Master of Arts - Psychology

Emphasis in Clinical Skills

Website: https://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/arts-sciences/departments/psychology/graduate-degree/index.html

Mission

The graduate program of the Psychology Department of Washburn University serves a small, carefully screened group of post-baccalaureate students pursuing graduate study in clinical psychology. The MA in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Skills offers professional training to prepare program graduates for licensure and practice under Kansas statutes.

Upon completion of the Master of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Skills, graduates should:

Be eligible to sit for the licensing exam in the state of Kansas.
Be prepared to pass the licensing exam.
Have appropriate skills and training needed in the Kansas mental health care delivery system.
Have a foundation for pursuing doctoral training in clinical (or another area of) psychology in the future.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program students will be able to:

Clearly articulate the application of the peer-reviewed literature to a specific issue or situation relevant to psychology.
Evaluate, administer, and interpret psychological assessments.
Competently execute empirically-based therapy techniques and incorporate sensitivity to individual client characteristics and contextual factors in their implementation.
Engage in ethical practice, utilize supervision and consultation appropriately, and carry out responsibilities professionally.

Academic Status

Full Time Graduate Student

Graduate students enrolled for 9 or more semester hours are considered to be full-time students.

Enrollment

Students will be evaluated by Psychology Department faculty each semester. Continued good standing in the program and enrollment will be contingent upon both course work and faculty judgment that the student is considered to be mature, emotionally stable, and a potentially competent master’s-level professional in psychology.

Students must be continuously enrolled until all requirements for the degree are completed. Candidates who have completed all course requirements, including enrolling in six hours of PY 799 Thesis and PY 780 Internship, but who still must complete their thesis or internships, are required to enroll in PY 795 Directed Research each semester until defense of the thesis is successfully accomplished. The number of hours of enrollment each semester will be determined by the candidate’s advisor and must reflect as accurately as possible the candidate’s demand on a faculty member’s time and university facilities.

Grades

The symbols used in grading for graduate courses are as follows: A, excellent; B, satisfactory; C, unsatisfactory; F failure; W, withdrawn; I, incomplete. Practicum, Internship, Independent Research and Thesis will be graded Pass/Fail. Grades of B or better are required in all graduate courses.

Students with two C’s or one F will have their status reviewed by the Department faculty to determine whether or not they will remain in the program.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program, the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum of 21 hours of undergraduate psychology courses including an introductory psychology course (or passing CLEP exam score), a statistics course, a research methods or experimental laboratory course, a course in abnormal psychology, and three upper division psychology courses. Students lacking required courses may be admitted on a provisional basis with the understanding that they must complete any deficiencies before being fully admitted into the program.

Application Procedures

Students who wish to apply must submit:

A completed online admission form, which can be found on the Graduate Degree page of the Psychology Department website.
Unofficial copies of all undergraduate transcripts.
Three letters of recommendation are required. After a completed application has been submitted, the system will generate an email to each letter writer. That email will direct the letter writers to a link where they will upload their letters.

Deadline for submission of all application materials for fall admission is March 15. Spring and late admission requests will be considered on a space-available basis. Please email the department chair to inquire about the possibility of spring or late admission.

Official transcripts of all college work should be on file with the Office of Admissions before the student enrolls in his or her first graduate class. It is the student’s responsibility to have transcripts transferred, and the University may drop a student whose transcripts are not on file within six weeks from the date of initial enrollment.

Special Student Admission

Several psychology graduate courses are available to social workers, nurses, teachers, and members of other professional groups eligible for continuing education credit. In addition, the department accepts students as part-time, non-degree candidates, or students presently enrolled in other graduate programs who need graduate courses in psychology. Students who were not competitive for regular admission may use special student status to prove that they are capable of graduate work, improving their regular application.

Students who wish to enroll with special student status email psychology@washburn.edu and request a special student application.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credits will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Students requesting transfer credit should contact the Department Chair and be prepared to provide detailed documentation of the content of graduate-level courses completed at other institutions. Consistent with the requirement that 2/3 of the 60 semester credits required to complete the Master's in Psychology must be completed at Washburn University, a maximum of 20 credits can be considered for acceptance as transfer credits.

Degree Requirements

In order to meet graduation requirements, the student must complete a minimum of 60 hours, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0, take at least two-thirds of the semester hours required for the degree at Washburn University, and complete all course work within six (6) calendar years.

Program Requirements

The student must complete a minimum of 60 hours including:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
PY 602	Advanced Physiological Psychology	3
PY 603	Advanced Health Psychology	2
PY 604	Social Emotional Foundations	3
PY 605	Psychology of Learning and Cognition	2
PY 610	Intermediate Statistics	3
PY 611	Graduate Research Design	1
PY 612	Scientific Writing	2
PY 635	Ethics Psychological Practice	2
PY 638	Seminar in Multicultural Psychology	1.5
PY 720	Seminar in Psychology	1.5
Subtotal		21
Clinical Courses
PY 632	Psychological Assessment of Adults	3
PY 633	Psychological Assessment of Children	3
PY 625	Advanced Psychopathology	3
PY 640	Introduction to Psychotherapy Techniques	3
PY 670	Individual Adult Psychotherapy	3
PY 700	Child and Family Therapy	3
Subtotal		18
Practicum Courses
PY 615	Counseling Skills and Interviewing Techniques	1.5
PY 631	Psychological Assessment of Adults Practicum	1.5
PY 634	Psychological Assessment of Children Practicum	1.5
PY 641	Psychotherapy Practicum I	1.5
PY 671	Psychotherapy Practicum II	1.5
PY 701	Child and Family Therapy Practicum	1.5
Subtotal		9
Internship Courses
PY 780	Internship (courses)	6
Subtotal		6
Thesis/Case Study		6
Complete an acceptable thesis or empirically supported case study:
PY 799	Thesis
Subtotal		6
Total Hours		60

Course Offerings

Prerequisite for admission to all professional courses is graduate standing in the Psychology Department. Only those courses with prerequisites listed as consent are open to senior psychology majors and students with special student status. Consent may be obtained by contacting the Psychology Department prior to registration .

PY 602 Advanced Physiological Psychology (3)

Critical issues within cognitive and behavioral neuroscience are discussed, including neuronal physiology, functional neuroanatomy, and methods used in psychophysiological research. Special emphasis is placed on biological foundations of psychopathology and psychopharmacology. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 603 Advanced Health Psychology (2-3)

Advanced health psychology examines how biological, psychological, and social factors interact with and affect the efforts people make in promoting good health and well-being as well as preventing illness. Advanced study includes reviewing and discussing contemporary empirical research related to the science and practice of health psychology. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

PY 604 Social Emotional Foundations (3)

Social-Emotional Foundations integrates an academic group and societal orientation with an applied individual emotion focus to examine current social psychological and affective theory and research on topics such as social cognition and beliefs; social institutions; social identities; group dynamics; prejudice and discrimination; attitude formation and change; temperament, affect, mood, and emotion; emotion regulation; emotional processing; and social-emotional determinants of health. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing

PY 605 Psychology of Learning and Cognition (2)

This course provides an in-depth examination of key theories and empirical research in the fields of learning and cognition, focusing on how individuals acquire, store, and utilize information. We will explore foundational and contemporary theories of learning, memory, perception, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. Prerequisites: Graduate standing

PY 610 Intermediate Statistics (3)

Survey of basic statistical principles including parametric and non-parametric hypothesis testing techniques, correlation, and an introduction to computer statistical packages. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 611 Graduate Research Design (1-2)

Advanced, detailed study of research design, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs. Issues of ethics, sampling, reliability, validity, and analysis will be discussed. Students will also develop skills in critiquing and reporting scientific research. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 612 Scientific Writing (1-2)

Scientific writing is a unique form of writing and vastly different from the manner students typically write. Students in this course will be exposed to the various nuances that define APA style scientific writing, be exposed to the common errors made when writing scientifically, and will develop their skill in writing in a scientific manner. Prerequisite: PY 611.

PY 615 Counseling Skills and Interviewing Techniques (1.5)

The purpose of this course is to assist students in developing necessary skills to be an effective interviewer/therapist. This will be done through readings, self-exploration, and practicing therapeutics skills of motivational interviewing and other therapeutic and information-gathering techniques. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 625 Advanced Psychopathology (3)

Theory, research, and clinical approaches to problems of adulthood and childhood. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 631 Psychological Assessment of Adults Practicum (1.5)

This practicum, which is a co-requisite of PY 632 Psychological Assessment of Adults, is designed to provide students with the applied skills required to competently administer, score and interpret various adult psychological assessments. Students will also utilize related information gathering techniques toward the goal of validly and reliably assessing the intellectual, personality, and, to a lesser degree, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of adults. Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

PY 632 Psychological Assessment of Adults (3)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to choose, administer, and interpret various instruments and information gathering techniques with the goal of assessing the intellectual, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of adults. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 633 Psychological Assessment of Children (3)

PY 634 Psychological Assessment of Children Practicum (1.5)

This practicum will focus on the application of child and family assessment skills acquired in PY 633 Psychological Assessment of Children. The practicum will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, role plays, supervision, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 635 Ethics Psychological Practice (2)

This course will explore contemporary aspects of professional practice germane to master's level psychologists. The primary focus will be on the understanding and application of the APA Ethics Code when providing psychotherapy and psychological assessment services. Special topics such as requirements for licensure and career options may also be explored. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PY 637 Diversity Issues Treatment & Assessment (2)

Introduction to diversity issues in counseling and psychological/educational assessment, including culture, gender, language, and related issues. Training in models for providing effective psychological services to clients, taking into account their unique background. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 638 Seminar in Multicultural Psychology (1.5)

Students will develop multicultural competencies (i.e., knowledge, awareness, and skills) and cultural humility (i.e., openness, curiosity, perspective taking) to prepare them to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Prerequisites: Graduate student standing

PY 640 Introduction to Psychotherapy Techniques (3)

Theory and practice of basic interviewing and therapy skills, with an emphasis on the cognitive behavioral approach for treatment of anxiety disorders. Must be taken with PY 641. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

PY 641 Psychotherapy Practicum I (1.5)

Students are expected to demonstrate and master a variety of clinical techniques involving therapeutic skills being taught concurrently in PY 640. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PY 640.

PY 653 Psychological Assessment of Children (3)

PY 670 Individual Adult Psychotherapy (3)

Theory and practice of psychotherapeutic intervention skills with an emphasis on interpersonal, cognitive, and brief therapy approaches for treatment of mood disorders. Must be taken concurrently with PY 671. Prerequisites: PY 630 and PY 640.

PY 671 Psychotherapy Practicum II (1.5)

Students are expected to demonstrate and master a variety of clinical techniques involving therapeutic skills being taught concurrently in PY 670. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in PY 670.

PY 680 Psychological Assessment: Personality and Behavior (3)

Research bases and clinical applications of objective psychological instruments, projective techniques, and behavioral assessment designed to measure child, adolescent, and adult personality, affect, and psychopathology. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 690 Group Therapy: Theory & Application (2)

This course provides foundational knowledge and experience to support the facilitation of group approaches to psychotherapy. Didactic instruction will be supplemented with an experiential training component. Prerequisites: Consent.

PY 691 Group Therapy Practicum (1)

The faculty is committed to the belief that the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experience is an integral part of the curriculum. This practicum will focus on application of group therapy theory and skills acquired in PY 690 Group Therapy: Theory and Application. PY 691 will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Prerequisite: PY 690.

PY 700 Child and Family Therapy (3)

Theory and practice of family and child management interventions. Prerequisite: PY 670.

PY 701 Child and Family Therapy Practicum (1.5)

This practicum will focus on the application of child and family therapy theory and skills acquired in PY 700 Child and Family Therapy. The practicum will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, role plays, and practical experience with clients in the Psychological Services Clinic. Concurrent enrollment in PY 700 is required. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PY 720 Seminar in Psychology (1.5)

Selected topics of relevant psychological, clinical, and professional issues. May be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: Consent.

PY 780 Internship (1-4)

Field training experience oriented toward development of skill in assessment and therapeutic intervention, consultation experiences, preventive applications, and group and family interventions. Repeated to a maximum of 12 hours toward the degree. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy status and consent of instructor.

PY 795 Directed Research (1-3)

Independent supervised research. Does not count toward graduation. Prerequisite: 6 completed hours in PY 799.

PY 799 Thesis (1-3)

Independent supervised research. Repeated to a maximum 6 credit hours toward degree. Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy status.

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