General Psychology

Overview

The MA in General Psychology at the The City University of New York is designed for students to acquire knowledge in research methods and topics in psychology, or who need to enhance their background and credentials either for the job market, or to advantage themselves in applying to doctoral programs.  

Courses include about 15-25 students, and are usually in the form of seminars. After completing the program’s  first semester, students may take up to 40% of their coursework at other CUNY branches, including doctoral courses offered through the Graduate Center.

Students in the Master’s Program in General Psychology have two choices for completing the degree:

• Without a Thesis 

This option involves intensive coursework and requires students to complete a total of 40 credits to graduate.

• With a Thesis 

This option involves research-intensive thesis experience and requires students to complete a total of 31 credits to graduate.

Careers

• The American Psychological Association’s booklet, Psychology: Careers for the Twenty-first Century, reports that most professionals with a terminal master’s degree handle research and data collection and analysis in universities, government and private companies. Others find jobs in health, industry and education, the primary work settings for psychology professionals with master’s degrees.
• Government and industry positions in personnel and in mental health are often filled by persons with master’s degrees in psychology. Workers with their Master’s degree usually work under the supervision of a doctoral level psychologist, especially in clinical, counseling, school and testing and measurement psychology.