FSU Psychology Department

Admissions

Admission Criteria

Basic Preperation Courses

Course Requirements

Personal Growth

Degree of Candidacy

Graduation

Admission Criteria

In addition to the general admission requirements for all graduate programs, you are required to meet the following criteria:

1.	You must have completed the baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education (verified by an official transcript) with an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you have NOT earned at least a 3.0 grade point average, you must submit a minimum score of 410 on the MAT or a minumum score of 1,000 (V+Q) on the General Test of the GRE. Scores below the above criteria will be considered on an individual basis.
2.	You must ask three professionals to complete reference forms concerning your suitability for graduate study in Counseling Psychology. At least two of these references must be from professors who have taught or supervised you.
3.	You are to provide a resume with your application for admission.
4.	All applicants are to provide a typewritten statement (limited to three pages single spaced) in which the following points are addressed.
	Briefly describe yourself, e.g., Where are you from? Whom do you consider to be your family? What are you currently doing with your life in terms of education and/or work? What are your recreational interests? Etc. What are your specific life and career goals and aspirations? Are there significant life experiences that you have had that were instrumental in your choosing a career in counseling? Identify your current strengths and needs for development. Describe the typical ways you deal with stress and conflict with others. Why did you choose to apply to Frostburg State University's Counseling Psychology program? After having read through the materials that describe our program, what, if any, concerns or questions do you have about our program
5.	You must interview with the Graduate Program Coordinator. If additional interviews are required, then the Coordinator will arrange them. If you cannot arrange to come to the campus for an interview, the Coordinator will arrange for either a telephone interview . The purpose of the interview is to provide another source of information regarding the applicant's appropriateness for training as a counselor.
6.	Undergraduate preparation must include the following courses for a total of 15 credit hours (or their equivalent as determined by the Psychology Admissions Committee): Introduction/General Psychology Psychological Statistics or Research Methods Developmental Psychology (Child, Adolescent or Adult) Abnormal Psychology (Adult or Child) Elective in Psychology
7.	Application Deadline: February 1 for the Fall semester. Degree program admissions are made only for the Fall semester.
8.	Please Note: Some internship sites may require a criminal background check prior to approving students for the internship placement.

Basic Preparation Courses

Although not required for admission, the following courses represent needed background for the more advanced courses in the program. If the student has not completed these courses at an advanded level as an undergraduate, these courses at Frostburg State University at the beginning of the student's program of study. If the student has taken some or all of these basic preperation courses at another institituion but the courses are not comparable to FSU's, the student will be asked to either take the course(s) at FSU or take an equivalency exam to test out of the course(s):

PSYC 508 Tests and Measurements
Plus one, three credit hour course addressing the physiological basis of behavior: Physiological Psychology (PSYC 520), Health Psychology (PSYC 530), or Addictions Issues and Treatment (PSYC 686) or their equivalent at another university.

Course Requirements

39 credits of graduate level course work as follows, plus a minimum of 10 credits in Internship (Total = 49 credits).

Program Courses: 39 credits
PSYC 600	Intro to Counseling & Assessment	PSYC 630	Theories & Techniques of Counseling I
PSYC 602	Adv Research Evaluation and Interpretation (or PSYC 570)	PSYC 640	Theories & Techniques of Counseling II
PSYC 610	Small Group Dynamics/Group Counseling	PSYC 650	Family Therapy
PSYC 614	Adv Developmental Psychology	PSYC 660	Individual Assessment
PSYC 617	Adult Psychopathology	PSYC 670	Multicultural Counseling Techniques
PSYC 618	Child Psychopathology	PSYC ___	Approved Elective (see list below)
PSYC 619**	Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling	PSYC 695	Internship in Counseling (5-12 credits)
		PSYC 696	Advanded Internship in Counseling (5-12 credits)
Students who have a strong Research Methods background are encouraged to substitute PSYC 570 for PSYC 602. This course is ideal for those who wish to engage in research and prepare to go on for doctoral studies. You may wish to consult with your advisor in order to determine your eligibility to enroll in PSYC 570, which is a 4 credit course. *In order to complete the program, students will have to take PSYC 619 during an intersession or summer session.

Approved Psychology electives:
PSYC 504	Psychology of Exceptional Child	Any 500	Level PSYC Course
PSYC 520	Physiological Psychology	PSYC 602*	Adv Research Eval & Inter
PSYC 530	Health Psychology	PSYC 616	Psychological Issues in Career Counseling
PSYC 544	The Male Experience	PSYC	Counselor as a Person
PSYC 570	Research Methods Applications	PSYC 680	Adv Treatment Strategies w/ Children, Adolescents & Fam
PSYC 581	History and Systems	PSYC 686	Addictions Issues & Treatment
PSYC 585	Behavioral App to Human Problems	PSYC 692	Adv. Seminar in Psychology
PSYC 590	Special Topics in Psyc	PSYC 698	Readings in Psychology
PSYC 591	Seminar in Psychology	PSYC 699	Ind. Research in Psychology

Approved Education Electives:**
SCCO 608	Lifestyle, Career Development & Decision Making	EDUC 606	Developmental Theory & Expiential Growth
EDUC 523	AIDS: Information, Instruction & Counseling	EDUC 590	Spec. Topics: AIDS: Peer Counseling & Education
You may take both 570 and 602; one can count as the program requirement and one as an elective. *Other SCCO and EDUC courses with prior approval of M.S. Committee.
Minimum requirement: 49 credit hours

Personal Growth Experience

All students are required to participate in a counseling experience designed to enhance their self-growth and self-awareness. This may be individual or group counseling, or a structured workshop, and must be 6 hours in length.

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Degree Candidacy

Frostburg State University regards degree candidacy as an important element of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree program. The purpose of degree candidacy is to provide a formal mechanism as part of your program of study whereby your academic performance and progress toward completion of degree requirements are evaluated. Criteria for this evaluation are found in the M.S. in Counseling Psychology Graduate Student Handbook.

Conditions of Degree Candidacy and Internship

It is your responsibility to apply for degree candidacy. Application for degree candidacy must occur during the semester in which you will complete 12 or more credit hours of 600-level program requirements inclduing PSYC 640. In order to apply for degree candidacy you must:

1.	Have completed all graduate credit taken as approved from Frostburg State University with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.
2.	Have completed all undergraduate preperation courses and any other course deficiencies as they are listed on your Study Plan.
3.	Have completed all required basic preparation courses..

Acceptance to degree candidacy must be approved before you apply for the internship. All course work except for electives must be completed prior to interning, and yu must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better in order to intern.

Internship is normally graded on a PASS/NON-PASS basis. In order to continue in the program and register for Advanced Internship (PSYC 696), you must receive a PASS in Internship (PSYC 695). Should you be unable to complete either PSYC 695 or 697 during the semester you initially enrolled, an incomplete (I) may be assigned.

Graduation

In addition to satisfactorily completing the basic master's degree requirements described in the University Graduate Catalog, an exit interview and recommendation for graduation from your Master's Committee (your advisor and one other faculty member) are required. You must apply for graduation according to the schedule listed in the academic regulations section of the Graduate Catalog.

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