2015-2016 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]
Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences
|
|
 Return to: Major Fields of Study by College & Department
Chair: Dr. Ezemenari Obasi
The Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences offers graduate programs at the master and doctoral levels preparing students to understand the conceptual base of theories, research, and methods of psychology and to apply these fields of study to the processes of education and human development. Though differing in focus, all programs emphasize preparing students to be competent in the academic and professional aspects of psychological, health, and learning sciences. Students pursue professional competence through course work, seminars, supervised research, practice, and internship experiences.
Academic Programs:
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
This degree program has the following areas of specialization:
Designed to promote the development of allied health professionals, the Allied Health Education and Administration program expands their capacities to serve as educators and educational administrators in health programs. It is open to licensed, certified, registered, and/or accredited allied health professionals preparing for positions as educators or educational administrators of allied health programs in schools, colleges or universities, clinical settings, and community-based health or worksite programs. With projected shortages in our health workforce, numerous career opportunities abound.
The master’s degree program in counseling brings together the theoretical and applied principles of educational psychology essential to the counseling relationship, and prepares students to work as professional counselors in public and private schools, community agencies, and college counseling centers.
Designed to promote the development of professional health educators, the Health Education program; the M.Ed. in Health Education develops professional health educators who understand the science, theory, and practice of health education. Graduates apply this knowledge to improve the health and well-being of human populations. Career opportunities abound in both the private and private sector. Graduates find opportunities in an ever-expanding health care industry including business and industry, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, public health, mental health, public health agencies, volunteer, and community programs.
The Special Populations programs (36 credit hours for M.Ed. and 51 credit hours for Ed.D.) prepare graduates for professional and instructional leadership positions in a variety of settings and provide them with the tools to meet the needs of all students. Graduates are ready to assume positions as coaches, consultants, directors, and instructional leaders who grapple with the challenges faced by many students in the nation’s schools. The programs provide intensive research and applied skills development for students who grapple with any of these real-world concerns. A practical internship (Laboratory of Practice) gives students an avenue to apply the specifics of these problems to their other courses and their research. The programs emphasize problem solving, student collaboration, and planning for a future as an instructional coach/leader.
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Professional Leadership
This degree program has the following area of specialization:
Graduates are ready to assume positions as coaches, consultants, directors, and instructional leaders who grapple with the challenges faced by many students in the nation’s schools. For example, students in schools often experience challenges related to language, learning, social interactions, and poverty. They are often classified as students with disabilities (Special Education), students with Gifts and Talents, English Language learners, Title 1, Under-represented minorities, or students who require greater levels of support (504). Leaders in applied educational settings assist with the identification and implementation of evidence based interventions and assessments to help close achievement gaps, keep students in school, and successfully launch them into college and careers paths.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
This degree program has the following areas of specialization:
Accredited by the American Psychological Association, the Doctor of Philosophy program in Counseling Psychology and adheres to a scientist-practitioner training model. The program emphasizes the theory, research, and practice of working with normal populations from a broadly defined ecological developmental perspective. Graduates obtain faculty positions in colleges and universities; provide counseling supervision and consultation services in a variety of mental health settings; and serve as supervisors, program coordinators, and direct service providers in school districts. Students participate in a variety of training experiences including at least two semesters of practicum and a full-year, full-time, pre-doctoral internship approved by the faculty. Graduates of the Counseling Psychology program typically meet the academic requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist in the state of Texas. Licensure requirements vary by state and may change without notifications. Students should ensure their individual degree plans concur with their credentialing expectation.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences prepares students for employment as faculty members at colleges and universities. Graduates also find employment as directors of educational components of health care institutions and social service agencies. Typically, these students develop an individually tailored Ph.D. program emphasizing theory and research in one or more areas related to learning and development, special populations, higher education, health education and/or measurement and statistics.
Accredited by the American Psychological Association and adhering to a scientist-practitioner training model, the School Psychology program develops professional school psychologists. Graduates engage in applied research and apply critical analysis and inquiry to identify, select, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices with sensitivity to cultural and linguistic considerations, and in consideration of diverse client preferences. Embedded throughout the training experience, sensitivity to diversity issues becomes an essential tool, in part because the UH is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse research institutions in the nation.
Varied practicum placements provide opportunities in more than a dozen school districts, specialized assessment and intervention clinics at the Texas Children’s Hospital (e.g., Disruptive Behavior Disorders and ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Pediatric Neuropsychology, Pediatric Neurology, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics), the Behavioral Pediatrics Neuro-oncology Clinic at the M.D. Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, and in other settings within the Houston area. These settings provide opportunities for students to obtain supervised experience with diverse populations, conditions, professionals, settings, and procedures as they matriculate through the program. Program graduates typically meet requirements for licensure in Texas as a licensed psychologist.
Return to: Major Fields of Study by College & Department
|