This program has been developed in response to needs expressed by community groups and organizations for assistance in addressing the needs of their most vulnerable members. The program prepares students to work at the master's level in the field of Community Psychology in a variety of community, government and consulting work settings. Students will learn how a community-based social justice perspective recognizes inequalities and promotes the exercise of greater power (i.e., access to resources and decision-making) for communities that have been marginalized, and creates ties to advocacy work with oppressed populations. The program leads to an applied, terminal MS degree and is not designed as an intermediate step toward a doctoral degree. Students interested in pursuing a PhD should speak with their academic advisor about the best way to prepare for a doctoral program.
Student applications to the program are due no later than May 1st, although we do begin the application review and acceptance process in early April. Early application is encouraged. Admissions decisions are made by the faculty administering the program and are finalized by May 15th.
The application process will require prospective students to submit the following information:
- Undergraduate transcript
- GRE Scores – the General portion is required of all applicants
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Psychology course history list
- List of community psychology-related volunteer or employment activities
Students applying to this program must have successfully completed a bachelor’s degree; either a BA or a BS. A minimum of six undergraduate psychology courses including a Statistics course and a Research Methods or an Experimental psychology course are required. Applicants who lack the necessary prerequisite courses will be required to successfully complete them, without graduate credit, before being admitted into the program. Students who do not have an undergraduate psychology major but who otherwise satisfy the requirements may apply.
The DePaul Psychology Department strongly encourages applications from students of underrepresented groups.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 36 |
| Elective Requirements | 12 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Students will be able to:
- Describe major community psychology theories in depth
- Design research studies to collect appropriate data, analyze and report the data
- Apply the ethical standards of psychology
- Demonstrate competence in written, oral, and interpersonal communication
- Demonstrate a high level of professional performance
Students must complete 48 quarter hours and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
Quantitative Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 410 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
| PSY 411 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 4 |
| PSY 421 | APPLIED RESEARCH DESIGN | 4 |
Graduate Core
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 474 | DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA | 4 |
| PSY 476 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF TRAUMA | 4 |
| or PSY 556 | PREJUDICE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS | |
Community Core
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 492 | PRINCIPLES OF CONSULTATION | 4 |
| PSY 520 | PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN DIVERSITY | 4 |
| PSY 569 | SEMINAR IN PROGRAM EVALUATION | 4 |
| PSY 585 | FIELDWORK IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS | 0 |
| PSY 654 | COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY | 4 |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
Graduate Psychology Electives
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 3 courses | 12 | |
Program Graduate Academic Student Handbook
Minimum Grades
- The minimum grade considered acceptable for a graduate course is a B-. This applies to courses taken both within and outside of the department for psychology graduate students. Grades below that (i.e., C+ and below) indicate that the student has not mastered the relevant content of the course.
- If a graduate student earns a grade lower than B- in a particular course, the student, instructor, and advisor will discuss the situation and circumstances and a remediation plan will be required. The student, his or her advisor, and the instructor, will work together to create a plan through which the student can (a) gain competence in the course material, and (b) demonstrate that competence. The remediation plan might include, for example, requiring the student to complete additional assignments, retaking the class, taking a substitute class, completing an independent study, or pursuing other options. The remediation plan must be approved by the instructor, advisor and the program director.
- A second occurrence of a grade lower than a B- (for the same or different course) will put the student on academic probation. Once placed on academic probation, the student’s record and any mitigating circumstances will be evaluated by a Psychology Department review board comprising the student’s advisor, the program director, and the department associate chair (the department chair might be included in special circumstances). Additional remediation and intervention might be suggested by the review board.
- If there is a third occurrence of a grade below B- (for the same or different course), the student will be dismissed from the program. The student may choose to appeal this decision, in which case the Chair of the Psychology Department will appoint a committee of three tenured Psychology Department faculty outside the student's program to hear the appeal. Depending on the student’s academic record and any mitigating circumstances, he/she may be allowed to complete his/her Master’s degree but will not be permitted to continue onto the PhD (not applicable to terminal Department of Psychology MS degrees) without a successful appeal.
Academic Probation
Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below this minimum, the student will be put on academic probation and will have one quarter of coursework to raise it up to the minimum.
Academic Dismissal
If the student does not raise their cumulative GPA to at least a 3.00 after one quarter of coursework while on academic probation, the student will be academically dismissed from the program. If the student’s cumulative GPA falls below the minimum a second time, they will be academically dismissed from the program without a second academic probationary period.
Graduation Requirements
Students need a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 in courses required by the program. In addition to meeting the minimum cumulative GPA requirement, lack of progress towards degree completion, and/or unsatisfactory evaluation could result in dismissal. See individual program policies for more details.
Graduation with Distinction for MS
The criteria for graduating "with distinction" are a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 and the recommendation of "with distinction" by the thesis committee.
Time Limitation
Students must complete their degree requirements within a five-year period from the first registration date for a course in the program.