College of Arts & Sciences

The objective of the department is to provide undergraduate students with a broad, general background in scientific psychology. The program is designed to prepare students for graduate study in psychology as well as a diversity of other fields requiring knowledge of psychological principles. The department expects its students to become well-versed in the theories, research, and applications of the discipline.

The department offers a full program leading to the B.A.; a graduate program leading to the Ph.D. with several major areas of concentration and a clinical training program; and in cooperation with the Department of Educational Psychology and Statistics in the School of Education, the Certificate of Advanced Study and Psy.D. in school psychology.

Careers

With the B.A. degree, professional entry-level positions are possible in public and private human services systems (health, education, social welfare, parole, probation, gerontology, youth, substance abuse); also, personnel administration, and general administrative work. Entry-level jobs could involve delivery of service, research and/or program planning and development. Less traditional occupations include medicine, dentistry, law, optometry, urban planning, genetic counseling, and human factors research.

Special Programs or Opportunities

The department offers opportunities for independent study and research beginning in the sophomore year. Students involved in research activities have supervised access to the department�s animal behavior laboratory, human research laboratories, and off-campus professional agencies.

Admission

Declaration of the major in psychology must be made by application to the department. Information on procedures for application is available from the Department Advisement Center (SS 370). Application may be made during any semester at any time prior to final exam week, or prior to August during summer sessions, but must be made before the student has earned 60 credits at the University at Albany.

The criteria outlined below will apply to all course work completed prior to and including the semester during which application is made. The department will notify students of action on the application before the subsequent semester. A Psy 101, 210, and 211 may not be taken elsewhere after matriculation at Albany.

I. Criteria for Students Admitted as Freshmen to Albany as of Fall 1991 and thereafter:

1. The student must have completed at least 24 hours of college credit (sophomore status).

2. The student�s cumulative grade point average for all course work at the University at Albany must be 2.00 or higher at the time of evaluation of the application.

3. The student must have a grade point average of 2.50 or higher for all course work completed in the University at Albany Psychology Department at the time of evaluation of the application.

4. The courses A Psy 101 or 102, A Psy 210 and A Psy 211 must have been completed with a minimum grade of C- in each. Students may be conditionally admitted to the major after completion of the requirements for A Psy 101 and A Psy 210. A Psy 211 must be completed in the next semester following conditional acceptance to be admitted to the major.

II. Criteria for Transfer Students Admitted to Albany as of Fall 1992 and thereafter:

For purposes of declaration of the major, the department recognizes three categories of transfer students. The criteria for admission to the major are different for these three categories. Transfer students may not apply transfer credit for A Psy 101, A Psy 210 and A Psy 211 with grades of D toward the major.

1. Transfer students who enter the University with less than 42 transfer credits or without credit for A Psy 101 must fulfill the criteria specified in section I. above.

2. Transfer students who enter the University with 42 or more transfer credits, have transfer credit for A Psy 101 and 210 with a grade of C- or higher in each, and have a 2.5 average for all psychology courses will be conditionally admitted to psychology as a major and receive advisement in the psychology department. Such students must complete A Psy 211 in their first semester here with a grade of C- or higher or their admission to the major will be withdrawn.

3. Transfer students who enter the University with 42 or more transfer credits, have transfer credit for A Psy 101, A Psy 210 and A Psy 211 with a grade of C- or higher in each, and have a 2.50 average in all psychology courses taken may immediately declare psychology as a major.

Repeating Courses

Students wishing to become majors may retake courses in A Psy 101, A Psy 210, and A Psy 211 in order to achieve the minimum grade of C- required in each course. When retaking courses, all A Psy 101, 210, and 211 grades will be used in the calculation of the Psychology GPA. A minimum Psychology GPA of 2.50 is required to declare the major.

Students are strongly advised to consult the Psychology Advisement Center before repeating courses so that they can be made fully aware of their obligations to attain major status before repeating any courses. We will advise the student of what is needed to complete the next semester and/or discuss possible alternative major options with them.

Appeals

Students who are denied admission to the major may appeal the decision by petitioning the department chair. Such appeals will be evaluated at the beginning of each semester, prior to the final date for adding courses. The decision on the appeal will be made by the department chair and the director of the advisement center.

Degree Requirements for the Major in Psychology

General Program B.A.: A minimum of 36 credits in psychology: including A Psy 101 or 102, A Psy 210, and A Psy 211; 15 credits in psychology from the following list: A Psy 203, 214, 270, 314, 327, 338, 380, 381, 382, 384, 385, 387; 12 credits of electives with an A Psy prefix. Courses not taken from the previous list may be used as electives. NOTE: within the 36 credits required for the major a student must complete at least 12 credits in courses numbered 300 or above.

For psychology majors who satisfy the major requirements as outlined in this bulletin, A Psy 210 and 211 are restricted to A�E grading after matriculation at Albany.

A maximum of 3 credits in independent study courses (A Psy 297, 297Z, 397, 397Z and 497Z) may be applied to major credit but may not be used to satisfy the 300-or-above requirement. No more than 6 additional credits in these independent study courses may be used for graduation credit.

Honors Program

A psychology major, or double major with psychology listed first, may file an application for admission with the Honors Committee as early as the second semester of the sophomore year or as soon as the minimum requirements for admission to the program have been satisfied. The duration of the program is three semesters and commences only in the fall semester.

The minimum requirements for admission include completion of A Psy 101 or 102, 210 and 211. If the student has not been able to complete A Psy 211 by the first semester of the junior year, it is possible to obtain permission to take A Psy 211 concurrently with the Honors Seminar. A grade point average of 3.30 or higher overall for all course work taken for graduation credit at the University is required, as is a 3.50 grade point average or higher for psychology courses applicable toward the major.

Honors students must complete 48 credits in psychology including A Psy 101 or 102, 210, 211, 310, 399, and 499 (6 credits). In addition, students must submit a senior honors thesis acceptable to the research sponsor and the Honors Committee.

The program commences with the Honors Seminar (A Psy 399) in the fall semester of the junior year. A Psy 211 must be taken at this time if it has not already been completed.

The seminar introduces that student to (advanced) issues of scientific method and experimental design. As soon as the student has a general idea for the research project, he or she is encouraged to discuss the project with a potential research sponsor, especially as regards feasibility. By the end of the seminar course, the student should be conversant with a problem area, have arranged a research sponsor and be ready to submit a research proposal. The Honors student will conduct the research in two project courses (A Psy 499) during the second semester of the junior and the first semester of the senior year.

The Honors Thesis written by the end of the second project course will consist of a review of the literature, the hypothesis to be tested, an experimental design (from the research proposal), data collected, any statistical analysis, and a discussion.

Students in the honors program are required to maintain an overall grade point average of 3.30 or higher during the junior and senior years and an overall grade point average of 3.50 or higher for all psychology courses applicable toward the major. The work of each candidate in the honors program will be reviewed at the completion of the junior year by the Departmental Honors Committee.

Students not meeting the above-stated standards at that time may be precluded from continuing in the program for the senior year. Students who remain below the stated standards throughout their senior year will not be eligible for a degree with Honors.

After completion of the above requirements, the records of the candidate will be reviewed by the Departmental Honors Committee who shall recommend, to the department, candidates for the degree with honors in psychology.

Combined B.A./M.S. Programs

The combined B.A./M.S. programs in psychology/counseling, psychology/ rehabilitation counseling, and health policy/psychology provide an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of undergraduate and master�s degree programs from the beginning of their junior year. Carefully designed programs can permit students to earn the B.A. and M.S. degrees within nine semesters and a summer session.

Counseling Psychology

The combined programs require a minimum of 162 credits, of which at least 54 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all University and college requirements, including the requirements of the undergraduate major described previously, the University minor requirement, the minimum 90-credit liberal arts and sciences requirement, the general education requirements, and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.S., students must meet all University and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of a minimum of 54 graduate credits and any other conditions such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, professional experience, and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the B.A. and M.S. programs.

Students may be admitted to the combined degree programs at the beginning of their junior year, or after the successful completion of 56 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration.

Health Policy

The combined bachelor�s/master�s degree program in Psychology/Health Policy, Management and Behavior requires a minimum of 156 credits, with at least 48 of which must be graduate credits.

Total minimum credits required for the combined undergraduate major and graduate program is 36 credits in the undergraduate psychology major and 48 credits in the Health Policy, Management & Behavior major, all of which must be graduate credits.

In qualifying for the undergraduate bachelor�s degree (regardless of discipline), students must meet all university requirements for their major, the minimum 90 liberal arts and sciences requirements, and residency requirements.

In qualifying for the M.S. on Health Policy, Management & Behavior, students must meet all university and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including the GRE Exam and completion of a minimum of 48 graduate credits.

Requirements for the M.S. in Health Policy, Management & Behavior include: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology, Principles in Statistical Inference I and II, Health Care Organization, Delivery, and Finance, Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health, Computer Programming for Data Management and Analysis in Public Health, Health Policy, Analysis and Management, Master�s Projects in Health Policy, Management & Behavior, Evaluation of Public Health Programs, HPMB Field Placement, plus 18 required credits in specific track: Health Policy and Management or Social Behavior and Community Health. Requirements also include a full-time internship and a Master�s Workshop project.

Students may be admitted to a combined degree program at the beginning of their junior year and after successful completion of 56 credits, but no later than the accumulation of 100 credits. (Interested students should start thinking about the combined program at the end of their freshman year or at the beginning of their sophomore year.) A GPA of 3.2 or higher, three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty (at least one with whom the student took a course), and an interview with a faculty member from the Department of Health Policy, Management & Behavior.

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