DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Chair: Dr. Larry Christensen (460-6321)
Graduate Coordinator: Anderson
Professors: Allen, Brown, Christensen, Labbe', Vitulli, Williams
Associate Professors: Anderson, Crum, Downey, Sinnot, Turner, Welsh Assistant
Professors: Arata, Faust

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
The objective of psychology, as a science, is to understand, explain, and predict the behavior of organisms. The Department of Psychology has developed and organized its course offerings to meet three major goals:

1. To provide a strong foundation for those students who plan to enter a graduate school of psychology after completing their undergraduate degree requirements.
2. To assist those students who are planning careers in psychology or in related fields by providing a flexible curriculum that can be designed to meet the career goals of individual students.
3. To meet the needs of those students who are taking psychology courses as part of their liberal arts education.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN PSYCHOLOGY
A minimum of 48 quarter hours in psychology including 40 hours from the undergraduate core and eight hours of electives.

UNDERGRADUATE CORE

The remaining eight hours of electives needed for a major may be taken from any courses not taken previously (excluding PSY 317). Students who are preparing for graduate study are encouraged to take all fifteen courses listed in the undergraduate core and any additional courses recommended by their faculty advisor.

Student research is encouraged by the faculty and students may obtain course credit for individual student research projects in PSY 494.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY
A minimum of 32 quarter hours in Psychology, including PSY 210, 211, and 24 quarter hours of electives (sixteen of those must be in courses numbered 300 or above).

GRADUATE STUDIES
The Master of Science degree program in Psychology is designed to provide individuals with knowledge of current theories, principles, and methods of experimental and applied psychology. This program prepares students for:

1. Future work toward the Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree.
2. Work under supervision in applied fields.

The graduate program provides opportunity for study in the following areas of psychology:

1. General/Experimental Psychology
2. Clinical Psychology

An individualized course of study will be developed by the student and an advisor so as to fulfill the student's career objectives and, at the same time, meet all requirements for the M.S. degree in Psychology.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
Students are admitted Fall Quarter only. Applications to the Psychology Graduate Program should be completed by March 1 for admission the following Fall. Applications received after March 1 will be considered only if there are still openings available. (Please note that the Psychology Graduate Program has a limited capacity and admits students to begin in the Fall Quarter only.) The following criteria supplement the Graduate School criteria (see Categories of Admission):

REGULAR ADMISSION:

1. Ten undergraduate core courses listed below, or equivalent background in psychology.
2. Score 1000 or better on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the General Test of Graduate Record Examination.

PROVISIONAL STANDING
Students who have not completed appropriate undergraduate course work in psychology or whose combined scores on the GRE verbal and quantitative subtests are less than 1000 may be considered for provisional admission. The graduate admissions committee will consider provisional admissions on an individual basis.

Applicants who are admitted provisionally may apply for Regular Standing status after completion of the first twelve quarter hours of recommended graduate course work in psychology with a minimum grade of B. Students who lack any of the undergraduate core courses must complete these courses without graduate credit during the first two quarters after admission. Students admitted provisionally who receive a grade lower than B during the first twelve quarter hours of graduate work in psychology will be recommended to the Dean of the Graduate School for academic dismissal.

NON-DEGREE STUDENTS
Applicants for non-degree status in psychology will normally be admitted only if they meet regular admission standards. That is, they must have a 3.0 GPA overall and in psychology and a score of 1000 or better on the verbal plus quantitative subtests of the Graduate Record Examination. In addition, they must have satisfied all undergraduate course requirements. Following admission, non-degree students must have permission of the department chair and director of graduate studies of the college for each course they wish to enroll in. Enrollment will be approved on a space-available basis with preference being given to degree students. Non-degree students must satisfy the same prerequisites as degree students.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Each year the Psychology Department recommends qualified applicants to the Dean of Graduate School for graduate assistantships. Applicants must be students in Regular Standing. The graduate admission committee strongly recommends that applicants for assistantships submit scores from the GRE Subject Test in Psychology as part of their application materials.

Application forms for graduate assistantships may be obtained by writing the Psychology Department, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002 or by calling the secretary of the Psychology Department at (334)460-6321. The deadline for receipt of completed assistantship applications is March 1.

UNDERGRADUATE CORE COURSES
Students who enroll in graduate-level courses are expected to have a sound undergraduate background in psychology. The following courses, or equivalent background, are required prior to enrolling in any graduate course in psychology.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE
Thesis Program
In addition to satisfying the general requirements of the Graduate School, the candidate for the Master of Science degree in psychology must satisfy the following specific requirements.

1. Complete, with a minimum grade of B, at least 48 quarter hours in psychology, including the graduate core courses. At least 36 hours must be in courses at the 500 level.
2. Complete a thesis representing original research.
3. Complete successfully a comprehensive, written examination at least one quarter before graduation. The comprehensive examination may be taken no more than three times. Failure of the examination on the third attempt will result in dismissal from the program.
4. Defend thesis orally during the last quarter of residency.

Non-Thesis
Program A non-thesis program is available to students who do not intend to pursue further graduate study beyond the Master's degree. Students under this program will not be required to present a thesis, but they must take at least eight quarter hours of PSY 596, Clinical Practicum. All other requirements of the thesis program must be fulfilled.

GRADUATE CORE CURRICULUM
All candidates for a Master of Science degree in Psychology must complete, with a grade of A or B, the following core courses:

DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY) COURSES BEGIN ON PAGE 306.

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