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California State University, Bakersfield
offers an excellent (45 unit, 2 year) Master Arts program in Psychology.
Students are prepared for careers as community college instructors and for
doctoral programs, depending upon the goals of the student.
The first year emphasizes the breadth of psychological
knowledge, and includes proseminar courses in the following major areas of
psychology: biopsychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology,
developmental psychology, sensation and perception, and contemporary topics in
psychology. The first year’s work culminates in a comprehensive exam
focused on proseminar content, and research methods and statistics. The
comprehensive exam must be passed to continue in the program.
The second year is devoted to developing skills
necessary for both teaching and research. Coursework in the second year
includes an Ethics and Practice in Teaching and Research course. The rest of
the year’s curriculum entails research and teaching internships, elective
coursework, and completion of an Empirical Research Thesis.
Why CSUB?
Students
benefit from CSUB’s M.A. in Psychology in a number of ways. Class sizes
are small, so students are known by the faculty and interact frequently with
them, as well as with each other. Within the department, there are
opportunities to work with faculty on research and to assist in teaching
undergraduate courses. Faculty have a range of teaching and research interests
which they share with their students. Students who have graduated from this
program have gone on to pursue doctoral degrees at excellent universities, are
now teaching in community colleges, or have used their M.A. in Psychology to
further their professional development. The atmosphere within the program is
friendly and professional, and graduate study is convenient for students
residing in the lower San Joaquin Valley. Bakersfield is a growing community
with active theater and music performances, and is only a two hour drive from
Los Angeles and many California beaches.
Academic
Advising
Students admitted to and
enrolled in the M.A. program will be assigned an academic advisor. The
assignment will be based on the fit between the research interests of the
student and those of the faculty member. Accordingly, applicants must indicate
in their application materials the three faculty members they are most
interested in working with. Applicants should choose those faculty members
based on the fit between the faculty members’ research activities and
interests and the interests and goals of the applicant. The student’s
academic advisor will act as a mentor for the student, providing assistance
with the Plan of Study, research experience, and direction of the Empirical
Research Thesis.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Year 1 Courses
• BEHS 500: Quantitative
Methods in the Behavioral Sciences (5)
• PSYC 501: Advanced Research
Design and Methodology in Psychology (5)
• PSYC 575: History &
Systems in Psychology (5)
• PSYC 502: Proseminar I—Biopsychology
& Cognitive Psychology (4)
• PSYC 503: Proseminar
II—Sensation and Perception & Contemporary Topics (4)
• PSYC
504: Proseminar III—Developmental Psychology & Social Psychology
(4)
Year 2 Courses
• PSYC 601: Ethics and
Practice in Teaching and Research (5)
• PSYC 681: Directed Graduate
Research in Psychology* (variable)
• PSYC 688: Practicum in Teaching
Psychology* (variable)
• PSYC 695: Empirical Master's Thesis (5)
• Electives (variable) (See CSUB Catalog)
* At least 3 units must be taken for Psyc 681 and 688, with
a total of 8 units for both courses combined.
Comprehensive Examination
Students must satisfactorily pass a Comprehensive Exam
during the summer after their first year in the program. The exam tests
students’ knowledge of material covered in the courses taken during Year 1
of the program. This exam must be passed in order for students to continue into
the second year of the program.
Additional Requirements for the MA in Psychology
Program
Granting of any degree by the California State University
requires demonstration of writing ability either by passing the university-wide
Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) examination or by achieving a
grade of “C” or better in COMM 304, 306 or 311, ENGL 304, 305, 310 or
311, HIST 300, ADM 510 or other courses approved by the English Department.
Brochures with more information about the GWAR are available in the Testing
Center, the Department of English, and in all Deans’ offices.
Selected courses in Counseling Psychology may be appropriate
for graduate degree credit. Selection must be done with permission of the
Graduate Program Coordinator in accord with the individual’s Plan of
Study.
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