Psychology

Undergraduate Program Information

Students may take a major in psychology either as an area of emphasis in a liberal arts program or in preparation for further graduate education leading to professional careers in psychology. A major in psychology may be appropriate for the liberal arts student who wishes to pursue a career involving extensive social interaction and requiring solutions to people-related problems. Such careers include law, business, parenting, government, education, and management. Professional careers in psychology generally require some post-baccalaureate education. These careers include provision of clinical and counseling services, conducting research, applying research findings in industrial or government settings, and doing teaching and research in colleges and universities. All students, but especially those planning to apply to graduate school, are encouraged to take PSYC 3110 Experimental Methods and PSYC 3120 Psychological Measurement PSYC 3110 Experimental Methods, no later than the Spring semester of their junior year.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology are listed here. Satisfying these requirements should provide an adequate exposure to psychology for the liberal arts student and a basic foundation for students seeking a career in psychology. Students wishing to prepare for a professional career in psychology are especially encouraged to work closely with an advisor, as early as possible.

Graduate Program Information

Admission

The Department of Psychology offers graduate work leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. To maximize consideration for admittance, candidates should submit applications by January 15. Note that the Psychology Department does not offer training in counseling or clinical psychology.

Students will be admitted to graduate study on the basis of their potential for achievement in research, scholarship and teaching. The most promising applicants will be accepted. The number of students that the department can successfully accommodate is limited, therefore it will not always be possible to admit all qualified applicants. The admissions committee will consider any material that a candidate for admission wishes to present.

Students with bachelor degrees should apply for admittance to the master’s program even if their eventual goal is a Ph.D.
Students with a master's degree in psychology-related disciplines or from other institutions may apply directly to the Ph.D. program.

A completed Graduate School admission application (online only) should include all of the following:

Complete transcripts of all college work (minimum 3.0 GPA).
Three letters of recommendation from professors, employers or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate work .
A letter explaining your research interests and experience, career goals, and an indication of the faculty member(s) whose work is of particular interest to you .
A curriculum vitae or résumé.
A writing sample (e.g., a paper you wrote for a course, a senior thesis, or a master's thesis) uploaded through online application system. Ideally, the sample should demonstrate your ability to write clearly about psychological research.
GRE scores (optional but highly encouraged)

As per NMSU Graduate School policy, admission to the doctoral program is conditional upon passing a qualifying exam. In Psychology this generally involves giving a presentation about a completed, empirical Masters thesis project to an examining committee. Also, If there are perceived gaps in preparedness, once at NMSU, candidates may be asked to complete certain coursework/research projects to address deficiencies.

A number of potential minors are available to interested students, including a minor in statistics. Additional information about a minor may be found in the listing of the home department in this catalog.

Degrees for the Department

Bachelor Degree(s)

Master Degree(s)

Experimental Psychology - Master of Arts

Doctoral Degree(s)

Experimental Psychology - Doctor of Philosophy

Minors for the Department

Andrew R. A. Conway, Department Head

Professors Conway, Hout, MacDonald, Madson, Marks, Trafimow; Associate Professors Guynn, Ketelaar, Kroger, Simon; Assistant Professors Fraune; Emeritus Faculty Cowie, Johnston, McDonald, Paap, Schvaneveldt, Stephan, Thompson.

A. R. A. Conway, Ph.D. (South Carolina) - human intelligence, cognitive abilities; M. Fraune, Ph.D. (Indiana)- Human/Robot Interaction; M. J. Guynn, Ph.D. (New Mexico)– human memory; M.C. Hout, Ph.D. (Arizona State) - visual cognition; T. Ketelaar, Ph.D. (Michigan)– social psychology, emotion; J. K. Kroger, Ph.D. (California-Los Angeles)– biopsychology, cognitive neuropsychology; J. MacDonald, Ph.D (Purdue)– engineering psychology, auditory perception; L.J. Madson, Ph.D. (Iowa State)– scholarship of teaching & learning, gender, sexuality; M.J. Marks, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)– social psychology, sexual behaviors, relationships; D.A. Simon, Ph.D. (California- Los Angeles)– cognition, learning and performance; D. Trafimow, Ph.D. (Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)– social cognition.

Psychology Courses

PSYC 1110G. Introduction to Psychology

3 Credits (3)

This course will introduce students to the concepts, theories, significant findings, methodologies, and terminology that apply to the field of psychology.

Learning Outcomes

Explain how the scientific method and psychological research methodologies are used to study the mind and behavior.
Recall key terms, concepts, and theories in the areas of neuroscience, learning, memory, cognition, intelligence, motivation and emotion, development, personality, health, disorders and therapies, and social psychology.
Explain how information provided in this course can be applied to life in the real world.
Identify the major theoretical schools of thought that exist in psychology as they relate to the self, the culture, and the society.