Program Philosophy and National Standards

Program Philosophy

The MA in Psychology program is designed to prepare students for master's-level positions in human services and the mental health fields.

The MA program is based on the scientist-practitioner model, which holds that:

• modern methods of scientific investigation should be employed in the analysis and modification of human behavior;
• decisions regarding treatment methods and outcomes should be based on empirical data that are verifiable; and
• the practitioner has an obligation to keep abreast of, and to incorporate, improvements in assessment and treatment methods in understanding behavioral disorders.

The program also recognizes that human service professionals require more than simply academic knowledge. Among the other qualities deemed necessary to be an effective clinician are: strong interpersonal skills; sound judgment and rational decision making; personal maturity and stability; sensitivity to the feelings and outlook of others; an ability to maintain professional distance and an objective perspective on problems; a level of integrity that is beyond reproach; and a willingness to maintain a high level of ethics and professionalism at all times.

National Standards

The Department of Psychology is a member of both the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology and the Council of Applied Master's Programs in Psychology (CAMPP). Although there is no accreditation of MA-level graduate programs, CAMPP is the nationally recognized governing body representing master's-level programs in psychology. SUNY Brockport's MA in Psychology program meets CAMPP standards of training, formulated at the 1990 National Conference on Applied Master's Training in Psychology.

The program is predicated upon the premise that students should demonstrate competence in the following areas (while competence in a given area below may be established on the basis of undergraduate course work and/or experience, the program includes a minimum of 42 credits of graduate course work):

• Understanding the mechanisms and theories of development; genetic and prenatal factors; and physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development.
• Understanding the anatomy and function of the nervous system; the effects of drugs on brain and behavior; and the biological bases of mental disorder.
• Understanding the major theoretical perspectives of human personality (psychodynamic, neoanalytic, trait, behavioral, humanistic, cognitive, and existential) and understanding of social-psychological principles and empirical findings as they relate to human service settings.
• Understanding research design, statistical principles, and program evaluation to allow interpretation of studies and awareness of the limitations of clinical research.
• Understanding the major categories of mental disorder within the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic system and the conceptual and empirical issues associated with this nosology.
• Understanding psychometrics and intellectual and personality assessment.
• Understanding the theory, research, and application of behavioral intervention methods (behavorial, cognitive-behavioral and social learning).

The program does not purport to train students as clinical psychologists, which in New York requires a PhD for state licensure. The program also recognizes that the clinical work performed by our graduates should be conducted under the direction and supervision of a licensed clinician. In recognizing this, it is an additional aim of the program to prepare students for doctoral-level study in clinical fields, by providing them with an essential academic and experiential background.