Psychology - Clinical Behavioral [M.S.]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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This Master of Science in Psychology - Clinical Behavioral program prepares students for the professional practice of psychology as limited license psychologists in Michigan, typically in such institutional settings as community mental health centers and private and public clinics and agencies, under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists. Students develop a wide range of behaviorally oriented skills for assessment and treatment, such as functional analysis, relaxation training, stress management, and family intervention. The program stresses competency skills for employment as a master’s level psychologist in community mental health centers, outpatient clinics, private agencies, substance abuse programs, state agencies for persons with mental illness or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury centers, and agencies for families and children. Students take courses that meet the educational requirements for Board Certification in Behavior Analysis (BCBA). Graduates may also pursue advanced training at the doctoral level. Please see the program’s website for additional information.

This is a STEM-designated program (see OPT Extension).

Objectives

To prepare for diverse employment opportunities in behavior therapy and applied behavior analysis.
To prepare students to meet state requirements for licensing master’s level psychologists.
To emphasize assessment and treatment skills.
To offer the opportunity for basic and applied research.
To provide preparation for doctoral work.
To enable program completion in two years for full-time students.

Eastern Michigan University and the Psychology Department reserve the right to change any statement in this program concerning, but not limited to, rules, policies, tuition, fees, curricula, and courses.

Program Admission

Admit Terms and Deadlines

Students will start the program in the Fall.

This degree program does not admit students during the winter and summer semesters.

Completed applications, letters of recommendation, and transcripts must be received by February 1 for consideration. If the first falls on a weekend, materials will only be accepted the next business day.

Once the admission quota is full, students will be placed on a waiting list until spaces become available.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements: Applicants who meet all requirements will be given priority consideration.

Achievement in undergraduate or graduate work. Undergraduate GPA of approximately 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. Successful applicants typically present with higher GPAs.
Academic background in psychology. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 20 undergraduate semester hours in psychology, including a course in statistics and a laboratory course in research methods/experimental psychology.
Personal qualities that predict success in graduate study and professional placement after graduation. To evaluate these, each applicant must request three letters of recommendation through PSYCAS. The letters must be received by PSYCAS before the February 1st deadline. Personal qualities will also be evaluated in the context of an interview for those who pass the initial file review and are invited to the interview day(s).
Fit between applicant and faculty interests. A personal statement is required describing the applicant’s interests. We will be particularly interested in students with research and/or clinical experiences that are a good fit with faculty areas of expertise.

GRE scores are not required. Applicants with variable academic performance who would like to use their GRE scores as additional data points to support their academic preparedness for graduate study can opt to submit GRE scores by February 1st. Less than 10% of admitted students submitted GRE scores in the last two years.

Application

Your application will be submitted using PSYCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and use the PSYCAS Portal link on the Psychology Department’s Graduate Admissions Information page.

Application materials submitted to PSYCAS include:

Personal statement (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
Essay related to fit with the program (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
Diversifying Psychology Essay (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
Writing sample (typically a research paper).
Curriculum vitae or résumé
Three letters of recommendation

Transcripts

Applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions they attended beyond high school. Transcripts must be submitted directly to PSYCAS. Transcripts sent to EMU will not be accepted as official, and the application will not be considered complete. (Applicants should allow 2-6 weeks for PSYCAS to process transcripts.) For additional information regarding transcript submission, please see the PSYCAS website.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Questions and concerns should be directed to:

Psychology Department
Eastern Michigan University
341 Science Complex
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
psy_cbgrad@emich.edu
734.487.1155

Department Information

Psychology 341 Science Complex, 734.487.1155

Natalie Dove, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

Thomas Waltz, PhD, 301D Science Complex, 734.487.4852

Degree Requirements: 41 hours

The program requires the completion of 41 hours of coursework, which are divided among required core courses, assessment (evaluation) courses, treatment (intervention) courses, practicum courses, and elective courses.

Students admitted to the clinical behavioral program must achieve a minimum grade of “B” in all courses applied to the degree. A student who receives a grade lower than “B” in any course may repeat the class once to meet graduation requirements.

Credits earned under non-degree student status do not automatically apply to the degree program’s requirements.

Area of Concentration: 37 hours

Practicum: 4 hours

Students are required to complete a 500 hour practicum experience.

PSY 683 Field Practicum with Seminar 2 hrs
PSY 684 Field Practicum with Seminar 2 hrs

Clinical Science Capstone Project

As part of their practicum, students are required to conduct a data-based project and present their findings in a comprehensive report of no less than 10 pages. The program’s handbook contains further details regarding this requirement.

Critical Graduation Information

Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.
Residency Requirement:
- For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
- For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
- Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.