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In fall 2016, Azusa Pacific’s Department of Psychology will launch the very first Master of Science in Psychology program, which will be the first of its kind to be implemented in the country.

On Wednesday, APU psychology professors held an informational meeting for prospective students in the LAPC Board Room.

Host and Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Rachel Castaneda began the night.

“All of us are designed to be curious. We ask questions,” Castaneda said.

Asking questions will be a vital component of the master’s program, giving the foundation that will fuel the program’s focus on research and data analytic methods.

“We’re living in an era of data analytics,” Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Curtis Lehmann said. “We need people who can make sense of that data.”

Lehmann urges students who are intimidated by the idea of research to approach it from an incremental mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Students with an incremental mindset believe that there is no ceiling on what they can learn and do. Plus, “it’s pretty snazzy,” Lehmann said.

The psychology faculty has envisioned the M.S. in Psychology with a Statistics Analysis Systems (SAS) Joint Certificate in Research and Data Analytic Methods for years. They desire that students weave in skills that can be used in a career setting, as well have a good position for post-master’s opportunities and increased employability.

The master’s program will span 11 months, while other psychology graduate programs are usually two years long. Students will take a total of 36 units. Classes will have an emphasis on data gathering so that students will be properly trained in JMP statistical software, a tool that has practical application in the field of psychology. Students will also take a thesis seminar class (PSYC 598) throughout the program.

Each student will have the opportunity to work individually with one of 15 psychology professors in a mentoring relationship. Together, each professor and student pair will discover which subdivision of psychology will make the best vocation for the student.

Students are encouraged to choose a faculty-mentor whose interests aligns with theirs. They can choose to study clinical psychology with Dr. Katheryn Ecklund or Dr. Lehmann, post-traumatic studies in Japan with Dr. Alan Oda, attitudes towards those stigmatized and marginalized with Dr. Priscila Diaz, self-regulation and individual relationships with Dr. Gewnhi Park, or bilingualism with Dr. Benjamin Marsh.

“Research is more than numbers. There is something beyond statistics. Statistics point to something about humanity. Psychology seeks to understand that,” Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Alex Yu said.

The combination of studying human behavior and researching will bring a unique quality to the master’s program. The human element of psychology is precisely what made senior Suzie Fox switch from an allied health major to a psychology major.

“I wanted to learn more about people than about their anatomy, Fox said. “Psychology is a holistic approach. It encompasses body, mind and spirit.”

The master’s program also will seek to integrate faith to follow a core university value.

“I love the intersection of faith and psychology. I want to tell the whole story of who we are,” said Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Teresa Pegors, a newcomer to APU.

Current APU students also have the opportunity to take up to 6 units that will count towards both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees: PSYC 522 and PSYC 524.

Junior psychology major Richard Vanderbilt expressed interest in participating in the program.

“As an industry organizational psychology concentration, I am interested in behavioral analysis and conflict resolution in the workplace,” Vanderbilt said.

Students who come out of the program will be certified in SAS, an internationally acknowledged certification. Indeed.com indicates that there are 29,000 job opportunities for those who are SAS certified. Students will also have a publishable master’s thesis written, a research project that covers the full empirical cycle from questions to conclusion.

The master’s program is aiming for 20 students to make up the first cohort for the fall 2016 incoming class. Psychology faculty encourage current APU students, alumni and interested students from other schools to apply.

Miguel Rubio, a sophomore at Chaffey Community College who heard of the program through a friend, plans to apply after receiving a bachelor’s in psychology. “I like talking to people and recognizing patterns. I hope to work with a range of ages, from children to the elderly,” he said.

For information about admissions and additional details about the master’s program, visit apu.edu/bas/psychology/psychology.