Psychology
Department Head: Dr. Mitchell Berman
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Kevin Armstrong
110 Magruder Hall
Drawer 6161
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-3202
E-mail: grad@psychology.msstate.edu
Website: http://www.psychology.msstate.edu
The Department of Psychology offers a doctoral degree in Applied Psychology. The objective of the program is to train applied psychologists for employment in business, industry, engineering, college, university, clinical, and other applied settings. Concentrations are offered in the areas of Applied Cognitive Science and Clinical. The Applied Cognitive Science concentration focuses on the interplay and linkages between cognitive psychology, advances in computer science and engineering, the varying cognitive abilities of individuals, and demands for people to use technology more easily and efficiently. The Clinical concentration focuses on the study and application of psychological science involving both normal and pathological human behavior, drawing from the cognitive, social, and biological arenas as well as computer science and advanced technologies.
A minor in cognitive science is designed for students outside of Psychology who wish to pursue an interdisciplinary study of mind and thought. Students completing the program will have a broad understanding of the field of cognitive science and will have demonstrated an approach that highlights the interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science.
Admission Criteria
Prerequisites for admission into the graduate program include all the general requirements of the Office of the Graduate School and the following courses at the undergraduate level.
- For all applicants--statistics and experimental psychology
- For the applied cognitive science doctoral concentration-- introductory cognitive psychology
- For the clinical doctoral concentration--abnormal psychology
The application deadline for the Applied Cognitive Science doctoral concentration is January 15. The application deadline for the Clinical doctoral concentration is December 1.
The applicant may be admitted into the graduate program without all of the undergraduate course requirements contingent upon making up any deficiencies as soon as possible.
Requirements for admission into the graduate program are as follows: three letters of recommendation, an official score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test, and transcripts of all college/university work. The applicant not meeting the GPA requirement of 3.00 for the Ph.D. program may receive provisional admission if other factors (e.g., publications, work experience, excellent grades at the end of an undergraduate career) suggest the potential for successful graduate-level work.
Provisional Admission
A student who has not fully met the GPA or other requirements stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C). The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's program of study. Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program. Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements. While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.
Academic Performance
Unsatisfactory performance in the graduate program in psychology is defined as any of the following.
- Earning a second grade of D or lower in graduate courses in a semester
- Earning grades of C or lower in more than two courses not exceeding 8 credit hours for all courses since admission into the program, including those outside the program of study
- In the Applied Cognitive Science doctoral concentration: failing the first or second year projects, the general or specialty examinations, or the preliminary examination
- In the Clinical doctoral concentration: failing the manuscript exam twice, failing the comprehensive exam twice, or not being certified as ready for internship by the clinical faculty by the end of one's fifth year of study
- Unsatisfactory evaluation of a thesis or dissertation
- Failing a required component of study
-
Failing to adhere to the APA Ethical Principles (www.apa.org/ethics/code ), the Mississippi State University Honor Code (http://www.honorcode.msstate.edu/ ) and Graduate Academic Requirements .
Any one of these or a combination will constitute the basis for review for possible dismissal. The graduate coordinator and the student’s graduate committee will review the record and recommend a final course of action: immediate dismissal or the establishment of a probationary period during which corrective action must take place. Appeal of the dismissal can be made by submitting a written appeal statement to the department head. If the dismissal is upheld by the department head upon the student’s appeal, the student can then submit a written appeal to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Psychology with Applied Cognitive Science Concentration
| Research Methods and Quantitative Core | 10 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology II | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Methods for Industrial Organizational and General Psychology | ||
| Psychological Research | ||
| Research | 21 | |
| Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Psychology | ||
| Cognitive Science Core | 6 | |
| Advanced Cognitive Science | ||
| Issues and Methods in Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Cognitive Science Integration | 6 | |
| Cognitive Models of Skills | ||
| Distributed Representations in Cognition | ||
| Cognitive Psychology Integration (Select two from the following) | 6 | |
| Perception and Attention | ||
| Advanced Human Memory | ||
| Expertise and Cognitive Skill Acquisition | ||
| Advanced Graduate Seminars | 6 | |
| Applied Cognitive Reading Seminar | ||
| Research & Professional Skills | 12 | |
| Cognitive Science Research Skills | ||
| Advanced Cognitive Science Research Skills | ||
| Cognitive Science Professional Skills | ||
| Advanced Cognitive Science Professional Skills | ||
| Cognitive Science Seminar | 5 | |
| Applied Cognitive Science Research Seminar | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Psychology with Clinical Concentration
| Research Methods and Quantitative Core | 10 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Psychology II | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Methods for Industrial Organizational and General Psychology | ||
| Psychological Research | ||
| Research | 21 | |
| Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Psychology | ||
| Clinical Concentration 1 | 27 | |
| Issues and Methods in Cognitive Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Advanced Social Psychology | ||
| History and Systems of Psychology | ||
| Cultural Foundations in Counseling | ||
| Ethical and Professional Issue in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology | ||
| Total Hours | 58 | |
| 1 | Clinical concentration courses are APA Breadth and/or licensure requirements. |
Master of Science in Psychology with Clinical Concentration
| PSY 8214 | Quantitative Methods in Psychology II | 4 |
| PSY 8513 | Psychological Research | 3 |
| PSY 8000 | Thesis Research/ Thesis in Psychology | 6 |
| PSY 8323 | Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 8333 | Systems of Psychotherapy | 3 |
| PSY 8354 | Intelligence Testing | 4 |
| PSY 8364 | Personality Appraisal | 4 |
| PSY 8383 | Behavior Therapy | 3 |
| PSY 8450 | Applied Clinical Practicum | 4 |
| PSY 8460 | Applied External Clinical Practicum | 4 |
| PSY 8533 | Introduction to Clinical Practicum in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 8573 | Psychopharmacology | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
Clinical doctoral students will be concurrently enrolled in the Master of Science in Psychology degree program automatically after acceptance into the doctoral program. There is no terminal MS degree in Clinical psychology.
Students admitted into the Clinical doctoral program who have completed a master's degree in psychology with an empirical thesis at another institution may petition the Clinical Training Committee to waive the thesis requirement and up to 6 credit hours of coursework. Such students will need to complete the remaining course of study listed in the M.S. program above.
Graduate Minor in Cognitive Science
| PSY /CSE 6653 | Cognitive Science | 3 |
| PSY XXXX | Select course from Psychology Courses list | 3 |
| IE XXXX or CSE XXXX | Select course from the Industrial and Systems Engineering Courses list or the Computer Science and Engineering Courses list | 3 |
| Select one course each from two of the following lists: | 6 | |
Psychology Courses | ||
Industrial and Systems Engineering Courses | ||
Computer Science and Engineering Courses | ||
English/Anthropology/Sociology Courses | ||
Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses | ||
Philosophy Course | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Psychology Courses
| PSY 6423 | Sensation and Perception | 3 |
| PSY 6643 | Social Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 6713 | Language and Thought | 3 |
| PSY 6733 | Memory | 3 |
| PSY 6753 | Applied Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 8713 | Issues and Methods in Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 8723 | Cognitive Models of Skills | 3 |
| or CSE 8613 | Cognitive Models of Skill | |
| PSY 8990 | Special Topics in Psychology (with approval) | 1-9 |
| Total Hours | 22-30 | |
Industrial and Systems Engineering Courses
| IE 6113 | Human Factors Engineering | 3 |
| IE 8153 | Cognitive Engineering | 3 |
Computer Science and Engineering Courses
| CSE 6633 | Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSE 6663 | Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| CSE 8673 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| CSE 8990 | Special Topics in Computer Science and Engineering (with approval) | 1-9 |
English/Anthropology/Sociology Courses
| EN /AN 6403 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| EN 6463 | Studies in Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| EN 6633 | Language and Society | 3 |
| or AN /SO 6633 | Language and Society | |
| AN /SO 6623 | Language and Culture | 3 |
Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses
| ECE 6713 | Computer Architecture | 3 |
| ECE 6813 | Communications Theory | 3 |
| ECE 8443 | Pattern Recognition | 3 |
Philosophy Course
| PHI 6143 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
PSY 6223 Drug Use and Abuse: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013). Three hours lecture. Study of basic principles of drug use and abuse. Includes an introduction to psychopharmacology and basic treatment strategies
PSY 6353 Psychology and the Law: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite PSY 1013 and Junior Standing).Three hours lecture. Examination of the roles of psychologists in the legal system; application of psychological theory and research to issues in the legal system
PSY 6373 Forensic Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite:PSY 1013 and junior standing) Three hours lecture. Examines topics related to the application of clinical psychology to legal matters
PSY 6403 Biological Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013). Three hours lecture. Nervous, endocrine, and immune systems of the body as they affect behavior and adjustment. Emphasis upon the role of the central and peripheral nervous systems
PSY 6423 Sensation and Perception: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013 ). Three hours lecture. Survey of basic sensory mechanisms and perceptual phenomena. Sensory mechanisms reviewed will include vision, audition, olfaction, gustation, and touch with emphasis on vision and audition
PSY 6473 Phonetics: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: Either EN 4403/6403, AN 4403/6403, or Instructor Consent). Three hours lecture. This course focuses on the physical and linguistic aspects of speech sounds, including how they are produced, transcribed, measured, and perceived. (Same as EN 4473/6473)
PSY 6523 Industrial Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013). Three hours lecture. Applications of psychological principles and methods to industry emphasizing employee selection, placement, merit rating, training, human relations, and measurement and improvement of employee morale
PSY 6643 Social Cognition: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3623 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Examination of how people perceive, categorize and reason about other people and themselves
PSY 6653 Cognitive Science: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3713 or CSE 4633 or PHI 4142 or AN 4623). Three hour lecture. The nature of human cognition from an interdisciplinary perspective, primarily utilizing a computational model, including insights from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, anthropology, and neuroscience. (Same as CSE 4653/6653)
PSY 6713 Language and Thought: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013 and PSY 3713, or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Review of current research and theories. Symbolic process, concept formation, problem solving and language development
PSY 6733 Memory: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013 and PSY 3713). Introduction to theoretical and practical aspects of memory. Discussion of laboratory memory, computer models of memory, memory self-concepts, everyday memory, and clinical memory problems
PSY 6743 Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: PSY 3713 or CS 4663/6663 or IE 4113/6113 or consent of the instructor). Two hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Exploration of psychological factors that interact with computer interface usablilty. Interface design techniques and usability evaluation methods are emphasized. (Same as CS 4673/6673 and IE 4123/6123)
PSY 6753 Applied Cognitive Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3713 or IE 4113 or consent of instructor ).Three hours lecture. Human perceptual, cognitive, and motor capabilities and limitations are described with particular emphasis on the implications of developing effective, user-friendly man-machine systems
PSY 6983 Psychology of Aging: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 1013). Three hours lecture. A description and analysis of the development and changes occurring in individuals from early adulthood through late life
PSY 6990 Special Topics in Psychology: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
PSY 7000 Directed Individual Study in Psychology: 1-6 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
PSY 8000 Thesis Research/ Thesis in Psychology: 1-13 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
PSY 8111 Scientist-Practitioner Applications: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor). Two hours laboratory. A minimum of two hours per week in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists
PSY 8121 Scientist-Practitioner Applications: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite:Consent of instructor). Two hours laboratory. A minimum of two hours per week in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists
PSY 8131 Scientist-Practitioner Applications: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite:Consent of instructor). Two hours laboratory. A minimum of two hours per week in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists
PSY 8141 Scientist-Practitioner Applications: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite:Consent of instructor). Two hours laboratory. A minimum of two hours per week in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists
PSY 8151 Scientist-Practitioner Applications: 1 hour.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor).Two hours laboratory. A minimum of two hours per week in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists
PSY 8214 Quantitative Methods in Psychology II: 4 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3103). Three hours lecture. Three hours laboratory. Advanced experimental design and methods with emphasis on analysis of variance
PSY 8233 Ethical and Professional Issue in Clinical Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor). Theory and application of current ethical, legal, and professional standards in clinical psychology across settings
PSY 8313 Developmental Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3803). Three hours lecture. Human growth processes and related developmental tasks in areas such as creative ability, language, social competency, and bodily fitness
PSY 8323 Psychopathology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: PSY 3213). In-depth coverage of contemporary systems of psychiatric diagnosis, and biological, psychological, and social theories of the etiology of psychological disorders
PSY 8333 Systems of Psychotherapy: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. A comparative introduction to the theories, techniques, and outcomes of major approaches to psychotherapy
PSY 8354 Intelligence Testing: 4 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor). Three hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Administration, scoring, and interpretation of the standard psychometric instruments in evaluating individual intellectual functioning
PSY 8364 Personality Appraisal: 4 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8323). Three hours lecture. Two hours laboratory. Administration, scoring and interpretations using standard self-report and projective methods of individual personality assessment. Current research is also explored
PSY 8373 Child Psychopathology and Treatment of Childhood Disorders: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3213). Three hours lecture. Research on the nature, assessment and treatment of disorders of childhood/adolescence
PSY 8383 Behavior Therapy: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. A survey of contemporary literature relating to the theory, techniques, and outcomes of behavior therapy. Emphases placed on systematic desensitization and operant conditioning techniques
PSY 8450 Applied Clinical Practicum: 1-4 hours.
(Prerequisite: Director of Clinical Training consent). A minimum of fifty hours per semester (per credit hour registered) in supervised service delivery and research activities of clinical psychologists. May be repeated for credit
PSY 8460 Applied External Clinical Practicum: 1-4 hours.
(Prerequisite: Director of Clinical Training consent). A minimum of fifty hours per semester (per credit hour registered) in supervised service delivery and research activities at an external site under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. May be repeated for credit
PSY 8513 Psychological Research: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3313). Three hours lecture. Practicum in the techniques of planning and execution of various areas of psychological research
PSY 8533 Introduction to Clinical Practicum in Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor). One hour lecture. Two hours practicum. Intensive introduction to clinical interviewing, as well as the research literature in clinical psychology
PSY 8573 Psychopharmacology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: PSY 4403 and PSY 8323).Three hours lecture. Overview of research on pharmacological and combined treatments for psychological disorders. Emphasis is placed on psychological disorders in adulthood
PSY 8613 Advanced Social Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 3623). Three hours lecture. Examination of research and theories of attraction and liking. Emphasis upon reinforcement theory, gain-loss theory, and dissonance theory
PSY 8653 Applied Cognitive Reading Seminar: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: consent of instructor for all non-psychology or non-cognitive science graduate students). Seminar exploring current topics in Applied Psychology and Cognitive Science
PSY 8683 Cognitive Science Research Skills: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: consent of instructor for all students not in the applied cognitive science concentration). Three hours lecture. An introduction to computational and writing research skills necessary for a research career in cognitive science
PSY 8693 Advanced Cognitive Science Research Skills: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8683 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. A survey of advanced computational and writing research skills necessary for a research career in cognitive science
PSY 8703 Advanced Cognitive Science: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8683 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. The science of intelligent systems as understood through the contributions of psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence, anthropology, neuroscience, and philosophy
PSY 8713 Issues and Methods in Cognitive Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Graduate Standing). Three hours lecture. Exploration of theoretical issures and research methods in current Cognitive Psychology
PSY 8723 Cognitive Models of Skills: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Graduate Standing). Three hours lecture. Introduction to cognitive modeling, with a focus on computational models of skill acquisition and expert skill (Same as CS 8613)
PSY 8731 Applied Cognitive Science Research Seminar: 1 hour.
One hour seminar.Presentations of research in applied cognitive science
PSY 8743 Perception and Attention: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8513 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An advanced survey of classic and current research on human perception and attention including the underlying neural and psychological mechanisms
PSY 8753 Advanced Human Memory: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8513 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An advanced survey of classic and current research on human memory from the biology of memory to the neuroscience of memory
PSY 8763 Expertise and Cognitive Skill Acquisition: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8513 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An advanced survey of the scientific literature on human acquisition of cognitive skills and expertise with a focus on theories that address human performance
PSY 8773 Distributed Representations in Cognition: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8513 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An introduction to computational modeling of cognition with a focus on computational models that use distributed representations
PSY 8783 Cognitive Science Professional Skills: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: consent of instructor for all students not in the applied cognitive science concentration). Three hours lecture. An introduction to the professional skills necessary for a successful research career in cognitive science
PSY 8793 Advanced Cognitive Science Professional Skills: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: PSY 8783 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. Advanced professional skills necessary for a research career in cognitive science including initiating a lab, establishing collaborations, and securing a research position
PSY 8803 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Industrial Organizational and General Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisites: PSY 8214). Three hours lecture. Study of advanced analytic and multivariate quantitative methods applied to contemporary problems and research in industrial/organizational and general psychology
PSY 8990 Special Topics in Psychology: 1-9 hours.
Credit and title to be arranged. This course is to be used on a limited basis to offer developing subject matter areas not covered in existing courses. (Courses limited to two offerings under one title within two academic years)
PSY 9000 Dissertation Research /Dissertation in Psychology: 1-13 hours.
Hours and credits to be arranged
PSY 9730 Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology: 3 hours.
(Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor). Supervised predoctoral internship for psychologists involving the theory and practice of evaluations, consultation, interventions, research, and related activities within a professional setting. May be repeated for credit 2 times