Mar 29, 2024  
University Catalog 2021-2022 
    
University Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Psychological Studies, MA


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MA in Psychological Studies
Location: AU Los Angeles
Credits for Degree: 48 quarter credits
Standard Mode of Instruction: Classroom
Standard time to completion: 24 months

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Psychological Studies (MAPS) program is a 48-unit program uniquely designed for students who:

  • are interested in non-clinical, master’s-level training in applied psychology (e.g., research, program evaluation) at the master’s level.
  • want a more theory-focused master’s program in psychology
  • are interested in pursuing licensure at the doctoral level and therefore do not wish to pursue clinical training opportunities at the master’s level (in part because hours accrued at the master’s level will not count toward hours needed for doctoral level licensure unless supervised by a doctoral level psychologist).

Mission & Goals

The M.A. in Psychological studies program has identified the following program learning goals:

  • Provides students with the opportunity to learn about psychological research and the science of clinical psychology through the lens of Antioch’s social justice philosophy.
  • Allows design of specialized programs as a foundation for doctoral study.
  • Offers opportunities to learn about applied clinical psychology for individuals interested in pursuing doctoral level licensure as a psychologists.
  • Provides opportunities to design, implement, and evaluate an original, introductory-level research projects (reflecting each student’s personal interests, ideals, values, and career paths) with feedback from instructors and colleagues.
  • Fosters creativity and innovation in psychology and society.

Psychological Studies Degree Program

  • 48 units of coursework, one year minimum residency (minimum 4-quarters full time).
  • 12 units per quarter, including summer, for those who want to be finished in one year and apply to a doctoral program. Students may complete the program part-time, but must consult with the Program Director to prepare a degree completion plan.

The Psychological Studies Program consists of the following components:

Current Tuition and Fees

University Tuition and Fees  

Contemporary Psychology Emphasis Coursework (18 Units)


Students in the program work in conjunction with the Program Director and their Academic Advisor to construct their emphasis coursework based on their interests in the field of psychology and career goals. Students may take courses in MA Psychology Department and also have the opportunity to develop independent studies in consultation with program faculty.

Thesis Units and Proseminar


As part of the Master of Arts in Psychological Studies program, students will be required to enroll in a proseminar at the same time that they register for their thesis project. All students must complete 8 units of thesis over three quarters of residency. The final product of the thesis work is a publication- ready research article to be submitted for publication review. These units must be taken in the students’ final three quarters prior to graduation:

  • 1st Quarter of Thesis: Thesis Design, Project Literature Review, ends in Thesis Proposal (2 quarter units)
  • 2nd Quarter of Thesis: Thesis Implementation; if research project, data collection; if workshop or consultation, implementation, ends in methods or project data (3 quarter units)
  • 3rd Quarter of Thesis: Completion data analysis and publication-ready document. (3 quarter units)

In addition, all MAPS students enroll in a proseminar at the same time that they enroll in thesis units. This seminar-style course meets five times throughout the course of each quarter. The proseminar gives students an opportunity to discuss their projects, to attend research colloquia at AULA or in their communities relative to their topic, and to have guest speakers come and discuss information related to doctoral programs entry, research methodologies, and/or careers paths related to non-licensure psychology.

Professional Development Coursework (PDC)


Like the MAP program, students are able to enroll in Professional Development Coursework (PDC) if they wish to exceed the required number of units (48) units in their degree program. Psychological studies students are able to take 1-12 units over their 48 unit curriculum but cannot add this post- candidacy (e.g., students enrolling in PDC must add this coursework to their degree program before they advance to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree). A student would need to meet with and have a conversation with an advisor about such further study, prior to submitting the form for it to the Office of Integrated Student Services (ISS).

Students who do not complete their thesis program after the 8-unit sequence must enroll in Thesis Completion Status, which is a zero unit registration that allows the student continued consultation with the student’s thesis advisor. PDC units cannot be used for thesis completion purposes.

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