This program has been developed in response to needs expressed by community groups and organizations for assistance in addressing the needs of their most vulnerable members. The program prepares students to work at the master's level in the field of Community Psychology in a variety of community, government and consulting work settings. Students will learn how a community-based social justice perspective recognizes inequalities and promotes the exercise of greater power (i.e., access to resources and decision-making) for communities that have been marginalized, and creates ties to advocacy work with oppressed populations. The program leads to an applied, terminal MS degree and is not designed as an intermediate step toward a doctoral degree. Students interested in pursuing a PhD should speak with their academic advisor about the best way to prepare for a doctoral program.

Students are required to complete 48 quarter hours to confer the MS degree. Within this 48-hour program, students must also complete a fieldwork-based internship or, in selected cases, a traditional master's thesis or a capstone research project.

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Describe major community psychology theories in depth
• Design research studies to collect appropriate data, analyze and report the data
• Apply the ethical standards of psychology
• Demonstrate competence in written, oral, and interpersonal communication
• Demonstrate a high level of professional performance