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The Graduate School Process

Discover career options in psychology, explore different areas like clinical, counseling, and school psychology, learn about APA divisions, licensing requirements, and educational pathways in clinical psychology. 8

maureenewilliams
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The Graduate School Process

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  1. The Graduate School Process

  2. 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

  3. Some areas of psychology • Clinical • Counseling • Social • Personality • Developmental • Biopsychology • School • Forensic • Cognitive • Experimental • Community • Health • Industrial Organizational Google: “areas in psychology”

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. …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!

  7. Clinical Psychology • General Career Pathways • Education options

  8. 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

  9. Work in Clinical Psychology • May be Research • May be Teaching • May be Practice • Therapy, treatment etc. • May be all three!

  10. Will I get rich? • Probably not • Will you earn a good living? • Probably so • Check APA.org for salary surveys

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. A few area MA Programs • Simmons • Assumption College • BU • BC • UMass Boston • UMass Amherst • UMass Lowell • Salem State • Worcester State

  26. 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 doand relate it to jobs and academic areas • Review different Graduate School offerings

  27. 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

  28. 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?

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. 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)

  33. School Admission Criteria • GRE scores • GPA • Personal Essay • Work experience • Letters of reference / recommendation • Interview • Samples of previous work (optional) • Financial Aid Application

  34. 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

  35. 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

  36. 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.

  37. Application Tips • Follow Directions of application • Start Early--Most applications due in December, January or February • Contact schools to be sure application is complete

  38. 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?

  39. 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)

  40. 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

  41. Questions to Ask Graduate Schools

  42. Plan Ahead !!!

  43. 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

  44. 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

  45. UMass Lowell Grad Programs How to Figure out Which Program and Increase Success of Getting Accepted

  46. Some areas of psychology • Clinical • Counseling • Social • Personality • Developmental • Biopsychology • School • Forensic • Behavioral • Cognitive • Experimental • Community • Health • I/O • Education Google: “areas in psychology”

  47. Some areas of psychology • Clinical • Counseling • Social • Personality • Developmental • Biopsychology • School • Forensic • Behavioral • Cognitive • Experimental • Community • Health • I/O Google: “areas in psychology”

  48. 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

  49. 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

  50. Behavior Intervention in Autism (BIA) • We offer 5 BIA courses within a post-baccalaureate graduate certificate. • 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 • 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

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