Requirements
Students must complete 26 units of course work and 4 units of thesis, for a total of 30 units (normally 16 the first year and 14 the second year).
Full-time students are expected to spend four semesters and at least one summer in residence in Stockton as part of completing their program of studies.
Both tracks emphasize research and applied experience.
All students complete at least a 1-year research apprenticeship during the first year and an empirical thesis.
Applied experience is also available in the department's Community Re-entry Program 
for adults with chronic mental illnesses, in Valley Mountain Regional Center programs for the developmentally disabled, and in other behavioral and medical/health care settings in the local community (e.g., typically developing preschoolers, children diagnosed with autism).
Opportunities are available in mental illness, developmental disabilities, childhood behavior problems, parent training, adolescents and body image, most often using techniques of behavior therapy and applied behavior analysis.
Previous graduates have been successful in obtaining employment commensurate with their training and in entering quality doctoral programs.