Psychology (BS/MA) Combined Degree Program

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Description

This combined degree program enables students to complete their Bachelors and Masters in Psychology in an accelerated fashion, in as little as five years. When qualified Brockport undergraduate Psychology majors are admitted to this combined degree program, they may take up to 12 graduate credits of coursework in Psychology, all at the undergraduate tuition rate. These credits may apply to undergraduate and graduate degree requirements simultaneously. Upon finishing all undergraduate degree requirements and graduating in good academic standing in the combined degree program, students matriculate directly into the Master of Arts in Psychology program.

Note: the program is designed only for students who intend to pursue the Clinical Research or General Research tracks of the graduate program.

Admission to the Program

Admission to this highly selective combined degree program is restricted to Brockport Psychology students who have:

  • A minimum of 75 undergraduate credits by the end of their first semester of their junior year
  • A minimum of one semester of PSH 398, 399, or 499 by the end of their first semester of their junior year (with a grade of ‘B’ or higher)
  • Completed all core and content courses for the PSH major by the end of their second semester of their junior year. (For students matriculating in Fall 2019 or later, a grade of "C" or above is required in the core and content courses. Grades of "C-" or lower in these courses are NOT acceptable and require repeats unless otherwise specified. Students who entered the undergraduate program prior to Fall 2019 may opt in to this requirement)
  • A Brockport overall GPA of at least 3.00
  • A Brockport Psychology GPA of at least 3.25
  • A faculty member willing to serve as their graduate research mentor

Qualified students interested in this combined degree program should speak with their undergraduate faculty advisor or the graduate coordinator. The application deadline is November 1. Applications include:

  • Online application
  • 2 letters of recommendation from Psychology faculty (one must come from the prospective graduate research mentor)
  • Statement of objectives

Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the Graduate Advisory Committee of the Department of Psychology, which makes final recommendations regarding admission. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Successful applicants will be admitted during the second semester of their junior year. Achievement of the minimum standards for admission does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Program Requirements

Undergraduate (BS) Portion

General Education Requirements (35-41 credits)

Psychology Major Requirements (34-37 undergraduate + 6 graduate credits)

Core Courses (10 credits)

For students matriculating into the program in Fall, 2019 or later, a grade of "C" or above is required in each of the core courses. Grades of "C-" or lower in these courses are NOT acceptable and require repeats unless otherwise specified. Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2019 may opt in to this requirement.

  • PSH 110 Principles of Psychology
  • PSH 202 Introductory Statistics for Psychology or an approved course from another discipline (ECN 204, PBH 488, MTH 243, SOC 200)
  • PSH 301 Research Methods in Psychology

Content Areas (15 credits)

For students matriculating into the program in Fall, 2019 or later, a grade of "C" or above is required in each of the content courses. Grades of "C-" or lower in these courses are NOT acceptable and require repeats unless otherwise specified. Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2019 may opt in to this requirement.

Select ONE from each content group

  • Biological Bases
    • PSH 341 Biopsychology
    • PSH 352 Sensation and Perception
  • Learning and Cognition
    • PSH 322 Learning and Behavior
    • PSH 351 Cognitive Processes
  • Sociocultural
    • PSH 331 Personality
    • PSH 332 Social Psychology
  • Developmental
    • PSH 384 Child Psychology
    • PSH 484 Adolescence
  • Psychopathology
    • PSH 334 Abnormal Psychology
    • PSH 486 Psychological Disorders of Children

Application (3 credits)

Select ONE of the following courses:

  • PSH 336 Clinical Psychology
  • PSH 397 Health Psychology
  • PSH 402 Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • PSH 410 Psychology and the Law
  • PSH 480 Principles of Assessment
  • PSH 482 Community Psychology
  • PSH 483 Applied Behavior Analysis

Capstone (3 credits)

Select ONE of the following courses:

  • PSH 424  Positive Psychology
  • PSH 425 Motivation
  • PSH 431 Close Relationships
  • PSH 436 Psychology of Aging
  • PSH 441 Clinical Neuropsychology
  • PSH 442 Psychology of Eating
  • PSH 446 Cognitive Development
  • PSH 451 Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSH 494 Prejudice and Discrimination
  • PSH 496 Meditation/Mindfulness

Psychology Electives (3-6 credits)

For the combined program, at least 3 elective credits must come in the form of undergraduate research coursework [PSH 398, 399, and/or 499]. If a student elects to fulfill the statistics requirement with a statistics course from a different discipline, a second psychology elective will be required.

Total Undergraduate Major Credits = 34 (6 graduate credits will also be applied to major)

Electives (33-39)

Total Undergraduate Credits = 108

Graduate (MA) Portion

Note: Four 600-level courses will be counted toward BS requirements; two of those 600-level courses will be counted specifically as electives in the undergraduate major.

Required Core (30 credits)

  • PSH 634 Psychopathology (3)
  • PSH 640 Biopsychology (3)
  • PSH 601 Research Methods (3)
  • PSH 602 Applied Multivariate Statistics (3)
  • PSH 631 Social Psychology (3)
  • PSH 684 Developmental Psychology (3)
  • PSH 698 Independent Reading (3)
  • PSH 699 Independent Study (3)
  • PSH 798 Thesis (6)

Additional Requirements for Clinical Research Track (9 credits)

  • PSH 702 Applied Behavioral Analysis (3)
  • PSH 703 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (3)
  • PSH 704 Assessment (3)

Total Required Graduate Credits: General Research Track =30
Total Required Graduate Credits: Clinical Research Track =39

Total Required Credits: General Research Track = 138 (108 UG + 30 GR)
Total Required Credits: Clinical Research Track =147 (108 UG + 39 GR)

Taking Graduate Classes as a Combined Degree Student

Once admitted to this combined degree program, undergraduate students can take up to 12 graduate credits of coursework in Psychology at the undergraduate tuition rate. Up to 12 of these credits can fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. These 12 credits will also apply toward requirements for the Master of Arts in Psychology once students matriculate into that program.

When combined degree students have fulfilled all requirements for their Psychology major and their undergraduate degree, they may no longer take graduate courses at undergraduate tuition rate. Furthermore, no more than 12 graduate credits taken as undergraduates at Brockport can transfer into their graduate degree program and fulfill its course requirements.

Maintaining Good Academic Standing in the Program

Once admitted to the combined degree program, undergraduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative Brockport undergraduate GPA and a 3.25 GPA in Psychology to remain in good academic standing.

Students who are dismissed or choose to de-matriculate from the combined degree program can complete outstanding requirements for the undergraduate major and degree. If such a student subsequently applies for the graduate program, those graduate credits may be transferred to fulfill graduate degree requirements.

Matriculation into the Graduate Program

When undergraduate students in good academic standing in this combined degree program graduate from Brockport, they can automatically matriculate directly into the Master of Arts in Psychology program. All Brockport and Department of Psychology graduate academic policies will then apply to them.

Contact Information for Questions and Advisement:

Dr. Sara Margolin
(585) 395-2908
smargoli@brockport.edu