materials are also available at www.shsu.edu/~psy_www/ma.htm.
Degree Requirements
Once students have completed their first 18 hours of graduate study, they must be admitted to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree before continuing their graduate coursework. As part of the process, students are asked to submit satisfactory scores on the Psychology Subject Test of the GRE. Unsatisfactory performance on the exam, in one’s classes, or in one’s practicum training may block a student from further graduate training.
Students in all of our Master’s programs must pass a written Comprehensive Exam at the close of their training in order to obtain an M.A. degree. Students must be enrolled in the University during the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive exam is administered.
M.A. in Clinical Psychology
There are two plans of study in our Clinical track. The first involves 45 hours of coursework and includes a Master’s thesis. The second is a non-thesis option that involves 48 hours of study and that replaces the thesis with selections from a group of approved courses. Both of the Clinical tracks are applied programs that include 450 clock hours of supervised practicum experience, and prepare students for ultimate licensure as Psychological Associates in Texas.
Thesis Option: 45 hours
Required General Core:
Select one of the following courses (3 hours):
PSY 532 Advanced Social Psychology
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology
Select one of the following courses (3 hours):
PSY 536 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PSY 560 Advanced Physiological Psychology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
Select the following course (3 hours):
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics
Required Clinical Core:
Select each of the following courses (24 hours):
PSY 530 Psychopathology
PSY 533 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy I
PSY 594 Psychometrics
PSY 595 Assessment of Intelligence and Achievement
PSY 596 Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology
PSY 691 Practicum I
PSY 692 Practicum II
PSY 693 Practicum III
Thesis Courses:
Select each of the following courses (6 hours):
PSY 698 Thesis I
PSY 699 Thesis II
Elective courses (6 hours):
Select any two SHSU graduate courses.
Non-Thesis Option
Required General Core:
Select one of the following courses (3 hours):
PSY 532 Advanced Social Psychology
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology
Select one of the following courses (3 hours):
PSY 536 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PSY 560 Advanced Physiological Psychology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
Select the following course:
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics
Required Clinical Core:
Select each of the following courses (24 hours):
PSY 530 Psychophathology
PSY 533 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy I
PSY 594 Psychometrics,
PSY 595 Assessment of Intelligence and Achievement
PSY 596 Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology
PSY 691 Practicum I,
PSY 692 Practicum II
PSY 693 Practicum III
Elective courses (6 hours):
Select any two SHSU graduate courses.
Supplemental Practitioner Courses:
Select three of the following courses (9 hours):
PSY 534 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy II
PSY 539 Advanced School Psychology
PSY 561 Neuropsychopharmacology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
PSY 582 Advanced Industrial/Organizational Psychology
PSY 585 Advanced Health Psychology
PSY 694 Practicum in Psychometrics
Specialist in School Psychology
The School Psychology track is a 60-hour program that provides the training needed for certification by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and licensure as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology in Texas. It includes 300 hours of practicum experience and a year-long internship in public schools. The program is approved by NASP.
Psychological Foundations:
Select each of the following courses (18 hours):
PSY 530 Psychopathology
PSY 561 Neuropsychopharmacology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology
PSY 760 Multicultural Psychology or BSL 571 or CNE 592
Educational Foundations:
Select the following course (3 hours):
ASE 532 Administration and Organization of Public Schools
Assessment:
Select each of the following courses (12 hours):
PSY 594 Psychometrics
PSY 595 Assessment of Intelligence and Achievement
PSY 598 Advanced Child Assessment
PSY 694 Practicum In Psychometrics
Intervention:
Select each of the following courses (9 hours):
PSY 533 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy I
PSY 535 Special Problems in Psychology: Academic Consultation
PSY 538 Consultation in the Schools
Professional Practice:
Select each of the following courses (15 hours):
PSY 539 Advanced School Psychology
PSY 691 Practicum I: Counseling Practicum
PSY 692 Practicum II: School Practicum
PSY 671A Master’s Internship in Psychology: Part I
PSY 671B Master’s Internship in Psychology: Part II
Elective (3-6 hours)
Course selection in consultation with advisor
M.A in General Psychology
The General track is a 36-hour program that concentrates on the scientific sub-disciplines of psychology. It does not provide training in the delivery of psychological services, but it does allow more flexibility than do our other programs. Thus, students are provided the opportunity to pursue their personal academic and research interests, and concentration in other fields such as Criminal Justice and Business are possible. Both a thesis track and a non-thesis option are available.
M.A. in General Psychology Thesis Option
Required General Core:
Select each of the following courses (21 hours):
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics
PSY 588 Experimental Design
PSY 532 Advanced Social Psychology
PSY 536 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PSY 560 Advanced Physiological Psychology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology
Thesis Courses:
Select each of the following courses (6 hours):
PSY 698 Thesis I and
PSY 699 Thesis II
Elective Courses (9 hours):
Select three SHSU graduate courses. All the courses in Psychology other than PSY 595, PSY 596, and the Practicum courses will be available to you.
M.A. in General Psychology Non-Thesis Option
Select each of the following courses (27 hours)
PSY 531 Graduate Seminar in General Psychology
PSY 532 Advanced Social Psychology
PSY 536 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PSY 560 Advanced Physiological Psychology
PSY 581 Advanced Learning Theory
PSY 585 Advanced Health Psychology
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics
PSY 588 Introduction to Experimental Design
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology
Elective Courses (9 hours):
Select any three SHSU graduate courses. All courses in Psychology other than PSY 595, PSY 596, and the Practicum courses will be available to you.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
Mission
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program seeks to train professionals with a broad knowledge of scientific psychology who will be skilled clinicians. Consistent with the training model first enunciated by the American Psychological Association at the Boulder Conference in 1949, the program’s educational philosophy is to produce scientists/practitioners who possess expertise in both research and clinical practice. The department believes that experience in applied settings produces scientists who are sensitive to pragmatic issues and who are on the cutting edge of research questions essential to practitioners in the field. Conversely, clinicians who have been trained as scientists understand emerging research results and assimilate them into their daily practice. Consistent with the Boulder Model, psychology’s dominant training model, all students are required to complete a dissertation and to be enrolled full-time. The demands of the program’s training are not amenable to part-time or weekend course schedules.
Clinical psychology is the psychological science that seeks to understand, assess, and treat psychological disorders and conditions. Sam Houston State University Psychology students’ published research has examined test development, personality assessment, psychopathology, gender and minority issues, and public policy, among other topics. The students’ practicum experiences have involved work with severely disturbed clients, people with brain injuries, persons with addictions, troubled adolescents, children and families, and persons in the legal system. Practicum settings have included a variety of inpatient and residential settings (neuropsychiatric, rehabilitation, and university medical center), private psychological practices, and correctional settings. In addition, the program operates its own Psychological Services Center where students encounter a broad range of community clientele.
Additionally, the Ph.D. Program includes a strong forensic emphasis, exposing all students to applications of clinical psychology within the legal system (such as explaining psychopathology to the courts, intervening with families in the social service system, providing psychological treatment to victims and offenders) such that students who desire substantial expertise in forensic psychology will have the basic preparation they need to pursue postdoctoral specialty training and conduct legally-relevant clinical psychology research.
Program Goals
Goal 1: To produce graduates who have a broad knowledge of scientific psychology including its history of thought and development, research methods, and applications.
Goal 2: To produce graduates with the skills to conduct meaningful research that adds to the current body of knowledge in psychology.
Goal 3: To produce graduates who have the knowledge and skills to excel in the practice of clinical psychology.
Goal 4: To provide opportunities for researching and applying clinical psychology to the legal arena.
Admission Requirements
Furnish the following materials by December 1:
1. Application to Graduate Studies at SHSU with nonrefundable $20 application fee.
2. Application to the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program with nonrefundable $20 fee. (Please use a second, separate check.)
3. Official transcripts from all universities attended. Neither photocopies nor forms that are “issued to student” will be accepted; please instruct the Registrar to send transcripts directly to Sam Houston State University.
4. An official score report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. An official score report of the Advanced Psychology Test of the GRE (recommended but not required).
6. Three letters of recommendation that speak to the applicant’s promise for doctoral study in clinical psychology. References should be addressed directly to SHSU and should be written on the referrer’s letterhead.
7. An essay of no more than two pages explaining the applicant’s interest in (a) clinical psychology and (b) SHSU’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program.
8. Applicant resume or curriculum vitae.
9. Applicant publications (if available).
Please note: SHSU’s Office of Graduate Studies has its own application process, so two separate application forms and two separate checks are necessary.
The typical academic profile of students in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program includes a 3.7 undergraduate GPA and 1200 (combined total Verbal and Quantitative) GRE. However, promising students from all backgrounds who will enhance the program and, later, professional psychology are sought. High test scores and grades do not guarantee acceptance, and students whose lower scores are offset by other exceptional qualifications may be admitted. New students may join the program with either a baccalaureate or a master’s degree. For application forms or further information, write or call:
Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Department of Psychology and Philosophy
Sam Houston State University
Box 2210
Huntsville, TX 77341-2210
Telephone: (936) 294-1210
E-mail: clinpsy@shsu.edu
Or visit https://www.shsu.edu/clinpsy
Requirements for Completion of the Ph.D. Program
All formal requirements for completion of the Ph.D. are described in the Clinical Psychology Doctor of Philosophy Program Handbook and may vary from one student to another depending on previous academic preparation. The following guidelines are offered to demonstrate the nature of the doctoral program and should not be misconstrued as representing the formal requirements for a Ph.D.
1. A course of study beyond the master’s degree designed in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training that will provide the student with in-depth knowledge in the areas of research and statistics, the broad bases of psychology, and clinical psychology. This course of study is sequential, cumulative, graded in complexity, and designed to prepare students for further organized training.
2. Enrollment as a full-time student (i.e., a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester) on campus for at least four consecutive long (i.e., Fall, Spring) semesters.
3. An average of 3.0 (B) must be maintained by the student in all courses in which he/she registers after admission into the doctoral program. Students should consult the Program Handbook for a more detailed description of policies regarding academic standards.
4. Passing a written comprehensive examination or successfully defending a major area paper which integrates at least 3 core areas.
5. Completion and defense of a doctoral dissertation that is the product of original scholarly research and is of such quality as to represent a meaningful contribution to knowledge in the field of psychology.
6. Completion of a year-long pre-doctoral internship, during which the student works full-time in an applied clinical setting.
7. Completion of the degree within 6 years from the first semester of registration as a doctoral student (i.e., following completion of requirements for the master’s degree).
Degree Requirements:
The Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
The Doctoral Curriculum
General Psychology Courses
PSY 560 Advanced Physiological Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 592 History and Systems of Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 587 Advanced Statistics 3 SCH
PSY 787 Multivariate Statistics in Psychology 3 SCH
Total: 12 SCH
Cognitive-Affective Basis of Behavior
PSY 532 Advanced Social Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 536 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
PSY 792 Emotions 3 SCH
PSY 588 Introduction to Experimental Design 3 SCH
PSY 597 Advanced Developmental Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 760 Multicultural Psychology 3 SCH
Total: 15 SCH
Required Clinical Psychology Courses
PSY 530 Psychopathology 3 SCH
PSY 533 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy I 3 SCH
PSY 594 Psychometrics 3 SCH
PSY 595 Assessment of Intelligence and Achievement 3 SCH
PSY 596 Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology
(Objective Measures) 3 SCH
PSY 730 Clinical Psychology Proseminar 3 SCH
PSY 736 Mental Health Law 3 SCH
PSY 739 Developmental Psychopathology 3 SCH
PSY 762 Ethics in Clinical Practice 3 SCH
PSY 770 Empirically Supported Treatments 3 SCH
PSY 860 Forensic Assessment I 3 SCH
Total: 33 SCH
Clinical Psychology Elective (select 2)
PSY 534 Theory and Research in Psychotherapy II 3 SCH
PSY 585 Advanced Health Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 596 Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology
(Projective Techniques) 3 SCH
PSY 733 Law and Social Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 735 Law and Psychology 3 SCH
PSY 774 Human Neuropsychology 3 SCH
PSY 861 Forensic Assessment II 3 SCH
Total: 6 SCH
Practica and Internships
PSY 691 Practicum I 3 SCH
PSY 692/693 Practicum II/III, or
PSY 882 Doctoral Clinical Practicum I (two sections needed) 6 SCH
PSY 882 Doctoral Clinical Practicum I 3 SCH
PSY 883 Doctoral Clinical Practicum II 9 SCH
PSY 890 Internship I 1 SCH
PSY 891 Internship II 1 SCH
PSY 892 Internship III 1 SCH
Total: 24 SCH
Thesis
PSY 698 Thesis I 3 SCH
PSY 699 Thesis II 3 SCH
Total: 6 SCH
Dissertation
PSY 896 Dissertation I 3 SCH
PSY 897 Dissertation II 3 SCH
PSY 898 Dissertation III 3 SCH
PSY 899 Dissertation IV 3 SCH
Total: 12 SCH
Grand Total: 108 SCH
* Students entering with a master’s degree in psychology and have completed similar courses as part of their degree may have courses waived at the discretion of the Ph.D. Program faculty.
Graduate Courses
500-599 introductory master’s courses open to master’s and doctoral students
600-699 advanced master’s courses open to master’s and doctoral students
700-799 introductory doctoral courses open to doctoral students and selected master’s students
800-899 advanced doctoral courses open to doctoral students only