Master of Science in Psychology Degree Program

Admission to the Program

In addition to the general requirements of the University, specific requirements for admission to the graduate programs in Behavioral Science are:

An applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree in psychology or a closely related health care profession from and accredited institution of Higher Education.

A bachelors degree in another field may be offered if the following undergraduate course work has been completed: Developmental Psychology; Learning Psychology; Marriage and Family; Abnormal Psychology; Educational Psychology; Counseling Psychology. Applicants who do not meet the course work prerequisite may be required to complete all or some of the prerequisite courses. The final decision rests with the admissions committee.

The Master of Science Degree Program in Psychology Degree Program is a self-paced learning program, which may be completed totally off campus. Study programs are not structured in semesters, quarters or terms, allowing students to begin their degree programs at any time during the year.

The Master of Science Degree Program in Psychology degree programs requires students to satisfy 30 Semester Units (10 core courses) in Behavioral Studies plus an additional 9 units for a total of 39 semester units.

Core Courses for Master of Science in Psychology

The Major or Core Courses required are listed below.

PSY 501 Developmental Psychology
PSY 503 Human Sexuality
PSY 505 Psychopathology
PSY 509 Theories of Marriage and Family
PSY 511 Professional Ethics and the Law
PSY 525 Counseling Systems and Techniques
PSY 527 Assessment Techniques
PSY 540 Physiological Psychology
PSY 560 Clinical Psychology
GRM 697 The Research Process

Using one of the options shown below, nine additional units must be completed:

Option 1 (9 units)

The MBA Candidate may develop a Masters Thesis under the faculty guidance.

Proposal for the Masters Thesis (3 units)
The Masters Thesis (6 units)

Option 2 (9 units)

Satisfy the following 3 courses

Alcohol/Chemical Substance Abuse
Psychology of Aging
Group Psychotherapy

Specialization courses for Human Resources Management Majors Course descriptions for Specialization Courses

BAM 510 Human Resources Management
BAM 535 Advanced Human Resources Management
BAM 545 Strategic Compensation

Course work requirements may be satisfied in the following ways.

Transfer of Credit

Previously completed graduate courses may be transferred to the University to meet existing course work requirements. Transfer Credit is limited to 6 semester units of credit. During the admissions process, all professional experience is reviewed to determine if an applicant has sufficient occupational experience to warrant taking a Challenge Examination, in lieu of completing the Study Guide for a particular course.

An applicant may be offered an opportunity to complete a Challenge Examination if the candidate's profesional expertise appears to be comparable to the objectives identified for a particular course. Successfully passing a Challenge Examination will demonstrate an acceptable level of competence for that course. If a student does not pass a Challenge Examination, they are assigned a Study Guide for completion.

Study Guides

California Coast University has developed comprehensive Study Guides for each course that are designed to coordinate and sequence the learning materials for the student. Study Guides are based on specific college level textbooks, which may be obtained from local bookstores, the publisher, or the University's lending library which is available by telephone, e-mail or online via Coast Connection.

Study Guides are organized in such a way that students receive a complete syllabus for each course along with instructional materials, which guide students chapter by chapter through the corresponding textbook.

Each Study Guide contains an overview and summary of each textbook chapter, along with a listing of important keywords (with definitions) and self-tests (with answers) on key points. Each of those items is referenced back to the specific learning objectives for the chapter, which allow the student to easily understand concepts or theories presented in that particular chapter.

Study Guides contain 4 "Unit Test" equally spaced throughout the instructional materials, a brief writing assignment and the Final Examination. Examinations are designed to test the student on the preceding chapters. All tests are un-timed and may be completed as open book tests.

Proctored Final Examinations

The Master of Science in Psychology Degree Program requires that a proctor administer the final examinations. All tests are un-timed and may be completed as open book tests.

The purpose of the proctored examination is to verify that you are, in fact, the person who enrolled in the course of study. During proctored examinations, you may use your course textbook, and any notes that you have taken during the completion of your Study Guide.

The student selects the Proctor. A proctor can be any responsible person who is not a family member. (Such as your Minister, Rabbi, a co-worker, librarian, etc)

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