Applied Psychology

The Master of Applied Psychology (MAP) program offers preparation for careers in industrial/organizational and health psychology. The program may also serve students seeking a master’s degree as preparation for doctoral study in an area of experimental psychology (e.g., social, cognitive, or developmental psychology) as well as students who wish to teach at the community college level. More information about the program, the faculty, and student opportunities is available on the website.

Program Tracks

The Master of Applied Psychology is offered in three areas of concentration: (1) industrial/organizational psychology, (2) health psychology, and (3) general experimental psychology.

• The industrial/organizational track (41 hours) focuses on the application of psychological methods and theories in business and organizational settings. This track stresses personnel selection, personnel program evaluation, training, and organizational development.
• The health psychology track (42 hours) prepares individuals to pursue careers at the master’s level in the field of health psychology or behavioral medicine. Health psychology is concerned with providing educational, scientific, and professional contributions of the discipline of psychology to the promotion and maintenance of health, as well as the prevention and treatment of illness and related dysfunction.
• The experimental psychology track (42 hours) prepares students who intend to apply to Ph.D. programs in an area of experimental psychology (e.g., social, cognitive, or developmental psychology). It is also intended for those who wish to teach psychology at the community college level.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

Each fall, we will accept students into the master’s program based on space availability and the applicant’s ability to meet program admission requirements. To be considered for admission, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited undergraduate program;
2. Maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) or 3.0 in undergraduate degree;
3. Completed at least 3 hours of undergraduate psychology coursework with an understanding of the broad field of psychology;
4. Completed undergraduate course work (at least 6 hours) in statistics and research methods receiving at least a “B” in each of those courses;
5. Received at least the following on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE): 151 GRE-Verbal and 146 GRE-Quantitative Reasoning with at least a 3.5 on the Analytical Writing.
6. Submitted a letter of intent. Applicants must submit a letter of intent describing the field or specialty within psychology for which they are seeking graduate preparation. The letter should also include a description of how the proposed training relates to the applicant’s career goals.
7. Submitted letters of recommendation. Applicants should obtain three letters of recommendation from college or university faculty familiar with the applicant’s academic work. These letters should be on college or university letterhead and sent directly to the UALR Graduate School.

Conditional Admission

Occasionally, otherwise qualified prospective students might not meet the criteria related to undergraduate coursework or GRE scores. Materials will be reviewed by the program faculty for individual merit. Students may be admitted conditionally with the provision that they take and pass with at least a B up to 6 hours specified by the program coordinator during their first semester (e.g.,PSYC 7330 Graduate Seminar in Psychology , EDFN 7304 Basic Statistics , etc.). These courses could be considered electives towards the overall Master’s degree requirements. Students admitted on a conditional basis are not eligible for scholarships or other graduate assistance through the department until they are admitted regularly.

Application Procedures

All materials may be mailed to UALR Graduate School, 2801. S. University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204 or emailed to gradschool@ualr.edu.

Applications for admission to the MAP program are evaluated on a competitive basis by the program faculty and acceptance is conferred to the most qualified applicants. Fulfilling admission prerequisites and requirements is necessary to be considered, but does not guarantee acceptance.

Applications for admission should be received by the UALR Graduate School by March 15 for students anticipating beginning the following fall semester. Applications received after March 15 will be considered as long as space is available.

Financial Aid

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available in the Psychology department. Inquiries for one of these assistantships should be directed to the department at (501) 569-3171. In addition to graduate assistantships, there are several scholarship opportunities available to students. Information on these scholarship opportunities is available from the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Program Requirements

Comprehensive exams are required for both the Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Health Psychology tracks unless the student chooses to pursue a thesis as an elective. A thesis is required for the Experimental Psychology track. Successful defense of a thesis or successful completion of comprehensive exams is required for graduation with a Master’s of Applied Psychology.

Graduation Requirements

• Successful completion of degree requirements with a GPA of 3.0 or greater
• Sufficient level of mastery, as determined by successful performance on the comprehensive examination administered at the completion of the MAP program; OR successful defense of a master’s thesis

Experimental Psychology (Additional 31 hours)

• PSYC 7361 - Social Psychology
• PSYC 7480 - Cognitive Psychology
• PSYC 8600 - Thesis
• 18 hours electives (to be selected with program coordinator)