Psychology & Counseling at the CUNY School of Professional Studies
CUNY School of Professional Studies appears in our ranking of the 30 Most Affordable Master’s in Psychology Online Degree Programs.
Around 97 percent of the students at CUNY School of Professional Studies take their courses online, and applicants who want to earn their psychology and counseling degrees can, too. A vast majority of the undergraduate students at the school graduate with zero debt and almost half of the students enrolled for classes are employed full-time while attending classes.
Degrees in counseling and psychology that are available at the School of Professional Studies include a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Psychology. Both programs are offered online. Before enrollment, students are offered the chance to participate in an online learning simulation, as well as an online Q&A session about the school’s bachelor’s degree programs.
The school suggests that earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is an excellent stepping-stone to a variety of careers and advanced training through graduate school. The university has a strong articulation agreement with two-year schools throughout the state, and transferring credits into the bachelor’s degree program is generally straightforward.
To graduate, students must earn a minimum grade of C in all courses required for the major. Overall, the program requires 36 credits of psychology courses, several credits of general education courses, and free electives between 42 to 48 credits. Some of the psychology courses required in the program include General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Socio-Cultural Approaches, and Biological Bases of Behavior.
Meanwhile, students who want to earn their Master of Arts in Psychology will enter a degree program that offers specializations in two areas. Students may choose to specialize in developmental psychology or industrial/organizational psychology. To qualify for the program, students must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution where they earned a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Students can transfer up to six credits into the program from another institution. Some of the classes a student will take in the graduate program include Perspectives on Developmental Psychology, Adult Development, and Child & Adolescent Development. Electives offered in the program include Cognitive Development, Personnel Selection, Group Dynamics, and Atypical Development.
Students in the Master of Arts in Psychology program must also complete two capstone courses where they plan and implement their project. School administrators bill their degree as the only one of its kind thus far offered in New York City with its industrial/organizational psychology specialization.
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
Established in 2003, the CUNY School of Professional Studies is a school that is part of the City University of New York. Located in downtown Manhattan, the CUNY School of Professional Studies is located in midtown and also has an additional site at the Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies and the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Institute for Worker Education.
Around 2,000 students attend the school, which also has 115 staff members. The school was created by CUNY’s Board of Trustees as an institution to meet the educational needs of working adults. The school offers several online bachelor’s degrees in various areas, as well as in-person bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and single courses for credit. Students can also enter customized training programs for work at nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and unions.
The CUNY School of Professional Studies Accreditation Details
Officially, the School of Professional Studies is part of the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY, and that institution is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Programs offered by the CUNY School of Professional Studies have been registered with the New York State Education Department to comply with state requirements for the delivery of college degrees.
Additionally, various programs are also accredited at the school. In 2015, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which is available online. The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.
The CUNY School of Professional Studies Application Requirements
Students who want to apply to the CUNY School of Professional Studies will need to send in the official application by creating a CUNYFirst Account. Students should be aware that the application fee is non-refundable, but current students of CUNY don’t need to pay the transfer fee. Students who are active-duty military or veterans can apply for an application fee waiver.
Admissions requirements include being proficient in writing, mathematics, and reading, as well as having completed at least 24 credits from a regionally accredited institution. Students must have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA in their classes. Students can transfer up to 90 credits into their degree program. Students may need to take a proficiency exam to prove basic skills.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate students who are New York State residents and are attending classes at the CUNY School of Professional Studies will pay $3,465 per semester for 12 or more credits, and part-time students will pay $305 per credit. Out-of-state residents will pay a flat rate of $620 per credit for any number of credits taken. The university also offers non-degree enrollment opportunities of $445 per credit for residents and $915 for non-residents.
For graduate students, the rate for full-time students and New York State residents is $5,545 per semester, and the rate for part-time students is $470 per credit. Out-of-state residents and foreign students will pay a flat rate of $855 per credit for all classes taken. Resident students will also pay a $225 fee for maintenance of matriculation, and non-resident students will pay $370 for the fee.
Students can qualify for federal financial aid when they attend the CUNY School of Professional Studies, as well as aid from New York State. Undergraduate, graduate, and certificate students are eligible for financial aid, and students must maintain their eligibility through Satisfactory Academic Progress throughout their college career. Students must also maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 to maintain eligibility for their financial aid.
There are several institutional scholarships offered by the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and students have received more than $500,000 in scholarship funds over the past five years. Students will need to contact the Office of Scholarships to see if they qualify for any tuition assistance. Students will also need to complete the official scholarships application through the CUNY School of Professional Studies website.