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Clinical Psychology
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College
Columbia University

PhD Information

Degree Requirements

Psychology in Education

Degree Information/Requirements

 

Master of Arts in Psychology in Education Degree (36 points)

The programs for the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychology in Education require 36 points of coursework and a Special Project. The General Track requires 18 points of coursework from any of the classes offered within the Clinical Psychology program  (CCPX). The Personality and Psychopathology Track is built around a 24-point core of courses in Clinical Psychology (CCPX). Degree requirements may be completed on a full-time basis in a calendar year (two semesters plus one or two summer sessions at the end), one year and one semester, or the equivalent in part-time study. Many students prefer to remain in the M.A. program for more than one academic year. Students may take up to five years to finish the program.

In addition to the courses taken within the  Program in Clinical Psychology, M.A. students in both program tracks must satisfy the College breadth requirement. This consists of completing 3 classes (2-3 credits each) outside of the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Department (CCPX or CCPJ). The remaining points may be taken as electives within the department, within TC, or within the Columbia University campus at large.

Transfer credits from courses taken outside of Teachers College are not accepted toward any M.A. program at Teachers College.

The degree is 36 credits in total made of 18 or 24 credits within the CCPX department, plus the breadth requirement of three (2-3 credit) courses outside of CCPX/CPPJ but within TC. Any remaining elective credits can be applied to courses anywhere in the TC or Columbia University & Health Sciences campus (a.k.a. cross-registration).

All students matriculating in the M.A. Program are given a copy of the Student Handbook for the specific academic year in which they matriculate. The Handbook outlines these requirements in detail.

The Curriculum:

General Psychology Track (36 points total and Special Project)

Required Clinical Courses (18 points):

  • Students take 18 points of any master’s-level (typically 4000- and 5000 level) courses in the Clinical Psychology (CCPX) program plus the three-course breadth requirement.
  • Students are required to complete a Special Project.
  • Certain classes may be restricted to doctoral students only. Please refer to the course schedule to determine which courses are open to M.A. students.

 

Master of Arts in Personality and Psychopathology (36 points)

Personality and Psychopathology TRACK (36 points total and Special Project)

A. Required Clinical Courses (24 points):

I. Foundations (12 points)

  • CCPX 4000              Introduction to applied psychology (3)
  • CCPX 5032              Adult personality & psychopathology (3)
  • CCPX 5034              Child psychopathology (3)
  • CCPX 5533              Research methods in clinical psychology (3)

II. Applications & Populations (6 points)

  • CCPX 4037              Introduction to cognitive behavior therapy (3)
  • CCPX 4038              Comparative psychotherapies (3)
  • CCPX 4040              Introduction to psychological testing and assessment (3)          
  • CCPX 5045              Psychotherapy, religious diversity, and spirituality (3)
  • CCPX 4542              Introduction to contemporary psychoanalytic thought (3)
  • CCPX 5033              The evolution of Freud’s psychological theories (3)
  • CCPX 4032              Assessment and treatment of alcohol and chemical dependency (3)
  • CCPX 4060              The psychology of loss and trauma (3)
  • CCPX 4125              Women and mental health (3)
  • CCPX 4150              Introduction to forensic psychology (3)

III. Specializations & Innovations (6 Credits)

  • CCPX 4010              Social problems for clinical psychologists (3)
  • CCPX 4036              Psychology of human intimacy (3)
  • CCPX 4039              Critical perspectives on non-traditional psychotherapies (3)
  • CCPX 4120              Psychotherapy through fiction and film (3)
  • CCPX 4126              The mother-child matrix: Developmental and clinical implications (3)
  • CCPX 4230              Fieldwork in applied psychology (3)
  • CCPX 4030              Psychology of adjustment (3)
  • CCPX 5020              Emotion, culture, and health (3)
  • CCPX 5532              Clinical issues: Families  from diverse backgrounds (3)
  • CCPX 5040              Development and psychopathology: Atypical contexts and populations (3)
  • CCPX 5546              Research perspectives on critical social problems (3)

B. Breadth Requirement for PSYA and PSYG majors (6-9 points; 3 courses)

Regardless of track, three out-of-department courses, (not CCPX and CCPJ) 2-3 points each (totaling 6-9 credits) are required. This is a TC-wide policy and cannot be waived. One-credit courses do not count toward fulfillment of this requirement. Students in the General major (PSYG) can choose ANY three (or more) out-of-department courses. Students in the Personality and Psychopathology major (PSYA) should be guided by the list below in making their choices. The suggested course listing outside of the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology is not comprehensive. Please see TC catalog for full list.

1. Research Methods

  • HUD 4120               Methods of empirical research (3)
  • ORLJ 4009              Understanding behavioral research (3)

2. Statistics

  • HUDM 4122            Probability and statistical inference (3)
  • HUDM 5122            Applied regression analysis (3)

3. Suggested courses

  • HBSK 4073           Childhood disorders (3)
  • HBSK 4085           Behavioral management in the classroom (3)
  • HBSK 5031           Family as a context for child development (3)
  • HBSS 4110           Health promotion for children and adolescents (3)
  • HBSS 4112           Social policy and prevention (3)
  • HBSS 4113           Human sexuality education (3)
  • HBSS  4117          HIV/AIDS epidemiology and education (3)
  • HBSS  4121          Death education (3)
  • HBSS  4122          Women’s health (3)
  • HUDK 4015           Psychology of thinking (3)
  • HUDK 4021           Developmental psychology: Infancy (3)
  • HUDK 4022           Developmental psychology: Childhood (3)
  • HUDK 4023           Developmental psychology: Adolescence (3)
  • HUDK 4024           Developmental psychology: Adulthood/Lifespan (3)
  • HUDK 4029           Human cognition and learning (3)
  • HUDK 4080           Educational psychology (3)

*PSYA students may choose their third breadth course from the suggested course list or from anywhere in the TC catalog. PSYG students can independently select all three breadth courses. The Program Coordinator or the M.A. Program Assistants are available for consultation about course selection and about the Special Project.

*Please note: Clinical required and elective ‘topics’ courses (CCPX 4199) change each year. Information about these courses can be found in the M.A. Handbook, but not in the Teachers College Catalog.