Master of Arts and Master of Science Degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies

Psychology may be chosen as one of the three required disciplines for the Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies. The Interdisciplinary Studies degree program is described in the graduate section of this academic catalog. The Psychology Department participates in interdisciplinary studies only to provide limited preparation in general psychology.

Students majoring in psychology in interdisciplinary studies are not prepared to pursue certification or licensing in clinical psychology or professional counseling, except through the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (i.e., the Professional Counselor Certificate). Students majoring in psychology in interdisciplinary studies are required to score in the upper half (fiftieth percentile or better) on the psychology subject test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and to successfully complete PSYC 5342 Advanced General Psychology prior to the semester in which they take their comprehensive examinations.

The Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies are intended for those students looking for a wider range of fields than normally available with a master's in a single major. The degree is individually designed with a graduate advisor. Students select a first field (12 hours minimum/18 hours maximum) and a second and third field (6 hours minimum in each). A maximum of 18 hours in any one field may be applied to this degree. Electives may be chosen from any department with the advisor's approval.

Students may select their first, second and third fields from the list of programs below:

• Allied Health Science
• Art
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Criminal Justice (second and third field, only)
• Economics
• English
• English as a Second Language
• History
• Journalism
• Kinesiology
• Mathematics
• Music
• Philosophy (second and third field, only)
• Political Science (second and third field, only)
• Psychology
• Public Administration (second and third fields only)
• Sociology (second and third field, only)
• Speech Communication
• Theatre (second and third field, only)

1. Minimum GRE score of 1000 on combination of Verbal + Quantitative.

2. Minimum GPA of 2.5 on last 60 hours of upper-level work and a 3.0 on all graduate work taken.

3. Students who do not have the above GRE and GPA minimums but do have an aggregate minimum score of 1200 (computed as Verbal + Quantitative + 100 X GPA) may be admitted on condition that they obtain a "B" or better in each of two graduate courses approved by the graduate coordinator, department chair, or dean in the first field of study.

4. Consideration is also given to one or more of the following: the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study, socioeconomic background, first generation college graduate, multilingual proficiency, geographic region of residence, and level of responsibility in other matters including extracurricular activities, employment, community service, and family responsibilities.

1. 36 hours of graduate work. No more than 6 semester hours of undergraduate courses approved for graduate credit may apply to this degree. A student may transfer a maximum of 9 semester hours from approved institutions with a "B" or better. All transfer work is subject to approval by the student's advisor.

2. The student must select 12 hours of coursework in a first field and six in each of two other fields. A maximum of 18 hours in any one field may be applied to the degree.

1. 36 hours with a cumulative 3.0 GPA on all work taken for graduate credit. No grade below "C" may be applied toward this degree.

2. Minimum 3.0 GPA in each of the three fields.

3. Satisfactory performance on a comprehensive written examination, to be taken during the last semester of enrollment, over the fields of study indicated in the degree plan.