Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and, as such, is a diverse field that touches all aspects of human endeavor. The objectives of the Department of Psychology are to provide students with current knowledge through learning experiences in and out of the classroom that will increase critical thinking skills, equip them with research methodology, and prepare them for employment in business, education, community agencies, other professional areas, or graduate school. Curriculum in psychology is based on American Psychological Association principles for training students to be behavioral scientists and to use their training to inform their practice as professionals. Lamar University reserves the right to modify degree requirements and teaching certificate requirements in keeping with legislative acts and rules established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the State Board for Educator Certification.

Admission to the Department of Psychology Programs

The Department of Psychology recommends that students wishing to major in psychology have SAT/ACT scores of approximately 1000/21. Students changing their major to psychology must have acceptable SAT/ACT scores and be in good standing in the university.

Degrees Offered

Graduate Program

The Department of Psychology offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science degree in Applied Psychology. It is designed to prepare professional personnel for employment in business, industry, or clinical mental health. Students may elect to take their primary coursework in industrial/organizational psychology or in clinical psychology. Students seeking admission to this program must meet the general requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies (see section 7.2.3) and must offer the substantial equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in psychology (24 semester hours) including courses in statistics and research methods, a statement of purpose, a copy of a research paper the student wrote for an upper level undergraduate psychology course, and 3 letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's academic preparation, suitability for graduate study, and appraisal of the applicant's personal and moral standards for professional conduct. Please note: The GRE is no longer required for applications to the M.S. in Applied Psychology program. Students applying to the clinical concentration must also interview with the program director to determine readiness and fit for the clinical concentration. In most cases, applicants with the materials listed above who have at least a 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA and at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA in psychology courses, are considered for admission. International students must present a minimum TOEFL score of 550. The department has flexible admission criteria that allow the faculty to review applicants individually. The department will only consider applications for enrollment that begins in the fall semester. Applications for fall admission must be received by April 15. Those who want to apply after the April 15 deadline must first request permission to do so via email to the department chair (jashelton@lamar.edu). Post Baccalaureate students are not permitted to enroll in psychology graduate courses without special permission from the department chair.

Departmental Policies

Special attention is called to the following departmental policies:

1. Graduate students are prohibited from providing psychological services except when supervised by a faculty member as part of a course requirement or when regularly employed by a licensed psychologist; an exempt agency, as defined by the Psychologist’s Licensing Act; or a departmental-approved nonexempt agency. Students in training are expected to be aware of and abide by the Psychologist’s Licensing Act and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists. A violation of this policy will result in the student’s dismissal from the program.
2. More than six hours of “C” level work will result in the student’s dismissal from the program.
3. Students may not enroll in the same course more than twice (except for the Thesis).
4. Qualifying and/or final examinations may be repeated once if a failure occurs. In general, a student repeating any portion of the examinations must do so at the next administration of the examination.
5. After admission to candidacy, a student must be enrolled in a thesis course each regular semester until the requirements for the degree are completed. In addition, a student must be registered for a thesis course each session of the summer term if the student is to receive the degree in August or is involved in research or writing.
6. Students not admitted to the Psychology graduate program may enroll in no more than six graduate hours before being admitted.
7. Licensures are available for Clinical track graduates through the state of Texas as a Licensed Psychological Associate. Additional coursework may be required for licensure as a Licensed Psychological Associate. Consult the licensure board (Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists) for additional details. The Clinical track does not prepare students for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Additional coursework not provided by the Department of Psychology is required for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Consult the licensure board guidelines for additional details

Under unusual circumstances and with the approval of the department chair and the student’s supervising professor, a student may postpone registration for the thesis course for one or more semesters. Unless special permission has been granted, a student who is not continuously enrolled in a thesis course must repeat the candidacy examinations and apply for re-admission to candidacy.

Programs

Degree Coordinators:

• Undergraduate Degree Program - Edythe Kirk
• Applied Psychology Graduate Program, Industrial/Organizational Track - Raymond Doe
• Applied Psychology Graduate Program, Clinical Track - Melanie Webb