Psychology > Graduate Programs > Information for Current MA Students
Information for Current MA Students
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Masters Degree Summary of Requirements
Requirements for the MA Degree
The Master of Arts degree in Psychology includes research and academic requirements. Although the minimum residence requirement for the MA is two full–time semesters it typically takes four to five semesters to complete the MA degree requirements. There is no foreign language requirement. A thesis (plan A) is required of all MA candidates.
MA Credit–Hour Requirements
A minimum of 30 credits is required by the Graduate Division, including at least 24 credits of course work. In addition to these 24 coursework credits, psychology students are required to have a minimum of 6 credits of thesis research. The exact academic curriculum (coursework, research and field work) varies according to the concentration. A minimum of 12 credits, exclusive of research courses and thesis research (pSY700), must be earned in courses numbered 600–798. At least one graduate seminar in psychology or in a related field must be taken. The maximum number of PSY699 and PSY700 credits that may be taken is 12. A grade of "B" or higher is required for all core graduate courses required by the Department.
Departmental Curriculum for MA Degree
Research Methodology/ Statistics: (6 credits)
Psy 600 – Methodological Foundations (3 credits)
AND
Psy 610 – Intro to Quantitative Methods (3 credits) OR Psy 611 – Analysis of Variance Foundation Courses: (6 credits) – Two courses from two different foundation areas are required for the MA.
- Experimental: 621, 622, 626
- Psychobiology: 634
- Comparative: 631,633
- Developmental: 640, 642
- Social: 650
- Personality: 660
- Clinical: 670, 773, 774, 776
- Community and Cultural Psychology: 680
The courses listed above are 3 credits each.
Research Courses (12 credits)
Psy 7x9 – Research (in concentration) (6 credits) Psy 700 – Thesis (6 credits)
Other Courses (6 credit hours)
Psy XXX – Advanced graduate seminar (3 credits) Psy XXX &nd Course in concentration area (3 credits)
A total of 6 hours of PSY 700 is required, and candidates must be registered in PSY 700, "Thesis Research," during the semester in which the thesis is defended and the MA degree awarded. Note that the graduate division is no longer happy to convert PSY699 credits to PSY700 credits. You should therefore plan your PSY700 registration carefully to ensure you gain sufficient credits (for example, 3 credits in the semester before you defend, and 3 credits in the semester in which you defend).
Thesis Requirement
The thesis committee normally consists of three members of the graduate faculty. All three may be faculty members with the Department of Psychology, but it is also possible to have a maximum of one member from a field of study other than psychology but appropriately related to the candidate's program of study. All members of the student's thesis committee must hold graduate faculty status unless special permission is granted by the Graduate Division. The composition of the committee must also conform to the department's policy on committee composition. Students prepare a written thesis proposal in close consultation with their faculty advisor. When the proposal has been approved by the thesis committee, the chairperson of the graduate field of study sends the Student Progress Form II: Advancement to Thesis Stage to the Graduate Division. This must, if applicable, be accompanied by a letter from the University of Hawaii Committee on Human Subjects approving your research project. Note that this approval may take several months to obtain, depending on the nature of your research. You may subsequently register for the thesis research course (Psy 700) at the beginning of the next academic term. The deadline for the thesis itself varies slightly each year, and is given in the academic calendar of the University. The completed thesis is subject to the approval of the student's thesis committee. The final step in the completion of the MA degree is an oral defense of the thesis and completion of Student Progress Form III: Final Examination and Approval of Thesis.
