Master of Arts in Psychology

General Psychology Option

The General Psychology option offers maximum flexibility in choosing courses tailored to each student’s individual area of interest; however, this option does NOT lead to licensure or certification and does not include a thesis. Many students use this as an entry-level option while determining their specialization and later switch to one of the other more specialized options. The general option would be ideal for the student who desires a graduate degree for career advancement in the business world, or for the student who already has a master’s degree but is returning to take additional hours for certification or licensure in the mental health or school services fields.

Experimental Psychology

This is a research-oriented program with a thesis requirement that prepares students for doctoral work. In addition to courses in statistics, research, history, and data analysis, the degree assumes an area of specialization unique to the individual student. Example specialties are experimental, clinical/counseling, biological, social, and cognitive. Candidates for the Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology must submit a thesis in partial fulfillment of their degree requirements. A timeline for thesis preparation can be found on the Faqs page. The candidate's Advisory Committee, with the addition of one faculty member from outside the department, will constitute the Reading Committee for the Master's Thesis. At the candidate’s request, the Graduate Dean will appoint the out-of-department member. The Graduate Dean confirms the entire committee as the thesis begins. The Master's Thesis is a research project that has the potential for publication in a psychological journal. For clarification of what qualifies as research in the field of psychology and for matters of concern regarding the design and reporting of research, refer to the publication manual of the American Psychological Association.

Counseling Psychology

The Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Central Oklahoma prepares graduates to provide services in diverse settings. This 60-hour Master's Degree requires a minimum of five sequential enrollments. Students in the program will:

• Develop an understanding of the ethical and legal standards of behavior for counselors and consistently function in an ethical, professional manner
• Develop and demonstrate skills in creating effective professional relationships that facilitate the counseling process
• Develop and demonstrate effectiveness in working with diverse models, theories, and techniques that are helpful in the counseling process
• Develop and demonstrate skills in selecting, administering, and interpreting individual and group psychodiagnostic instruments appropriate to one's level of training
• Develop an understanding of the importance of the science of psychology, applied research, and scientific inquiry and their contributions to the counseling process
• Develop and demonstrate skills in working within a multi-cultural context and with individuals who are culturally diverse, with cultural diversity referring to age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, disability and socioeconomic status.

Licensure requirements vary some from state to state. Students who anticipate moving after graduation would be wise to gather licensure information specific to where they will relocate.

The Counseling curriculum reflects the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Behavioral Practitioner (LBP) standards and is designed to provide the student with the skills and competencies necessary to enter the job market at the master's level. Students in this program are typically working towards Licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) or a Licensed Behavioral Practitioner (LBP).

The LPC license requires that applicants complete a Master's Degree with at least sixty hours of counseling-related coursework. Applicants for licensure are also required to pass the National Counselor Exam and complete the post master's degree supervised experience requirement. Additional information regarding licensure is available from the Licensed Professional Counselors Office of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

School Psychology

The School Psychology curriculum reflects the National Association of School Psychologists standards and Oklahoma Competencies in school psychology and is provides the student with the knowledge and competencies to function as a school psychologist in schools and other agencies. This 60-hour master's program leads to state and/or national certification in school psychology.