Frequently Asked Questions 
Online Master of Applied Positive Psychology Degree

Students with this degree can pursue doctoral-level work in psychology and/or work as wellness coaches, health navigators, care coordinators, organizational consultants, research coordinators, teachers, institutional wellness program directors, project managers and wellness consultants within organizations. The positive psychology degree also can enhance existing skill sets for physicians, nurses, therapists, teachers and HR professionals.

There are many reasons to choose PCOM for positive psychology, including our commitment to evidence-based practice and an osteopathic tradition that embraces mind-body approaches to wellness. Our student-focused faculty are highly accomplished in the fields of positive psychology and/or health psychology. We also are the home of A Happier You, an innovative 7-week positive psychology program to help people adopt new skills to enhance joy and meaning in life. MAPP students will have a unique opportunity to learn this program and facilitate it with participants as part of their curriculum. Students develop skills in motivational interviewing, mindfulness, group facilitation and program evaluation.

Additionally, PCOM's three healthcare centers offer MAPP students, under licensed supervision, the additional opportunity to facilitate health, wellness, psychoeducational and mindfulness/stress reduction groups for primary care patients and members of the community.

Yes. Students will take a Positive Psychology Research methods course and complete a Capstone project with a program evaluation component. Additionally, every class will help students think critically, explore scholarship in the field, and hone their scholarly writing ability using APA style.

One of the advantages of earning a MAPP degree prior to receiving a doctorate in clinical psychology is that it lays the foundation of a scholarly and applied understanding in the field of positive psychology, allowing students to see their doctoral training through a human flourishing lens, an enhancement perspective. This enables students to bring a clearer orientation and grasp of theory and research around optimal functioning into their advanced studies. Students develop skills in facilitating behavior change and building working alliances, which strengthen their foundation for clinical psychology doctoral training.

Yes. The 30-credit program is offered entirely online and can be completed in one year of full-time study.

As a MAPP student, your required coursework is fully online. However, if you wish to visit campus in person for any reason, participate in an off-campus school event in person, or be in person for commencement ceremonies, you must complete the Medical History Questionnaire, which includes providing your documented vaccination history. Students who would like to be in-person at any point are required to provide labs related to blood titers if their vaccination records are not available. The cost for lab work and for medical visits to complete the MHQ is the student's responsibility. PCOM has a process to request an exemption for vaccination requirements based on disability or religious practice. To engage in that process, please email titleixcoordinator@pcom.edu.

Courses will have both a synchronous and asynchronous component, but no less than 90 minutes of synchronous time (live instruction with faculty via Zoom) per class session. Synchronous meetings typically begin at 5:15 p.m. EST and are scheduled Monday through Thursday. Additional practicum time is required during the days on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (typically no more than an hour on those days).

Yes. Students can elect to complete the program over two years.

The MAPP degree is designed to allow students to work while completing the degree. It should be noted that full-time MAPP students can expect to devote a minimum of 20-25 hours a week to their coursework, which includes synchronous and asynchronous activities, reading, and studying.

Courses run from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. EST, three nights a week between Monday and Thursday. Some daytime hours are required each term, which means that students' jobs must be flexible to accommodate these requirements.

Students will complete a practicum over three terms (fall, spring, summer) through PCOM's A Happier You program and Health Support Program. Those programs will serve the school’s community, PCOM's healthcare centers, and community organizations like CBH, PHMC, and others who provide the program to their staff. All practicum experiences are completed virtually. Happier You and the Health Support programs are delivered in group settings in an online format. We recognize that students could be attending their online classes and program activities from a state other than Pennsylvania. Currently, the MAPP program does not accept applicants living in California.

No. PCOM's applied positive psychology program requires a capstone project. The capstone experience is a one-term (summer) development, implementation and evaluation of a positive psychology intervention at a systems, group or individual level.

No. PCOM does not require the MAT or GRE for admission to the applied positive psychology program.

Students who have majored in psychology or related fields and are interested in wellness, life coaching, public health, organizational development and leadership, care coordination and/or health sciences would be good candidates for the PCOM MAPP program.

This program is also ideal for students seeking an advanced degree to prepare them for doctoral-level studies by providing the writing, scholarship, and psychology foundation they need in order to be more competitive applicants.