MA in Academic Psychology

Master of Arts in General Psychology

Academic Psychology Concentration

The 30-hour Academic Psychology concentration (offered only as an online option) is designed for those students who wish to teach psychology at the community college level. It requires the completion of 24 semester hours of required courses and 6 semester hours of electives. In order to be maximally qualified for North Carolina employment, it is suggested that a student acquire 18 additional hours in a related subject discipline outside of psychology.

Comprehensive Exams
The Graduate School requires students to pass a comprehensive examination covering your field of concentration before graduation. The exams will be scheduled in consultation with the Director of General Psychology program but is usually completed near the end of the student’s course of graduate study. The exam consists of essay questions related to three of the following four topic domains:

Developmental Psychology (PSYC 6406)
The Biological Basis of Behavior (PSYC 6412)
Social Psychology (PSYC 6421)
Learning/Cognition (PSYC 6427 or 6428)

The exam items are written by faculty who teach the graduate classes listed above. Students may approach any of the professors involved to seek study guides. The format of the exam allows the student to answer three out of a total of five items. One of the five items is required (i.e. it must be answered by all students), and the student is asked to choose and answer two of the four remaining items. A three-hour period is allotted for the entire exam.

Course Work

PSYC 6406 (Advanced Developmental Psychology)................3 hours

PSYC 6412 (Advanced Physiological Psychology)...................3 hours

PSYC 6421 (Social Psychology) ..............................................3 hours

PSYC 6427 (Learning) or PSYC 6428 (Cognition) .....................3 hours

PSYC 6430 (Statistics and Research Design)............................3 hours

PSYC 6450 (Psychopathology) or PSYC 6475 (Personality).......3 hours

PSYC 6800 (Teaching Introductory Psychology).......................3 hours

PSYC 6810 (Practicum in Teaching Psychology)......................3 hours

Electives (Approved psychology courses).................................6 hours

For more information about the program, please contact:

John G. Cope, Ph.D.
Director of the General Psychology Program
110 Rawl Building
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(252) 328-6497