Dec 05, 2024  
NCU Catalog - June 2017 
    
NCU Catalog - June 2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Psychology, General Psychology Specialization, MA


Master of Arts in Psychology


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.

Learning Outcomes


  • Analyze theories and principles in psychology to inform professional contexts.
  • Examine research methods and data analysis in psychology.
  • Apply psychological principles and research to personal, social, and organizational issues.
  • Relate ethical principles of psychology to academic and professional matters.
  • Examine diversity issues in professional contexts.
  • 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.

Degree Requirements


The Master of Arts degree requires a total of 36 credit hours at the graduate level. The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the Master of Arts in Psychology for graduate course work completed at an external accredited college or university with a grade of “B” or better. See the Transfer Credit Policy   for additional information.

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

  • A minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate instruction must be completed through NCU
  • 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


NCU 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 NCU 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.

Course Sequence


Students who complete at least 15 semester credit hours in a single area of specialization at NCU (not counting foundational courses) may elect to have the specialization recorded on their transcript and diploma.

All Master of Arts in Psychology ( MAPSY) programs require the foundation courses to be completed prior to enrolling in specialization courses. The program capstone will be completed as the last course in the degree program. 

In some cases, specialization courses listed on the initial degree plan can be changed at the students request. Please contact your Academic Advisor for more information.

General Psychology Specialization


The General Psychology specialization allows students to select courses from a broad range of specialization courses to fit their personal and professional goals.

Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours for the specialization in General Psychology (9 credit hours are from elective courses and 9 credits hours are from required courses). Students may take psychology courses at the 5000, 6000 level including up to two courses from other fields (MFT, Business, and/or Education) to fulfill their specialization requirements. Courses from other disciplines may be considered to fill this requirement, with Dean approval.