Department of Psychology
Graduate Programs in the Psychology Department
Thank you for considering applying to the California State University, Fresno, graduate programs in Psychology. We have included a description of Fresno State, the Department of Psychology, the facilities and resources available for graduate students, and the courses and requirements for the Master's degree programs in Psychology.
All of the application materials for the Psychology Graduate programs will be through Cal State Apply.
We Offer Three Graduate Programs
The Master of Arts - General/Experimental (M.A.G/E)
The program is oriented toward individuals who intend to eventually pursue a doctoral degree at another university, pursue a career in Research Analysis, or teach at a community college level; this program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. This program operates within a "mentorship model" in which students work closely with a faculty member whose research interests align with their own. Together, the student and faculty member develop a research question and hypothesis which eventually turns into the final product of the graduate experience: an experimental thesis.
Learn More about General/Experimental
The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
This is a two-year, full-time graduate program and requires a minimum of 44 units of coursework. The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination (see the next page for a description of our supervised experience). All students complete an experimental thesis as a culminating experience, working in close collaboration with their faculty mentor. The M.A. in ABA is designed to prepare students to be active, effective, and ethical contributors to the science and practice of Behavior Analysis.
Learn More about ABA
The Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) program
This program has an emphasis in School Psychology; this program requires a minimum of 71 semester hours and is a terminal degree program for those pursuing careers in School Psychology. Students in the Ed.S. program are required to spend one full day a week during the first year and two days a week the second year at a school site in practicum. The third year of the program is spent in internship at a school site.
Learn More about Ed. S.Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Due to the number of applicants we typically do not admit unclassified graduate students to our program. The acceptance to applicant ratio varies significantly from year to year.
Contact Our Coordinators:
Rosa Toro, Ph.D.
Email: rtoro@csufresno.edu
Coordinator of the M.A. Psychology (General/Experimental)
Graduate Committee Chair
Graduate Advisor
Marianne L. Jackson, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Email: majackson@csufresno.edu
Coordinator of the M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis
Hong Ni, Ph.D., NCSP
Email: hongni@csufresno.edu
Coordinator of the Ed.S. School Psychology