Department of Psychology

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Heloisa Alves cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, brain imaging techniques, and human performance

Brian Ayotte health psychology, interpersonal relationships, cognition, and problem solving in older adults

Rowland Barrett autism disorders, child development, clinical techniques

R. Thomas Boone (chairperson) nonverbal communication of emotion, developmental social processes, cooperative processes, communication of trustworthiness

John K. Conboy Emeritus

Donald P. Corriveau Emeritus

Paul A. Donnelly Emeritus

Jennifer Fugate categorization of faces and role of language

Barry R. Haimson Emeritus

Patrice Hartnett lifespan development (child and adolescent), comparative cognition

Mahzad Hojjat (Program Director, Master’s in Research Psychology) conflict, forgiveness, satisfaction in romantic relationships/friendships, interethnic romantic relationships, positive psychology of love

Trina Kershaw skill learning and transfer, problem solving, individual differences

Raina Lamade clinical and forensic psychology: psychological assessment, violence risk assessment, assessment and treatment of sexual offenders, management of serious mental illness within criminal contexts, malingering, trauma and post-traumatic growth, public opinion and policy, military and veterans

Robin Locke-Arkerson developmental psychopathology, emotional development, biological psychology

Josh Masse childhood externalizing disorders, evidence-based treatments, clinical training, treatment dissemination and implementation

Gary Pace (Graduate Program Director, Applied Behavioral Analysis Option): acquired brain injuries, antecedent interventions, the development and maintenance of behavioral systems, and the assessment and treatment of severe behavior problems, Applied Behavior Analysis, efficacy in ABA

Theodore R. Powers clinical training, personality, and motivation

Andrew J. Revell lifespan human development, neuropsychology of aging, health risk indicators, multivariate measurement, gerontology

Elizabeth F. Richardson health psychology, adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, and clinical research

Amy M. Shapiro human learning and memory, educational technology, memory errors

Anna Schierberl Scherr health behavior change, enhancing treatment outcomes for eating disorders and obesity, clinical supervision

Judith E. Sims-Knight Emeritus

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, Research 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. Ted Powers
Director, Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
tpowers@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.

Contact

Dr. Mahzad Hojjat
Director, Program in Research Psychology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
mhojjat@umassd.edu

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.

Contact

Dr. Gary Pace
Director, Graduate Program in Psychology, ABA Option
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
mhojjat@umassd.edu