Psychology and Counseling Degrees at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin appears in our ranking of the 50 Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology as well as a graduate degree in counseling. For the bachelor of arts degree, along with university general requirements, 44 credit hours of psychology courses are required. To ensure students receive an adequate foundation, all students must complete courses in five different branches within the discipline as well as statistics and laboratory-based psychology courses. For the final nine credit hours, advisers assist students in choosing appropriate electives based on interests and goals. All the coursework culminates in a senior seminar or thesis course that showcases expertise in psychological investigation. The B.A. degree is available both on-campus and as a completely online program. In the online version, classes only last seven weeks, compared to the traditional 15 weeks, but the curriculum and graduation requirements are nearly identical.
For students wishing to transition directly into the psychology master’s program, the department recommends a series of courses that provide preparation for higher level study and academic research. Once admitted to the graduate school, there are two concentrations options, clinical psychology, and experimental psychology. The clinical program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours including a 6-hour practicum and a thesis or final project. Students learn to use psychological theory to assess and help manage mental health disorders. The majority of the coursework consists of various electives like addictions counseling, group psychotherapy, and personality assessment so that students can design their own programs. Graduates are eligible and fully prepared to sit for Texas’s Licensed Psychological Associate exam. The Experimental Psychology M.A. track is 36 credit hours total and requires completion of a thesis paper. This program emphasizes research methods and provides extensive training in statistics and data collection. Students have similar elective options to those in the clinical program with more of a focus on experimentation.
Featured Programs
The Master of Arts in Counseling program is part of the College of Education at UTPB and prepares graduates for work as independent counselors in a variety of settings. Requirements include 51 credit hours of core coursework and 9 hours of experiential training including a practicum and an internship. Students can either specialize in School Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The programs are nearly identical with the exception of a couple classes. Faculty develop relationships with their students and provide guidance in personal and professional development, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance, especially during the internship period.
About the University of Texas of the Permian Basin
UTPB is a relatively new college having been established in 1973 as part of the University of Texas System. It opened in large part due to the expansion of the oil industry in the Permian Basin and initially only offered junior and senior-level undergraduate courses along with master’s programs, so students would transfer to the school after completing their first two years elsewhere. Enrollment in the inaugural year totaled just over 1000 students, and that number has consistently grown each year since, now up to over 7500 students per semester. With this steady increase, the school added freshman and sophomore courses in the early 1990s and today offers 35 bachelor’s and 18 master’s programs. UTPB is known for having a diverse student body, and according to an analysis done by Diverse, it has received federal recognition as a Minority Serving Institution and ranks among the top universities in the country by this metric.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Accreditation Details
UTPB is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) and was most recently recertified in 2010. The SACSCOC regularly evaluates post-secondary schools in Texas and 10 other states in the southeastern region of the United States. This process ensures that the schools meet quality standards in areas including Integrity, Accountability, Student Learning, and Transparency. This also encourages colleges to continuously look for ways to improve and better serve their students.
University of Texas of the Permian Basin Application Requirements
Admission to the B.A. in Psychology degree program is based on general UTPB undergraduate requirements. All applicants must submit official transcripts including class ranking, the ApplyTexas online application, and SAT or ACT scores. Test scores are not required for transfer students with greater than 23 credit hours completed. Cutoff scores for admission are based on both class rank and ACT or SAT results. There are five levels with students in the top 10% of their class requiring no minimum test score and those ranked in the bottom 25% needing a 1280 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT. At the graduate level, both the psychology and counseling applications require transcripts documenting completion of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 credit hours in addition to a personal essay and three letters of recommendation. GRE scores are required only for the M.A. in Psychology track. Students with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 are still invited to apply as long as they include additional information that makes their case for admission and explains the lower GPA.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition rates at UT Permian Basin depend on state residency status and the number of credit hours taken. Undergraduate Texas residents taking 15 credit hours can expect to pay almost $4000 for tuition and fees each semester with out-of-state students owing about an extra $500 per semester. Online psychology undergrads pay a flat $911.30 per 3-hour course. Graduate tuition rates are only slightly higher per credit hour depending on the individual program. The state of Texas has implemented various credits for students who maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree. For undergraduates, this can result in up to a $4000 rebate over a 4-year period. In addition, the university provides many scholarships based on GPA, financial need, and other factors like community service. The Falcon Promise completely covers tuition for families making less than $45,000 per year. Faculty and support staff at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin are committed to helping every student adequately finance their education and are available to answer questions about aid as well as program requirements and the admissions process.