Psychology, General Psychology Specialization, MA

Description of Program

The Master of Arts (MA) program enables students to pursue advanced study in psychology that can lead to careers in the helping professions, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. The program also provides students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for doctoral-level study.

Goals

The goals (referred to as Student Learning Outcomes) of the Master of Arts in Psychology degree program are as follows:

• Students will be able to analyze theories and principles in psychology to inform professional contexts.
• Students will be able to examine research methods and data analysis in psychology.
• Students will be able to apply psychological principles and research to personal, social, and organizational issues.
• Students will be able to relate ethical principles of psychology to academic and professional matters.
• Students will be able to examine diversity issues in professional contexts.
• Student will be able to model clear and effective communication for fellow professionals and the public.

Basis for Admissions

Admission to the Master of Arts program requires a conferred bachelor’s and/or a conferred master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution.

General Degree Requirements

The master’s degree requires a total of 30-36 credit hours at the graduate level.

The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the master’s degree for graduate coursework completed at an accredited college or university with a grade of “B” or better.

All master’s degree programs have the following graduation requirements:

• A minimum of 18-24 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through Northcentral University
• Grade Point Average of 3.0 (letter grade of “B”) or higher
• Official documents on file for basis of admission
• Official transcripts on file for all transfer credit hours accepted by the University
• All financial obligations to the University paid in full

Time to Completion

Northcentral allows five years to complete master’s programs requiring 36 credit hours or less.

Students who are unable to complete a degree program within the stated time limit are dismissed. Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances may document the circumstances in a request for special consideration to their respective School Dean or designee. Exceptions to this policy are determined on a case-by-case basis and are granted only once.

Normal time to completion for this program is 44 months.

Time to completion varies depending upon the pace in which a student completes courses and the number of transfer credits accepted. As most Northcentral students are working adults balancing educational, professional, and personal commitments, our academic advisors will work with you to develop a program schedule that works best for your needs.

The normal time disclosed above reflects the experience of students who may have entered under different program requirements. In the quest for continuous improvement, academic leadership has revised the program to optimize curriculum and pace, facilitate student learning, and improve chances for success. Therefore, the program is now designed for students enrolling today to take advantage of these revised course structures, lengths, and schedules. New students following the preferred schedule designed by the Dean for this program, and applying no transfer credits, can expect to finish in as little as 18 months.

Degree Plan

All Specializations