Master of Arts Curriculum

The Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology degree program curriculum is designed to introduce students to basic clinical skills that integrate theoretical foundations in applied psychology. Our curriculum’s focus is preparation for the Doctor in Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology degree program and not for independent practice. The MA in Clinical Psychology degree program is not license-eligible in the state of California.

Course Listing

Students enrolled in the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program at The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Southern California are required to successfully complete 51 credit hours distributed as follows: scientific foundations requirements, 9 credit hours; psychopathology requirements, 9 credit hours; assessment requirements, 9 credit hours; interventions requirements, 9 credit hours; diversity requirements, 3 credit hours, ethics requirements, 3 credit hours; professionalization group requirements, 2 credit hours; integrative paper requirements, 1 credit hour; practicum requirements, 6 credit hours. Students who receive a grade below “B-” in any course must retake the course during the next academic year or sooner.

Graduation Requirements

Students who are admitted into the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program will be responsible for completing the program requirements that are in effect at the time of their admission. The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Southern California retains the right to modify these requirements in accordance with the demands of the profession of psychology. The courses will be completed in the recommended order; see the recommended course sequence section for details.

• 51 semester credit hours, which must be completed by the end of the fifth year of matriculation. The total hours must include:
  • 42 credit hours of core course requirements*
  • 2 credit hours of professionalization group requirements
  • 6 credit hours of practicum and practicum seminar requirements
  • 1 credit hour of integrative paper requirement
• Pass Integrative Paper (PP6011) (graded “Credit/No Credit”)
• A grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0)
• Completion of Clinical Competency Examination
• A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration

Note
*Core courses are taken in the following distribution areas: scientific foundations, psychopathology, assessment, interventions, diversity, and ethics.

Research Training

Consistent with our practitioner-scholar model and goals, this program can help you learn the knowledge and skills needed to critically evaluate professional literature, use this literature to inform your professional practice, and engage in research that aligns with your career objectives. Across the curriculum, your studies will be informed by current empirical research, and you will be taught to critically evaluate the literature and assess outcomes in a manner consistent with the model of the local clinical scientist. Formal training in research methods and statistical analysis occurs in two required semester-long courses, and, with this knowledge and experience, you may then begin work on your Clinical Research Project (CRP).

The Clinical Research Project (CRP)

The CRP is designed to develop and refine the skills necessary to integrate your clinical knowledge with research literature to produce original, scholarly research in clinical psychology. During this project, you will be expected to:

• Significantly deepen your knowledge about a particular area (or areas) of clinical psychology
• Sharpen your critical thinking and writing skills
• Develop and apply skills in research methodology

The CRP requires you to analyze and synthesize the psychological literature, to develop and investigate original research questions, and to draw conclusions based on the results of your study. CRPs may involve original empirical research using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodologies. The Clinical Research Project can serve as a launching point for students and alumni to pursue further scholarship such as publications and presentations, often in collaboration with program faculty. Recent examples of such collaboration include:

• Hensen, C., Vander Dussen, K, & Parekh, B. (2010, April). Early intervention for theunderserved autism spectrum disorder population. Poster presented at annual conference of the American Psychological Association, San Diego, CA.
• Hermann, C. & Parekh, B., (2014, April). An examination of insulin restriction in women. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland OR.
• Huerta, P., Lopez, T., & Hume, M. (2014, March) Therapeutic assessment:countertransference and patient satisfaction. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality Assessment, Arlington, VA.
• Knapp, A., Berger. S.E., & Parekh, B., & Hume, M. (2013, August). Early versus late autism spectrum disorders diagnosis and parental stress anxiety and coping skills. Poster presentation at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association , Honolulu, HI.
• Meisner, T., Parekh, B., & Hume, M.(2013, April). Expanding the horizons ofassessment: investigating the use of attachment styles and projective measures a means of assessing substance use. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality Assessment, San Diego, CA.
• Nawalanic, G., & Parekh, B. (2014, August). An examination of sexting in a young adult population.” Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
• Paniagua, E., & Parekh, B., (2014, April). An examination of trauma within chronic pelvic pain patients. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.
• Thams, K., Lopez, B., Parekh, B., & Hume, M., (2013, April). Alcohol consumption and safe sex practices in community college students. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Reno, NV.
• Tobin, J., & Oleynik, A. (2014, April). Teaching critical thinking skills to graduate students in clinical psychology: A novel method and case example. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.