Loras College Graduate Program
MASTER OF ARTS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
| Robert Dunn, Ph.D., Chair Professor of Psychology Counseling Psychology 563-588-7564 mailto:robert.dunn@loras.edu |
Mary Johnson, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator Professor of Psychology Counseling Psychology 563-588-7228 mailto:mary.johnson@loras.edu |
| Lisa Grinde, Ph.D. Asst Professor of Psychology Developmental Psychology 563-588-7113 mailto:lisa.budzisz@loras.edu |
Stephen Milliser, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Experimental-Physiological Psychology 563-588-7287 mailto:steve.milliser@loras.edu |
| Mark Hopper, Ph.D. Asst Professor of Psychology Counseling Psychology 563-588-7226 mailto:mark.hopper@loras.edu |
Julia Omarzu, Ph.D. Asst Professor of Psychology Social and Personality Psychology 563-588-7524 mailto:julia.omarzu@loras.edu |
General Information
The Psychology Program offers courses leading to the Master of Arts degree in Applied Psychology. After admission to the program, degree students enter one of two areas of study: clinical-counseling psychology or general psychology. The program is designed to meet graduate educational needs by: 1) enhancing the professional competencies and involvement of people already engaged in an applied field of psychology, 2) providing educational and field experiences for those wishing to change their occupation to an area of applied psychology, 3) providing a master’s level education for those students wishing to pursue doctoral education elsewhere, and 4) providing a general master’s level education for those individuals teaching or planning to teach psychology in the secondary schools. The clinical-counseling program is designed to allow the student to fulfill the current courses required for the State of Iowa’s Mental Health Counselor license.
Application Procedures for Admission as a Degree Student
See General Requirements for Admission to Study.
Applicants must submit the following application materials to the Admissions Office, Loras College, 1450 Alta Vista, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, by May 15 for summer courses; by August 15 for fall courses; and by January 10 for spring courses:
| 1. | Completed Application for Admission to Graduate Program. |
| 2. | Nonrefundable $25 application fee. |
| 3. | Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended. |
| 4. | Three (3) letters of recommendation. One (1) letter should be from a person capable of judging the applicant’s academic potential. |
| 5. | Psychology addendum to the application. |
| 6. | Test scores from either the Ohio State University Psychological Test (available in the Loras Counseling Center, telephone, 563.588.7024) or the Graduate Record Exam (general section, not the psychology version). |
| 7. | A typewritten statement (not to exceed three double-spaced pages) outlining the applicant’s interests and professional goals. This statement is an integral part of the application process and will be weighed heavily in its evaluation. See addendum form for additional information. |
| 8. | Interview with at least two (2) members of the Psychology Program faculty (see addendum form for faculty names, office numbers, and telephone numbers). |
Following a review of these materials, a letter notifying the applicant of his/her status will be sent.
Degree Requirements
| 1. | Admission to Candidacy. Students who have been admitted as a degree-seeking student will be reviewed after the completion of at least 12 credits and not more than 18 credits. This review will be conducted by faculty members in the Psychology Program and will assess adequacy of academic performance as a well as overall suitability of the student for work in the area of psychology which has been selected. A recommendation regarding admission to candidacy will be submitted to the Graduate Council (see additional information on Candidacy). |
| 2. | Comprehensive Examination. A written comprehensive examination is required for completion of the Master of Arts degree in Psychology. After completion of 30 credits, candidates are eligible to take the required comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination can be taken only during the following months: August, September, October, January, February, and March (see application procedure). |
| 3. | Course Requirements |
| . | a. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor who is the director of that student’s program. The student is to meet with the advisor at the beginning of enrollment and prior to registration thereafter to design an individualized program of courses, field experiences, etc. |
| b. A minimum of 45 hours for the clinical-counseling degree and 39 hours for the general psychology degree program are required. |
Requirements for the Clinical-Counseling M.A. Degree:
(Included with each course is the State of Iowa Mental Health Counselor requirement it satisfies):
| L.PSY-527 | Human Development (Human Growth and Development) |
| L.PSY-530 | Clinical Psychopharmacology |
| L.PSY-561 | Psychology of Gender OR L.PSY-635 Diversity Issues in Mental Health Practice (Social and Cultural Foundations) |
| L.PSY-605 | Research and Program Evaluation (Research and Program Evaluation) |
| L.PSY-612 | Ethics and Professional Standards (Professional Orientation) |
| L.PSY-615 | Introduction to Psychological Testing and Measurements |
| L.PSY-625 | Psychopathology |
| L.PSY-637 | Career and Lifestyle Development (Career and Lifestyle Development) |
| L.PSY-643 | Group Methods in Psychotherapy and Counseling (Groups) |
| L.PSY-647 | Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy (Counseling Theories) |
| L.PSY-649 | Techniques in Counseling and Psychotherapy (Helping Relationships) |
| L.PSY-660 | Individual Mental Measurements (Diagnosis, Assessment and Treatment Procedures) |
| L.PSY-694 | Practicum (Supervised Counseling Practicum) |
| L.PSY-696 | Supervised Counseling Internship (Supervised Counseling Internship) |
Requirements for the General Psychology M.A. Degree:
All three (3) course from Group A; five (5) courses from Groups B and C with at least one (1) course required from Group C; and five (5) electives from the following course from Groups B, C or D:
Course Group A. Basic Psychology (all required)
L.PSY-605 Research and Program Evaluation
L.PSY-612 Ethics and Professional Standards
L.PSY-615 Introduction to Psychological Testing and Measurement
Course Group B. Social-Individual Basis of Behavior
L.PSY-523 Adulthood and Aging
L.PSY-527 Human Development
L.PSY-558 Child Psychopathology
L.PSY-620 Advanced Personality Psychology
L.PSY-624 Advanced Social Psychology
L.PSY-625 Psychopathology
Course Group C. Cognitive-Biological Basis of Behavior
L.PSY-530 Psychopharmacology
L.PSY-633 Physiological Psychology
Course Group D. Applied Psychology
L.PSY-558 Child Psychopathology
L.PSY-561 The Psychology of Gender
L.PSY-562 Social Psychology: Group Dynamics
L.PSY-595 Special Topics in Psychology
L.PSY-635 Diversity in Mental Health Practice
L.PSY-637 Career and Lifestyle Development
L.PSY-643 Group Methods of Psychotherapy
L.PSY-647 Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy
L.PSY-648 Marriage and Family Counseling
L.PSY-649 Techniques of Psychotherapy
L.PSY-650 Research Project
L.PSY-660 Individual Mental Measurement
L.PSY-694 Practicum
L.PSY-695 Independent Study
COURSES IN PSYCHOLOGY
L.PSY-523. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULTHOOD AND AGING.
A survey of modern knowledge about the processes of becoming old (aging) and old age itself. Emphasis is placed on cognitive processes, personality, and mental health. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-527. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
Basic principles and sequences in human development. 3 credits. (fall of odd years)
L.PSY-530. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. An introductory course aimed at increasing one’s understanding of the nature and basis of drug influence on behavior. Such understanding is essential for the development of rational chemical therapies for mental disorders as well as for dealing with the persistent problem of drug abuse. This course presumes the student has only minimal scientific background in physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, and related subjects. 3 credits. (fall of even years)
L.PSY-558. CHILD PSYCHOPATHOLOGY.
A study of behavioral, developmental, and psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence. Emphasis is placed on the assessment and treatment of child psychopathology. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-561. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER.
A cross-disciplinary examination of how gender influences and shapes the lives of women and men. Topics include: the process and history of gender socialization; gender in the workplace; gender images in the media and literature; differences and similarities in cognitive styles and moral reasoning. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-563. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: GROUP DYNAMICS.
A survey of social psychology of group processes including group formation, the development of group norms, leadership emergence, group productivity, and intragroup/intergroup conflict. Emphasis is placed on the contributions of social psychological theory (social comparison, social exchange, attribution theories) to current understanding of group dynamics. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-595. SPECIAL TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY.
Flexible offerings that allow students an opportunity to explore, with a professor and other students, an area of mutual interest. The students for these courses are screened by the teacher(s) to ensure their potential for course contribution, since students as well as teachers are expected to present positions in the area to be studied. 1-3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-605. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION.
This course examines issues relevant to program evaluation in mental health settings, focusing on three student outcomes: (1) A basic understanding of the process of program evaluation, including needs assessment, the logic of quasi-experimental design (e.g., pretest-posttest comparisons, comparisons among treatment groups), and the types of data (e.g. archival, self-report, observational data) that may be collected in clinical settings. (2) Development of skills in using software packages to conduct basic statistical procedures (e.g. chi-square, correlation, t-test) for analyzing and interpreting data. (3) An awareness and appreciation of the ethical issues is program evaluation such as confidentiality and appropriate reporting of results. 3 credits. (spring semester)
L.PSY-612. ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
A study and discussion of the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics and Standards for Health Service Providers in Psychology. 3 credits. (fall of even years)
L.PSY-615. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND MEASUREMENT.
Theory of measurement applied to psychology; psychological scaling; emphasis on reliability theory and construct validity. This course will also teach the administration and interpretation of selected Psychological tests such as the MMPI, The Mellon, The California Personality Inventory. There will be an additional focus on test report writing. Open only to degree candidates. Prerequisite: Research and Program Evaluation or equivalent. 3 credits. (fall of even years)
L.PSY-620. ADVANCED PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY.
Nature and current status of personality theories; measurement and application of concepts drawn from those theories. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-624. ADVANCED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY.
Analysis and integration of social psychological research data from laboratory and field settings emphasizing research strategies and methods. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-625. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY.
Adult and child behavior pathology; theory, research, and methods related to etiology, defining characteristics, and maintaining causes. 3 credits . (fall of even years)
L.PSY-633. PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY.
Neuroanatomical and neuro-physiological basis of behavior, relationships among anatomy and physiology, and motivation, emotion, learning, memory, and sleep. 3 credits . (as needed)
L.PSY-635. DIVERSITY ISSUES IN MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE.
Students will learn a model to assess cultural differences and gain an understanding of the effects of these differences on mental health practice. 3 credits. (fall of odd years)
L.PSY-637. CAREER AND LIFESTYLE DEVELOPMENT.
This course will examine career development theories, career assessment instruments, career decision making models, and other topics relevant to career counseling. 3 credits. (spring of even years)
L.PSY-643. GROUP METHODS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELING.
This course explores the process of group therapy with emphasis on the experiential dimensions. Prerequisite: Permission of Program Coordinator. Open only to degree candidates. 3 credits. (spring of odd years)
L.PSY-647. INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY.
A pre-practicum course in basic clinical/counseling skills. The course presents a practical model for doing counseling and therefore is designed to increase the reliability of the counseling process. The course will include a supervised work experience component of two (2) to three (3) hours per week within an area of human service program or agency. Prerequisite: permission of the Graduate Coordinator. Open only to degree candidates. 3 credits. (fall of odd years)
L.PSY-648. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COUNSELING.
A course intended for those who plan to be involved in dealing with couples whose marriages are either in trouble or who wish to actualize their marriage to a high level of fulfillment and functioning. The student will be taught how to utilize family systems theory in resolution of conflicts, communications, achieving compatibility, and in handling the spouse’s anger. The student will also acquire diagnostic and interpretive skills in uncovering underlying dynamics in marriages. 3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-649. TECHNIQUES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY.
This course is intended to develop a critical assessment of existing techniques in psychotherapy. The chief aim is to develop the student’s ability to build successful methods of intervention for psychotherapy. Being able to adequately express all of the basic techniques of psychotherapy is stressed. Prerequisite: L.PSY-647 and permission of the instructor. Open to degree candidates only. 3 credits. (spring of even years)
L.PSY-650. RESEARCH PROJECT.
Under the direction of a faculty advisor the student designs, conducts, and interprets a research study. Prior to conducting the study the student presents a research proposal. Upon acceptance of the proposal, the student proceeds with the study. The course is completed with a final oral presentation. The research project much be completed no later than July 1 for summer graduation, November 15 for fall graduation, or April 15 for spring graduation. Open to degree candidates only. 1 credit. (as needed)
L.PSY-660. INDIVIDUAL MENTAL MEASUREMENT.
A study of intelligence testing with extensive practice and supervision in the administration and scoring of the WPPSI, WISC III, and WAIS III. Prerequisite: L.PSY-615. Open to degree candidates only. 3 credits. (spring of odd years)
L.PSY-694. PRACTICUM.
Supervised practice in psychological assessment and/or in psychological intervention with clients and/or patients. Students are required to work for the following minimum hours: 1 credit = 90 hours; 2 credits = 120 hours; 3 credits = 150 hours. Finding a placement is the joint responsibility of the student and the Psychology Department. Permission of the instructor required. Open only to degree candidates. 1-3 credits. (every semester)
L.PSY-695. SEMINAR.
Special topics in Psychology. Prerequisite: Written consent of instructor. Primarily for master’s candidates in Psychology. 1-3 credits. (as needed)
L.PSY-696. SUPERVISED CLINICAL INTERNSHIP.
Students will gain clinical experience in an applied setting of their choice with clientele appropriate to their program of study. Prerequisites: L.PSY-647, L.PSY-649, L.PSY-615, L.PSY-644 or L.PSY-660, and good academic standing in the Masters program. 3 credits. (every semester)
L.PSY-697. INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Primarily for master’s candidates in psychology. Individual investigation of a special topic under the direction of a faculty member. Permission of the Graduate Coordinator and Provost required prior to registration. Only open to degree candidates. 1-3 credits.
1450 Alta Vista St., Dubuque IA 52001 (800)245-6727 (563)588-7236
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