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BA in Psychology/MS in Occupational Therapy (joint degree with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons)

University of Mount Saint Vincent (BA) – Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (MS) Cooperative Program

The College has a cooperative 3-2 arrangement with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, which enables Mount students to earn a BA degree in Psychology from the Mount and an M.S. degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia after five years of study.

Students must complete all College core and Psychology Major requirements, as well as the prerequisites for the Columbia program, during their first three years at the Mount. Students can apply to Columbia in their junior year. Those who meet the Columbia University criteria for admission will spend the final two years at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Students interested in this program should meet with the Chair of the Psychology department at the beginning of their first semester.

Requirements

Students will complete the Mount Core education requirements and the Psychology Major requirements during their first three years. Courses completed during the first year at Columbia are transferred back to the Mount to complete the credit total requirements for the B.A. in Psychology degree. Students will also complete these Occupational Therapy prerequisite courses during their first three years:

PSYC 326 Lifespan Development
PSYC 355 Abnormal Psychology
BIOL 109 and 110 Anatomy and Physiology I and II

Sample Program

Year 1

FYE 101 The First-Year Experience 1 credit
ENGL 110 Writing in Context I (fall) 3 credits
ENGL 120 Writing in Context II (spring) 3 credits
Freshman Seminar 3 credits
Modern Language and Literature Core 6 credits
Core Course 3 credits
PSYC 103 Core: Introduction to Psychology I 3 credits
PSYC 104 Introduction to Psychology II 3 credits
PSYC 205 Psychology Statistics 3 credits
Open Elective 3 credits
TOTAL 31 credits

Year 2

Core Courses 15 credits
BIOL 109 and 110 Anatomy and Physiology I and II 8 credits
PSYC 315 Research Methods I (WE) 3 credits
PSYC 326 Lifespan Development – Content Area 1 3 credits
PSYC 355 Abnormal Psychology – Content Area 2 3 credits
TOTAL 32 credits

Year 3

Core Courses 6 credits
PSYC Elective Course 3 credits
PSYC 3XX Psychology Course 3 credits
PSYC 4XX Psychology Content Course 3 credits
PSYC 450 Capstone 3 credits
TOTAL 30 credits

Total Credits for at the Mount – 93

Twenty-seven credits taken at Columbia complete the 120 credits required for a Mount Saint Vincent BA in Psychology degree. For additional information about the MS in Occupational Therapy degree curriculum, please visit Columbia University’s Occupational Therapy website: columbiaot.org.