Psychology - Graduate Programs
Objective
The objective of graduate work in psychology is to educate the student in the methods and basic content of the discipline and to provide an apprenticeship in the execution of creative research.
Graduate work in the master's program and doctoral program will be offered in psychology. Students' individual programs of work may be arranged to give emphasis to a particular aspect of the general program.
Within this framework, options include, but are not limited to, Animal Behavior and Animal Learning, Cognition and Perception, Developmental, Health Psychology and Neuroscience, Industrial/Organizational, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Social-Personality Psychology. Students specializing in Cognition and Perception may include, in addition to their area C courses (described below), advanced topical seminars in their area of specialty. In addition to core courses (see area A) for those interested in Behavioral Neuroscience, seminars offered in the recent past include Aggression and Nociception. For those seeking expertise in the Social-Personality area, in addition to the area B courses, seminars have included topics such as Social Influence and Empathetic Accuracy and Intersubjectivity.
Research Involvement-Since the Department of Psychology believes that graduate training should involve the student continuously in the research process, students are encouraged to make personal contacts by letter or e-mail with faculty members of their choice. A description of the faculty and their areas of research may be obtained by consulting the department Web page at www.uta.edu/psychology or by writing to or calling the department at 817.272.2281. Every effort will be made to assign the incoming student to a faculty member of choice, but priority is given to those who have discussed their placement in advance.
Deadline for Financial Aid Applications-Students who wish to be considered for assistantships should have their applications and departmental forms sent to The University of Texas at Arlington by February 1 for the fall Semester.
Admissions Criteria
There are no fixed criteria for admission to the M.S. or Ph.D. programs in Psychology; many aspects of the student's application inform our admission decisions, but a complete application package before January 15th is highly recommended. There are, though, some standard requirements. A student is expected to have successfully completed the appropriate work prior to admission, including an undergraduate B.A. or B.S. degree. The Office of Graduate Studies requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate work for unconditional admission to the program. For advancement to Ph.D candidacy in Psychology, a minimum of 30 graduate hours with a GPA of 3.0 or better as calculated by the Graduate School is required. In addition the application for advancement to candidacy in the PhD program is reviewed by the Graduate Faculty Committee. The Department of Psychology strongly encourages undergraduate courses in statistics and experimental methods prior to admission.
A. Admissions Focus
Graduate admissions committees are subcommittees of the Graduate Studies Committee. Each specialization (i.e., experimental sciences, health/neuroscience, I/O) will convene an admissions committee to make recommendations to the Graduate Studies Committee regarding advisors of applicants. Each is composed of faculty representatives from the specialization, the graduate advisor and the Department Chairperson. Our admissions decision is based on interpretation of indications of potential success in the program. The following points are generally considered:
- Grade point average. Most candidates for admissions present averages greater than 3.2. We do, however, examine the applicant's coursework as evidence of research interest. Positive indicators of success in our program include greater than average work in biological and physical sciences, mathematics and psychology. In similar fashion, evidence of research experience is viewed as a predictor of future research potential. For students interested in specialization in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology at the Master's level appropriate coursework is taken into consideration.
- Submission of Verbal and Mathematics GRE scores is required. High GRE scores are viewed positively, but lower GRE scores need not exclude a candidate who shows positive indicators in other areas. We do not require the GRE Subject Test in Psychology.
- Letters of reference. These are important insofar as they offer evidence of commitment to experimental research, the ability to think critically and creativity, and to integrate knowledge. They also provide additional information about a candidate's experience. Evidence of success in employment relevant to I/O psychology will be considered for the Master's degree in that area.
- The personal statement ("essay on educational goals") is required. This should describe the applicant's laboratory, field, or applied interests, career plans, along with a discussion of how the UT Arlington program can serve to further these interests and plans, and will be examined for evidence of the appropriateness of the candidate to the UT Arlington program. The personal statement should contain information about the student's intended specialization and preferred faculty mentors. Students are encouraged to contact specific faculty members during the application process.
- Finally, successful completion of a Master's degree in another department may be viewed positively even when the degree was received in an area outside of psychology. In this latter case, some conditions in terms of make-up (or deficiency) coursework may be specified.
In sum, the Department's mission is primarily to prepare students to conduct cutting-edge research in psychological science. Therefore, we seek students who show aptitude in, as well as motivation for, research.
B. Admission Status and Eligibility for Assistantship/Fellowship
- Probationary Admission: If an applicant does not evidence a majority of the positive indicators for the unconditional admission described above, they may, after careful examination of their application materials be given probationary admission. Probationary admission requires that the new student receive a B or better in the first 9-12 hours of graduate course work at UT Arlington.
- Deferred Admission: A deferred decision may be granted when a file is incomplete or when denial of admission is not currently appropriate.
- Provisional Admission: An applicant unable to supply all documentation (including certified transcripts, GRE scores, letters of reference, and personal statements) prior to the admission deadline, but otherwise appears to meet admission requirements, may be granted provisional admission.
- Denial of Admission: Applicants whose records in the aggregate do not show sufficient positive indications of potential success will be denied admission. Please note that not all "qualified" applicants are admitted. Successful admission depends upon the competitiveness of the applicant pool, the number of positions available, and the applicant's fit with the current research interests of the faculty.
- Eligibility for Assistanship/Fellowship: Students who wish to be considered for assistantships should have their application and Department forms sent to The University of Texas at Arlington by February 1st for the Fall Semester. Students unconditionally admitted to the program are eligible for scholarship and fellowship support. Students who are provisionally admitted (pending receipt of their transcript or because they are international students who have not yet met the English language requirement) can receive 1-semester waiver from the Graduate School to hold the assistantship until these missing items have been received. International graduate teaching assistants who make scores that fall below the required test score on the TSE, SEA, or Speaking Section of the TOEFL iBT test must contact the English Language Institute Office at 817-272-2730 or at http://eli.uta.edu .
The Criteria applied will be the same as those applied to admission decisions. To be eligible, candidates typically must: be a new student, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours, plus any graduate credit hours as calculated by the Graduate School; and be enrolled in a minimum of 9 hours of course work in both long semesters (and 6 hours in the Summer) to retain their fellowships (see section entitled "Department Enrollment Policy" below). Assistantship assignments are made by the Department Chairperson in consultation with the Associate Chair and the Graduate Advisors. Students may be eligible for other forms of support including fellowships. Please refer to the Graduate School for further information under Financial Aid Resources(http://grad.pci.uta.edu/students/finances/ ).
C. UT Arlington Graduates
GRE requirements: Submission of Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing GRE scores is required of all applicants, including UT Arlington alumni.
Advanced Admission of Outstanding Undergraduates: Students with extraordinarily strong undergraduate records at UT Arlington may receive advanced admission to the program without having to pass through the normal application process. Qualified students will be able to gain admission without completing a formal application or paying application fees. The following conditions must be met in order to qualify for advanced admission of outstanding undergraduates:
- The student must provide a brief letter to the Graduate Advisor indicating his/her desire to receive consideration under the Advanced Admission of Outstanding Undergraduates policy describing what sub-discipline in psychology is currently his/her intended area of specialization.
- The student must obtain two written recommendations from faculty members how have sufficient familiarity with the students to make an informed judgment concerning the student's likelihood of success in graduate studies in Psychology. These persons will submit their evaluations to the Psychology Department's Graduate Advisor. If the recommendations are favorable, the Graduate Advisor will determine if the student meets the remaining requirements and forward the application to the Graduate Admissions Committee.
- The student must be in his/her last year of study at UT Arlington or have graduated UT Arlington no more than one academic year prior to the time he/she wish to begin graduate study.
- The Student's GPA must equal or exceed 3.5 in each of the following calculations:
- All courses completed to date
- All 3000-4000 level Psychology coures
- The student must still submit GRE scores as described previously.
Master's Degree Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined elsewhere, the Department of Psychology will require undergraduate courses in statistics and in experimental methods. These courses may be taken as deficiency courses.
Degree requirements for the Department of Psychology are established by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Psychology and supplement those established by the University (see general requirements of the Graduate School as stated under the section entitled "Admission Requirements and Procedures").
Each entering graduate student will be furnished a copy of the departmental rules which will serve as guidelines for departmental actions and recommendations.Students are urged to consult the Department of Psychology's Graduate Student Handbook to obtain the most up-to-date information on department policies and practices that may impact their degree plans.
Each student must adhere to the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association.
Master of Science Degree in Psychology
As soon as is feasible, a student should decide on an area for specialization and research. After discussion with, and consent of the involved faculty members, the student selects a supervising professor and a thesis committee. No student may enroll in PSYC 5698 THESIS (Thesis - 6 hours) until the thesis committee has approved a proposal for the thesis project.
The MS program in Psychology requires completion of a Master's thesis (with the exception of the I/O program) and may be considered either as a terminal degree program or as preparation for doctoral work. Advancement to candidacy for the PhD degree requires completion of a Master's degree in a specialization in psychology or a "Master's equivalency paper". The MS thesis proposal must be approved by a thesis committee consisting of at least three members of the Psychology graduate faculty (additional members are optional) before the candidate for the MS degree may enroll in PSYC 5698 (Thesis - 6 hours). The completed thesis must receive final approval by the committee in an oral defense, which is open to any interested member of the Department, including students.
Students are to make announcements informing the local academic community about their upcoming defense at the time they submit the request for the thesis examination. A Request for Final Master's Examination form must be completed, signed, and filed no later than two weeks before the proposed examination date( see Graduate Calendar). A Final Master's Examination Report must be completed, signed and filed no later than two weeks before the date on which the candidate expects the degree to be conferred. For students who elect the thesis substitute, the final examinations(s) will be determined and administered by all of the members of the student's supervising committee. As above, a Request for Final Master's Examination form and a Final Examination Report must be filed by the dates listed in the Graduate Calendar.
Specialization in Experimental Psychology
30 hours, including six hours of thesis are required for this option. The program is designed to form the basis for the doctoral program. It is, however, open to those seeking a terminal master's degree. Required courses include:
| PSYC 5405 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
| PSYC 5407 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| Select four of the following courses, at least one from each area A, B, and C: 1 | ||
| Area A | ||
| BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| Area B | ||
| PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| Area C | ||
| HIGHER MENTAL PROCESSES | ||
| HUMAN LEARNING AND MEMORY | ||
| 1 | Experimental psychology students also have the option of taking PSYC 5309 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY for the fourth core course. |
Specialization in Health Psychology and Neuroscience
30 hours in psychology, including six hours of thesis are required for this option. The program is designed to form the foundational work for the doctoral program. Students are required to complete:
| Statistics Sequence | ||
| PSYC 5405 & PSYC 5407 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I and EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | 8 |
| Core Courses | ||
| PSYC 5307 | RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| PSYC 5309 | HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| HIGHER MENTAL PROCESSES | ||
| COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT | ||
| HUMAN LEARNING AND MEMORY | ||
| ANIMAL LEARNING | ||
| Biological Foundations Course | ||
| PSYC 5333 | BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | 3 |
| In addition, students should enroll in the following course each long semester of graduate study: | ||
| PROSEMINAR IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | ||
Please see the department's Graduate Handbook for suggested course sequences and degree plans. As for the experimental psychology specialization, thesis research and document are also required.
Specialization in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology
44 hours (47 with thesis option) in psychology are required for this degree. The program offers both a thesis and a non-thesis option; however, all students are admitted under the non-thesis route. All students in the program will be required to conduct research related to I/O psychology. Required psychology courses include:
| PSYC 5405 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
| PSYC 5407 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| PSYC 5322 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSYC 5323 | GROUP PROCESSES | 3 |
| PSYC 5324 | APPLIED RESEARCH DESIGN | 3 |
| PSYC 5325 | ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR | 3 |
| PSYC 5326 | EMPLOYEE SELECTION | 3 |
| PSYC 5328 | EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS | 3 |
| PSYC 5329 | PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| PSYC 6349 | PSYCHOMETRIC THEORY | 3 |
| Approved Management Elective | 3 | |
| PSYC 5327 | INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL INTERNSHIP | 3 |
(Take PSYC 5327 in both Spring Semesters) | ||
| PSYC 5391 | RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY | 3-6 |
| or PSYC 5698 | THESIS | |
Students typically complete their thesis or non-thesis option (Individual Research) at the end of their second year.
A typical program of study looks like this:
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| PSYC 5405 | 4 | PSYC 5407 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
or | or | ||
| PSYC 5322 | 3 | PSYC 5327 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
or | |||
Management Elective A | |||
| 10 | 13 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| PSYC 5324 | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
or | |||
or | |||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| PSYC 6349 | 3 | ||
or | |||
Management Elective B | |||
| PSYC 5327 | 3 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-6 | ||
| Thesis (6 hours) | |||
| Individual Research (3 hours) | |||
| 9 | 12-15 | ||
| Total Hours: 44-47 | |||
Students who begin the I/O psychology program in odd numbered years (for example 2013, 2015) will take the courses marked with a Superscript “A” in the sequence presented.
Students who begin the I/O psychology program in even numbered years (for example 2012, 2014) will take the courses marked with a Superscript “B” in the sequence presented.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined elsewhere, the Department of Psychology will require undergraduate courses in statistics and in experimental methods. These courses may be taken as deficiency courses.
Degree requirements for the Department of Psychology are established by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Psychology and supplement those established by the University (see general requirements of the Graduate School as stated under the section entitled "Admission Requirements and Procedures").
Each entering graduate student will be furnished a copy of the departmental rules which will serve as guidelines for departmental actions and recommendations.Students are urged to consult the Department of Psychology's Graduate Student Handbook to obtain the most up-to-date information on department policies and practices that may impact their degree plans.
Each student must adhere to the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association.
Doctor of Philosophy
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in psychology requires distinguished attainments in both scholarship and original research, and the deep understanding of the strategic role of thoughtful research in the development of an empirical science. Although the student must meet the minimum requirements of a planned course of study, the ultimate basis for conferring the degree must be the demonstrated ability to do independent and creative work, and the exhibition of a profound grasp of the subject matter of the field.
Computer Knowledge Requirement: Because of the fundamental and varied ways in which computers are applied in psychology, students are expected to understand their use and application in psychological research. Specifically, students are expected to demonstrate competence in the use of operating systems such as Windows or the Macintosh System, e-mail and other aspects of the Internet, standard office packages, data bases, programming languages (with specific reference to the programming of psychological experiments) and statistical packages such as SAS and SPSS. This computer knowledge requirement has been established in lieu of the foreign language requirement.
Specialization in Experimental Psychology
The specialization in experimental psychology allows students to work in a general experimental context while specializing in one of several areas (e.g., cognitive psychology, social psychology, industrial/organizational, and so on).
Course requirements: Graduate students entering the experimental specialization will be required to take the following courses during their first four semesters of enrollment. Exceptions may be made only with written permission of the Committee on Graduate Studies.
| PSYC 5110 & PSYC 5112 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT II | 2 |
| PSYC 5405 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
| PSYC 5407 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | 4 |
| Select four of the following courses, at least one from each area A, B, and C: 1 | 12 | |
Area A | ||
| BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
Area B | ||
| PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
Area C | ||
| HIGHER MENTAL PROCESSES | ||
| HUMAN LEARNING AND MEMORY | ||
| 1 | Experimental psychology students also have the option of taking PSYC 5309 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY for the fourth core course. |
Students with prior graduate work may be waived from any of the above requirements by a written request to the Graduate Studies Committee. The request should include a syllabus or other documentation showing that a prior course and one of our required courses are equivalent. Students should discuss course equivalency with the professor(s) who teach the course(s) in question before submitting a request. Having fulfilled the above, the following are required:
- Eight courses (24 hours) from among lectures and seminars (PSYC 6300).
- Two six-hour research courses. These may be taken from PSYC 5698 THESIS or PSYC 5600 ADVANCED RESEARCH. Students who plan to obtain the MS should elect PSYC 5698 THESIS as one of the research courses and students who do not plan to obtain the MS should select two sections of PSYC 5600 ADVANCED RESEARCH. If the student does not elect to obtain the MS, one of the research courses must result in a formal thesis-equivalent paper, which will be evaluated by a committee and defended in an oral examination. The two research courses are a minimum requirement. Students are strongly encouraged to take PSYC 5391 RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY or PSYC 6391 RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY before taking PSYC 5600 ADVANCED RESEARCH and PSYC 5698 THESIS.
- Additional hours of coursework to be determined by the Graduate Advisor and dissertation committee. The student should plan to take approximately 86 hours including PSYC 6999 DISSERTATION. At least 46 of these hours must be in organized courses, lectures or seminars. No student may enroll in a dissertation course until the dissertation committee has approved a proposal for the dissertation project.
A student has completed the course requirements when he or she has:
- Maintained at least a B average in in all courses.
A typical program of study might look like this:
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Statistics I | Statistics II | ||
| An A, B or C core course | An A, B or C core course | ||
| Professional Development I | Professional Development II | ||
| Readings and/or Research elective | Readings and/or Research elective | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| An A, B, or C core course | An A, B, or C core course | ||
| Seminar | Seminar | ||
| Lecture Electives and/or Thesis | Lecture Electives and/or Thesis | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Lecture Electives and/or Thesis | Lecture Electives and/or Seminar | ||
| Seminar | Readings and/or Research elective | ||
| Readings and/or Research elective | |||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Lecture Electives and/or Thesis | Lecture Electives and/or Thesis | ||
| Seminar | Seminar | ||
| Readings and/or Research elective Dissertation Research | Readings and/or Research elective Dissertation Research | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Dissertation Research | Dissertation Research | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Total Hours: 0 | |||
Note: This is based on a 5-year program of study. Students may adjust the speed at which milestones are achieved by adding 4th year courses earlier.
Prerequisite Conditions for the Qualifying Examination
In order to begin working on the qualifying exam, students must complete the Departmental MS Core Curriculum requirements as set forth elsewhere in the catalog. Generally, these course requirements will be met within the first two years of graduate enrollment. Students must also satisfactorily participate in the Research Progress Symposium (RPS). Finally, a Master's Thesis (or equivalent) must be completed. Students entering the program with a master's degree must complete the Departmental MS Core Curriculum requirements and satisfactorily participate in the RPS before being invited to begin work on the Qualifying Examination. Upon completion of these prerequisite conditions, students have one year to complete their Qualifying Examination. This process consists of a Major Area Paper (MAP) and an oral defense, both of which must be completed within one year.
MAP and MAP Oral Defense
The MAP consists of a comprehensive review paper, which is a summary, integration, and critical review of the literature relevant to a general theme or topic. It is expected that the student will offer a novel and forward-thinking perspective on the topic area. The MAP does not directly propose research hypotheses and designs, nor does it involve the collection of primary-level data. It may be either a quantitative review (i.e., a meta-analysis) or a more qualitative review. It should contain a concluding section in which novel ideas are proposed and elaborated upon, and which will form a basis for the MAP Oral Defense. The topic area and scope of the MAP will be developed with the student's primary faculty mentor and one or two other Department of Psychology Faculty members. The preferred size of the Qualifying Examination Reading Committee is three members, but a two-member Committee is acceptable if an appropriate third member is not available. Students may consult their Committee members for general comments and direction concerning the MAP, but Committee member involvement in the writing of the MAP (including that of the student's Faculty mentor) is expected to be minimal.
Upon submission of the MAP document to the Qualifying Examination Reading Committee, the Committee will evaluate the MAP in terms of its potential contribution to the student's chosen field, and in terms of the degree to which it represents Ph.D.-level thinking, communication, independence, and scholarship. Ordinarily, the Qualifying Examination Reading Committee will take no longer than two weeks to evaluate the MAP and communicate their decision to the student. If the Committee determines that the MAP is unacceptable, the student will be given three months to revise it for a second evaluation by the Committee. If the revised version of the MAP is also judged to be unacceptable, the student will not be invited to pursue the Ph.D. degree in the UT Arlington Graduate Program in Psychology. Such a student's Master's degree will thus be his/her terminal degree.
If and when the MAP is deemed acceptable by the Committee, the Committee will invite the student to a MAP Oral Defense, which will take place no sooner than two weeks following communication from the Committee to the student that the student's MAP is acceptable. The MAP Oral Defense consists only of the student and Committee members, and is not open to other students, faculty, staff, or the general public. In this meeting, which will normally last between 90 and 120 minutes, Committee members will assess the student's knowledge of the topic area, the theoretical background, the methodologies likely to be employed in related research, limitations to the ideas, and conceptual and practical connections to related issues. The Committee will determine whether or not the student has clearly passed the examination, clearly failed, or passed with conditions which must be met before Ph.D. Candidacy is recommended. Upon passing both the MAP and the MAP Oral Defense, a Diagnostic Evaluation Report form must be completed, signed, and filed.
DISSERTATION
Upon satisfactory completion of both the MAP and the MAP Oral Defense, students should assemble a Dissertation Committee, which consists of their Faculty mentor and four other faculty members, for a total of five committee members. Students will meet with this Committee to present the proposed research and to solicit input concerning the best ways to accomplish the goals of the Dissertation Proposal. The Dissertation research may be related to, or based upon, the MAP, but this is not required. Upon approval of the Dissertation conceptualization, design, and methods, students will proceed in carrying out the approved plan of research. Please consult the Graduate Catalog and Department Handbook for general expectations regarding the Dissertation.
In addition, consult the Graduate Catalog and Department Handbook for general expectations regarding timelines. Typically, students will complete their Master's Thesis (or equivalent) in the 2nd or 3rd year of graduate studies. Ordinarily, the Qualifying Examination will be completed within one year of successfully completing the prerequisite conditions as outlined above. Because both the MAP and the MAP Oral Defense have a two-week review and planning period, respectively, students must take these weeks into account when planning completion of the Qualifying Examination within one year. Students are also advised to be cognizant of these time frames in the event that they are required to revise their MAP. If the MAP and MAP Oral Defense have not been completed within one year of completion of all prerequisite conditions, students must submit a written explanation to their Qualifying Examination Reading Committee, detailing their progress and their anticipated completion date. Failure to complete the MAP and MAP Oral Defense within one year will also be a consideration in GTA funding decisions.
Comprehensive Examination: Presentation of a dissertation proposal to the student's dissertation supervisory committee constitutes the doctoral "comprehensive examination" for the Department of Psychology. A Request for Comprehensive Examination (PhD) form must be submitted prior to the presentation. A Results of Comprehensive Examination (PhD) form must be submitted after the presentation. These forms are available on-line. Approval of the dissertation proposal by the dissertation supervisory committee is needed before the student is considered to have passed the comprehensive examination.
Specialization in Health Psychology and Neuroscience
The concentration in Health Psychology and Neuroscience is designed to train researchers in health/neuroscience and behavior, working at the cutting-edge or interdisciplinary, biomedical and biobehavioral investigation in areas such as pain, addiction, stress, psychoimmunology, memory, cancer and aging. Most research activity is based on the neurophysiological, biobehavioral, or biopsychosocial model of health and illness.
Course Requirements:
| PSYC 5110 & PSYC 5112 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT II | 2 |
| PSYC 5405 & PSYC 5407 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I and EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN | 8 |
| PSYC 5307 | RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| PSYC 5309 | HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY 1 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: 1 | ||
| HIGHER MENTAL PROCESSES | ||
| COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT | ||
| HUMAN LEARNING AND MEMORY | ||
| ANIMAL LEARNING | ||
| 1 | Core Courses. |
In addition, students are required to complete coursework in biological foundations, including systems physiology, neuroscience, and at least one relevant biological or biomedical specialty. A minimum of three foundations courses must be completed and these must include physiology (one of several approved courses offered in other UT departments), and PSYC 5333 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE. The third required foundations course must be an approved graduate level course in genetics, immunology, endocrinology, or other specialized biomedical topic available at UT Southwestern or another UT Arlington department.
Students must complete two professional development courses plus six electives (20 hours) in Psychology or in other UT departments that have been approved by the program over the entire course of study. At least 4 must be courses offered by the Department of Psychology. Most department offerings will satisfy this requirement. It is expected that these electives will be advanced seminars and research courses. Students will also be required to enroll and participate in the Health/Neuroscience Psychology Proseminar (PSYC 6101) which will meet weekly for 1 hour as a forum for a variety of seminar activities, presentations, MS or PhD defense, and so on. Students will enroll in this seminar every long semester for the first four years of graduate study.
Summary:
- 8 hours of Proseminar
- 8 hours of Statistics (2 courses)
- 9 hours of psychological foundations courses (methods, learning, health psychology)
- 9-12 hours biological foundations (3 courses, 3-4 credits each)
- 20 hours electives (At least five must be courses offered by the Department of Psychology)
- Thesis (6 hours) and Dissertation (9 hours) as required
A typical program of study might look like this:
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Statistics | Statistics | ||
| Research Methods | Health Psychology | ||
| Proseminar | Proseminar | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Physiology | Neuroscience | ||
| Elective | Learning | ||
| Proseminar | Proseminar | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Biological Elective | Elective | ||
| Elective | Elective | ||
| Proseminar | Proseminar | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Elective | Elective | ||
| Elective | Proseminar | ||
| Research Proseminar | |||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Fifth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Research | Research | ||
| 0 | 0 | ||
| Total Hours: 0 | |||
Note: This is based on a 5-year program of study. Students may adjust the speed at which milestones are achieved by adding 4th year courses earlier.
Research Requirements
Research requirements include general expectations of student involvement in research throughout their graduate career and specific milestones that must be accomplished in order, including the Research Progress Symposium, the Master's Thesis or equivalent paper, the Major Area Paper (MAP; Diagnosis/Qualifying Exam), the Dissertation Proposal (Comprehensive Exam), and the Dissertation Defense. University requirements mandate completion of six hours of Master's research and another six hours of Dissertation research in the semester that degree requirements will be completed.
Masters' research: Students must complete a significant research project with primary responsibility for its derivation, conduct, and/or analysis. Ordinarily this is done during the first two years of graduate study. This must be completed before students can seek candidacy for the PhD. Students must complete, analyze, and report on a major research project, part or all of which is primarily the student's responsibility. Typically this is an experiment or study. For formal acceptance of an approved thesis so that the student can obtain a MS, university guidelines apply. The thesis committee should consist of 3 program faculty. Alternatively, the committee shall determine accepted format if a MS is not sought.
Specialization in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
The doctorate of psychology with an emphasis in I/O is designed for students who intend to conduct experimental research in I/O psychology and begin their professional career as either an academician or a research-oriented practitioner in the field. Students working toward the doctoral degree are expected to develop, implement, and complete an experimental study as part of the degree requirements. UT Arlington currently does not have a PhD program specific to I/O; therefore, applicants interested in receiving a PhD with an emphasis in I/O psychology should clearly state either the Psychological Sciences specialization or Health/Neuroscience specialization, as that will determine the appropriate course of study required for degree completion. Either specialization will emphasize an I/O focus; for example, an I/O emphasis that specializes in Health/Neuroscience might include research associated with stress and occupational health whereas a specialization in Psychological Sciences might include research associated with groups or teams in the workplace.
Due to the applied nature of I/O MS programs, if an MS degree has been conferred or is conferred en route to the Ph.D., then it is not necessary to conduct a thesis or a formal thesis-equivalent paper. Students may take 6 hours of Advanced Research (PSYC 5600), under the supervision of their major professor, to work toward obtaining additional publications and strengthening research-oriented skills.
Current I/O MS students
Students currently enrolled in the I/O MS program who wish to be considered for admission into a PhD program must formally apply to either the Psychological Sciences or Health/Neuroscience program and must follow the formal admission procedures as stated previously in this document. Students must meet the criteria for admission to the PhD program which will be determined, in part, by the scholarly achievements accomplished prior to applying for PhD candidacy as well as the fit between the student and faculty mentor.