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

Melanie DuBard developmental disabilities, autism, Applied Behavior Analysis, consultation, treatment integrity, assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior

Jennifer Fugate categorization of faces and role of language

Barry R. Haimson Emeritus

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

Mahzad Hojjat (Graduate Program Director, Research Psychology Option): forgiveness, and satisfaction in romantic relationships/friendships, positive psychology

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 (Graduate Program Director, Clinical Psychology Option): clinical training, personality, and motivation

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

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

Amy M. Shapiro misinformation acceptance, false memory, technology-assisted learning

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

Judith E. Sims-Knight Emeritus

Nicholas Zambrotta political psychology and political polarization, morality, sport & exercise psychology, psychology of peak performance, behavioral health, structural equation modeling

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, 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 February 15.

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 courses in General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Statistics or Methods 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, Clinical Psychology Option
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
tpowers@umassd.edu

Option in Research Psychology

Program Overview

The Research Psychology option is a 36-credit MA program that requires two years of full-time (or 3 years of part-time) study and completion of a thesis. 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. Upon graduation, psychology researchers typically find jobs in such settings as university research labs, government agencies, marketing departments, and public or private research organizations.

Objectives

To provide students with specific and applied research and problem-solving skills
To provide students with advanced theoretical and empirical knowledge in basic areas of psychology (Cognitive, Social, Developmental, & Health)
To provide students with a broad exposure to a variety of research methodologies
To prepare students for doctoral work in psychology and related fields, and for careers in research at the masters’ level

Admission to the Research Psychology Option

Application Deadline

Students are accepted into the program in the Fall only. Applications for admission into the Research Master’s Program will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Review of complete applications will begin March 1 and will end on August 15 for the new academic year beginning in fall. Applications received by May 15th will receive priority in selection for assistantships. Applicants must submit the required application materials to the Graduate Office.

Admission Requirements

Successful candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a closely related field. In addition, students must demonstrate evidence of potential to excel in course work and research. Admission decisions will be made based on all of the submitted documents (e.g., research experience/interest, personal statement, GPA, letters of recommendation, etc.).

The Research Psychology option has the following specific admission requirements:

A Bachelor of Arts or Science degree from an accredited institution (official transcript is required)
Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with student’s academic performance or research involvement are required. At least one letter should contain comments on student’s aptitude, interest, and/or experience in conducting research. • A personal statement in which students provide evidence of research interest/experience and the reason they believe our graduate program is a good fit (Students are encouraged to specify the preferred area of research).
The submission of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is optional. However, if submitted, the GRE scores will be considered as part of the application.
A sample of student’s writing is optional.
Admitted students must have successfully completed an undergraduate statistics course before beginning the program.

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 in 5 rather than 6 years. This program applies to the Research Psychology MA option only.

Those who seek formal admission to the accelerated Psychology BA/MA degree program should submit their application to the Graduate Office (see “https://www.umassd.edu/graduate/apply/”).

Students will complete a total of 144 (126 undergraduate + 18 graduate) credits, (instead of 156 credits if pursue each program separately).

Other requirements include:

Two approved 400-level courses (Independent Study) in junior and senior years
In each semester of the senior year two graduate courses and two undergraduate courses (12 credits each semester rather than the typical 15 credits)
One full year graduate work (year 5)
Students who intend to complete their MA must officially apply for graduate admission in their senior year. Admission into the master’s program depends on academic performance in the BAMA program and is not guaranteed.

Eligibility

Students may apply to the combined program as entering freshmen or during their sophomore or junior years. Applicants must have:

A Cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 based on 30 or more UMASS Dartmouth credits. Transfer students may apply after completing 15 credits.
B+ or better in Psy 205 (Statistics for Psychology) and Psy 39x (Research Methods & lab)
Application to the combined program includes:
A well-written personal essay that reveals potential for a research career.
At least one recommendation letter by a research faculty

Contact

Dr. Mahzad Hojjat
Director, Graduate 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 offers a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This master’s program is a three-year, 36-credit program. 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.
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.
Three letters of recommendation.
A personal statement of at least 300 words addressing ABA experience and/or readiness for ABA training.
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