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Master’s
Degree (MS) in General/Experimental Psychology
The Psychology Department at Fort Hays State
University offers a Master’s Degree (MS) Program in
General/Experimental Psychology. This program provides maximal
flexibility to the student in terms of both breadth and depth.
It can be a stepping stone to a more specialized doctoral
degree program, or used as a terminal degree for those who
would like to pusue a teaching career at the two-year college
level. It can allow a current student of psychology to add
graduate-level course work and research experience, or someone
from a different area of study to quickly gain the background
necessary in switching to a career in psychology.
The mission of the General/Experimental Graduate Program is
to provide graduate level training in psychology as a foundation
for doctoral studies or for employment in such careers as
education, community college instruction, or research. The
purpose of obtaining a MS in General/Experimental Psychology
is related to a particular student’s career goals. First,
the program is a great stepping stone to a doctoral program.
The MS in General/Experimental Psychology allows students
to obtain a strong foundation in psychology, to explore various
areas of psychology to determine a concentration area for
doctoral work, and to develop skills and abilities that are
necessary for graduate level work. Second, the program helps
prepare students for teaching at the community college level
or helps extend the education and training of current educators.
Third, the program trains students for research positions
in a variety of organizations and work settings, such as research
institutes, program evaluation, management, and non-profit
organizations.
Working with a mentor/advisor, students build a plan of study
that suits their career interests and future goals. All students
take coursework that provides a strong foundation in research
methods and statistical analysis which culminates in the completion
of a master’s thesis. Multiple opportunities to pursue
individual research interests as well as to conduct collaborative
research with faculty are available. Students also are able
to pursue research experience at the Docking Institute of
Public Affairs, an applied research institute affiliated with
Fort Hays State University. Graduate Teaching Assistantships
are available. Students are able to tailor their coursework
to their individual career plans.
Graduates from the MS program in General/Experimental Psychology
at FHSU have gone on to doctoral programs in psychology at
institutions such as the University of Oklahoma, Kansas State
University, and Texas Tech University. In addition, graduates
now work at businesses or with non-profit organizations, have
attended medical school and law school, and have sought advanced
degrees in other related fields. Faculty involved with the
MS program in General/Experimental Psychology conduct research
in various fields and are able to help students develop a
specific program of study and research.
The program consists of 33 graduate credit hours,
split between the requirements of research methodology, content
breadth and depth, and research experience. Although 33 hours
is the minimum requirement, students are allowed/encouraged
to take more credits as necessary to meet their long-term
career goals.
Research Methodology
(6 Hours)
The program requires all students to take a
year-long sequence of two courses in research methodology.
The first course (PSY 845, Experimental Methods) focuses on
the broad process of doing research, while the second (PSY
850 Inferential Statistics) concentrates on the application
of the research tool called statistics to this process.
Content Breadth and
Depth (21 Hours)
The program requires all students to take at
least seven graduate-level content classes. In order to gain
a broad overview of the discipline of psychology, students
take one content class or three-hour independent study from
each of the current General/Experimental faculty within the
department. This typically will be four or five of the nine
departmental faculty members, with areas of expertise in fields
such as cognitive, developmental, educational, experimental,
neuro, perceptual, physiological, and social psychology.
The depth requirement is defined for each student in an individualized
program of study. These courses (typically two or three, but
can be more) are concentrated in a primary area of interest
to the student, presumably within one of the above traditional
fields of psychology. In the rare case that a student’s
interests are outside the department’s current areas
of expertise, students are allowed/encouraged to take credits
from another institution, and transfer the credits back to
Fort Hays. Appropriate graduate-level classes from other departments
are always acceptable.
Research Experience
(6 Hours)
The program requires all students to comlete
a master's thesis. This will be an empirical study, requiring
the student to design, conduct, and analyze the results of
their own research project. From initial hypothesis generation
to final write-up, this will typically span two semesters
in time. Faculty guidance will be provided throughout the
entire process in the form of a thesis committee selected
by the student.
For more information concerning the MS program
in General/Experimental Psychology, please contact:
Dr. Stephen Kitzis,
Director of the General/Experimental Psychology
Department of Psychology
Fort Hays State University
785-628-4404
skitzis@fhsu.edu
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