Clayton State Rolls Out Master of Science in Psychology

Clayton State University’s recently-approved eighth graduate program, the Master of Science in Psychology, has officially started with the beginning this week of the fall 2010 semester.

The Clayton State Department of Psychology will offer two distinct tracks of study. The Applied Development Psychology track is the first of its type in the State of Georgia. The Clinical Psychology track is slated to begin accepting students for fall 2011. Both of the tracks lead to professional masters degrees designed to serve community needs and therefore include field experiences in the form of internships or clinical supervision so that graduates are prepare for employment.

For more information on the M.S. in Psychology at Clayton State, go to the Department of Psychology’s special website for the program, http://a-s.clayton.edu/MSP/. The website includes application information, degree requirements, courses, payment information, academic policies, important dates, class schedules, contact information, and FAQs.

According to Dr. Donna McCarty, chair of the Department of Psychology, both tracks of Clayton State’s M.S. in Psychology will benefit from a strong and diverse faculty as well as a carefully planned and innovative curriculum that is designed to ensure that students are well-prepared to serve the needs of clients from varied populations. Clayton State’s student body has been named the most diverse in the Southern United States no less than six times by U.S. News & World Report.

The Master of Science in Psychology degree program is designed as a terminal or professional master’s degree, combining a community-oriented training model with extensive research preparation. The Applied Development Psychology track is designed specifically for students who seek a professional career working with children and adolescents in varied settings including government and non-profit agencies, research centers, and parent education programs. The program offers an emphasis on the application of knowledge in community settings and will also prepare students who wish to pursue doctoral training in applied developmental, developmental, clinical, or educational psychology.

The Master’s program in Clinical Psychology will prepare students to be competent, ethical practitioners of psychological services in the community. The program emphasizes learning to consider the uniqueness of each individual and the influence of culture and ethnicity when providing services to people from diverse backgrounds. Students will be prepared to work in a broad range of mental health settings as well as to pursue doctoral level training in clinical or counseling psychology.

The Psychology Department has been one of Clayton State’s great success stories since the B.S. in Psychology degree was officially rolled out in August 2001. For the 2009/2010 academic year, Clayton State had 505 declared Psychology majors, the third largest single degree program at the University, behind the University’s two oldest undergraduate programs, the Pre-BSN (Basic Licensure) and Pre-Business.

A unit of the University of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.