MSP Webinar with Alumna Bernadette Mutirende

0:06Alright. We're gonna go ahead and start this evening's webinar. Again, thank you everyone who is here tonight. We are here with Divine Mercy University to learn more about our master's in psychology program. It is offered a 100% online. There is no GRE required. I am Maria Elise Dunlap. I am the admissions advisor for the master's in psychology program, and I am so grateful that each of you are taking time out of your schedule tonight to join us for this webinar this evening. And I am so excited to introduce to you Bernadette Cullen, who is an alumna of the master's in psychology program. Bernadette, thank you so much for taking time to be here. Welcome. And we are so excited for you to share with us more about yourself, about your journey through the master's in psychology program, and to share any just words of wisdom that you have for these individuals who are on the webinar that are, discerning if this is the best next step for them.

1:08So thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much. I'm so excited. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Well, I always like to know where I am going. So I'd like to share that with you really quick with this table of contents. So we're gonna start with a little bit about Divine Mercy University. We're going to move into some more information about the program. I'm gonna introduce you to some of our faculty. We're going to learn about the acceptance requirements for the master's in psychology. I'm going to share with you some next steps and then some scholarship information. So Divine Mercy University is a Catholic graduate university that began as the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in 1999.

1:54And then in 2014, the Institute launched the online master's in psychology program. And in 2015, we added the school of counseling. And at that point, we have rebranded to Divine Mercy University. And the thing that really sets DMU apart is our dedication to not only the scientific study of psychology, but also integrating our Catholic Christian understanding of the whole person in that study. DMU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award master's and doctorate degrees, and then it was also formed, chartered, and established in the Commonwealth Of Virginia in 1999. So how is our master's in psychology program different from other degrees?

2:46Well, first, we offer distributed learning. So asynchronously, we deliver the courses so that we're able to allow you to maximize the flexibility of your time. Asynchronous is meaning that you will receive your coursework one day of the week, and then you will use your time management skills to fit your coursework into your schedule. So it really does allow for you to be flexible in how you are getting your work done, how are you retaining the knowledge that you're receiving. This also allows for you to go at your pace so that it's really changing your head, your heart, and your life for the better. So we're promoting flourishing, not just for those around us, for but for every student that comes in and through our program.

3:32We have amazing experienced professionals. Our core faculty are experienced working professionals who understand not just what you need to know on an educational standpoint, but they've also been in the field themselves as well. And they're very passionate about making sure that you are getting everything you need to be set up for success as you go through the program, but then also as you graduate and you integrate what you have learned more fully into your field. What you learn directly through our master's in psychology at Define Mercy University is going to be related to what you're doing in your chosen field. Whether you're going to enhance the career that you're already in or you're looking to obtain your master's in psychology to help open doors to new careers, you're going to be able to do that with this degree and the things that you're learned.

4:25One of the things that I have enjoyed hearing from students and alumni is that one of the really unique opportunities that we offer at Divine Mercy University is that with every single class, you are learning a skill set that you're going to be able to use in real time. So you're not waiting until you graduate to start using the tools that you've put in your tool belt. You're going to be able to use them as you go through the program to build your confidence on how to really use this degree. And one of the most important parts about our university is that every single class is informed and infused with our unique Catholic Christian meta model of the human person. So some of the benefits that are offered in this master's of psychology program, I'm just going to highlight a few of them.

5:15You are going to be able to analyze major concepts, theories, and methodologies in psychology. You are going to have an opportunity to critically evaluate your own biases, assumptions, and attitudes, and their effect on your own decision making, planning, your own communication styles, your leadership styles. So there's gonna be a lot of self knowledge as well through this program. You also are going to learn how to apply diversity principles and leadership activities that are informed by, again, that Catholic Christian vision of the human person, and you will understand the effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma causing events along with many other amazing benefits that we, are sure that our students receive through this program.

6:02And then some of the advanced skills that you will leave this program with are the ability to recognize and respond to mental health challenges, how to effectively communicate and negotiate, the real importance of interpersonal relationship building, ways to lead a team through crisis, how to manage a budget. That one always shocks everybody when they, read that. Strategies for program evaluation and fostering and increased cultural awareness. And Bernadette at this time, as we've gone through some of these benefits of the MSP and some of these advanced skills that students will receive through this program, I would love for you to share with us some of the benefits that you feel like you've received through the masters in psychology program or some of the skill sets that you learned through the masters in psychology program.

6:52Yeah. It's a lot. First of all, personally, this program helped me to be a total transformation. You know? A total transformation. You you you change total your total perspective towards life, towards life in general, and towards, people, other people since the since the bottom line is to see the person as an in a child of God created in the image of God and after his likeness, and also with the innate dignity. So it changed everything. But most importantly for me, it helped me to to heal. I had so many, demons from my past. I have never been to the psychology to to see a therapist before, but the two years helped me really to be to to heal completely. And, the the one of the benefits is being online.

7:57It's a good thing because, I I was teasing I was just saying that being online, it helped me to to hide be be behind the screen and to just, and just be myself. And and and the thing I couldn't be able to express in in public before in in a live classroom classroom, I could write and write and cry, and it helped me to hear. That is the was the most important. Mhmm. But my my skills of empathy or listening, They just it doesn't mean I didn't have them before, but they tripled. They tripled. Yeah. I love I love when you share that. When we spoke the first time, I loved hearing that in in your words, and I'm so thankful you shared that. Now I would love if you would share with everybody just kind of briefly right now what you do professionally.

9:01As a life coach. Yeah. I I so I finished I finished my the program in 2009 2018. Actually, the graduation will be May 2019. So when I finished because I have an in in another main job, so I I was intending to wait until my retirement. So when I finished because I I became addicted. You become addicted to this program. In the in the first days, the first weeks are scary. Of course, they are scary. But as long as you are you are advancing, you become addicted. After the the program, I said, now now what? What they what do I do? So I went to volunteer in a nursing home in my area, and I saw a need. So for elderly people, because, sometimes they are there. They don't know why they they are there.

9:57Sometimes there is some of them of them told me, I think my my my kids brought me here to die. So it was really, it's broke my heart. Mhmm. And I saw that there is a need of pre preparation of people who are transitioning to this golden age to transitioning to to to from home to nursing homes. That's why I decided to launch this that life coaching business to help people to to make that transition, to prepare them psychologically, to prepare the person and the family because it is not a an easy decision for the family and for the the the repute person. So that that's how I end up in being a life coach. And how do you feel like the skills like, you shared how the empathetic listening. Like, you you said you had those skills, but they just expanded so much.

10:57What do you feel like in being able to be a life coach? Obviously you said like you were addicted to this program and it kind of spilled out into this volunteering which then allowed you to see this need to help the elderly and their families as they were transitioning from an independent lifestyle to a more dependent lifestyle. What through your do you think that's something that you would have been able to recognize and see or feel confident in stepping out and being a helper if you didn't have this background of the master's in psychology? I don't think so. I don't think so because when I started this program, I first of all, I I I had to admit that I was my background was economy. I was, I I did a master's degree in economics.

11:47So it is it is social science, like psychology, but I really lacked the the understanding of the human person, the human the the human mind. So, like, I was wondering why why do we why people want something and they do the contrary, for example. So I want to understand how how a human brain function. But when I went to to to DMU, when I I found out to DMU actually through EWTN, radio, in the morning. So this is Ad asking and saying, are you the person Adas come to find the shoulder to to cry or to so I said, that is me. And here here here our culture. So I said, oh, I I need to find out about this. And then so I I found out that this is based on the, on the human person, the the CCMFP, Christian, Catholic Christian metamodia of the person, the person in the image of God and and after his likeness.

12:56Never heard of it in the secular, education. So that that encouraged me encouraged me and reinforced to me my faith is I am a Catholic by I I I was born Catholic, but this was this program, not only the skills, of listening and empathy, but also deepened my faith. The two the two my my husband time to time would would be would making fun of me. I said, are you in the seminary or what? I feel like, thanks for the support. Yeah. I say I am I am trying to deepen my faith. So the there's I have much to say on this program, really. Well, that's awesome. I'm so grateful for that, and I'm sure that that was really insightful for everyone who's listening. And that's really beautiful. Thank you for sharing that.

13:58So as we go more through this, webinar, I I'm sure everyone would love to listen to just, Bernadette sharing all of the stories with us. But, as we go through more of the overview of this program, there are five concentrations and Bernadette and I were talking before, we started that they, the university did not offer the concentrations when she was actually going through the program. So this is a newer offering that we have through the MSP program and it was created because of feedback from our alumni. So that's a really exciting thing. So we have five different concentrations: marriage and family, human services, leadership, pre PhD, and self design. So this is not a licensure track degree.

14:44The master's in psychology is not going to give you a license when you graduate. However, as Bernadette shared with us, there are some overlapping skill sets that you will learn through the MSP that will allow you to continue to be a helping professional. Again, either in the career that you're in or as you expand into other career opportunities. So the next few slides we're going to look more in-depth at these five different concentrations. So the first one is the marriage and family concentration and you will see in the next couple slides that the core courses are all the same. So regardless of what concentration that you choose to pursue during your master's in psychology program, you will go through the same core classes as everyone else.

15:31So that first class is helping people flourish a Catholic Christian approach to psychology, and that will be everyone's first class. And some of what Bernadette was sharing about how it was so healing for her, there's a lot of diving deep into your own person in that first course so that you're able to really, learn more about yourself so that you can promote not just the flourishing in yourself, but in those around you, which is really great. And then you can see, you know, there's developmental, psychopathology, risk and resilience, the Catholic Christian vision of flourishing, social psychology, groups and diversity. So there's many wonderful psychology courses that you will be taking throughout your program.

16:15But the electives that create the marriage and family concentration are marriage and family systems theory, human sexuality or flourishing and relationships, and marriage and family interventions. And on our website, you're actually able to do a deeper dive into the descriptions of each of these classes. Our next one is our human services concentration, and this would be for the individual who is really wanting to focus on human needs and promoting flourishing by focusing on prevention and remediation. So again, those same core classes and then the electives that will create this human services concentration are relationship and intervention skills theory and application, personality, individual differences and intelligence, group counseling and group work.

17:05Our next one is our leadership psychology concentration. Again, those core classes and those electives are transformational leadership, leading people, programs, and organizations and applied leadership skills. One of the stories that I love about one of our, one of our alums is Jerome Placido, and it's actually on our website. Site. He works in it in the Silicon Valley and he went through the leadership concentration because he knew that he would be receiving promotions and he wanted to be a manager that fully understood or better understood human behavior so that he would be able to lead his teams into greatness. And I think that is just such a wonderful example of how this MSP can be used in in another career.

17:49Our pre PhD concentration is for the individual who is interested in potentially moving forward into pursuing their PhD. And what's really exciting is this is going to be changing a little bit. There are six one hour courses that you will be taking to create the, concentration. You will also have the opportunity to work one on one with an adviser to create your own thesis, and then you will work with them doing the research, learning how to do the research with the goal of publication or presenting at a conference. And then our self designed concentration, which usually is really attractive to individuals who are working in ministry. And the reason being is that as you will see on, the screen here whoops.

18:35Sorry. Is that you will be selecting one elective from each of the concentrations, marriage and family, human services and leadership. So you're going to be getting a little bit more of, exposure to the different concentrations instead of just focusing solely on one as you go through the program. So in these following slides, we're going to be looking at career opportunities that are available at the individuals that graduate with their MSP. Again, some of you are interested in looking into pursuing your master's in psychology to enhance the career that you're in, which is wonderful. And some of you are going to be looking to starting a new career. So I believe some of you shared. What your careers were.

19:22I have spoken with each of you, so I know what your careers are, but maybe if you want to take a minute to share with us in the chat, what your career is, and if you're looking to enhance what you're currently doing, or if you are looking at starting a new career, with your MSP. So we'll take just a minute to hear from anybody who would like to share. You can just post it in the chat. And we know Bernadette is a life coach, which is amazing and so needed. Yeah. Yes. But, you know, even in you in another when you are were in your work of different work of life, the the benefits of this program is it helps you to understand people, To understand people, to be patient with people, to you know, when you when your colleague tells you something and you take it personally, after this program, you won't.

20:32You because you you really understand that it is not directed to you, and you you you you are more empathetic, actually. Yeah. You have more empathy. Which is we all need a little bit more of that, I think. Yeah. Well, it's because because you you don't know what the person is going through. Right. Most of the time, people do what they call a transfer. They are transferring, but they are they are not feeling so you don't you you you don't I used to say, I don't keep my my cell my brain cells getting angry. No. Instead, I feel I feel really sympathy for the person. That's amazing. I'm genuine. Mhmm. Yeah. Being able to see that, like, broader view, instead of, you know, allowing you to really become a part of yourself is Mhmm.

21:26An amazing gift and skill set. No. Literally that and and this this re you are you are you are protecting yourself, and you don't get into an argument with the person. Which is so good. Yeah. Alright. Let's see here. Anne Marie, currently, she's working in her parish. She works with women, helping them grow in faith, camaraderie, and mutual support and understanding. Last year was a writing group, and in October, they'll reconvene as a group featuring discussion prayer and various guest speakers. She's hoping Bernadette will be one of them. That's amazing. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. I would love to. She's incredible. And Mary is really incredible. She's she she has a she's gifted. Oh my gosh.

22:13That's so amazing. I hope I get the opportunity to meet her someday too. And Bridget shared, she's currently a marriage prep coordinator for the arch diocese. She's in Montreal looking to switch to becoming a counselor for couples and families. Yeah. Wonderful. Thank you for sharing. So as you can see, there's many different oh, we got somebody else who responded. Let's see. Justin. Hey, Justin. He works as the director of campus ministry at a university parish. And in the future, he would love to work doing marriage preparation with couples. That's awesome. Thank you. Don't need it. So I don't know. This program is perfect for for for them, for Justin, and for Bridgette? For Bridgette. Yeah.

22:55Mhmm. Yes. Perfect. Yeah. So as you can see and read through this slide, there are many opportunities. You know? We have the counselor aide, the behavioral analyst, care coordination. There's also an industrial organizational positions, human resource manager, research assistant. I was just talking to someone the other day, and as we were talking, she works at a community college and she didn't know that she would potentially be able to be a psychology instructor at the community college when she went through this program. So that was really enlightening for her. And in ministry, many opportunities in ministry to be able to really use this master's in psychology and benefit the individuals in your church, in your parish, or whatever, spirituality you're in and how you're serving others.

23:47Well, I Cindy is geologist. I mean, when I when I finish this program, I sorry too. But when I I I finished pro this program, I told myself, why why every person doesn't take this program? It is for everybody. I believe that. Well, it's when you realize that we all have psychology. Right? We're all, like, that's all part of all of us. This is this should be in all the all programs of of learning. I'd be able to view it as the whole person with our faith as the lens that we view everything through in the entire program is huge through that lens that makes a huge difference in how you approach other people. Like you said, you have a different approach to everyone. So these next few slides, there's just additional opportunities to look at careers.

24:42So this is a slide with healthcare and mental health services. So there are outpatient counselor opportunities, grief and loss counselor opportunities, foster care group home, case management. We have many people that are working in pregnancy centers. Yes, Katie Rose, you will have access to the slides and the recording both when we're finished. Additionally, in business sales and marketing, advertising, human research manager, employee trainer, PR representative, other career opportunities, again, in ministry parishes and diocese. Justin, diocesan offices of marriage and family and Bridget, that's right up you guys' alley. Justin, also you being a campus minister, youth minister is just gonna enhance the skills that you have.

25:34Let's see. I think I got another okay. No problem. Other opportunities in the nonprofit sector, working in children and family service organizations, as a child protection worker, data and data analysis manager, intervention advocate, local, state, and federal government opportunities, drug and alcohol specialist, parole officer, social service manager. I was just speaking with someone the other day who is going to begin the MSP program and is wanting to work as a alcohol rehab counselor and specialist, which is a really admirable thing to be doing. And that really spoke to him this this slide. Other career opportunities again in ministry leaders for churches and other houses of worship, youth pastors and RCIA directors and directors like they shared at crisis pregnancy centers.

26:32So now we're going to go a little bit more into our online classroom and what that looks like. As you know, this is a 100% online and I would love to see a show of hands of individuals who have ever done online courses in the past. Two people have raised their hands. So we got a couple people that have done online courses. Well, I, am gonna let Bernadette share a little bit. Bridget, you have as well. I'll let Bernadette share a little bit about her experience on the online classroom, but just before she does the re as we've been talking, about the flexibility of time, you know, obviously you're going to be making a time commitment to complete your masters. But what is so great about the online classroom is that as long as you have internet, you'll be able to access your coursework and be able to use your time management skills to get those things done in the time that you need to get them done.

27:35And so with that being said, I would love Bernadette for you to share with us a little bit about your experience, jumping into an online classroom, how it was. I mean, Ann Marie's on here. You guys became very good friends through this program. What is it like with the student interaction? How did you feel your relationship with the professors was? Just share with us from a student perspective, how the online classroom works. Oh my god. So I hope American can chip can chip in in the chat, But this was my first time ever online class online class. So it was scary. Of course, I cannot I have to admit I was scared. I didn't know what to expect. And, like I said, in the end, it it pays out it paid off because it was good for me being hiding behind the screen to to to to take all those stuff hidden in my heart and all that pain I was bearing and everything coming out.

28:45I couldn't have done it in in the classroom. No. And, so the the other thing is when it is online, people tend to think it is easy. It it is it is not. It is not easy. So it has it is serious. It is serious. You're I I had to dedicate at least two hours per day every day. Mhmm. So I and since I was working in nine to to five job, I would come home. I had this I had the same spot at home. I actually, the spot where I am now. So it was my my spot for two years. So the twenty eighth month. So, and I there's a there's a lot of readings, which is good, and then readings, but you have time we have time to respond. Do you have time to you you have assignment, and you have a time to read and to respond.

29:44You have a deadline, like, in in every in every program. But the good thing is you you our our professors are so supportive. This is something I I I never seen it before. Your environment, your classroom, your classmate, you are you don't see each other. It's it's, I I think now you they do. They do see each other now. But before in my my time, we didn't see each other, but we we had this we we were like a family. Mhmm. And you have this support from your from your classmate. You have the profess the professors who are so understanding, who are who who who are invested 150%, and that is really motivating. So the the the the weeks I was trying to, I was being saying maybe having doubts. The first weeks I was having doubts, maybe saying, I'm too maybe too old for this.

30:48My I'll be you know, all kind of all kind of excuses you come up with. Mhmm. But and at the same time, I say, I am in this. I cannot go back. I am, like, in the tunnel. It's like I am in the tunnel. I am engaged. I cannot, make a a u-turn, so I have to go through. Mhmm. So I first I you you first and then after this they say forming a habit takes, like, a a a month. Mhmm. So so when a month maybe after the first class, the second class becomes easier. The first class is is, you know, to me for me, maybe Anne Marie can say, the first class was more more difficult. The second class, less difficult. The third so and it was flowing flowing flowing. Well, you get into a routine. Right? You find your cadence as you go through.

31:44Find your remarks. Yes. Yeah. The hardest thing is getting started. Right? And you get and you and you become unstoppable. So and at the end, you are asking you are asking for more. So I actually, my husband was saying, are you going for a PhD? Didn't know. I need to work. I need to put to use these skills because we're not speaking about this b h PhD. Oh my gosh. I love that. Yeah. So I don't know if people had had have some doubt or worries, and they can, they can put in the chat. Mhmm. Maybe I can respond to to to questions. Yeah. That's a great idea. If anybody has any specific questions for Bernadette about the online classroom, the coursework, relationships with the professors. One of the things that she did touch upon is the residency.

32:41During the course of the first class at helping people flourish, you will have an online residency where there will be one point in time throughout those first eight weeks that you will have scheduled time to be at the computer to meet the other people in your cohort and to have the opportunity to really have some of that engagement together. That is scheduled very early on so that you're able to put it on your calendar. It's typically on a weekend so that it it can accommodate for all of the time zones that we're spending across, in this program. But one of the things that I really wanted to just hone in upon on what Bernadette was sharing is the dedication of our faculty. You know, we touched briefly upon it at the beginning about one of the things that sets the master's in psychology apart from other programs is our faculty.

33:33And our faculty is very dedicated, not just to the study of psychology, but to each of the students' success because they believe in this program, they believe in the flourishing of others, and they recognize that we need more people who are invested in the healing of our world. And that is really what we're doing through this program is giving you the tools and the skillset to use the talents that God has given you to be a healer among the people in your community and the way that he's calling you to be. So that is, is a real gift. We do have a very easy to use online platform called canvas, but once you are accepted into the program, you will do an orientation so that you feel successful as you start.

34:22And then, again, just being able to have the readings to you'll do a short post, and you'll submit that for, you know, some of your assignments. You'll comment on each other's posts as part of your assignments so that you're able to have some of that interaction. Mhmm. So it does become a interactive. So Anne Marie, she says she a 100% agrees with Bernadette. Their cohort did become a family, and our professors were extremely supportive. Once you establish a routine, you are all set. The general setup for each class is similar. Your professors are always there for you. Everything is from a Catholic Christian perspective, and it's so inspiring. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah. It's it's they do they do everything to to make you feel feel welcome and to make you feel that support that you you you feel like you have you are in a in a calling, actually.

35:19It's a calling. It's like a calling. That's so that's so cool. I I love it. I actually have a friend that's in the program right now, and she says the same thing. So I think that is And and it is a a huge improvement, the this this, that inter you you what you say? They meet the fact that they meet virtually Mhmm. And they see each other as we are. We were we what we were doing, we were in introducing ourselves and putting a it's 21 a a a video of ourselves to see to see the face of Yeah. But but in in in person, virtually, it is even better. It is. It is. I think because you're seeing people in real time and being able to really see their mannerisms. So, you know, that is our external is the reflection of our internal.

36:09So we're able to really share that. And when you have that, you can better imagine that person responding or what they're saying and and where their heart is. So I think it is a great addition to the program. So here is, some of our or here are some of our psychology professors. Doctor. Julia Clousely is the program director, and she is absolutely wonderful, so committed and so available to our students. When we were getting people registered for the fall cohort, I would wake up to see emails that she was responding to people at all hours of the night. And I think that just goes to show their dedication and, the foot forward that they want everyone to be taking in success. But one of the really unique things that she shares, in this quote is that we have this amazing opportunity because this is online as I've shared, not only internationally do we have students, but we have people that come from all walks of life, wherever they're from.

37:04You know, we have stay at home moms. We have business executives. We have priests and missionaries. We have campus ministers. We have geologists. You know, we have a sprinkling of people from all different walks of life that come together to learn together about psychology and looking at it through the lens of viewing the person wholly as, as who they are and created in God's image, which is such a unique, opportunity for everyone in the cohort. And the professors all recognize that. And I, have talked to each of them, and I know that they are very committed to the success of each of the students, very committed to the program and are definitely here in any way they can be to help you along your journey to successfully complete your goals.

37:54Our program can be done in two different ways. We have a twenty six traditional twenty six month traditional track. And as Bernadette shared, she went through in twenty eight months. And we also have a sixteen month track, which is when you are going at a little bit faster pace of taking two courses per term during the spring and fall semester. And during the, so in the the spring semester, you will take two eight week courses, and then you'll take two more eight week courses. And then in the summer, you'll take just two eight week courses for that eight weeks. And then in the fall semester, it's broken up into two eight week halves, and you'll be taking two at, each one of those. So you go at a little bit faster pace.

38:43So there is, as Bernadette shared with you in that traditional twenty six month track, you are going to be committing two to three hours a day to your study time, which ends up being, you know, Roughly between sixteen and twenty hours a week, depending on the time that you need to get through your assignments, your readings, the lectures, whatever is a part of your assignment that week, when you're doing the sixteen month fast track, you will be committing about four to five hours a day. So there is about double the time commitment, which should be expected if you're doubling the amount of coursework you're taking on. But, it ends up being about thirty to thirty five hours per week. And as Bernadette shared with you, it is not a walk in the park.

39:24It is a truly rigorous program, but you will find your cadence. You will get into the groove and Ann Marie even attested to that as sometimes the hardest thing is just getting started, But we are here for you again for your success and get to support you through that rough patch that you have at whatever point during the program to remind you of why you're here, what you're doing, and the great work that, you know, lies ahead of you. So something to think about as you're going through and discerning the program is are you interested in doing the sixteen month fast track or is your schedule and your life gonna be able to accommodate the twenty six months, fast or the twenty six month track. Either way is great.

40:06One of the wonderful things that we do offer is that if you did start in the sixteen month fast track and realize it was too much, you can drop down to one course per eight week term. So there is some of that flexibility and vice versa. If you start with the twenty six month and feel like you could double up, you can absolutely do that. One of the benefits of choosing the sixteen month is that there is a tuition scholarship for individuals who are choosing to go that route. So you would pay full price for your first course, and then your second one would come at a 50% tuition reduction. The requirements for the MSP are you will need to have a bachelor's degree or, a degree that is, comparable to a bachelor's degree in The United States.

41:02So we can help you get your degrees evaluated if that's something that you need. We do require 2.5 GPA. Again, we do not require GRE, but if you do have a lower GPA, you may want to take that so that we'd be able to see if this would be a good fit for you. We do ask for two letters of recommendation, a resume and a written statement of intent. And then for our English as a second language students, we do ask for them to take the TOEFL. Does anybody have any questions at this point for either Bernadette or myself about the program, about the concentrations, about the coursework, about the career opportunities. Are there any specific questions that we can answer for you to bring clarity to what you've heard up to this point or to answer any of the little voices that you have that are coming to you, as you're trying to discern your next step.

42:02Bernadette, I do have a question for you. Did you when you came into the MSP Mhmm. What was your initial goal to go through the program? What did you what were you hoping to do in your career when you graduated? Is it is it becoming a life coach or was that something that just you were inspired to do because of the program and the needs that you saw? What what's your journey? Actually, when I when I the reason why I came to the program, I was with my one one of my coworkers, my colleague, and they were sitting. I was saying, you know, I came here, thirteen years ago in 02/1999. Mhmm. So I was saying, I'm I'm in this country. I I 62 I am retiring at 62 or 65. It it will depend. And, I won't really, be I I don't think I will be old.

43:06No. You're never old. I don't think at 62, 65, I will be old. But, well, I need to see to do something. I need to keep myself myself busy. So my my co I said I asked her, so what do you see me doing? She said, but you are someone who who who who like you like people, and people like to come to you for advice for you you really know how to listen to people and how to uplift people. I said, oh, okay. So that that's how it is it really started. I said, so what can I what kind of skills can I I can get to be to have a what kind of degree? I said, maybe I need to to help people. I need to understand people. Mhmm. I need to understand the functioning of people and to better serve them, to better help them.

44:04And at the same time, that's you know how God works? I don't know. It's there's no nothing is random. So we were talking about that. In the at the same the same time, I I heard that ad on that ad on EWTN. Said, yeah. This is it. So I called actually, I called someone who's I think it's Rob Rob who was there. I don't think he's he's still there when the. Yeah. So I called I called him, said, ah, yeah. That's what we discussed. That's how I I I end up in DMU. And when he he told me about the the the concept of c c c c m m p, at at that time, it was I IPS? Yes. Yes. Model. It was IPS model on our time for our times. But we so I said, ah, that is interesting. And then this is I like it. I like that.

45:04So yeah. That's That's how that's how I started, and I find I found myself in in the the m in the MSP, and I loved it. And I and I kept going, going. And then you so when you started the MSP, it was just more so to keep yourself busy because you wanted to just keep learning and growing and enhancing the skills that you already had, but you didn't really know exactly what you're going to do at the end of it. Is that correct? I I I didn't know. I just wanted to prepare my after, my retirement. What do what we are do after my retirement? But I I want I I knew that I wanted to help people, but I didn't know how. Mhmm. So it's when I finished the program, I said, I cannot sit, go back and sit and watch TV, and it was the says, no.

45:58I'm not that person anymore. So that's how I started to go to visit to to to do volunteer work in a nursing home. Okay. In the yes. So you would would you say that going through the MSP really opened up your eyes kind of to new awareness of what was happening around you that allowed you to take steps to really become more fully who you're created to be and realize, you know, then as you said, you went to this nursing home and you knew you had a skill set, but I guess how did you get into life coaching? How did that become something that was on your radar after the MSP? It after the MSP. So, so definitely, I I thought when I began to speak, I said I I thought it was a total transformation. Yes.

46:50So I I I gave up on my cable TV, have no TV. I I changed my lifestyle, all my life my lifestyle. I used to sleep on on Saturday, like, I need to rest. I sleep until eleven. So I don't I'm no longer that person. So when I finished the the program, I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to give my time to others. That's amazing. So that I so that's how I started to go to see to the what can I do? Let me go see if they need me because I didn't even know that they need people to volunteer. I went there to ask, do you need people? I need to volunteer to to visit people, and they found that some people don't have a visit. I was the the only one visiting them, unfortunately. And and then from there, I I said, maybe there's a there's a something to do before before moving to the nursing home.

47:48Maybe there's some work to do to do preparation, to prepare the person, and to prepare the family because for the family, it is not easy to to put the the loved one in a nursing home where there's none. No. I want to stay home and yeah. It's a it's a it's a tough decision. Mhmm. Yeah. Well, and it's amazing because you you were awakened really to be able to view people and view them more holistically. So because of the MSP and going to volunteer with your MSP and that knowledge that you learned of not just the science, but also viewing the whole person, you were able to identify that there is a bigger problem here than just assigning to put, you know, your loved one into nursing home. But there were, there was a, a bridge that needed to be built in between choice a to choice b.

48:46And, you know, would you say that you would give some of that credit to the skills that you learned through the MSP to be able to recognize those? Totally. Yeah. Totally. In in a 100%. 100% to it is because, like I said, I was I was a person peep I was a people person before. I was really client oriented and nice to people, but I never thought about going there. Mhmm. I knew I never thought about giving my time to to to to them to people in a nursing home and go visit elderly people. And this also because my capstone project Mhmm. Actually, it was on elderly people veterans. We were elderly veterans. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Who have been in who have experienced a comeback experience with PTSD because I wanted to do, for people who went through a genocide, but I thought it was it would be too much because it would it would take me back to my my my old stuff.

49:54I don't know. I don't want that. So so I went to see they're doing it because it is lighter. Right. Which is wild. It's lighter. Instead of going to ask people who went through the genocide, no. I don't want to go back there. Mhmm. It was too much. Yeah. Well, that I mean, I love that. I love hearing that skill set that you learned allowed you to really move into this new phase of your life and this new calling that you really have. And I Everything is I owe everything to MSP, actually. Everything to MSP. Yeah. I bought that. The the empathy, the the the listening skills, the the fact that to see the person the person before me, the the elderly person is the is they have the that inner dignity.

50:46We don't change. We are still in made in the image of God and likeness of God and with that inner dignity. And that actually what I, I bring to people that message. You are not old because they lose confidence in them. They say, my my kids sent me here because, they don't no longer I'm no longer I am useless. No. You are not useless. At each stage of life, you are you you have a mission. You have a life has a meaning. That's a purpose at each, each stage of life throughout the lifespan. Oh my gosh. What a gift you are to every person that you work with to remind them of the goodness inside of them when they seem to forget. Well, now the million dollar question of everyone is, is grad school affordable?

51:40And I will say that at DMU that we have our own in house financial aid department that is committed to making sure that grad school is as affordable as we can make it for each student. We do not give any full ride scholarships, but we do have multiple scholarship availabilities through the university for students to take advantage of. Financial aid will always ask for every person to fill up the FAFSA to see if you would qualify or what you would qualify for. If you are interested in receiving student loans, you're absolutely able to and then financial aid will work with you to help you figure out which scholarships you would qualify for and help you walk through that process. So I wanted to go through the cost breakdown really quickly of the tuition and fees.

52:30So the tuition for the MSP program is $826 per credit hour and there are thirty three credit hours. Then there is also a $50 technology fee per course. So there's 11 courses. So you can see very easily here that how that math breaks down to $27,808 For those of you who are on this webinar tonight and are interested in applying, if you shoot me an email, I will send you a application fee waiver, to go ahead and apply for the program. And then I also wanted to share with everyone that those of you who are maybe on the fence or, you know, are making a decision after tonight's webinar, that if you are able to complete your application before the end of September, so that's two more days, there will be an additional $1,500 early application scholarship that you would qualify for.

53:25And if you want to shoot me an email after this, I'd be more than happy to talk with you more in-depth about that. So we are coming to a close of our presentation. And I just wanna leave you with a few questions to really reflect upon after you've listened to what the MSP opportunity is and you've heard Bernadette's story and how it's impacted her life in so many deep and life changing ways. Just to think about some of these questions if you're still discerning what your next step is. So will the completion of the master's in psychology help you attain the goals that you have for your future? Is the program scheduling and requirements for successful completion workable within your schedule?

54:09Do the financial opportunities discussed along with support from financial aid make our program seem affordable? And can you commit to the successful completion of the MSP program if it if you are accepted into it? I would love to talk with those of you that are interested or have additional questions. I'd love to schedule a time one on one to answer any of those questions, to go more in-depth with you about what you're thinking and how you're feeling. I'd be happy to answer as many questions as I can about our financial offerings for our students. You know, my job here is to help you make the best decision. I want you to succeed. I want you to continue along the path that God's created for you.

54:57So this is my information. Again, you will be, receiving a link for this webinar when it's up on YouTube in the next week. And, if you're interested in the slides themselves, I can definitely send those to you, but I would be more than happy to schedule one on one to talk more in-depth with you about the MSP opportunity, to answer any additional questions that you may have as you allow things to simmer after tonight's webinar. And at this point, I would love to just thank you again, Bernadette so much for being on this webinar this evening, you have brought so much invaluable information about your experience in the program about the real life of being a student in the MSP program, and not just as a student, but also as a real person in with the MSP walking around in real life and how it's just changed you and molded you into the best version of yourself for the people around you.

55:52So thank you so much for taking the time tonight to be here. Thank you. But I I I want to add something that if so I had so many so so many excuses or, limiting beliefs, such as the English is not my first language, my third language. I don't I won't be I am too old. I am very busy of this. So I have so I had so many limiting beliefs that wanted to push me to drag me down back in my old system. So if I can if I I made it if I could if I did it, I think anyone can make it. Mhmm. Really. That is my my and I I wish everybody, everyone who wants to apply to register for this program to do so. And if they have question, I'm still available from on, by email or by calling me. I will be happy to to give more, more of my advice.

56:58Well, that's wonderful. Thank you. That's so generous. And for those of you that have any additional questions for Bernadette, again, her information is in the chat, so please be sure to shoot her an email, or give her a phone call. She has so much wonderful wisdom and knowledge to share. I'm sure she'll be happy to help you. If you're still wanting some questions answered in your discernment. So, well, thank you so much, Bernadette. I appreciate it so much. Thank you everyone who is here tonight. I appreciate you taking the time to learn more about the master's in psychology, and I will look forward to connecting with you soon. Have a blessed evening, everyone. Thank you. Thank you, Maria.

57:37Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Roberto.