It was one of the top master's program in California for psychology. Also, the program was one of the few that had advanced statistical analysis classes such as multivariate statistics and structural equation modelling. I also had a working relationship with faculty members in the program. The school was also near home.
Course Curriculum
The core curriculum was lacking. I would have liked more variety. We were required to take two theory/seminar classes. I was disappointed with the cognitive seminar class, as it related mostly to false memories and not learning or other cognitive processes. I was very satisfied with the statistics classes.
Exams
I took the SATs my senior year in high school. Did I take the GRE before applying to a master?s program. I was Near the 50th percentile for both verbal and quantitative sections and a 4.5 in writing. In college, I took the undergraduate writing proficiency exam with a score of 8.
Placement
There are many on-campus job opportunities. I worked three separate jobs during my time as a graduate student. It was beneficial because it worked around my class schedules and didn't take away time from my studies.
Fees
I believe it is around $3500 per semester for full-time enrollment. My program was a two-year program, with 35 unit degree requirement. There were additional charges for parking and conference travel.
Scholarship
I received state grants that covered the majority of my tuition. The grants were provided by the university for being for demonstrating financial need.
Examination Structure
The exams are meant to challenge your critical thinking skills. They were exhausting to prepare for, but it helped retain information in the long run. Most of my classes did not have exams, rather they were writing extensively. We have reaction papers, article critiques, literature reviews and research papers.
Faculty
Some of the faculty have the best interest of the student in mind, while others focus more on their own professional development. Like many programs, I assume, there is a mixture of excellent and sub-par faculty members.
Hostel
I lived off-campus. I rented a room in a home and had multiple roommates. I found the rooms online, through Craigslist and Facebook. My residence was near campus, less than 5 miles away. For a brief time, I commuted from my parents? home to school, because affordable housing was difficult to find.
