Explore the mind by gaining additional research knowledge from your master's degree in psychology. By completing your master’s in psychology from the Golden State College, you will learn how to integrate psychological research into real-world applications. Understanding what moves people into action and then effectively employing that information to your staff, your clients, and your colleagues will set you apart from the competition. This psychology program demonstrates your expertise at applying psychology to your work life and can help support you in taking your psychology education to the next level.

 

At GSC, you are not required to take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) in order to be admitted into the master’s in psychology program. Unlike most traditional campus-based programs, this master’s in psychology can be started even if you have not taken the GRE exam which means more flexibility for you and less money to spend on test preparation materials.

 

The master’s program guides you through an in-depth exploration of the discipline. At the core of the master’s degree in psychology is the generalist model, a conceptual framework that emphasizes an understanding of the processes that underlie human experience and behavior, as well as core knowledge, theories, and research methods in the field of psychology. Upon completion of the psychology degree, you will be able to: 

 

Apply ethical principles and standards of psychology to academic and professional activities  

Explain psychological concepts effectively using the professional standards of the discipline  

Analyze the major concepts, theories, methodologies, and historical trends in psychology  

Evaluate the scientific merit of the professional literature in psychology  

Integrate psychological theory and research

 

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Program Requirements

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Total number of credits: 36 credits

Core requirements: 36 credits

To be awarded the Master of Arts in Psychology degree, all students must complete 36 credit hours with a 3.00 minimum grade point average in all coursework attempted at the University.

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When pursuing your master’s in psychology, you will take courses in developmental, social, and counseling psychology. Learn how to use psychological theories in any professional endeavor. You will also evaluate the scientific merit of psychological research and literature in your courses, which will give you a solid foundation of psychological knowledge when going into your field of practice.

 

Major Course Requirements (36 credits, all courses are 3 credits.)

 

Psychology

PSY 600 Introduction to Graduate Study in Psychology

PSY 605 Developmental Psychology

PSY 610 Applied Social Psychology

PSY 615 Personality Theories

PSY 620 Learning & Cognition

PSY 625 Biological Bases of Behavior

PSY 630 Psychopharmacology

PSY 635 Research Design & Methods

PSY 640 Psychological Testing & Assessment

PSY 645 Psychopathology

PSY 650 Introduction to Clinical & Counseling Psychology

PSY 699 Master of Arts in Psychology Capstone

 

When you graduate with your Master of Arts in Psychology, you will be prepared for a career in which a broad background and specialized knowledge in psychology are required. Employers will find your master’s in psychology valuable, as the skills that you will develop throughout this program will be ones that every successful business will require. Some of these skills include:

 

Cultural competence

Responsible leadership

Emotional intelligence

 

Your degree in psychology can work in a variety of fields, including mental health, education, business, health care, counseling, and social and human services. Furthermore, if you have also acquired several years’ experience in business and industry, you can obtain jobs in consulting and marketing research.

 

As an undergraduate psychology major, you may also seek a career in any of the following industries:

 

Public Administration

Sales

Criminal Justice

Social Services

Human Resources

Business

 

If you earn an MA in Psychology, you might consider pursuing a career in these industries:

 

Social Services

Child and Family Services

Community Organizations

Government – Local, State, or Federal

Human Resources

Law Enforcement

Market Research

Health care

Nonprofit sector

Education

 

If you earn a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), you may choose to pursue the following careers:

Psychologist

Human Resources Specialist

Postsecondary Business Teacher

Join a professional organization

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