the graduate school process
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The Graduate School Process. Decide what you want to study. If not sure----You are not alone-- Don’t panic Do research on career options--use counselors, books, web, professional organizations, people. Some areas of psychology. Clinical Counseling Social Personality Developmental - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Graduate School ProcessThe Graduate School Process
Decide what you want to study
If not sure----You are not alone--Don’t panic– Do research on career options--use counselors,
books, web, professional organizations, people
Some areas of psychology
Clinical Counseling Social Personality Developmental Biopsychology School Forensic
Cognitive Experimental Community Health Industrial
Organizational
Google: “areas in psychology”
APA Divisions—one for everyone! Society for General Psychology Society for the Teaching of
Psychology Experimental Psychology Evaluation, Measurement, and
Statistics Behavioral Neuroscience and
Comparative Psychology Developmental Psychology Society for Personality and Social
Psychology Society for the Psychological Study of
Social Issues (SPSSI) Society for the Psychology of
Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts
Society of Clinical Psychology13Society of Consulting Psychology
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Educational Psychology School Psychology Society of Counseling Psychology Psychologists in Public Service Society for Military Psychology Adult Development and Aging Applied Experimental and Engineering
Psychology Rehabilitation Psychology Society for Consumer Psychology
APA Divisions—but wait there’s more!
Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
Behavior Analysis Society for the History of Psychology Society for Community Research and
Action: Division of Community Psychology
Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse
Psychotherapy Society of Psychological Hypnosis State, Provincial and Territorial
Psychological Association Affairs Society for Humanistic Psychology Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities
Society for Environmental, Population and Conservation Psychology
Society for the Psychology of Women Society for the Psychology of Religion
and Spirituality Society for Child and Family Policy
and Practice Health Psychology Psychoanalysis Clinical Neuropsychology American Psychology-Law Society Psychologists in Independent Practice Society for Family Psychology Society for the Psychological Study of
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues
…and more…. Society for the Psychological Study of
Ethnic Minority Issues Media Psychology Exercise and Sport Psychology Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict,
and Violence: Peace Psychology Division
Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy
Society of Addiction Psychology Society for the Psychological Study of
Men and Masculinity International Psychology Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent
Psychology
Society of Pediatric Psychology American Society for the Advancement
of Pharmacotherapy Trauma Psychology
**Most of these represent areas for graduate study!
Clinical Psychology
General Career Pathways Education options
What does “clinical psychology” mean as an area of work and education?
Related to the study and treatment of mental illness
Related to the study and promotion of mental health
This is not limited only to “clinical” populations
May also include “non-clinical” populations
Work in Clinical Psychology
May be Research May be Teaching May be Practice
– Therapy, treatment etc.
May be all three!
Will I get rich?
Probably not Will you earn a good living?
– Probably so
Check APA.org for salary surveys
What about Getting a “License”?
To “do therapy” you need a license If you seek a Ph.D. only to do research (which
is really what the Ph.D. is for) you don’t need a license—though you can get one
The PsyD and many MA degrees provide options for licensure
Getting a license requires a combination of coursework and therapy training
Licensure is on a state-by-state basis
Some Licensable Degrees
Ph.D. Psy.D. M.D. MSW M.Ed Masters in School Psychology Masters in Counseling Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy* MS in Autism Studies
Educations related to Clinical Psychology
Ph.D.– This is a research and teaching oriented degree
– If you don’t like research you should not pursue it
– If you only and/or mostly want to do treatment, you should not pursue it
Ph.D. in Clinical A Scientist Practitioner Model Available through Universities
– Usually includes some funding
– If you don’t get funding you should not go
Very competitive– Programs typically get 300-600 applications in a year and take 6-8
applicants
Mentored (usually)– An applicant works with an individual faculty member
– Completes the masters and dissertation with this person
– Choice based on shared interests
More Ph.D. Includes clinical training
– Requires a one year clinical internship
Focus is on research– Quantitative/Qualitative
– Collecting data
– Publishing
A Ph.D. program is not just more/more difficult, classes It is possible to flunk out of a Ph.D. program
– It is not a degree to rush into
– If you aren’t really really sure, you are better off waiting
– And it helps tremendously to have research experience
– Consider working in a research lab for a year or two before applying
Psy.D.
This is a clinical treatment oriented doctoral degree
Four years (typically) of coursework and training
Focused on clinical work Research is a minor focus, but necessary Whether it requires an internship varies by
state Licensure requirements vary by state
Psy.D.
Programs are most often free standing professional degree programs– Like some law or medical schools
Accept a larger cohort than Ph.Ds– E.g. around 100 in a class
May not have much access to funding May be costly
Psychiatrist
A medical degree Requires you to go to medical school May lead to research Commonly leads to practice
– Private, clinic, hospital all common
Practice is usually oriented towards medication related treatment
It may also include therapy
MSW
Master of Social Work A two year degree Will confer an opportunity for a clinical
license Can be a treatment related degree Can also lead to other applied work
– Policy, community organizing, human services management
M.Ed.
Master of Education A two year degree typically May be a treatment related degree
– Can lead to licensure in counseling, school counseling, marital counseling
May be an education related degree– If you want to go into teaching and have a more advanced
understanding and training in the field
– Can also lead to licensure as a teaching professional
Masters in Counseling
Also a treatment related degree Typically two years Can lead to licensure in counseling May include individual, group, or system
related counseling work
Masters in School Psychology
May be a treatment degree Typically two years Usually orients towards working within a
secondary school system Clinical treatment Assessment and testing
MA in Marital and Family Therapy
Programs that focus education specifically on this area
Not all states offer licensure You should check the program/state
guidelines carefully to be certain
Some programs in the area
Ph.D. in Clinical– Umass Boston (also counseling and school psych)
– Clark University
– Umass Amherst
– Harvard
– Northeastern (Ph.D. in counseling)
– BU
– BC
Psy.D. in Clinical– Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
A few area MA Programs
Simmons Assumption College BU BC UMass Boston UMass Amherst UMass Lowell Salem State Worcester State
Deciding what to study (cont)
Talk to a Career Counselor 978-934-2355 Talk to people ---professors, friends, alumni---
---INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS
Get experience in different fields to better understand options
Think about what you really like to do and relate it to jobs and academic areas
Review different Graduate School offerings
Initial Graduate School Search
Do a google search with key words that are most relevant to your search:– “graduate program” plus
Area of psychology (clinical, social, developmental) Location Type of degree (MA, PhD, MFCC)
Apa.org – American Psychological Association link on graduate & postdoctoral education– http://www.apa.org/education/grad/index.aspx
Researching Graduate Schools
Compile list of schools offering your field of study –Directories and web sites list
schools by fields of study – http://www.psychgrad.org/
Talk to people about schools’ programs– Professors– Administrators– Staff members– Professionals– Friends
Read professional journals--what schools are represented / professors?
Narrow the list of schools Location Admission requirements - Test scores,
grades, field experience, ... Time frame of program -
– Day, evening, part-time, full-time----Start time also
Narrow list of schools (cont) Reputation and mission of school, program
Programs and coursework offered
Professors’ backgrounds and interests
Current Students’ and Alumni’s comments
Accessibility of faculty
Accreditation
Choosing a School
“Attend the best school to which you have been accepted and can afford”
Academic Requirements – Entrance Test Scores
– Grades
Class and Program Offerings – Cost
Financial Package offered to you– Free Monies - Scholarships, fellowships, grants
– Loans
– Graduate Assistantships: teaching, research, administrative, resident halls
Choosing a School (cont)
Size of student body in relation to size of faculty
Facilities (library, housing, study space, etc.)
Demographics of student body
Enrollment and class size
Make a site visit (research professors before visit)
School Admission Criteria GRE scores
GPA
Personal Essay
Work experience
Letters of reference / recommendation
Interview
Samples of previous work (optional)
Financial Aid Application
Graduate Record Exam(GRE)
Computer adaptive test General aptitude test of three parts
– Analytical– Verbal– Quantitative– $fee
GRE Subject test – 8 tests of major fields of study-ex. Biology, Psychology
– Is not computerized– $fee– check with school if required
http://www.gre.org
Potential Benefits of Waiting a Year or More
Work in related profession and decide if field is right for you
Earn money to help pay for education
Gain work experience which may assist admissions chances
Relax before the rigors of Graduate school
Mature
Potential Costs of Waiting a Year or More
May lose some reading, writing, and analytical skills
May be difficult to motivate yourself to go back to school (may indicate your desire was not as strong as you had thought)
The longer you wait, the longer it will take to finish
Some schools have a deferment policy May lose contact with references: Go ahead
and secure letters of recommendation before leave undergraduate institution.
Application Tips
Follow Directions of application Start Early--Most applications due in December,
January or February Contact schools to be sure application is complete
Letters of Recommendation
Should come from people who know you well enough to offer a truly informed assessment of your abilities
Academic references carry most weight Provide your references with
– a copy of your personal statement and CV
– Instructions on how the letter should be submitted
May be a checklist format or a letter request– *** Which box do you check? Do you waive your right to
view the letter?
Personal Statement
Usually in some manner covers the question: Who are you, and why do you want to go to
graduate school? Include your “plan” for graduate school
– research and experiences you hope to attain at that specific program
Writing should be clear and concise Draw attention away from your weak points by
focusing on your strengths. Try to not exceed 2 pages (length may be mandated)
Funding Graduate School
Forms of financial aid
–Grants / scholarships which do not require repayment
–Scholarships: check out www.fastweb.monster.com
–Wages, which are provided in return for work
– Loans, which require repayment 75% students finance education with
loans
Questions to Ask Graduate Schools
Plan Ahead !!!
Time table Spring semester of your junior year:
– think about what type of program you're interested in
– start talking to the faculty
– if you haven't already done so, find out if you can get involved in faculty research or an Independent Study project; consider taking a fieldwork course
Summer before your senior year:look over Graduate Study in Psychology – make a rough list of schools you might apply to
– start writing your personal statement
– begin studying for the GREs
Time table Fall semester of your senior year
– near the start of the semester, write to schools for information about their programs
– as you receive this information, start making your final list of schools you will apply to
– IN OCTOBER TAKE THE GREs
– near the end of the semester, ask professors to write letters of recommendation
After the fall semester– complete your applications and send them off -deadlines may be in
January, February, or March, depending on the school
– if possible, visit the schools
UMass Lowell Grad Programs
How to Figure out Which Program and Increase Success of Getting Accepted
Some areas of psychology Clinical Counseling Social Personality Developmental Biopsychology School Forensic Behavioral
Cognitive Experimental Community Health I/O Education
Google: “areas in psychology”
Some areas of psychology Clinical Counseling Social Personality Developmental Biopsychology School Forensic Behavioral
Cognitive Experimental Community Health I/O
Google: “areas in psychology”
M.A. in Community Psychology
Faculty and students share a commitment to social justice and the empowerment of all citizens
Designed to help students understand the complex relationships between individual, family and community well-being
M.S. in Autism Studies
Launched in September 2012 42 credit program Mix of online and on-campus courses Enables individuals to meet the education,
experience and supervision requirements for board certification
Behavior Intervention in Autism (BIA)
We offer 5 BIA courses within a post-baccalaureate graduate certificate.
1. You can complete the certificate with 4 of the 5 courses, or 3 plus an approved elective. This is designed for those just beginning their graduate study
2. You can complete the certificate with all 5 BIA courses. – This option is designed for those who already possess or are currently
pursuing a master's degree
– All 5 of our BIA courses enable you to meet the education requirements for national certification as a Behavior Analyst
How do I figure out which program is right for me?
1. GET INVOLVED!!! Volunteer (see craigs list) Work in the field (Melmark, May Institute) Conduct research with faculty Volunteer to participate in research Interview faculty Take advantage of all of your opportunities Join Psychology Club