Dec 18, 2025

2014-2015 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 5, Issue 1

2014-2015 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Graduate Programs | Volume 5, Issue 1 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Degree Program—Argosy University, Seattle

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology degree program has been designed to educate and train students to enter a professional career as master’s- level practitioners. Argosy University, Seattle provides for its master’s degree program students an educational program designed to provide the necessary theoretical and clinical elements that will allow them to be effective members of a mental health team. The program introduces students to basic clinical skills that integrate individual and group theoretical foundations of applied psychology into appropriate client interaction and intervention skills.

In addition, the program offers excellent preparation for those considering doctoral study.

Program Learning Objectives

The MA in Clinical Psychology degree program has been designed to educate and train students so that they might either be prepared to enter a doctoral degree program in clinical psychology or enter a professional career as master’s-level practitioners. The program is designed to provide a strong background in theory and to introduce students to basic clinical interventions skills. Students also receive an introduction to scientific methodology and the bases of scientific psychology. Specific goals of the program include:

Goal One:	The preparation of professionals who understand the foundations of Clinical Psychology in the history, concepts, and scientific bases of the discipline of psychology.

Goal Two:	The preparation of professionals who possess a broad foundation of knowledge and skills in the practice of Clinical Psychology.

Goal Three:	The preparation of professionals who demonstrate awareness, knowledge, and skills for competent practice and advocacy regarding diversity issues and commitment to relevant professional ethics and standards.

Eligibility for Licensure

Graduates of the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program may wish to pursue licensure as a Mental Health Counselor. The program curriculum includes courses in each area of study required by the state for master’s-level licensure. Additional post-master’s degree program requirements must be met prior to licensure. For more information and application materials to apply for licensure in the state of Washington, see the Department of Professional Regulation Web site at www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/Professions/MentalHealth/licensure.htm.

Master’s-level licensure varies from state to state. Students should determine the requirements for professional licensure in the state they wish to practice. The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) frequently publish information on issues of importance to professional counselors, including licensure, on their respective Web pages: www.counseling.org and www.nbcc.org.

Foundation Courses

Argosy University, Seattle requires certain undergraduate courses of all students enrolling in a graduate program in clinical psychology. Applicants should have completed the following undergraduate courses, or their equivalent, prior to their anticipated date of enrollment:

Abnormal psychology
Theories of Personality
Statistics

Students who have not completed these courses prior to admission must complete them no later than the end of their first semester after matriculation. Argosy University offers these foundation courses online. Please note that certain first-year courses may not be taken until the required foundation courses are completed.

Students who have completed one or more of these courses after being admitted to the program must submit an official transcript documenting their completion to the Student Services Department.

Enrollment Requirements

Students are encouraged to be enrolled full-time, which is defined as 9 – 12 credit hours per semester for fall and spring semesters, and 6 credit hours for summer semester. Students are required to register for at least 6 credit hours per semester during fall and spring semesters. The most effective way of achieving the program’s objectives is to take the theoretical and practical courses over a two- or three-year period in the order recommended by the faculty.

Additional Standards for Academic Progress

Students must make satisfactory progress towards a degree by maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. A grade of “NC” (“No Credit”) is considered as equivalent to a grade of “F” for purposes of academic warning, dismissal, or academic standing matters other than calculation of GPA. This applies to all courses that are graded as “Credit/No Credit” (“CR/NC”). All students must complete the program within five years after entry into the program. Students who take an approved temporary withdrawal from Argosy University will have five years plus the length of time that they were on the approved leave, not to exceed one year, to complete the program.

Students must take the master’s practicum no later than the third year after entry into the program. Students who receive a grade below “B-” in a core course must retake the course during the next academic year or sooner.

Students enrolled in the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program are required to complete 50 semester credit hours (44 credit hours of courses and 6 credit hours of practicum and practicum seminar).

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation, students must meet the following requirements:

50 semester credit hours which must be successfully completed by the end of the fifth year of matriculation. The total credit hours must include:
- 30 credit hours of core courses
- 12 credit hours of electives
- 2 credit hours of Professionalization Group
- 6 credit hours (one academic year) of practicum and practicum seminar
Psychotherapy Competency Examination (which constitutes the integrating Final Project and is completed during the practicum)
Grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration

Program Requirements

The MA in Clinical Psychology degree program requires the satisfactory completion of 50 semester credit hours, distributed as follows: core course requirements, 30 credit hours; elective requirement, 12 credit hours; Professionalization Group requirements, 2 credit hours; and practicum and practicum seminar requirements, 6 credit hours.

Core Course Requirements—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Core Course Requirements—30 Credit Hours

Elective Requirements—Students Are Required to Choose from the Following

PP6001 - Individual Assessment (3)
PP6015 - Narrative Psychotherapy (3)
PP6045 - Psychopathology (3)
PP6051 - Introduction to Physiological Psychology (3)
PP6060 - Group Therapy (3)
PP6161 - Working with LGBTQI Issues in Psychotherapy (3)
PP6175 - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapies (3)
PP6359 - Introduction to Psychopharmacology (3)
PP6452 - Motivational Interviewing (3)
PP6612 - Attachment Theory (2) or (3)
PP6753 - Medical Terminology (2) or (3)
PP6950 - Special Topics (3)

Elective Requirements—12 Credit Hours

Professionalization Group Requirements—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Professionalization Group Requirements—2 Credit Hours

Practicum and Practicum Seminar Requirements—Students Are Required to Take the Following

Practicum and Practicum Seminar Requirements—6 Credit Hours

Psychotherapy Competency Exam Requirements

The Psychotherapy Competency Exam (PCE) is the integrating final project for the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program and is generally completed near the end of practicum. The exam involves an evaluation of the student’s competency in the areas of psychological case formulation, clinical reasoning, and psychotherapy skills. Information regarding the PCE is distributed to students during practicum seminar, is available in the commons, or may be requested from the director of Clinical Training.

Practicum and Practicum Seminars Requirements

The goal of the practicum at the master’s level is to train students in the application of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed by their academic experience. This experience includes the direct observation, interviewing, and treatment of clients. Certain sites also afford some students with the opportunity of limited exposure to psychological testing procedures.

The MA in Clinical Psychology degree program practicum stresses therapeutic intervention. Because there is such a wide range of therapy experience available, students should not expect to experience the total spectrum of therapies during the practicum.

The practicum is the first opportunity provided to students for clinical field training. Practicum is designed to provide students with opportunities to work under supervision with a clinical population within a mental health delivery system and is a non-paid position. The practicum is designed to provide an essential part of clinical training and all students are required to participate in the practicum experience. Liability insurance is included in the cost of the practicum.

A practicum may not be done in a student’s place of employment, nor can practicum credit hours be waived or transferred. Students who come to Argosy University, Seattle with extensive clinical backgrounds are encouraged to pursue placement in practicum sites in areas where they have an interest and do not have previous experience.

Additional information about practicum may be found in the Practicum Handbook, available in the commons or from the director of Clinical Training.

Practicum Information

It should be noted that any or all educational information in the custody of Argosy University, Seattle, its faculty or staff, which is relevant to a student’s performance or enrollment status at Argosy University, Seattle, may be shared by the director of Clinical Training, practicum instructors; head, or campus president, Argosy University, Seattle with a practicum site supervisor prior to, during, or after the completion of a practicum.

Recommended Course Sequence for the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Degree Program at Argosy University, Seattle

Student progress through the program is intended to be sequential. Certain courses are offered to first-year students that provide a theoretical and practical foundation for courses that will follow. In addition, certain advanced courses require the student to have the background of more basic courses or practicum experience in order to benefit fully from the course experience. Students must satisfy all stated prerequisites for a course before a registration for that course can be considered official.

Year One

Fall

Spring

Summer

Year Two

Fall

Spring

Elective (3)*
Elective (3)*
PP6202 - Master’s Practicum II (3)

Summer

Elective (3)*
Elective (3)*
PP6202 - Master’s Practicum II (continued)

Note

* Elective course options include: PP6001 - Individual Assessment , PP6015 - Narrative Psychotherapy , PP6045 - Psychopathology , PP6051 - Introduction to Physiological Psychology , PP6060 - Group Therapy , PP6161 - Working with LGBTQI Issues in Psychotherapy , PP6175 - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapies , PP6359 - Introduction to Psychopharmacology , PP6452 - Motivational Interviewing , PP6612 - Attachment Theory , and PP6753 - Medical Terminology .

Course/Credit Transfer

Transfer of Courses/Credit to the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Degree Program from other Institutions

Similar to other institutions offering graduate degrees, Argosy University, Seattle does not automatically transfer credit from graduate courses taken at other institutions. Students seeking transfer credits or waiver of graduate courses taken elsewhere may petition to have these courses apply toward the master’s degree program.

For a course to be considered eligible for a transfer, the following conditions must be met:

The course must have been taken no more than five years before the student’s entry into Argosy University, Seattle.
The course must have been a graduate-level course, taken for graduate-level credit at a regionally accredited college or university. In the case of institutions outside the United States, the appropriate state or national accreditation is required.
Any course submitted towards a transfer of a 3-semester credit hour course must have itself carried 3 or more graduate semester credit hours.
A student must have earned a grade of “B” or better on any course submitted for a transfer.
A maximum of five courses (15 credit hours) may be transferred towards the MA in Clinical Psychology degree program.
The school does not accept any credit earned as military credit, credit by examination, credit by correspondence, credit for life experience, or graduate credit from non-accredited schools. Any student who desires to submit a course for transfer review should notify the Student Services Department and obtain the appropriate transfer request form. This form should be completed and returned to the Student Services Department. Requests must be made in writing. Transfer requests may be submitted any time during the admission process until the end of the first year of matriculation. Transfers are not officially granted until a student is officially accepted.

Students petitioning for transfer are requested to provide course descriptions, syllabi, exams, diagnostic test protocols and write-ups. Transfers are granted by the faculty if there is substantive evidence of equivalence between the course submitted for transfer and the course as it is offered at Argosy University, Seattle.