Department of Psychology

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Boone, R Thomas Assistant Professor of Psychology (2005), BS 1987 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 1995, PhD 1996 Brandeis University. Specializations: nonverbal communication of emotion, developmental social processes, cooperative processes, communication of trustworthiness

Conboy, John K (Graduate Program Director, Applied Behavior Analysis Option) Professor of Psychology (1986), BA 1970 University of Rhode Island, MSEd 1974 University of Maine, MS 1976 Murray State University, PsyD 1982 Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. Specializations: child and family psychotherapy, psychological assessment, ADHD, behavior therapy

Corriveau, Donald P Chancellor Professor of Psychology (1980), BA 1973 Providence College, MA 1975, PhD 1978 University of Rhode Island. Specializations: clinical research, counseling, behavioral medicine

Donnelly, Paul A (Graduate Program Director, Clinical Psychology Option) Professor of Psychology (1979), BA 1971 Providence College, MA 1974 Assumption College, EdD 1980 Boston University. Specializations: counseling psychology, treatment of adolescent and criminal offenders

Fugate, Jennifer Full time lecturer (2012), PhD Emory University (2008), BS University of WI - Madison (1999). Specializations: comparative social cognition, language, emotion

Haimson, Barry R (Chairperson, Department of Psychology) Chancellor Professor of Psychology (1967), BA 1963 Brandeis University, AM 1965, PhD 1970 Boston University. Specializations: event-related potential (ERP) measures of information processing and hemispheric differences, cognitive neuroscience, perception

Hartnett, Patrice Full-Time Lecturer in Psychology (2008), bs 1983 Bucknell University, MA 1984, PhD 1991 University of Pennsylvania. Specialization: lifespan development (child and adolescent), comparative cognition

Hojjat, Mahzad Associate Professor of Psychology (2000), BA 1992 University of Connecticut, MS 1994, MPhil 1995, PhD 1998 Yale University. Specializations: conflict, forgiveness, satisfaction in romantic relationships/friendships, interethnic romantic relationships, positive psychology of love

Kershaw, Trina Associate Professor of Psychology (2006) BA 1988 Widener University, MA 2002, PhD 2006 University of Illinois Chicago. Specialization: skill learning and transfer, problem solving, individual differences

Locke-Arkerson, Robin Assistant Professor of Psychology (2008) BA 1992 Boston University, MS, 1999, PhD 2005 University of Wisconsin-Madison. Specialization: developmental psychopathology, emotional development, biological psychology

O’Hare, Aminda Assistant Professor of Psychology (2012) BA 2005 University of Wyoming, MA 2007, PhD 2010 University of Kansas. Specializations: emotion and cognition, individual differences, anxiety, cognitive bias, and event-related potentials (ERPs)

Pedlow, Teal Associate Professor of Psychology (2006) BA 1992 University of California San Diego, PhD 2004 Syracuse University. Specialization: health psychology, women’s health, HIV/AIDS, alcohol/substance abuse, clinical research

Powers, Theodore R. Professor of Psychology (1999), BA 1980 Columbia University, PhD 1985 McGill University. Specializations: clinical training, personality, and motivation

Revell, Andrew J. Assistant Professor of Psychology (2007), BS,BA 1996 Truman State University, MA Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 1998, PhD The State University of Pennsylvania, 2004. Specialization: lifespan human development, neuropsychology of aging, health risk indicators, multivariate measurement, gerontology

Richardson, Elizabeth F. Assistant Professor of Psychology (2008), BA 1992 Indiana University, PhD 1997 Louisiana State University. Specialization: health psychology, adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, and clinical research .

Shapiro, Amy M Professor of Psychology (1994), BA 1988, BS 1988 Tufts University, MSc 1991, PhD 1993 Brown University. Specializations: human learning and memory, educational technology, memory errors

Sims-Knight, Judith E (Graduate Coordinator, General Psychology Option) Chancellor Professor of Psychology (1978), AB 1965 Brown University, MA 1967 Queens College, PhD 1971 University of Minnesota. Specializations: Cognitive development, adult reasoning, human-computer interaction, instructional psychology.

The Department of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offers a graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology. This graduate program has options in Clinical Psychology, General Psychology, and Applied Behavior Analysis.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of graduate teaching and research assistantships are awarded to qualified students who have been accepted for admission. Graduate teaching assistants generally complete 10-20 hours of work per week as assigned by the Psychology Department Chairperson. In return, the students are compensated with a stipend and tuition remission. Application for graduate assistantships can be made at the time of application to the graduate program.

Other assistance, such as loans or work-study, may be available to you, Please refer to the chapter on “Expenses and Academic Assistance.”

A special note for Massachusetts State Employees. This program is considered a day school program and thus state employees may be eligible to attend tuition free (under state contract). Please check with your personnel office.

Option in Clinical Psychology

Objectives of the Clinical Psychology Option

To provide students with specific and applied research and problem-solving skills;
To provide all clinical students with a broad exposure to a variety of therapy modalities;
To provide students with extensive experiential learning opportunities, practica, internships, and intensive supervision; and
To prepare students for licensure as Certified Mental Health counselors in the State of Massachusetts.

Admission to the Clinical Psychology Option

Students are accepted into the program in the Fall only. The deadline for submission of materials for the Clinical Psychology option is March 31st.

Successful candidates have the following qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a closely related field.
A minimum undergraduate cumulative average of 2.75 on a 4.0 grading scale. Students not meeting this requirement but who otherwise give evidence of strong academic ability may be accepted.
Completion of psychology statistics course.
Some work experience related to the field of Psychology/Social Work.

Applicants must submit the required application materials to the Graduate Office. In addition, this Psychology option has specific admissions requirements:

In addition to the regular application, candidates should complete the supplemental application form.
Since this option has a clinical component, one of the three letters of recommendation should be submitted from a present or former agency supervisor capable of addressing your clinical potential.
Graduate Record Examination scores, while not required, will be considered if submitted.
Final candidates may be required to attend a personal interview with the Admissions Committee.
Upon acceptance to the program, students are required to sign acknowledgments of the conditions of a Competency/Fitness and a Full Participation policy.

Contact

Dr Paul Donnelly
Director, Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
508-999-8334
pdonnelly@umassd.edu

Option in Research Psychology

The General Psychology option is designed to prepare students for doctoral work in psychology and related fields and for careers in research at the masters’ level. The program combines coursework in basic areas of psychology with research skill objectives, such as critically analyzing research and conducting literature reviews. This coursework provides the basis for collaborative research with faculty members. The outstanding feature of this program is the opportunity for close interaction between faculty and students, both in the classroom and in the laboratory, because of the low student/faculty ratio.

Admission to the Research Psychology Option

Successful candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree, and an interest in research. It is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Prospective applicants are invited to call to discuss their qualifications and interest (see list of contacts given later).

Applicants must submit the required application materials to the Graduate Office. In addition, this Psychology option has specific admissions requirements:

All three letters of recommendation must be from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic or research experience.
Applicants are expected to submit Graduate Record Examination scores. The General Test is required; the Subject Test in Psychology subject is recommended.
Students must complete an undergraduate statistics course before beginning the program.

Grade Requirements

In addition to conforming to the Graduate Degree Requirements described at the beginning of this catalog, students in the General Psychology Option must pass at least five of the six required courses with a B- or better in each course. Students who take an Incomplete in any course in the first year of study must complete the work by June 30 of that first year. (Part time students must complete all Incompletes within one month of their completing 18 credits.)

First Year Probation

Students who get a C+ or below in a required course during their first semester will be placed on academic probation. They must bring their cumulative GPA up to 3.00 by the end of the first year.

Graduate Thesis

Full-time students in the General Psychology Option must have a thesis advisor by the end of Spring Break of their first year. They will be enrolled for thesis credit after they have completed their first year in good standing, as described above.

Combined BA-MA in Psychology

This fast-track program enables qualified UMass Dartmouth BA degree students in psychology to complete both the BA and the MA in Psychology, General Option, in 5 rather than 6 years.

Eligibility

Students may apply to the combined program as entering freshmen or as undergraduates during their sophomore or junior years. Successful candidates will have an overall GPA of at least 3.25, B or better in PSY 205 , at least one recommendation from a research psychologist, and a well-written personal essay that reveals their potential for a research career. Application should be made to the Graduate Program Director for the General Option, who will make a recommendation to the department chairperson.

Progression to MA Study

BA/MA students will take four graduate courses as senior year electives The department will provide a specific list of courses and how they fit within a recommended sequence. During the senior year, the student will file a Psychology General Option MS application in the Office of Graduate Studies.

Tuition and Fees

Students pay tuition and fee rates as published by the university. Students selecting the BA-MA option will pay undergraduate rates until they reach the level of completion of the baccalaureate degree.

Contacts

Dr Judith Sims-Knight
Coordinator, General Psychology Option
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
508-999-8382
jsimsknight@umassd.edu

The following faculty, listed at the beginning of this section, are active in the General Psychology option. Prospective students are encouraged to contact them about their research interests.

Dr R Thomas Boone
508 999-8440
tboone@umassd.edu

Dr John K Conboy
508 999-8442
jconboy@umassd.edu

Dr. Jennifer Fugate
508-999-8397
jfugate@umassd.edu

Dr Barry R Haimson
508 999-8381
bhaimson@umassd.edu

Dr Mahzad Hojjat
508 910-6611
mhojjat@umassd.edu

Dr. Trina Kershaw
508-999-8346
tkershaw@umassd.edu

Dr. Robin Locke-Arkerson
508-910-6955
rlocke@umassd.edu

Dr. Teal Pedlow
508-999-8341
tpedlow@umassd.edu

Dr. Aminda O’Hare
508-999-8761
aohare@umassd.edu

Dr Ted Powers
508 910-6906
tpowers@umassd.edu

Dr. Andrew Revell
508-9998385
arevell@umassd.edu

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson
508-910-6954
erichardson@umassd.edu

Dr Amy M Shapiro
508 999-8377
ashapiro@umassd.edu

Dr Judith E Sims-Knight (Coordinator, above)

Option in Applied Behavioral Analysis

The Psychology Department, in partnership with the Evergreen Center and Beacon Services, offers a Master of Arts in Psychology with an option in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This master’s program is a three-year, 36-credit program. Students can choose to complete this program at their own pace. It is not a requirement that it be completed in three years; however, it is expected that students will complete this program on a timely basis. Specific ABA courses within the master’s program will satisfy the academic requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) exam.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Students must follow the complete admissions guidelines outlined through the Office of Graduate Studies (www.umassd.edu/graduate). Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and decisions will be made by the Psychology Department. Successful candidates will have the following qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a closely related field, as evidenced by an official transcript.
Official results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
A minimum undergraduate cumulative average of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. Students not meeting this requirement but who otherwise give evidence of academic ability may be accepted.
Completion of a course in psychology statistics (or equivalent).
Three letters of recommendation.
A personal statement of at least 300 words addressing ABA experience and/or readiness for ABA training.
Signature on the Psychology Department “Competency and Fitness” and “Self Disclosure” forms.
Students may be admitted to a maximum of 9 credit hours (3 courses) in a non-matriculated status with permission of the Psychology Department. Following completion of 9 credit hours, students must be admitted to the program to continue studies.

Contacts

Dr. Barry Haimson

Chairperson, Psychology Department
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
508 999-8381

bhaimson@umassd.edu