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Department of Psychology and Sociology

Student Handbook

Master of Arts in

Counseling Psychology

2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6

Revised Spring 2015

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Introduction & Mission Statement

Welcome to the Texas A&M University- Kingsville Department of Psychology and

Sociology! We are happy to have you join us as a new Counseling Psychology Master’s student

and look forward to working with you.

The M.A. in Counseling Psychology Program reflects our commitment to provide

training of professional counselors for work in a variety of settings. The program is appropriate

for those who wish to become counselors in a range of community agencies, such as mental

health centers, rehabilitation offices, addiction treatment clinics, and family service

organizations. Our emphasis is on practitioner skills training within a broad theoretical

foundation and exposure to the empirical bases of the profession.

The Department of Psychology and Sociology is also committed to seeking and valuing

diversity in students and staff. Diversity, used here in a very broad sense, includes the variety of

cultures, backgrounds, values, and experiences found among faculty and students; it also includes

the diversity of our professional ways of practice, our ways of learning, and our personal and

professional goals. In training, the M.A. Program curriculum works to integrate diversity

awareness and appreciation into all course offerings, with the goal of encouraging students to

explore and appreciate diversity in all situations. We are committed to training multiculturally

competent counselors.

Texas A&M University- Kingsville is fully accredited by the Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools (SACS): www.sacs.org.

The M.A. Counseling Psychology Program Faculty, as well as *supporting faculty, is

comprised of the following members:

Dr. Dana Byrd, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Marion Blake, Assistant Professor of Psychology*

Dr. Jieming Chen, Professor of Sociology* Dr. Donald Daughtry, Graduate Coordinator and Professor of Psychology Dr. Lloyd Dempster, Professor of Psychology

Dr. Brenda Hannon, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Nadia Hasan, Assistant Professor of Psychology

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Dr. Richard Miller, Department Chair and Professor of Psychology

This Handbook contains information that we believe will help you successfully navigate

the Master’s in Counseling Psychology Program. We have provided information on Program

issues, tips from returning students, resources on campus, and Graduate School paperwork. This

handbook has been prepared as a supplement to the Graduate Student Handbook provided by

the TAMUK Graduate School. The Graduate Student Handbook can be found at

http://www.tamuk.edu/grad/graduate_catalog.html. It may also be available at the Graduate

Studies Office in College Hall, Room 150. We hope these handbooks will help you to cut

through some of the “bureaucracy” of the Program and move into the more enjoyable aspects of

your graduate work. On the bottom of this page is a brief table of contents to help orient you to

the Handbook.

This Handbook is a “work in progress.” In that spirit, we have included a sheet at the

very back, which asks for your suggestions for additional information. If there is something that

you needed to know but could not locate here, let us know. The Handbook is updated and

revised every year and your input is welcome in that process. This Handbook can be a very

useful tool for you during your Master’s experience, but remember that your advisor, faculty

members, peers, and Graduate School personnel are available for further support and

information.

Again, welcome to the Department! We hope your time here is enjoyable and

productive.

Section Topic Page

1 Program Requirements 5

2 Advising Relationships 11

3 Information on Practicum, Thesis and Research Project 12

4 Department Climate and Activities 15

5 Financial Resources 16

6 Campus Resources 17

7 New Professional Issues 20

8 Departmental Forms and Notes 22

9 Comprehensive Examination Information

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10 State Licensure Information 33

Appendix Faculty & Staff Information 37

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Signature Page, Due the 12th class day of your 1st graduate semester

I, _, have read and have a good basic understanding

of the contents of this MA Student Handbook. I agree to meet with my advisor for clarifications

on Handbook contents and any other issues pertaining to my graduate education that may not be

contained herein. I understand that the Handbook is updated and will be e-mailed to me annually

throughout my program. Although the electronic version contains many useful links, Internet

links may become obsolete at any time. I agree to keep an electronic copy of the most recent

Handbook available throughout my program and will refer to it each semester as a guide toward

graduation.

Finally, to enhance the Program’s understanding of its training outcomes, I agree to provide the

Department the job title, employer name and address, and full-time/part-time status of my first

job in the field after I graduate.

Signature Date

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Section 1: Program Requirements

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology Degree Program consists of a minimum

of 60 required semester credits. All master's degree students are required to complete a

generic core curriculum, including either a thesis or graduate research project, achieving a

grade of A or B in all program courses, that satisfies the academic requirements for counselor

licensure in the state of Texas. Student’s earning a C in any given course will be allowed to

repeat the course in order to attempt to earn a grade of A or B. A checklist of Program

requirements is provided for your convenience in Section 8 of this Handbook.

In addition to the Department Requirements, all students must be familiar with the

Academic Policies and Degree Requirements established by the Graduate School. These are

located in the Graduate Student Handbook, the handbook can be found at the office of

Graduate Studies located in College Hall, 700 University Blvd. (MSC 118), Kingsville, TX

78363, phone number (361) 593-2808, or on the graduate school website. Please read all of

these Graduate School requirements closely -- Students are responsible for being familiar

with and understanding all of this information. Additional information regarding Grad School

requirements is located in Section 2 of this Handbook.

The core curriculum for all students is listed below. Also listed is the number of

credits for each course and the semester during which the course is typically offered. There

may be some variation in timing of course offerings, so use this as a general guideline only.

Your advisor and other faculty members are available to help you plan your coursework

according to your specific needs.

Core Curriculum (60 credits)

First year Course sequence, fall

PSYCH. 5325- Psychopathology

PSYCH. 5304- Counseling and Psychotherapy

PSYCH. 5331- Lifestyles and Career

Development

PSYCH. 5310- Data Analysis in Social

Research

First year Course sequence, spring

PSYCH. 5333- Ethics and Professional Issues

PSYCH. 5308- Introduction to Counseling

Psychology

PSYCH. 5317- Multicultural Counseling

PSYCH. 5381- Behavioral Research Science*

First year Course sequence, summer

PSYCH. 5336- Clinical Assessment of

Abnormal Behavior

PSYCH. 5303- Addictions Counseling

*Prerequisite Psych 5310

Second year course sequence, fall

PSYCH. 5306- Thesis, 6 hours, or Psych.

5305- Graduate research project, 3 hours

PSYCH. 5302- Individual Psychological

Testing

PSYCH. 5315 Practicum in Counseling

PSYCH. 5319 - Life Span Development

PSYCH. 5326- Advanced Abnormal

Psychology

Second year course sequence, spring

PSYCH. 5306- Thesis, 6 hours, or Psych.

5305- Graduate research project, 3 hours.

PSYCH. 5315 Practicum in Counseling

PSYCH. 5334- Ethics and Professional Issues

in Counseling Psychology

PSYCH. 5316- Couples Therapy

PSYCH. 5344- Group Therapy **

**Prerequisite 30 semester hours with a minimum

B average including Psych 5304 & 5308

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Ethical Expectations, Self-Disclosure, Counseling for Students, and Scholastic

Dishonesty

Codes of Ethics

All students are required to be familiar with the American Psychological Association

Code of Ethics as well as the American Counselling Association Code of Ethics. Training in

ethics will be provided in several of your courses. Students must uphold and abide by the

standards of the APA Code of Ethics and the ACA Code of Ethics.

If at any point a student is uncertain about his or her role in an ethically-relevant situation,

the student must speak with a supervisor and/or faculty member as soon as the situation is

recognized.

Self-disclosure and the respectful and confidential handling of material self-disclosed by

students play a central role in your education here. The Counseling Psychology faculty conducts

periodic reviews of students’ progress in the MA program, including their academic

performance, counseling and psychoeducational skills, professionalism, and ethics. An interview

may be required as part of the review.

Consistent with Standard F.9 in the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, deficits identified through

faculty review may result in either a requirement that the student engage in remedial work or the

removal of the student from the program.

As noted in Standard 7.04 of the 2010 Ethics Code of the American Psychological

Association, students may need to disclose personal information if that information is necessary

to evaluate or obtain assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be

judged to be preventing them from performing their training or professionally related activities

in a competent manner or posing a threat to the students or others.

The practice of counseling requires significant self-disclosure for the person receiving

counseling. Counseling students must become very familiar with this process. Therefore, it is an

essential training component of the M.A. Counseling Psychology Program to provide

assignments and classroom experiences that call for student self-disclosure of a personal nature,

in an atmosphere of respect and confidentiality, to an extent not expected in other academic

disciplines. The nature or extent of expected self-disclosure is specified in each course syllabus.

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Students Seeking Counseling or Psychotherapy: For various reasons, often prompted by

the significant self-disclosure and self-reflection required of students in the Program, students

choose to seek counseling or psychotherapy while obtaining the Master’s degree. The training

philosophy in the M.A. Counseling Psychology program endorses the value of counseling for

students in the field. All Texas A&M University-Kingsville students are eligible for counseling

services at the Student Health and Wellness Center. Receiving services at the Wellness Center,

however, may limit a student’s eligibility for placement as an intern at that site. Counseling

students may be eligible for counseling services on a sliding fee scale at the Family Counseling

Service in Kingsville, TX.

Scholastic Dishonesty is an issue that all students should become familiar with during

their undergraduate years but is equally important as a graduate student. Cheating on a test,

plagiarism, and collusion are among the topics covered in the Scholastic Dishonesty section of

the Texas A&M University- Kingsville Handbook and Code of Student Life. We have found that

plagiarism is a topic that some graduate students are not yet fully informed about. Plagiarism is

the Portrayal of another’s work or ideas as one’s own. Examples include unacknowledged

quotation and/or paraphrase of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as one’s own in work

submitted for credit. Failure to identify information or essays from the Internet and submitting

them as one’s own work also constitutes plagiarism. Below is a statement pasted in all course

syllabi.

Plagiarism Warning

Plagiarism is a serious offense. Student papers will be reviewed by the “Turn It IN” plagiarism

detection software. If plagiarism is discovered students may face disciplinary action that can

include receiving a grade of F for the course.

Instructors may choose to treat cases of scholastic dishonesty as a scholastic matter or a

disciplinary matter. Consequences depend on the severity of the case and may include a failing

grade and even termination from the program. Due to the seriousness of these issues, students

are encouraged to consult faculty for clarification whenever they are unsure if their work in

progress is meeting academic standards.

Student Supervisory Support, Remediation, and Disciplinary Action:

When students struggle to meet academic or skill development expectations, engage in an

unethical behavior, or are involved in an unethical situation, the program has a number of

options for responding to the situation. These include, but are not limited to: (a) the requirement

of additional supervision before assigning a passing grade, (b) requiring additional study of

ethics, and/or other assignments deemed appropriate by the faculty, (c) placing the student on

Program probation, or, (d) in extreme instances, dismissal from a course and/or the program.

However, our goal is to make sure we provide adequate training and remediation (if necessary)

in counseling skills and ethical understanding, not to punish students for making a mistake.

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All students will struggle at times with the academic and personal demands of the

Program. Through the formal process of student evaluation, faculty might determine that

additional support or disciplinary action is needed for a student to progress. If this occurs, a

written remediation plan is implemented. The remediation plan is coordinated by the student’s

advisor and is developed in consultation with other faculty and, as appropriate, other clinical

supervisors.

Procedures and Forms

NOTE All suggested semester numbers assume a full-time schedule. See your

advisor for clarification if you are pursuing your degree part time.

Email

All students and faculty in the M.A. Counseling Psychology program are expected to

have an email address to check email at least weekly (and between every class session for

classes that meet more than once per week). Sometimes there are important e-mail

announcements about events taking place, so check your email daily. The purpose of this set of

expectations is to facilitate program and course-related information. If you are even temporarily

not a part of the email system, you will miss out on important information.

The University assigns email accounts to students automatically upon course

registration. In other words, you are expected to check and maintain your TAMUK student

email account. Please go to the ITECH website at

http://www.tamuk.edu/itech/student_resources/tutorial_vids.html to claim your email address.

If you have questions, call the Help Desk at 361-593-HELP (4357).

Liability Insurance

It is the responsibility of all students to obtain practice liability insurance prior to the start

of Practicum: Psych 5315. Students typically become a student member of either the American

Counseling Association (www.counseling.org) or the American Psychological Association

(www.apa.org) and apply for insurance at a discounted student rate (ACA coverage:

www.acait.com, APA coverage: www.apait.org). You may seek coverage from another insurer;

however, no matter which provider you select, your policy must cover you for at least

$1,000,000 per occurrence/annual aggregate. After purchasing the insurance, the student

submits documentation of coverage. This document is typically just one page, which must show

these four components: (a) name of the insuring company, (b) student name, (c) dates of

coverage, and (d) dollar amount covered. Submit coverage verification (do not submit a copy of

the entire policy) to the Psych 5315, Practicum Course Instructor. It is your responsibility to

renew this coverage annually as long as you are providing counseling services as a student.

Progress Reports/Evaluation

Master’s student evaluations are completed during the middle of every academic year in

your Program. Faculty meets and discusses the progress, strengths, and growing edges of each

student near the end of each fall semester. Faculty comments will be recorded and you will

receive written and oral feedback from your advisor shortly thereafter. You are expected to meet

with your advisor, review the feedback, and sign the evaluation within one month after its

completion. This evaluation will become part of your official file.

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Degree Plan

The Degree Plan is an outline of the courses each student needs to complete in order to

be awarded the Master’s degree. During the first semester, all students must meet with the

graduate coordinator to establish an initial degree plan. The initial Degree plan must be signed

by the Committee Chair (if applicable), the Graduate Coordinator, and the Department Chair.

Students will need to follow their degree plan to ensure that they are registering for the proper

courses during the appropriate semesters. A final degree plan is prepared by the graduate

coordinator when students begin to apply for candidacy and must be turned in along with

candidacy forms.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Forms

All students must complete the online modules of CITI’s Course in The Protection of

Human Research Subjects at www.citiprogram.org prior to using human subjects in any thesis or

graduate research project. If you are using human subjects in your research, apply for IRB

approval by submitting the IRB Protocol Form to conduct research BEFORE beginning any

research/data collection. Also, the IRB proposal MUST be submitted to the Institutional Review

Board at least one semester prior to the date you intend to take your Comprehensive Exam. It

may take two weeks or more to hear back from the IRB. Then it is often necessary to revise the

application before you receive approval. No research data may be collected until the IRB form

showing that the study has been approved has been received, so allow sufficient time for this

process. All IRB forms can be found at the following web address

http://www.tamuk.edu/osr/Forms01/index.html.

Comprehensive Exams

After completing 30 hours of coursework for the degree, students are eligible to take the

Master’s Comprehensive Examination (Comps). You must sign up by the announced student

deadline. The examination must be passed prior to graduation. It currently costs $50.00, which is

paid by check or money order at least two weeks prior to the day of the exam. The MA students

in the Counseling Psychology Program take the national Counselor Preparation Comprehensive

Examination (CPCE) as part of their graduation requirements. Study materials for the National

Counselor Examination, upon which the CPCE is based, are available. Check out the preceding

link http://www.nbcc.org/study for details.

Approximately one month after taking Comps, you will be notified of your test results.

In order to pass, you must make an overall score of at least 70% (raw score of 95). Students,

who score less than 70% on the Comprehensive exam due to low scores in 1 or 2 content areas,

may be permitted to complete remedial work, in the form of make-up essays, addressing the

content areas in which they were deficient. Students who have a total score less than 70% with

deficiencies in 3 or more content areas, meaning the score in that particular content area is one

point or more below the national average for that scale, are required to retake the Comps.

Students will have two opportunities to pass the comprehensive exam.

Regarding make-up essays, as it is common for a student not to pass one or more of the

eight areas within the CPCE, there is a formal alternative process to complete Comps, consisting

of topical essays in the one or two areas in which the student was deficient on the CPCE.

Students are given a window of several weeks in which to begin the essay assignment. Essays

are due three weeks after assigned and are reviewed by the faculty member who wrote the essay

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question. If that reader determines that an essay is of passing quality, that decision is final. If

that reader determines that it has failed, the essay goes to a second faculty reader. If the second

reader rates the essay as failed, that decision is final. If the second reader rates the essay as a

pass or marginal, the essay goes to a third faculty reader. If the third rating is a pass or fail, that

decision is final. If the third rater determines that the essay is of marginal quality, two or three

of the raters will document the deficiencies and a revised essay will be due from the student one

week after notification of the deficiencies.

In the unusual case that a student fails the CPCE the second time or fails the make-up

essays, the student must present a petition, written in consultation with the student’s advisor, to

the Counseling Faculty, requesting a remediation plan for another opportunity to take Comps.

The student should then generate a study plan with the advisor to increase the likelihood of

success on this academic milestone.

It should be emphasized that the additional workload generated by not passing Comps

on the first attempt may prove very demanding during a student’s final semester. In addition, as

the CPCE is only offered through the Department in October and February, it is highly

recommended that all students be prepared to take the CPCE the semester before they plan to

graduate.

Applying to Graduate

At the beginning of the semester before you plan to graduate, check the Dates and Deadlines page of that semester’s Academic Calendar (http://www.tamuk.edu/grad/grad_deadlines.html ) to find out the due date for the application for candidacy. The application for candidacy forms are available online, you can obtain them from the Graduate School website http://www.tamuk.edu/grad/forms/genforms.html. Samples of these forms are also provided in Section 9 of this handbook.

Complete the forms and obtain all required signatures and submit them to the Graduate School.

Once completed, your file will be checked by the Graduate School to assure that everything is in

order.

Graduation Checklist

A graduation checklist is included in Section 9 of this handbook. Its primary purposes

are to ensure all students are aware of the steps needed to be taken in order to apply for

graduation and that we have a post-graduation e- mail address and home address for you. It is

important to have this contact information for follow-up purposes. Specifically, to provide the

highest quality education for students, we are required to report educational outcomes.

Therefore it is important to let us know the job title, employer name and address, and full-

time/part-time status of your first job in the field after you graduate. It would be best and we

would appreciate if you would keep us updated as your career progresses and you change jobs.

The graduation checklist is signed by your advisor and submitted to the MA Graduate

Coordinator.

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Section 2: Advising Relationships

Upon admission, students are assigned an academic advisor, who will be responsible for

working with you on the following program advising issues.

Advising Meetings

Typically, you should arrange meetings with your advisor at least twice each semester.

Use these meetings to confirm progress throughout the Program and to determine which courses

to take in the upcoming semester. In addition, several issues need to be addressed with your

advisor at specific times during the course of your program. These are:

1. Evaluation Feedback: this meeting will occur early in each Spring semester. Each

student’s progress will be reviewed by the faculty at the end of the Fall semester after

completion of the first year and annually thereafter. Your advisor will meet with you

to communicate feedback from that evaluation and further discuss it with you.

2. Graduate School Forms detailed in Section 1, under Procedures and Forms. Samples

can be found in Section 9: Departmental Forms.

of this Handbook:

a) Degree Plan

b) Graduation Checklist: See details in Section 9: Departmental Forms of this Handbook.

Before filing for graduation, meet with your advisor to make sure that all your Program work is

completed and in order.

Further information on Graduate School requirements is published on the Graduate

School Website. Be sure that you understand all of the information provided there, as you are

responsible for meeting Grad School deadlines. Some students have found themselves stuck

when they forgot to check the graduate school deadlines; don’t let this happen to you.

Effective use of Advising Time

You will want to consider the following in planning your use of advising time.

1) It is your responsibility to set up advising meetings and to make sure that you are “on track”

regarding your progress in the Program. Don’t make the mistake of missing deadlines because

you were waiting for your advisor to schedule a meeting.

2) Advisors differ in the frequency, length, and content of advising meetings. You will have a

chance to find out how your advisor structures the advising relationship.

3) Often students feel that they are “using too much time” in their advisor’s hectic schedule.

However, advising is a crucial role for all faculties. In fact, being “under-advised” can lead to

mistakes that cost everyone a lot of time. Again, be sure to ask your advisor what she/he thinks

is a reasonable amount of time for advising activities. Second, use meetings efficiently – come

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prepared with questions or concerns so that you can get your needs met without using

unnecessary time. Finally, when you schedule your meeting, specify the length of the meeting

and stick to it.

4) Read this Handbook and the program information contained in the TAMUK Graduate

Catalogue before asking your advisor about questions that are answered therein. After you

have carefully read these materials, faculty members can help clarify any questions you may

have.

Other Advising Issues

Switching advisors: Students occasionally wish to switch advisors, due to different interests,

work styles, and other valid reasons. If this occurs, you must first talk with your assigned

advisor. After this meeting, if you still want to switch, consult with other Program faculty

regarding their interests, work styles, and availability to take on another advisee. If you find a

faculty you want to work with who is willing and able to advise you, you must then meet with

the MA Graduate Coordinator. Please note: The MA Graduate Coordinator will not act on any

request until you have met in person and discussed the issue with your current advisor.

Section 3: Information on Thesis and Graduate Research Project

Thesis and the Graduate Research Project are the two program requirements that trigger

the most questions for the majority of MA students. Students are required to complete either a

thesis or a graduate research project. Therefore, in this section, several tips, suggestions, and

guidelines are provided with the intent of minimizing anxiety about completing these

challenging, but rewarding, activities.

Students often ask “What is the difference between a master thesis and a graduate

research project (GRP)”? The master thesis is an actual research study conducted over two

semesters during which students are enrolled for 3 credit hours per semester. The thesis is a

research project entailing a comprehensive review of the literature, methods, results, and

discussion sections. The student collects and analyzes data, and orally defends the thesis before

a committee consisting of three faculty members. The GRP is most often a research proposal.

The GRP is similar to the thesis except that students usually do not collect or analyze data and

do not have to orally defend the GRP. The GRP is directed by one of the program faculty who is

chosen by the student. Individual faculty may alter or modify typical GRP requirements

depending on the needs or preferences of the student.

Outline for Master Thesis

The master thesis is completed usually in the second year of the program. Students

enroll in Psyc-5306 usually for the fall and spring semesters. Students enroll for 3 credit hours

per semester. Students choose one of the psychology faculties to serve as the thesis committee

chair. It is the chair who mainly advises the thesis student and directs the thesis project. Students

choose two additional faculties to serve as committee members. At least one of the committee

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members, in addition to the committee chair, must be psychology faculty who are members of

the TAMUK graduate faculty. The third member may be a psychology faculty or faculty from a

related discipline.

This section presents an explanation of the master thesis process. The section also

presents an organizational outline for writing the thesis. This information is intended to

supplement the TAMUK Graduate Catalogue . Students are responsible for being familiar with

thesis related and any other relevant information presented in the graduate catalog.

As stated above the master thesis is a research study conducted by students usually in the

second year of the program. The thesis consists of several major sections; a review of the

relevant literature, methods section, results section, and discussion section. Each of these is

discussed in more detail below. The thesis outline presented in this section is a suggested means

of organizing the thesis and individual faculty may choose to have students deviate from some

or all portions.

In the first semester, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least a

preliminary draft of the literature review, complete a final draft of the methods section, defend

their thesis proposal, and then submit their application to the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

The idea is for the IRB application to be approved by the end of the first semester of thesis

enrollment. The proposal defense meeting is where students present their thesis project to their

committee. The committee then deliberates, issues any revisions, and usually approves the

proposal. The IRB application cannot be submitted until the proposal is accepted in its final

form by the committee. Then in the second semester students are ready to complete data

collection and analysis, write up the final thesis draft, and orally defend the thesis no later than 3

weeks prior to their graduation ceremony.

Thesis Outline & Writing organization

1. Introduction

Two paragraphs giving rational—including relevant citations--for study)______

Statement of purpose of study and hypothesis (one paragraph summary of study)______

Prior organizer to lit review______

2. Literature Review

Lit review divided into theme-oriented sections______

Integrated paragraphs organized around themes (with topic sentences)____

Integrative: Establish connections between articles, rather than just describing how one

paper did this, a second did that, and a third did something else.

Summary (take home message) of lit review______

3. Clear statement of purpose of study and hypotheses ______

4. Methods section, including:

Participant description______

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Instruments/measures ______

Apparatus (if required)______

Procedures______

Design and analyses (by hypothesis)______

5. Results section (by hypothesis)______

Tables in results section______

Table of means in stand deviations OR Table of Themes/Categories

Additional tables

6. Discussion, including:

Implications for research and practice if findings are confirmed ______

Implications of finding for null hypothesis______

limitations______

Other Important Writing Issues:

APA Format

Title page ______

Header/running head ______

Abstract ______

Use of headings and subheadings ______

Appropriate citations ______

Reference page ______

Presentation of statistics ______

Presentation of tables______

Appendices ______

Multicultural sensitivity ______

Voice (yours vs. others)

Apostrophes

Outline for Graduate Research Project

Below is a general outline for the graduate research project. The project differs from the thesis

in a few important ways. Most notably the GRP only requires students to propose a study. In

other words students don’t actually have to conduct the study. Students do need to demonstrate

an understanding of the research process that is sufficient to allow them to develop a study.

What students propose must be reasonable and internally consistent. The GRP has no exact

length but generally the final project will be about 60 pages.

Outline & Writing Organization

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1. Introduction: Two paragraphs giving rational—including relevant citations--for study)

2. Literature Review: Begin by presenting a road map paragraph stating the major topics to be

reviewed. ______

Lit review divided into theme-oriented sections______

Integrated paragraphs organized around themes (with topic sentences)

Integrative: Establish connections between articles, rather than just describing how one paper

did this, a second did that, and a third did something else.

Summary (take home message) of lit review______

3. Statement of purpose of study and hypothesis ______

4. Methods section, including:

Participant description______

Instruments/measures ______

Apparatus (if required)______

Procedures______

Design and analyses (by hypothesis)______

5. Appendices should include draft of participant consent form and copies of all measures you

propose giving to participants.

Other Important Writing Issues:

APA Format_______

Title page ______

Header/Running head ______

Abstract ______

Use of headings and subheadings ______

Appropriate citations ______

Reference page______

Multicultural sensitivity ______

Voice (yours vs. others) ______

Apostrophes_______

Section 4: Department Climate and Activities

Psi Chi International Honor Society

Psi Chi is an international honor society whose purpose shall be to encourage, stimulate,

and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in

psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. Psi Chi serves two major goals, the first

of these is the Society's obligation to provide academic recognition to its inductees by the mere

fact of membership. The second goal is the obligation of each of the Society's local chapters to

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nurture the spark of that accomplishment by offering a climate congenial to members' creative

development. In addition, the international organization provides programs to help achieve these

goals, including Society and regional conventions held annually in conjunction with the

psychological associations, research award competitions, and certificate recognition programs.

Students become members by applying to join the chapter at the school where they are enrolled.

Psi Chi chapters are operated by student officers and faculty advisors. Together they select and

induct the members and carry out the goals of the Society. The TAMUK chapter of Psi Chi also

participates in various campus events, awareness events, and community outreach projects.

Psychology Club

Psychology Club is an organization that is open to all students and focuses on involving

students in the field of psychology. Psychology Club members will experience presentations

from graduate students, current professors, psychologists, guest speakers, and professionals in

the field of psychology and counseling.

Section 5: Financial Resources- Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are for fully admitted graduate students who want to pursue a

master’s degree at Texas A&M University- Kingsville. Graduate Assistants are enrolled on a full

time basis during the academic year, and are not full-time employed and receiving salaries outside

of the university during the assistantship period. Master’s Assistantships are for $7,500 per nine

months payable in equal monthly installments. The maximum eligibility for Graduate

Assistantships for the same student is two years. The primary responsibilities of Graduate

Assistants include assisting department faculty and staff with teaching related tasks, the possible

teaching of lower level courses, and to cover teaching courses in which their immediate faculty

supervisor cannot attend. Recipients with teaching responsibilities will be required to attend

training at the Center for Teaching Effectiveness. To apply for a position as a Graduate Assistant

within the Psychology and Sociology Department, please contact Lisa Martinez, the Psychology

and Sociology Administrative Assistant.

Administrative Assistant- Department of Psychology and Sociology

Lisa Martinez

Manning Hall Room 120

361-593-2701

17

Section 6: Campus Resources

This section of the Handbook provides you with information about a variety of resources

and opportunities available to you at TAMUK. Including information on libraries, athletic

events, and housing, to name just a few, it’s a way to help you become oriented to what

TAMUK can offer students.

University Library The James C. Jernigan Library is located in the center of the Texas A&M University-

Kingsville campus. Within the library, students have access to a large collection of books and

research. There is an open computer lab with printing capability for student use. The Library

enables individuals to seek information and use it effectively to enrich their lives. The Library

advances the University's mission of teaching, research, and service by

◊ Ensuring quality service to all patrons

◊ Teaching information skills that lead to academic success and life-long learning

◊ Building collections of distinction that support academic programs

◊ Providing leading technologies that enhance access to information resources

Physical Address

Jernigan Library

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

MSC 197

(361) 593 - 4351

1050 University Blvd

Kingsville, TX 78363-8202

University Bookstore

The Barnes and Noble University Bookstore is where you purchase textbooks, general

interest books, supplies, computers and software, magazines, candy, drug store items, and

TAMUK clothing. Sometimes textbooks are available at lower cost at other stores or online.

There is also a small coffee stand in the bookstore with a limited selection of coffee flavors and

extras. The bookstore is located inside the memorial Student Union Building.

Physical Address

Barnes and Noble University Bookstore

820 University Blvd., MSC 127

Kingsville, TX 78363

(361) 593-2601

Typically open from 8am- 5pm Monday through Friday.

Blue and Gold Connection Blue and Gold Connection is a web server that students will use to register for classes, find

their week-at-a-glance schedules and check in on their financial aid. Through Blue and Gold,

18

students can update their personal information that the school has on file as well as view and

request transcripts.

JNET

JNET is a web server dedicated for TAMUK student use. The server is available to

currently enrolled TAMUK students with claimed TAMUK student email accounts. Through

JNET, students have access to their Blue and Gold account, their email, Blackboard, as well as

updates on campus news and special events.

Student Services Counseling Center (361-593-3391) The counseling center’s vision is to provide

professional psychological services directed towards assisting students in realizing, developing,

and reaching their personal potential in order to help student’s succeed in their occupational role of

being a student, maximally benefit from the educational environment, and continue to succeed in

the life long task of their career development. They provide free and confidential assessments and

counseling for academic, career, and personal issues to all enrolled TAMUK students. All

counseling sessions are confidential to the full limits provided by the law; no information can be

released within or outside the university without the client’s consent. There is no set limit or

requirement to the number of sessions that one may attend. They are open Monday – Friday from

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are located at 1210 Retama Drive. For after-hours emergencies, please call the

University Police Department (361-593-2611)

Career Services (361-593-2217) The mission of the Career Services Center is to educate and

empower a diverse body of students to achieve personal growth, development and lifelong career

success and in the same capacity support appropriately all of our employers and alumni while

proactively supporting our division and institution. The career services office is dedicated to delivering

superior service to all of their constituents. Quite literally, your success in finding employment,

attracting quality talent, increasing brand awareness or assisting your students is the measure of their

success. Your success begins with creating superior marketing materials (résumés, cover letters,

etc.), honing career skills and developing and executing an appropriate strategy to pursue your

goals. If you are unsure of your ultimate career goal we can help you with that as well! Make an

appointment to see a career advisor at 104 Eckhart Hall.

Student Health and Wellness (593-3991) serves the physical, emotional, and distinct

academic needs of Texas A&M University-Kingsville students. Units include Health Care Clinic,

Counseling Services, Disability Resource Center (DRC), and a Wellness Program. Department office

hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on major holidays or during semester breaks.

All services and information provided to/from students is confidential. Confidential information is

protected by Federal and State laws, regulations, system policy, and departmental procedures to insure

that applicable safeguards are maintained. As a result, student records maintained by SHW are

confidential and will only be released as allowable by law or with the written permission by the student.

Disability Resource Center (361-593-3024) The Disability Resource Center (DRC) offers

the following services for students with disabilities: accommodations counseling, evaluation

referral options, disability related information, adaptive technology, advocacy for students’ rights,

and intervention services with faculty members. The DRC does not diagnose or conduct disability

19

testing; however, students may contact the DRC office for a referral list of qualified professionals

in the surrounding area. Additionally, the DRC does not provide services such as tutoring,

personal equipment, personal attendants, or scholarships. Eligibility and registration requires an

application and documentation of the disability, as detailed on the DRC web site.

Additional Student Involvement TAMUK has a wide variety of officially recognized Student Organizations including

recreational, religious, and political, Greek, cultural, and honors based groups. Students can

explore these organizations by going to the Student Activities Office located in the Memorial

Student Union Building or by visiting the Collegiate Link website.

Memorial Student Union Building The Memorial Union is one of the hubs of student life on campus and many of its

features and services are described below. As offices and services change from time to time, you

may also call the Info-Center (361-593-2111) for current information.

On the main floor you will find The Enrollment Services Center. Located within this

center you will find Admissions, the Registrar, Financial Aide, as well as Veteran Affairs. The

main floor also has a variety of eating facilities, the game room which has pool tables and ping

pong tables as well as a lounge area, and the University Bookstore.

The Memorial Student Union Ballroom, the Alumni Room, as well as many other

meeting and event rooms are located on the second floor and are available for anyone to use by

making reservations with Event Planning (361-593-4173).

The third level of the Union is occupied by the Student Activities Office as well as

Administration offices.

The eating facilities inside the Memorial Student Union Building include:

- Starbucks

- Subway

- Chick-fil-a

- Pizza Hut

- Sushiq

-

Recreational Facilities The Campus Recreation and Fitness Center is a state-of-the-art comprehensive facility on

campus. The physical fitness facilities include two multipurpose courts for basketball,

badminton, soccer, and volleyball, an outdoor basketball court, an indoor track, aerobic exercise

machines and free-standing weights. There are also full men and women’s locker rooms with

showers. Personal training sessions may be scheduled. Weekly schedules of open times to use

these facilities are posted on bulletin boards throughout the center. Group classes including

Strength & Conditioning, Zumba, Yoga, Weightlifting, and more are offered weekly. The

campus recreation center is free to all registered university students

20

Section 7: New Professional Issues

Licensure/Certification

Although it may be far from your mind now, licensure or certification is likely to be very

important to you shortly after graduation. To prepare for the time you apply for licensure of

certification time, be sure to keep all of your course syllabi and track your clinical hours.

Specifically, keep detailed records of the number of clients you see and the numbers of hours

you spend in each clinical activity, such as individual counseling, group counseling,

supervision, case conferences, and so forth. You may also want to keep track of the number of

clients and clinical hours by demographic category (e.g., age, gender, racial/ethnic group, and

so on) and diagnosis or presenting problem. These records, of course, must not include client

names or other information that could be traced back to reveal your client’s identity.

If you are applying for counselor licensure in Texas, the standard core of the TAMUK

MA Counseling Psychology Program will meet the requirements for eligibility. Other states

may have different requirements, so you will want to explore that possibility fairly early in

your program if you plan to practice elsewhere.

Provided below are the addresses for licensure/certification information in Texas. The

addresses for other states can be found at the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional

Counselors: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/.

Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

Texas Department of State Health Services

Mail Code 1982

P.O. Box 149347

Austin , Texas 78714-9347

E-mail: lpc@dshs.state.tx.us

Telephone: (512) 834-6658

Fax: (512)834-6677

Website: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor/

Another important task that awaits the new professional is that of finding a job. While

there is no question that this can be a difficult process, there are a few resources that can make

the search a bit easier.

First, you can ease the job search process by getting used to "networking" early in your

program. Often, people get leads on positions through friends, colleagues, or people working in

the field. It's important to meet people who are active in the field of counseling and talk with

them about professional issues such as employment. You never know when a casual comment

can turn into a job lead.

Second, the Career Services on campus (361-593-2217) can provide a variety of useful

services for the career search. Career Services maintains a variety of on-line career directories

and job listings, and also subscribes to vacancy listings from around the country. The counselors

there can also give you advice on resume writing, interviewing skills and self-presentation.

Third, join the American Counseling Association (ACA). ACA Membership will allow

21

you better opportunities to network, and the membership fees include a subscription to

Counseling Today (CT), the professional newspaper of ACA, and the Journal of Counseling and

Development. National job vacancies are listed monthly in the Classified Section, but you may

find more jobs via ACA’s Career Center.

Membership in a state counseling association is also a good networking strategy, for example,

the Texas Counseling Association and the Texas Psychological Association.

TEXAS COUNSELING ASSOCIATION

1204 San Antonio, Suite 201

Austin, Texas 78701

Phone: (512) 472-3403 or (800) 580-8144

Fax: (512) 472-3756

TEXAS PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

1464 E. Whitestone Blvd.

Suite 401

Cedar Park, TX 78613

Ph: (888) 872-3435

Fx: (888) 511-1305

Fourth, especially if you are willing to relocate, read the Chronicle of Higher Education,

a weekly publication that lists a wide variety of positions open in higher education. This can be

a valuable tool, especially for positions in student affairs and such. Check out their web site:

www.chronicle.com/jobs/.

Finally, talk with your advisor about other ideas and options. While no one can make the

process “easy,” advisors can often be a helpful source of information, helping to make it

manageable at least.

22

Section 8: Departmental Forms and Notes

This section is quite sparse. As you come across forms that you think should be added to

this section, or want to add any notes yourself, feel free to do so! Future students will benefit

from your input.

*The following forms are samples of what should be filled out by students; official forms

should be taken from the school website. All graduate forms can be found at

http://www.tamuk.edu/grad/forms/genforms.html.

23

ETHICS AGREEMENT

The profession of counseling has a long tradition of striving for ethical conduct and

activity from each individual practitioner. Guidelines for ethical practice and behavior have been

developed and published by the professional associations in the counseling field. Each student in

the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program will become familiar with the guidelines in their

program emphasis through a variety of sources, including classroom instruction and applied

practice with clients and in role-play situations. Student knowledge of ethics will be assessed

through completion of the coursework in Psyc 5333 and Psyc 5334 and the ethics portion of the

Comprehensive Examination.

Ethical standards protect the client, and also protect you as a student, by setting out

expectations for behavior by practitioners, professors, and researchers. As you prepare to see

clients for the first time in Practicum, it is important that you are familiar with the relevant code of

ethics (American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association) that you agree to

act according to the guidelines set forth in those codes.

Please read the following statement and sign as appropriate.

I have read the ACA and/or APA Code of Ethics and understand their application to my work

as a counseling student. I agree to adhere to the standards of conduct put forth by these codes.

Print your name here:

Student Signature: Date:

24

MA in Counseling Psychology Degree Plan

DEGREE PLAN- Date:

Handwritten Documents will Not be Accepted

K ID Number

- Initial Degree Plan (Unofficial- only Coordinator and Chair Signatures required) - Final Degree Plan Name (Print): (First Name) (M.I.) (Last Name)

Address: (Street) (City) (State) (Zip Code)

Telephone Number: Alternate Telephone No.:

Degree: Major: Thesis/Project:

The student must file a signed initial degree plan with the College of Graduate Studies, through the graduate coordinator/adviser, on or before the second semester of graduate course work. A hold will be placed on students who do not submit their initial degree plan to the College of Graduate

Studies. A final degree plan must be submitted when the student files for candidacy. A copy of the signed final degree plan with any revisions must

also be forwarded to the graduate dean at the time of candidacy. A master's degree student must complete all requirements for each specific graduate degree within seven years of initial registration for that degree.

Graduate credits older than those stipulated are not applicable toward a graduate degree without written approval from the Graduate Dean.

A nationally standardized exam score must be satisfactorily completed and filed in the Office of Graduate Studies during the first semester of enrollment.

If changes or substitutions are made, an updated degree plan must be submitted to the Graduate Office. It is the student's responsibility to read, review and follow policies in the Graduate Catalog.

(Student’s Signature) Signatures of Committee Members (Must be on Graduate Faculty): (Type Names Below) (Signatures)

Committee Chairperson: Graduate Coordinator: Chair of Department:

Stem Work

SEM/ YR Course/Grade Hrs

Major

SEM/ YR Course/Grade Hrs

Supporting Field SEM/ YR Course/Grade Hrs

Free Electives SEM/ YR Course/Grade Hrs

25

Sample of MA Counseling Psychology – Annual Student Evaluation

Name Entry Year Date

Scale: E = exceptional, S = satisfactory, U = unsatisfactory, N/A= no opportunity to observe

1. Academic Coursework 5. Writing Skills

2. Practitioner Skills 6. Graduate Research Project/Thesis

Progress

3. Professional Activities 7. Overall Progress

4. Professionalism

Comments:

1. Academic Coursework:

2. Practitioner Skills:

3. Professional Activities (involvement, meetings, professional organization membership, etc.):

4. Professionalism (professional demeanor in interaction with peers, faculty, supervisors, etc.):

5. Writing Skills:

6. Graduate research Project/Thesis Progress:

7. Overall Progress: Also, note any exceptional activities (going beyond the requirements)

here.

Signed:

, Advisor Date

, Grad. Coordinator Date

, Student Date

26

Sample Thesis Proposal Signature Page THESIS TITLE

{ double space THESIS TITLE CONTINUED

{ 6 single spaces

A Thesis Proposal

{ double space

By

{ double space

STUDENT NAME

{ 4 single spaces

Approved as to style and content by:

{ 4 single spaces _______________________________

Name {single space

(Chairman of Committee)

_______________________________ ____________________________

Name Name

(Member of Committee) (Member of Committee)

_______________________________ ____________________________

Name Name

(Member of Committee) (Chair of Department)

________________________________________________

Name

(Associate VP for Research & Dean College of Graduate Studies)

May 20XX

27

Sample Thesis Defense Report Form

THESIS DEFENSE AND

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION REPORT

K ID #:

This is to certify that has (First Name) (M.I.) (Last Name)

Passed/ Failed a WRITTEN or ORAL examination on course work graded by

Committee of Graduate Faculty in defense of the thesis on .

(Date)

Thesis Committee Chairman

Print (First Name) (Last Name) Signature Date

Committee Member from Major Area:

Signature Date

Graduate Coordinator from major Area:

Signature Date

Members from Supporting Field:

(when applicable) Signature Date

Committee Member:

Signature Date

Instructions:

1. All signatures are required. Exceptions must be cleared in writing with the Graduate Studies Dean.

2. Return this form to the Graduate Studies Office at least three weeks before graduation.

28

Sample of Research Project Final Submission Form Texas A&M University-Kingsville Research and Graduate Studies

College Hall Room150 MSC118

Kingsville,TX 78363 361.593.2808

Title of Research Project

Student Name:

Student K Number: Date:

Approved as to style and content by:

Print Name (Research Project Supervisor) Signature of Research Project Supervisor

Signature of Graduate Coordinator Signature of Department Chair

Signature of College Dean

* Please attach only the first page of the Turnitin Similarity Report signed by research advisor

29

MA Counseling Psychology Graduation Checklist

Student Name:

Graduation Date:

Graduate Application Deadline:

Comprehensive Exam Date:

Exam Registration and Payment Due Date:

Forms to be completed and turned in to Graduate Studies

Office by due date:

- Final Degree plan with departmental signatures:

- Application for Candidacy with departmental signatures:

- Diploma Cards:

- Current Unofficial Transcript ( printed from Blue and

Gold):

- Thesis Proposal/Defense signature Pages (if applicable):

30

(Form Must Be Typed)

APPLICATION FOR CANDIDACY

FOR MONTH 20XX COMMENCEMENT I hereby apply for candidacy for the degree of:

with major in:

to be conferred on MONTH X, 20XX

The courses on my degree plan which remain to be completed and posted on my transcript before

graduation are: (list course prefix, number, and semester, i.e.[EDAD 53XX, Spring 20XX]:

Candidate Information

(Enter as it appears in official university records)

K ID #: Date :

Name :

(Last) (First) (Middle Name)

Student Signature Required :

Mailing Address:

(Street No. or P.O. Box No.) (City) (State) (Zip)

Cell #: Alternate #: E-mail :

LISTED BELOW ARE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED WITH THIS APPLICATION: You must submit a signed updated final degree plan (typed), a copy of your current unofficial transcript (from

Blue & Gold), and Thesis proposal or Dissertation proposal when you apply for Candidacy.

It is the responsibility of the student to REAPPLY immediately for MONTH 20XX commencement candidacy if not

graduating this commencement.

BOTH SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR CANDIDACY APPROVAL

Graduate Coordinator

Print Name: First Name Last Name Signature Date of Approval

Chair of Department

Print Name: First Name Last Name Signature Date of Approval

Date of Approval

(Associate VP for Research and Dean, Graduate Studies)

31

Sample of Diploma Card

DIPLOMA CARD

K-ID#:

FULL NAME:

CURENT ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBER: DEGREE TO BE AWARDED:

MAJOR(S): MINOR(S):

(THIS SECTION TO BE COMPLETED BY OFFICE O FGRADUATE STUDIES)

I hereby certify that the name listed above is the student’s official name on file at TAMUK (initials)

Master’s- Thesis Option Doctorate

Master’s- Courses Only option

Master’s Research Project Option

Texas A&M University-Kingsville Research and Graduate Studies

College Hall 150 700 University Blvd., MSC118 Kingsville,TX 78363-8202

Phone: 361.593.2808 Fax: 361-593-3412

32

Section 9: Comprehensive

Examination Information

There are three sections of this Appendix:

1) Brief statements about the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

and study materials for national examinations. 2) Three pages from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) about the

National Counselor Examination (NCE). The NCE is a requirement in most states for

licensure as a counselor. As the CPCE is modeled after the NCE, studying for the NCE

will help you to pass the CPCE. Sample questions are available at

http://www.nbcc.org/stateLicensure/exams/NCESample.aspx.

3) A 5-page textbook list for the CPCE. Although this reference list is likely to be useful,

NO ONE reads all, or even the vast majority, of the texts on the list.

“There is no official study guide for the CPCE. Since the CPCE and the National Counselor

Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) are based on the same eight knowledge

areas, any study materials developed for the NCE should be useful for the CPCE.” (Taken from

the web site of Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), a corporate affiliate of the National

Board for Certified Counselors.)

These are the eight knowledge areas represented on the CPCE and the NCE and our most

closely related courses:

Human Growth and Development ( Psyc 5319)

Social and Cultural Foundations (Psyc 5317)

Helping Relationships (Psyc 5304 & 5308)

Group Work (Psyc 5344)

Career and Lifestyle Development (Psyc 5331)

Appraisal (Psyc 5336)

Research and Program Evaluation (Psyc 5302, 5310, & 5381)

Professional Orientation & Ethics (Psyc 5333 & 5334)

In addition to the resources on the following pages, the NBCC provides a list of study materials

for the NCE: http://www.nbcc.org/study. Finally, the following study guides for the NCE may

help you prepare for the CPCE:

Encyclopedia of Counseling: Master Review and Tutorial for the National Counselor

Examination and State Exams, 3rd Ed.

by Howard G. Rosenthal (November 2007)

Study Guide for the National Counselor Examination

by Andrew A. Helwig (February 2006)

Vital Information and Review Questions for the NCE and State Counseling Exams (Audio

Cassette) by Howard G. Rosenthal (February 2002

33

Section 10: State Licensure Examination

Information

Satisfactory performance on the National Counselor Examination (NCE®) is one of the criteria

used by NBCC to identify professionals who may be eligible to become a National Certified

Counselor (NCC).

Many states also use the NCE for state credentialing. Click here for a list of state board contact

information.

The purpose of the NCE is to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities viewed as important for

providing effective counseling services. The NCE is designed to be general in nature. It is

intended to assess cognitive knowledge which should be known by all counselors regardless of

their individual professional specialties.

Content Areas & Work Behaviors Although different questions are used for each administration of the examination, the following

eight content areas are always covered [note: these are the same eight areas listed for the CPCE

on the previous page of this Handbook]:

Human Growth and Development

Social and Cultural Foundations

Helping Relationships Group Work

Career and Lifestyle Development

Appraisal

Research and Program Evaluation

Professional Orientation & Ethics

In addition, the NCE is based on the following five work behaviors:

Fundamentals of Counseling

Assessment and Career Counseling

Group Counseling

Programmatic and Clinical Intervention

Professional Practice Issues

34

Examination Format

The NCE is comprised of 200 multiple choice questions and is scheduled for a four-hour

period.

A different edition of the NCE is compiled for each administration of the exam. Each

form’s questions are drawn from the NCE item pool which has undergone extensive

review and field testing. The entire item pool, each form of the NCE and the answer sheet

are copyrighted. Consequently, any distribution of the examination content or materials

through any form of reproduction or oral or written communication is strictly prohibited.

Disclosure of examination content is a violation of the NBCC Code of Ethics.

Special Accommodations

Examination administration sites are selected with access for candidates with physical

disabilities. If you require special assistance from other individuals, such as readers or

recorders, you must request permission from NBCC for the admittance of an assisting

individual at the examination site. This request must be made in writing at the time of

application.

Four hours are scheduled for the NCE. If additional time is necessary because of special

needs or because English is a candidate’s second language, you may request a time

extension. This request must be submitted in writing with your application.

Scoring Procedures

Of the 200 items on the examination, only 160 items are scored to determine whether you

meet or surpass the minimum criterion (passing) score for that form of the NCE.

The MAXIMUM possible score on the NCE is 160.

The remaining 40 items on the exam are being field tested to determine their

appropriateness for future use.

Since the 160 items to be scored are not identified in the exam booklet, you should

respond with equal effort to all items. The minimum criterion (passing) score is derived from a modified Angoff procedure.

The NCE is not scored on a "curve," therefore the candidate pool does not determine the

passing score.

35

Examination Results

NBCC will mail examination results to examinees within eight weeks of the date of the

examination. No scores are released by telephone.

NBCC’s score report contains: (1) your number of correct responses for 13 domains on

the NCE and your TOTAL SCORE, which is the sum of the correct responses; (2) the

group mean and standard deviation for each domain and the total exam; (3) the minimum

criterion (passing) score for that form of the NCE.

If your TOTAL SCORE meets or exceeds the minimum criterion score, you have passed

the NCE. Score reports are mailed only to the examinee at the address provided on the

NCC application or Exam Registration Form.

It is your responsibility to send written notification to NBCC if there is a change of

address. Your specific examination scores will not be released to a third party without your

written permission. Scores cannot be released until all requirements, including fees, are

fulfilled. There is a fee charged for sending score verifications to third parties.

NCE Preparation Guide Order Form

©2007 NBCC

36

Suggestion Sheet

1. I would like to see more information in this Handbook about...

2. One question that I have not been able to find a definite answer for is...

3. I have the following suggestion(s) for an MA group activity:

4. One thing that I need from the MA Program materials that I don’t have yet is...

5. This Handbook would be better if....

6. Other comments

If you would like to address any of the above questions, or others not represented here, please fill

this out and drop it in the Graduate Coordinators Box in the main department office. Your input

can be anonymous and is appreciated.

37

Appendix- Faculty & Staff Information

Dana Byrd, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology Ph.D., University of Florida, 2004;

Before TAMUK:

Postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia Medical/New York Psychiatric Institute in New York City.

Vice Chair of University of Florida Behavioral Institutional Review Board. Doctoral degree in

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience from University of Florida. Graduate certificate in

psychophysiological physiological methodology from University of Florida. Masters of Science in

Developmental Cognitive Psychophysiology from University of Florida. Bachelors of Science in

Psychology from New College of Florida, the honors college of Florida.

Scholarship:

- Published Articles in the following Journals: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,

Developmental Science, Brain and Cognition, Neuropsychologia, Journal of Magnetic Resonance

Imaging, Clinical Perinatoloogy, Journal of Cognition and Development, Biological Psychology,

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Child Language Teaching and Therapy

Research interests:

- Higher-level cognitive processes, physiological (heart rate and brain wave) measurements of

higher-level cognitive processes, advantages in higher-level cognitive processes in Spanish-

English bilingual individuals, development of higher-level cognitive processes, and techniques

for online teaching of science.

Courses taught at TAMUK:

- Experimental Psychology, History of Psychology, Introductory Psychology, Graduate Research

Methods

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 206

Voice: 361.593.2694

Email: dana.byrd@tamuk.edu

38

Marion Blake, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology Ph.D., Texas A&M University- Commerce

Before TAMUK:

Instructor in Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education while a graduate student at Texas

A&M University, Commerce, Texas (TAMUC), Adjunct Instructor at Mona School of Business, University

of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, Management and training consultant in Jamaica and wider Caribbean

in self-employment, Financial management consultant employed by Price Waterhouse Coopers in Kingston,

Jamaica

Scholarship:

- Authored and co-authored psychology based journal articles in the International Journal of Development

Education and Global Learning, International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning, and

Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology.

- Teaching interests include general psychology, health psychology, social psychology, developmental

psychology/life span development, gender relations, personality, and industrial and organizational

psychology.

Research Interests:

- Global citizenship identification, pro-social attitudes and behaviors, possible selves, mathematics self-

efficacy, health and stress, and organizational behavior

Courses Taught at TAMUK:

- Health Psychology, Social Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Life Span

Development: Theory and Techniques, Gender Relations in Psychology, Introduction to Psychology,

Survey of General Psychology

Personal Information

- International faculty who was born and bred in Jamaica, West Indies.

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 200

Voice: 361.593.2328

Email: marion.blake@tamuk.edu

39

Jieming Chen, Ph.D., Professor, Sociology Ph.D., University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, 1996

Before TAMUK:

Taught at Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) University, China, University of Michigan, Xi’an Jiaotong

University, China. Serving as Visiting Professor at the Department of Sociology, and Research Fellow

and Associate Director at the Institute for Empirical Social Science Research (IESSR), Xi’an Jiaotong

University, China.

Scholarship:

- Published articles in: Sociological Inquiry, Research on Aging, American Journal of Public

Health, Journal of American Medical Association, Social Sciences in China, contributed chapters

on aging, social support, family change, and has authored two books on sociological theories and

introduction to sociology.

Research Interests:

- Aging and health, research methods, family change, social stratification

Courses Taught at TAMUK:

- Graduate level: Seminar on Social Organization, Advanced Research Methods, Data Analysis in

Social Research, Social Demography, Seminar on Social Stratification

Personal Information

- Dr. Chen and his wife, Xiangping, who also works at TAMUK, reside in Corpus Christi, TX. They

have one daughter, Sisi, who recently received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and now lives in the Bay Area, California

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 114

Voice: 361.593.4063

Email: jmchen@tamuk.edu

40

Don Daughtry, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 1996

Before TAMUK:

Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology University of Nebraska Lincon, UNL., Assistant/Associate

Professor of Psychology University of North Dakota, UND.

Scholarship:

- Published articles in a variety of peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Counseling

Psychology Professional Psychology Research and Practice Journal for the Scientific Study of

Religion, and the American Psychological Association’s Psychology Teacher Network. Has

contributed book chapters on diversity issues and the mentoring of individuals with disabilities. Has

Earned the Texas A&M University Chancellors Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009, 2010, and

2011. Served as a member and chair American Psychological Association Committee on Disability

Issues in Psychology.

Research Interests:

- Spirituality, Religion, and the Therapy Process, Diversity Issues in Psychology, Noctcaelador as an as

an individual difference variable.

Courses taught at TAMUK:

- Graduate Courses: Multi-Cultural Counseling,, Practicum in Counseling, Life Span Development,

Psychopathology, Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Ethics and Professional Issues, Positive

Psychology, Spirituality and Mental Health.

Family Information:

- Dr. Daughtry and his wife Dorothy have three children, five grandchildren and seven great

grandchildren.

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 115

Voice: 361.593.4829

Email: kfdwd01@tamuk.edu

41

Brenda Hannon, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology Ph.D., The University of Toronto, 2001

Before TAMUK:

Systems Engineer on Computers, Suncor, Canada, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, University of

Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

Scholarship:

- Published articles in Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Experimental

Psychology: General, Memory & Cognition, Journal of Applied Cognition, Learning and Individual

Differences, Personality and Individual Differences, Reading Research Quarterly, Discourse

Processes, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Contemporary Educational Research

Grants:

- Current – NIH: SC3GM111124-01, Assessing Reading Predictors in Preschoolers and Beginning

Readers - $411,769.00

- Previous – three NIH grants totaling $750,000.00; one NSERC (Canada’s National Research on

Science ), Multiple internal grants

Research Interests:

- Components of reading comprehension across the lifespan (preschoolers, children, adolescents, adults,

older adults), Detection of semantic anomalies using a variety of technologies, Components of reading

in Bilinguals, Predictors of SAT from gender and ethnic perspectives

Courses Taught at TAMUK:

-Statistics, Introduction to Learning, General Psychology, Psychology of Language

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 113

Voice: 361.593.2698

Email: brenda.hannon@tamuk.edu

42

Nadia Hasan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology Ph.D., The University of Akron, 2011

Before TAMUK:

Provided counseling and psychological assessments to clients at TAMU-CC University Counseling Center,

Held several national leadership positions with the American Psychological Association.

Scholarship:

- Has published articles in: The Counseling Psychologist, Professional Psychology: Research and

Practice, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Psychology of Men & Masculinity, Training and

Education in Professional Psychology. Has co-edited a book entitled: Studying psychology in the

United States: Expert guidance for international students.

Research interests:

- College women’s leadership development, career and professional development of early career

psychologists, education of ethnic minority and international students, multicultural counseling, and

international psychology.

Courses taught at TAMUK:

- Counseling and Psychotherapy, Group Counseling, Psychology of Women, Lifestyles and Career

Development, Individual Psychological Tests, and Clinical Assessment of Abnormal Behavior.

Personal Information:

- Dr. Hasan comes from a large Arab-American family with two parents and 8 siblings. She is an aunt

to 13 children. She has traveled all over the world for work and fun, including Egypt, Morocco, West

Bank, Israel, Canada, Guatemala, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.

Contact Information

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

Manning 201

Voice: 361.593.4825

Email: kunth001@tamuk.edu

43

Richard L. Miller, Ph.D.,

Professor and Department Chair, Psychology Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1975

Before TAMUK:

Served as Chair, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK). Taught at

Georgetown University, & University of Cologne, Germany. Served as the Director of the Community

Learning Centre at the Colegio Internacional de Baleares in Mallorca, Spain. Served as Director of applied

behavioral science research projects for the Human Resources Research Organization in Heidelberg,

Germany. Recipient of three national teaching awards including the CASE U. S. Professor of the Year.

Scholarship:

- He is the author of 67 chapters in scholarly books and 54 journal articles that have been published

in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Teaching of Psychology, Public Opinion

Quarterly, Personality and Individual Differences, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,

Leadership and Organizational Development, Human Relations, Journal of Personality. In

addition, he has edited six books, five on the scholarship of teaching and learning and one on

social comparison processes

Research interests:

- social influence, interpersonal attraction, social comparison processes, cross-cultural psychology,

environmental psychology, organizational behavior, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Courses taught at TAMUK:

- Social Psychology, Human Development, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Personnel & Industrial

Psychology

Family Information:

- Dr. Miller and his wife Jeanne, who recently retired as the Director of Assessment at UNK, have two

grandchildren.

Contact Information

Manning 120A

Voice: 361.593.4181

Email: richard.miller@tamuk.edu