The University of the Virgin Islands is seeking applicants for a new graduate program in psychology, which was approved by the UVI Board of Trustees in March. While the university’s application deadline for graduate programs is officially April 30, the deadline for the Master of Arts in Psychology with a Counseling Concentration program has been extended until all of the allotted slots in the program are filled. The program seeks to enroll 15 students on the St. Thomas campus and 15 students on the St. Croix campus by the fall 2010 semester.
The Master of Arts in Psychology with a Counseling Concentration enables individuals to work as psychological counselors in the public and private sectors. Patricia Todman, Ph.D., chair of Graduate and Special Programs for the UVI College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said the master’s degree program has been in the works since 2006. It was approved by the faculty in 2008.
“The importance of this program is that it enables UVI to meet a critical need in the community as well as interest by our students for professional applied training in counseling psychology,” Dr. Todman said. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
A. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
B. Undergraduate and graduate grade point average(s) of 2.5 or above, as reported on official transcript(s) mailed from issuing institutions.
C. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam general test and Psychology subject test.
D. Completed application form and nonrefundable application fee.
E. Three letters of recommendation. Ideally, two of these should be from former teachers and should address the applicant’s ability to perform at the graduate level, as well as relevant experiences he or she has had with the applicant.
F. A written statement of intent.
In addition, students are required to have completed undergraduate coursework in lifespan human development, biopsychology, personality and two semesters of statistics/methods. Students lacking sufficient background in these areas will be required to complete the appropriate coursework or demonstrate competency within the first year of study after admission to the program. New students will be admitted to the Master’s of Psychology program only at the beginning of every fall semester. A complete listing of requirements and course descriptions can be found on the UVI home page at www.uvi.edu.
For additional information about applying, contact Dr. Patricia Todman at 693-1279 or UVI Vice Provost for Access and Enrollment Judith Edwin, Ph.D. at 693-1152.
