Students
completing the M.S. in Clinical-Counseling psychology will be required
to complete a comprehensive examination covering the following courses:
Psyc
7100 Intellectual Assessment
Psyc
7110 Personality Assessment
Psyc
7400 Counseling Theory and Practice
Timing:
Students must take, and pass, the comprehensive examination before registering
for practicum, and following completion of the above courses with a grade
of ‘C’ or better.
Format:
The
comprehensive examinations will consist of a multiple choice component
and a written component as follows.
a)Students
will take a multiple choice examination consisting of 100 questions to
be drawn from material pertinent to the four courses noted above. The multiple
choice component of the comprehensive examination will be administered
in the morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. No books or notes will be permitted
in the examination room. A grade of 70% must be achieved on order to pass
the multiple choice component.
b)Students
will be required to write a psychological evaluation based on a fictional
assessment test battery. The report phase of the comprehensive examination
will be completed in the psychology computer lab from
1
p.m. until 4 p.m. the afternoon of test day. Students will be provided
with (a) a partially scored test battery, and (b) a template for
the written report which will include demographic information, behavioral
observations, and suggested subject headings. Students will be permitted
to bring materials relevant to diagnosis and report writing (the exact
nature of permitted materials has yet to be determined).
In
order to achieve a passing grade, the report will demonstrate an adequate
understanding of the purpose and interpretation of the intellectual and
personality components of the test battery, the integration of those components
forming a comprehensive psychological assessment, including recommendations,
and demonstration of the ability to communicate the findings in writing.
Proposed
Comprehensive Examination Remediation Plan M.S. Program in Clinical-Counseling
Psychology
Students
will be required to retake only the component(s) of the examination that
are failed. Following, the exam, students who have failed one or both sections
of the exam will meet with their advisor and/or instructors of the relevant
courses to discuss the results and recommendations for preparation for
retaking those sections. Specific recommendations must be tailored to the
individual student’s performance and needs as assessed by program faculty.
Following
the first “failure”: Recommendations may include meeting with course instructors
about areas of weakness, sitting in on class meetings where appropriate,
working on report-writing and/or diagnostic skills for the report section
of the exam.
Following
the second “failure”: Recommendations for remediation are more stringently
suggested, arrived at in conjunction with advisor, course instructors,
and Program Coordinator. The student will be required to provide the study
materials used to prepare for the exam in order for the remediation committee
to assess the needs of the student. Following
the third “failure”: Recommendations, arrived at by an appropriate faculty
committee, may include mandated remediation, including repeating course
work or dismissal from the program.