M.A. Psychology

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Master of Arts, Psychology

The Master of Arts in Psychology is an online program that roots the master’s-seeking individual with the basics of psychology and a concentration which will support his or her career focus. This non-licensure master’s program is for the practitioner, seeking an advanced degree in psychology. The Chicago School ensures that graduates have sufficient theory and research in psychology and in a specified field, but it is distinctive in that it applies learning directly to the workplace, using assessment, projects, and other measures to ensure application-based learning.

Intensive course work, offered in eight week terms, balances theory and practice. The course work is 36 semester credit hours, is completed in less than two years, and is designed for working adults to attend on a part-time basis. If life and work situations allow students to attend full time the program may be completed in 11 months. Course work includes eighteen semester credit hours in foundational psychology, six semester credit hours in the Applied Research Project with the remaining 12 credit hours taken within the concentration track.

The M.A. in Psychology (MAP) is an online program that includes a “virtual residency” component—a one or two-hour session (each term) in which all students are expected to be online simultaneously. This accelerated track is designed for working adults who desire advanced skills and knowledge in human behavior with an emphasis in an identified concentration. This program builds upon the self-direction and experience of adult learners. Students must complete an Applied Research Project, which puts psychology in action, integrating program learning and applying this learning to an authentic workplace situation.

MAP currently offers six concentrations: Child and Adolescent Psychology; Gerontology; Sport and Exercise; Organizational Leadership; International Psychology; and Generalist. In addition to the MAP program, The Chicago School also offers an online Master of Arts in Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Applied Forensic Services through the ExCEL program, both designed for students seeking to enhance or to change careers. For students who do not wish to pursue a degree at this time, there is an option to earn a certificate in Child and Adolescent Psychology. The certificate program requires the completion of nine credits.

The Chicago School also offers an on-ground M.A. programs in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Forensic Psychology. These two programs are offered at the Chicago and Los Angeles campuses. The M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology is designed to prepare students to work in a variety of work environments and requires two internships. The M.A. in Forensic offers three tracks: Licensure, Non-Practice Licensure, and Thesis. The Licensure and Non-Practice Licensure provide students with on-site practical training. Students pursuing the thesis path generally are considering further graduate training.

Admission Requirements

Application to the M.A. in Psychology graduate program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors that are considered in admission are GPA from undergraduate and any graduate schools, successful work history after completion of the baccalaureate degree, and the admission essay. Generally, an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. Those applicants with a strong work record but with low GPAs will be asked for letters of recommendation and an additional admission essay. Those interested in the MAP must apply directly at www.thechicagoschool.edu.

Students should ensure their resume properly highlights three or more years of post-baccalaureate work experience. In additional to the admission criteria, it is recommended that students have access to a computer that is less than three years old, a broadband or Internet connection, and the Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, and Outlook and, at minimum, the following computing skills:

• A comfort with basic Internet technology
• The ability to open and attach files from and to email
• The ability to send and receive email
• The ability to save documents

Standardized Testing:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required; however, students who have taken the exam may submit their scores to enhance their application. Scores should be sent directly to the school (GRE School Code: 1119) for consideration. Please see the application for detailed instructions and information regarding application requirements, deadlines, and letters of recommendation.

Application Fees:

Degree applications must be submitted with a $50 (USD) application fee to be considered. Certificate applications must be submitted with a $25 (USD) application fee to be considered.

TOEFL, International Credentials, and International Students 

TOEFL: If English is not a student’s primary language, the student must submit official TOEFL scores with your application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc (www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, all official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: Since this is an online program an I-20 visa will not be issued for study in the United States.

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and applicants will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

Policies

Transfer of Credit

Prior graduate course work, if within the area of study, may be eligible for transfer or waiver of credit. Students accepted to the program may petition by submitting a “Petition for Transfer/Waiver of Credit”** and all required documentation. The decision to accept transfer credit is solely that of the school which reserves the right to require satisfactory performance on an examination before awarding a transfer of credit. Satisfactory completion of a competency examination is required before transfer of credit is awarded when the course in question has been taken more than five years prior to admission. No credit will be transferred for course work that is more than 10 years old. Transfers of credit are subject to the following conditions:

• Transferred course credit is restricted to graduate-level courses from a recognized, regionally accredited graduate degree granting institution or equivalent international institution.
• Transfer of credit is not granted for clinical practicum or internships.
• No credit will be transferred for coursework that is more than 10 years old.
• All coursework being submitted for transfer credit evaluation must have been completed prior to matriculation into The Chicago School.
• Each hour of credit accepted for transfer a fee will be assessed, please see the tuition and fee page of the TCS website.
• Transfer of credit is granted only for courses in which the grade obtained was a “B” or higher. Pass/Fail grades are not eligible.
• The maximum number of semester credits that may be transferred for MAP is nine hours.
• Internal transfers do not pay the transfer course fee.

A course that does not meet the specific content requirements of an existing TCS elective course may be accepted as transfer credit as an elective if the course supports the required competencies and learning objectives of the program and meets the following conditions:

• The course must meet all other requirements for transfer credit.
• The course must be at the equivalent degree level.
• Approval by the Department Chair for the transfer credit and documentation of this approval is required.

Course credits used to confer another degree may not be accepted as transfer credit toward a TCS degree.

• Course credits conferred as part of another degree may be used to waive courses in a TCS program if all other requirements are met.
• Course credits conferred as part of a degree program that is required for admission to a TCS program may be applied to the TCS program.
• Exceptions may be made for specific articulation or dual-credit arrangements approved by the CAO.

**The Petition for Transfer/Waiver of Credit is available on the school website by following the link to “Student and Academic Services Forms” on the Current Students page. Please submit all required documentation with each petition. Any credit approved for transfer will not be added to the student’s academic record until after the second week of his or her first term.

Effective for students applying to start Fall II of 2010 or later, course credits used to confer another degree may not be accepted as transfer credit toward a Chicago School degree.

Waiver of Courses

Any domestic or international student with previous graduate course may request a waiver of course work. Waiver of courses does not reduce the total number of hours of course work to be completed at The Chicago School; it permits students to substitute course work as approved by the department chair. An international student, who has completed an undergraduate course(s) that, in the judgment of the department chair, is equivalent to a required course at The Chicago School, may apply for the course to be waived. Waiver will not apply to undergraduate courses offered by U.S. educational institutions. M.A. students may seek a waiver for a total of twelve semester credit hours. Those master’s students seeking both a waiver and transfer of semester credit hours may not exceed a total of nine semester credit hours.

Residency Requirement

It is expected that students will fulfill all degree requirements through courses offered at The Chicago School. Under unusual circumstances, and subject to the approval of the department chair, a student may be permitted to complete certain course requirements at another institution. The program includes a “virtual residency” component—a one or two-hour session (each term) in which all students are expected to be online simultaneously.

Satisfactory Progress

Matriculated students must be continuously enrolled in the program until graduation unless granted an approved leave of absence. Satisfactory progress semester hours do not include waiver or transfer credit hours. No student will be permitted to take less than three semester credit hours of course work in the fall, spring, or summer semesters unless that student has fewer than three semester credit hours of course work remaining or is on an approved leave of absence. In order to receive financial aid, however, students must be at least half time for the semester.

Semester Credit Hours per Year and Program Length

MAP is designed to be taken on a half-time basis and to be completed in less than two years. In order to be classified as half time in terms of financial aid, students must be enrolled for a minimum of three credit hours in each of the six eight-week fall, spring, or summer terms. If a student’s situation allows for full time attendance, the program may be completed in 11 months. In order to be classified as full time in terms of financial aid, students must be enrolled for a minimum of nine credit hours in each of the fall, spring, or summer semesters. If enrolled in less than six credits per semester, the student is ineligible to receive financial aid for that semester.

Graduation Requirements

In order to have their degree conferred, diploma issued, and to participate in the annual commencement ceremony, students must complete the online Petition for Program Completion form by the end of the third week of the semester in which a student expects to meet the program requirements for the Master of Arts degree. Students who will complete their requirements in an upcoming summer term, and wish to participate in the annual commencement ceremony must submit the Petition for Program Completion in that spring term by the deadline indicated on the Graduation page of the website.

Students must be in good standing in their program and have completed all of their degree requirements before the master’s degree can be conferred. This includes course work and the Applied Research Project required by the program of study. After all final grades are posted for the student’s final semester, a degree audit will be conducted to verify degree completion. The degree is then conferred, posted to the transcript, and a diploma is issued.

*Detailed information regarding petitioning and commencement can be found on the website under Current Students>Student and Academic Services>Graduation.

The Program

Philosophy

The M.A. in Psychology (MAP) Program provides working adults with a basic foundation in psychology and research while enriching their career choice through a concentration focus. MAP students apply learned theories, concepts, and best practices to their work. This program is accelerated and offered in two eight-week terms each semester. A typical student schedule includes one three-semester-credit course per term through which the program can be completed in less than two years. If the student is able to manage two three-credit courses per term, the program may be completed in as little as 11 months.

MAP is online to provide greater access to the program for working professionals. Students participate in several teleconferences throughout their program to:

• Begin appropriate research in their field of concentration
• Develop, with their advisor, a plan of studies to complete their degree program
• Begin developing their Applied Research Project, which is completed over the length of the program through one-on-one work with their advisor and by completing two research courses.

Program Objectives

1. Students will consume, critique, and produce applied graduate-level research work.

2. Students will work effectively with individuals and groups across racial, ethnic, gender, age, disability, social class, sexual orientation, and religious boundaries.

3. Students will outline the professional, ethical, and legal issues associated with the various fields of psychology.

4. Students will apply current professional research and best practices to effectively deliver professional services in work settings.

5. Students will consume, critique, and produce applied graduate-level research work.

Ethical and Professional Behavior

MAP program students are expected to develop a working knowledge of the ethical and legal issues pertaining to, but not limited to, APA’s current Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct for Psychologists; relevant federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, and legal precedents (e.g., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, 1978) as well as the professional norms, standards, and guidelines relevant to the profession.

Center for Academic Excellence

The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) supports and advances teaching and learning within the educational community of The Chicago School. CAE believes that academic course work and scholarship provide the foundation for success in professional practice. CAE helps faculty develop teaching styles that engage students in the learning process and which improve student learning. CAE’s Academic Support Center offers programs to TCS community including one-on-one writing consultations, weekly tutorials, presentations (e.g., on APA style), and online resources, and in-class presentations.

Foundations for Scholarship and Practice

Believing that academic preparedness is a key to success in graduate school, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology requires new students to complete its innovative program, Foundations for Scholarship and Practice. This program, offered by the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), reinforces the skills new students need to achieve their career goals. “Foundations” is an integral part of the first and second term’s curriculum and all students are required to complete the program successfully and in a timely manner.

Foundations for Scholarship and Practice consist of three elements:

1. Writing Assessment Process – In this component of “Foundations,” each student writes an essay in response to an assigned question and submits it to CAE for scoring. CAE returns the scored essay with constructive feedback.  Based on the student’s performance, the school may waive the Academic Writing Course requirement (#2, below). Essay submission by the given date is considered successful completion of this element of “Foundations.”
2. Academic Writing Course – This online course in professional writing is taken before or during the second term at The Chicago School. A final grade of “pass” is considered successful completion of this element.
3. Academic Focus Program – Academic Focus is an online, tutorial-driven orientation to graduate academics offered the first term. A final grade of “pass” is considered successful completion of this element.