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Master of Arts in Clinical PsychologyCredit hours: 48
Length: two years
Model: scientist practitioner
Thesis: optional
We accept up to 12 students each year, which allows our dedicated faculty to give you individual attention. As an accepted student, you will enter with a cohort and take most of your courses with that cohort. Many of our program's graduates choose to go on to doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology, and the rest choose to obtain jobs in mental health settings.
Assistantships
Most of our students are funded by an assistantship. A graduate assistantship provides partial tuition remission (a reduction in fees so that you are responsible for certain fees only, currently about $900 per semester) and a stipend of $7,956 per year. In return, you work 20 hours per week assisting faculty with teaching, research, and/or administrative duties.
Internship
Internship training begins in your second year. Our practicum supervisor, Dr. Lucinda Woodward, will assist in choosing your internship site. Sites include the University Counseling Center, Community Mental Health Services, Riley Children's Hospital, and many more.
Research
Our graduate faculty welcome the opportunity to do research with students, and we recommend that all students get involved in research projects. Often our graduate assistants are assigned to work on faculty research projects. For information about faculty research interests, see the faculty profiles and list of faculty research interests.
Thesis
Completing a thesis is optional in our program. Should you do one? Read about the purpose of a thesis, written by Bernard E. Whitley Jr., professor of psychology at Ball State since 1984.
State Licensing
If you are interested in becoming licensed in clinical psychology, be aware that licensing requirements vary from state to state. You can contact the licensure agency of the state in which you plan to seek employment to obtain accurate information about how best to pursue this option. Please note that you must take responsibility for choosing a course of study that is best suited to your career goals.
In our program, you can select an option that will give you requirements that satisfy many of the general licensing requirements of most states. You will probably need to take additional electives and accumulate extra internship hours.
Clinical Course Requirements: 27 credit hours
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PSYSC 632 - Abnormal Psychology.
Introduction to adult psychopathology with emphasis on contemporary systems of classification of behavior disorders, expression of behavior disorders in the context of cultural factors, problems associated with diagnostic decision making, and current research concerning descriptive boundaries, etiology, course, and prognosis. Prerequisite: PSYSC 284; permission of the department chairperson. Prerequisite recommended: PSYSC 317. Open only to students in the clinical MA program.
PSYSC 640 - Introduction to Psychological Assessment.
Theoretical and practical implications of psychodiagnostic tools including age, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, and culture factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups. Emphasizes issues of reliability, validity, and ethics, plus the development of basic diagnostic skills. Prerequisite: PSYSC 623, 632. Open only to students in the clinical MA program.
PSYSC 644 - Advanced Psychological Assessment.
Continuation of PSYSC 640 with emphasis on the selection, administration, interpretation, and use of objective and projective personality assessment devices in conjunction with other techniques. Emphasizes development of advanced diagnostic skills and ethical considerations. Prerequisite: PSYSC 623, 632, 640.
PSYSC 652 - Introduction to Psychotherapy.
Introduction to treatment of abnormal behavior using individual psychotherapy. Selected theories and techniques are surveyed. Emphasizes development of basic therapeutic skills, therapist and client characteristics that influence helping processes, ethical considerations, and implications of sociocultural, demographic and lifestyle diversity. Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson.
PSYSC 653 - Advanced Topics in Psychotherapy.
Selected topics in psychotherapy and related interventions are examined, including crisis intervention, medications, prevention, and community intervention. Also covered are historical, legal, financial, and ethical considerations, procedures for determining accountability, and public policy issues related to mental health services. Prerequisite: PSYSC 632, 652; permission of the instructor. Open only to students in the clinical MA program.
PSYSC 682 - Orientation to Professional Clinical.
A 100 hour clinical practicum in a mental health setting. Designed to introduce students to issues involved with professional practice, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing. Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson. Open only to clinical graduate students in psychological science.
PSYSC 685 - Clinical Internship.
Supervised applied clinical experience in one or more appropriate settings. Students must have earned 20 hours of graduate credit in psychological science, at least half of which should be from the clinical sequence. Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson. A total of 6 hours of credit may be earned. Open only to students in the clinical MA program.
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Psychology Core Requirements: 26 credit hours (including electives)
PSYSC 616 - Perception and Cognition.
Analysis of research and theories of perception, cognition, and language. Covers information processing, attention, verbal learning and memory, problem solving, concept formation, and psycholinguistics. Prerequisite: PSYSC 284 or 584.
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PSYSC 623 - Theories of Personality.
Review and comparison of theories of the structure, development, dynamics, and assessment of normal personality, with emphasis on empirical data presented by proponents of various theoretical positions. Prerequisite recommended: PSYSC 241.
PSYSC 668 - Physiological Psychology.
Introduction to the physiological basis of behavior, involving the nervous system, its structure, biochemistry, and function. Emphasis on basic neuroscience and research methods. Includes a survey of the role of neurophysiology and neuroanatomy in functions of consciousness and mental disorders. Prerequisite: PSYSC 284, 584.
PSYSC 680 - Research Methods in Psychology.
Overview of research methods in psychology, including experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, single-case, and program evaluation techniques. Prerequisite: PSYSC 241, 284 or their equivalents; permission of the instructor.
PSYSC 681 - Orientation to Professional Psychology.
Introduces research and professional work conducted in psychology. Psychological science faculty discuss issues such as educational programs, professional training, clinical practice, methodology, and development of research ideas.
PSYSC 691 - Systems of Psychology.
The major concepts of various schools of psychological thought and contemporary theoretical systems as they have evolved from their historical origins.
PSYSC 696 - Seminar on Diversity.
Introduces the application of diversity perspectives to psychological research and practice. Race, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, disability, gender, sexual identity, age, and religious beliefs will be considered. Emphasizes why all psychological subdisciplines need to understand diversity issues. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
EDPSY 642 - Intermediate Statistics.
An extension of elementary descriptive and inferential statistics through basic statistical research designs, including analysis of variance and covariance. Prerequisite: PSYSC 241 or EDPSY 641 or a proficiency test administered within the department.
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