Master of Arts in General Psychology (MAGP)
The
master of arts in general psychology (MAGP) is a broad based, research-oriented
program intended to equip students with the critical skills and knowledge
necessary for continued educational and occupational advancement in the field
of psychology. The program consists of course work designed around a core
curriculum of statistics, research design, substantive areas of psychology and
a research based thesis. Students completing the program are qualified to: (a) go on to further graduate work at
universities offering a doctorate in psychology; (b) find employment in jobs
requiring masters level expertise in applied psychology; and/or (c) work as
human factors and evaluation research specialists in government, community
agencies and industry.
2.1 Mission Statement
The
mission of the Masters of Arts in General Psychology program is to maintain the
highest standards of graduate education in the field of general psychology
by: (a) maintaining excellence in
teaching, (b) offering innovative academic opportunities both in the classroom
and the community, (c) instilling the ethical standards of the profession, and
(d) offering research, applied, and other professional opportunities to
students through a dedicated faculty and community support. Moreover, our goal is to instill in our
students the knowledge, values, and skills that are required of an educated and
responsible citizen in our global and multicultural society. The highest personal, professional, and
academic accountability is expected of both the faculty and students in the
MAGP program. 2.2 Expected Learning Outcomes
1. MAGP students will be able to communicate
effectively in written formats.
2. MAGP students will be able to communicate
effectively orally.
3. MAGP students will be knowledgeable in the
use of electronic resources and be proficient in incorporating them into their
studies and research. Student will also
be aware of the hazards and shortcomings of this relatively new medium.
4. MAGP students will understand and apply
ethical principles pertaining to the social sciences.
5. MAGP students will be able to work
independently in developing and carrying out original research.
6. MAGP students will possess the knowledge
and skills required for either further academic advancement or employment at
the masters level in psychology-related fields.
2.3 Master of Arts in General Psychology Degree Requirements
The
MAGP program consists of a minimum 39 credit hours of course work, which most
students complete within two years of admission. While courses and sequencing may change, the
following constitutes the current program of study.
Degree Requirements
Grades of “B” or better are required in all graduate courses.
- Core requirements: 39 credits of graduate Psychology coursework
- Supervised Research: 3 credits
- Thesis hours: 4-9 credits (see subsection below regarding additional thesis information)
- Capstone experience consisting of a master's thesis and oral defense
Degree Evaluation
Major: General Psychology
Degree: Master of Arts
Core Requirements (39 hrs)
Grades of "B" or better are required in all graduate courses.
Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.
- DEP6055 3 Human Development
- EXP6506 3 Learning and Cognition
- PPE6466 3 Advanced Personality Theories
- PSY6217 4 Research Design and Analysis
- SOP6069 3 Advanced Social Psychology
- PSY6937 1 Colloquium in Psychological Research(take twice)
- STA5126 3 Stat Methods/Social Sciences
- PSY6932 3 St:Psychological Sci Seminar
- PSB6031 3 Advanced Biopsychology
- PSY6910 3 Supervised Research
- PSY6971 3 Thesis A
- PSY6972 1 -6 Thesis B
2.4 Capstone Experience Assessment Strategy
A
capstone experience consisting of a masters thesis and oral defense is required
of every student.
The psychology faculty
uses this experience as a basis for assessing the degree to which program
objectives 1- 5 have been met.
Objective
6 is measured through success in obtaining acceptance into doctoral-level
programs and/or in occupational pursuits.
2.5 Thesis Requirements
The
master’s thesis should constitute a justifiable contribution to the discipline
of psychology. The contribution may involve either an original study or the
development of a theoretical model for which the student provides empirical
justification through his/her own research.
By the second semester, each MAGP student must choose a faculty member
from the Psychology Department to serve as his/her advisor for Supervised
Research. The same faculty member may
continue to serve as the student’s Thesis
Advisor. However, the student’s
initial choice of faculty advisor should not automatically be considered
permanent. If either the student or the
faculty member decides that a change is needed, the student will identify a
different faculty member as his/her Thesis Advisor. It is extremely rare, however, for a student
to change his/her thesis committee once the thesis project has begun. A decision to change advisors at any point
during the student’s program of studies must be reported to the Program
Director. A change in faculty
supervisors will not, in any way, adversely affect the student’s standing in
the Program.
A
student undertaking the master’s thesis should follow the procedure outlined
below.
Departmental Requirements
1. The
student asks a member of the psychology faculty to serve as his/her Thesis
Advisor
2. The
student selects a thesis topic. Topic selection should be in conjunction
with a thorough review of the literature. This both assures the
originality of the research and clarifies the focus of the study. Because of time constraints, thesis planning and literature review
should begin during the second semester, often in conjunction with Supervised
Research, and be continued over the summer.
3. With the
approval of the Thesis Advisor, the student asks another member of the Graduatefaculty or a qualified professional with
expertise in the area of the thesis research to serve as second reader
and submits a Thesis or Dissertation Committee Membership form to the Graduate
School. The student’s thesis committee
must include, at a minimum, a thesis
advisor and a second reader. Additional faculty members from within the
Department may be added to the committee at the student’s discretion. The
inclusion of any non-Graduate Faculty member (e.g., committee member from
outside the department, or who is not a member of the UNF Graduate Faculty, or
who does not hold a terminal degree in his or her field) must be approved by
the Program Director. If your committee consists of a Non-Graduate Faculty
member, you will need to submit a Request for Non-Graduate Faculty
Thesis/Dissertation Committee Member form with your Thesis or Dissertation
Committee Membership Form. If there are any changes in your committee, updated
forms must be submitted to the Graduate School.
4. The
student enrolls sequentially in Thesis A and B. Research Design and
Analysis (PSY 6217) and Supervised Research (PSY 6910) are prerequisites
for both thesis courses and Thesis A is a prerequisite for Thesis B. That
is, Thesis A and B cannot be taken concurrently. Both Thesis A and B (3
hours and 1 hour) require the signature of the Program Director. For
Thesis A, the student will fill out a “Thesis Tracking Form,” which is placed
in the student’s file, and a “Class or Thesis Permission” form. The forms
are given to the Program Director, who will ascertain that all requirements
have been met and sign the “Class or Thesis Permission” form. Please note
that only the Program Director can permit a student to take a thesis
course. For Thesis B (3 hours and 1 hour), only a signed “Class or Thesis
Permission” form is required.
5. Students are required to meet
with the thesis committee at least once before the thesis defense. It is
recommended that the initial meeting occur during the second semester, in
conjunction with Supervised Research. For the first meeting of the
thesis committee (which all committee members must attend), the
student should already have completed a thorough review of the literature and
have a preliminary research question to present to the committee. The
initial committee meeting is not the place to come up with research
ideas. At this meeting the student’s research plan is fully vetted by the
thesis committee, who may ask for modifications and revisions they feel are
appropriate.
6. If the committee accepts the proposed
thesis project, the student must take the following steps before beginning thesis work:
- Complete the CITI course
sponsored through the IRB.
- Submit his/her research
proposal to the IRB for approval.
- Read the Graduate School
procedures for completing a thesis or dissertation.
These can be found at: http://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/student_resources/Thesis_and_Dissertation_Procedures.aspx
7. Once the thesis project has begun, the
student is expected to meet with his/her thesis adviser at least once
a month. While the thesis advisor and the student typically work
together closely on the thesis, the second reader and other committee members
must, at a minimum, be present at the initial meeting and the thesis
defense. The second reader and other
committee members must also review and comment upon the final drafts of the
thesis and provide input at other agreed upon points in the process.
8. The final draft of the thesis should be
presented to the thesis advisor and the second reader at least two
weeks before the date of the oral defense. consult
the library’s requirements as described at the following website: http://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/student_resources/thesis_step_two.aspx
Library
policy takes precedence over APA format.
9. The
student must present the findings of the thesis to faculty, students, and
interested outside parties in an oral defense. A public announcements providing
the day, time, and location of the defense must be posted conspicuously on the Psychology Department bulletin board at least five
days prior to the defense.
10. The
student incorporates any changes requested during the defense into the thesis,
after which the thesis director, other committee members, and student sign the signature page, which becomes a formal
part of the thesis document. (Please note that the Program Director does not
sign this document unless he/she is on the thesis committee or is the
Department Chair.)
11. The thesis is then submitted to the
Department Chair, who has two weeks to read and comment and to
the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who has three weeks to read and
comment. The student will make any final changes requested by the Chair and Dean
(or their representatives), then send it on to the Graduate School for final
approval. The thesis must arrive at the
Graduate School no later than one week following graduation.
12. If at any point in the thesis process
(including reviews that take place after
the thesis defense) a member of the faculty or administration believes the
writing quality does not meet thesis standards, the student will be asked to
employ the services of a copy editor, at
his/her expense. The Graduate
School can direct you to several it recommends.
13. It is the student’s responsibility to submit to the Graduate School a
Non-Exclusive License Agreement form with a full copy of the thesis and
signature page. More detailed
information can be accessed at the webpage:
http://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/student_resources/thesis_step_six.aspx
14. If the student is unable to finish the
thesis by the end of the spring semester of the second year, he/she can
complete it over the summer. However,
this will require the student to re-apply for summer graduation. If the thesis is still not finished by the
end of the summer term, then: (a) the student must sign up (and pay) for 1 hour
of Thesis B, up to three hours total until the thesis is completed, and (b)
these additional hours must be taken across consecutive
semesters.
2.6 Graduation
Students
must submit a formal graduation application to the Registrar's Office by the
deadline date listed in the Academic Calendar at
http://www.unf.edu/registrar/academiccalendar.html.
All work required for the degree must be
completed and certification of completion posted in the UNF student record
system prior to graduation.
2.7 Sample Timeline for MAGP Students
The
MAGP program consists of a minimum 39 credit hours of course work, which
students complete within two years of admission. While courses and sequencing may change, the
following constitutes the current program of study:
| Year 1 |
| Fall- First Semester |
Spring- Second Semester |
Summer- Third Semester |
|
- STA 5126 Stat Methods in the
Social Sciences 3 hrs
- SOP 6069 Adv Soc Psycha OR
PPE 6466 Adv Personality Theoriesa
3 hrs
- PSY 6932 Seminar: Psych Sci 3 hrs
- PSY 6937 Colloquium 1 hr |
- PSY 6217 Research, Design &
Analysis 4 hrs
- PSY 6910 Supervised Researchb
3 hrs
- EXP 6506 Learning & CognitionaOR
PSB 6031 Adv Biopsycha 3 hrs
|
No MAGP courses are
currently offered.
However, the student
may take an elective and should continue the thesis process.
|
|
Semester Total: 10 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 10 credit hours
|
|
| Year 2 |
| Fall- Fourth Semester |
Spring- Fifth Semester |
| - SOP 6069 Adv Soc Psycha OR
PPE 6466 Adv Personality Theoriesa
3 hrs
- PSY 6971 Thesis Ab 3 hrs
- PSY 6937 Colloquium 1 hr
- Elective 3 hrs
|
- PSY 6972 Thesis Bb 3 hrs
- EXP 6506 Learning & CognitionaOR
PSB 6031 Adv Biopsycha 3 hrs
- DEP 6055 Adv Human Development
3 hrs
|
|
Semester Total: 10 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 9 credit hours
|
aDenotes
courses offered in alternate years.
bThe
research component of the MAGP program is anchored by one semester of
supervised research and two semesters of thesis. The student is expected to take these courses
sequentially.
2.8 Course Listings/Descriptions
Click here for the current graduate catalog's course listings and descriptions
