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