The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Goddard College provides students with a fast track to earning a MA in Psychology or MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
In the Fast Track option, students complete 120 credits toward the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts. The final semester of undergraduate study serves as a transition term in which students also complete coursework toward graduate-level study. Students who progress on to the graduate program can complete the MA in as few as three semesters.
Opportunities in the field of counseling are increasingly requiring heightened qualifications and higher academic credentials for professional advancement. Our program meets the need to obtain heightened qualifications and higher academic credentials for professional advancement in the field of psychology and counseling. We offer a streamlined educational approach for learning skill development and obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree on a faster academic track.
The Goddard Difference
Our philosophy starts with the idea experience and education are intricately linked
Admissions Information
Students in the BA in Psychology will arrive with at least 60 semester credit hours (typically their Associates degree) and no more than 75 credits will be accepted for transfer. Thus, students are expected to complete the BA in as few as three or four FTE semesters. Students may not graduate with fewer than 120 undergraduate semester credits. Prospective students interested in the BA in Psychology who have not yet earned at least 60 semester credits are invited to apply to Goddard’s Bachelors of Arts Individualized Studies degree track to meet the minimum entry requirements and then apply for admission BA in Psychology for enrollment as a junior or third-year student.
Faculty
Location
Twice a year, at the start of each semester, students attend an intensive eight-day residency at the College’s Plainfield, Vermont campus. Alternatively, students can choose a virtual residency experience. Residencies are a rich time of exploration, connection, and planning.
Curriculum
All students earning the Bachelor of Arts at Goddard College must fulfill general requirements for the BA. In addition, students pursuing the BA in Psychology must complete the following distribution.
Psychology Core Courses (33 credits)
| Course No. | Course Name | Credits |
| PSY 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 210 | Writing in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 220 | Scientific Methods | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| PSY 320 | Social Science Research | 3 |
| PSY 330 | Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSY 340 | Learning and Memory | 3 |
| PSY 350 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 360 | Social and Cultural Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 370 | Personality and Affective Science | 3 |
| PSY 380 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
Practicum (3 credits)
The practicum allows students to apply their learning in their communities in ways that are significant to them. Students will complete a practicum (minimum of 50 hours) in a community-based organization, such as a community mental health center, an inpatient unit, a human services agency, a school, or a private non-profit.
Capstone (6 credits)
The Capstone allows students working with their Academic Advisor to reflect on their undergraduate experience and to create work which best demonstrates their understanding of their personal and scholarly development. Completed in the final semester, the Capstone consists of two 500-level courses that are designed to focus the student’s memory, analysis, and creativity on their growth—one course on personal growth and the other on scholarly development. These courses will also include an academic content area of the student’s choosing that is relevant to their understanding of their growth.
Transition courses (6 credits)
Two (2) courses serve both undergraduate degree and MA for students pursuing the fast track. These may be elective courses or MA core course.
Senior Study (12 credits)
Senior studies typically assume diverse forms or structures. Two usual formats are:
- Written, Research-based Products: The central component is an extended research essay comparable in format and academic elements to conventional research papers or projects.
- Artistic/Creative Products: Many students have an artistic or creative product as the centerpiece of their senior study. (Written, research-based products, while creative in character, typically assume more traditional forms.) Artistic/creative products often take innovative forms. Past products have included artwork, curriculum guides, manuscripts, films, videotapes, manuals, handbooks, and more. Whatever their form, all artistic/creative products are influenced by students’ research, demonstrate depth and expertise, and contribute to a field or community. Written context papers that examine the aesthetic, philosophical, and historical foundations of the student’s work through discussion of key influential artists and thinkers accompany all artistic/creative projects.
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Learn more about the Individualized Bachelor of Arts program, and how Goddard College can help you meet your goals!
