Getting In: Advice & Suggestions
for Graduate School
Presented by:
Dr. Eliane Boucher &
Dr. Crystale M. Marsh
Is grad school right
for you?
• Are you:
–
–
–
–
–
Interested in research?
Self-motivated?
Independent worker?
Able to direct your own education?
Able to present in front of an audience?
Is grad school right
for you?
What are you looking for in a career??
• If you’re not sure:
– the APA website offers some good advice on
career paths in psychology
– you can find several career trees online that
might help weigh your options
Career Options with a
Bachelor’s in
Psychology
• You won’t find an entry-level job for a
“psychologist” but there are many options
available to you.
• A bachelor’s in psychology provides you with
– People skills
– Analytical skills
– Research Skills
Career Options with a
Bachelor’s in
Psychology
• What kinds of job opportunities will I have?
– Business
• Employment/Employee counselor, customer relations,
claims specialist, public relations, sales representative,
etc.
– Mental Health & Social Services
• Behavior analyst, counselor aide, family service
worker, program manager, probation/parole officer,
etc.
Career Options with a
Bachelor’s in
Psychology
• What kinds of job opportunities will I have?
– Other areas
• College admissions counselor, statistical assistant,
technical writer, congressional aide, child care worker,
etc.
• It’s a matter of selling yourself and your
degree!
Psychologist?
Academic?
Not a bad career move…
• Unemployment remains low in these careers
– in 2007, 68% of new PhDs employed full-time.
• In 2006, in top 10 in “Best Jobs in America”
poll
– College Professor ranked no. 2
– Psychologist ranked no. 10
Psychologist?
Academic?
Not a bad career move…
• Psychologist scored high on creativity but
lower in terms of flexibility, ease of entry
and stress level.
– looked mostly at clinical, counseling, and school
psychologists
– job opportunities in this area expected to grow
by 19% in the next decade!
Psychologist?
Academic?
Not a bad career move…
• College professor scored high on flexibility
and creativity, but slightly lower on stress
level and lowest on ease of entry.
– not just psychology though
– but job opportunities are expected to grow by
31% in the next decade!
Psychologist?
Academic?
Not a bad career move…
• Median starting salary for new PhDs in
psychology in 2007 was $61,111.
– I/O had the highest, with a median starting
salary of $79,222 (hired mostly in business &
industry, consulting firms, government settings)
So you’ve decided
you want to go to
Graduate School…
What Now???
1. What Do You Want
To Do With Your
Degree?
• Practice? Help People?
• Research?
• Teaching?
• All of the Above?
Your goals should help you to decide what kind
of program you want to pursue.
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• Master’s Degree
– Typically ~2 years
– Complete coursework and master’s thesis
• Also complete practicum hours for clinical/counseling
– Good for those who want more applied careers or
for those who want a “lecturer” job
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• Doctoral Degree
– Several options available: PhD, PsyD, or EdD
– Average time to complete a PhD is 5-6 years.
• Depends on program, full- or part-time status, family
responsibilities, money, etc.
• Eliane: 2 years for Master’s, 4 years for PhD
• Crystale: 2 ½ years for Master’s, 3 years for PhD + 1
year internship
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The PhD
– Trains you to teach at a 4-year institution, to
practice as a licensed psychologist, or work in
applied settings (e.g., doing research)
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The PhD
– Complete coursework and dissertation
• You also may need to complete a master’s thesis or
second-year project depending on the university
– Pass comprehensive exams
– Complete internship (if in clinical/counseling)
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The PsyD (Doctor of Psychology)
– Developed by people dissatisfied with the
scientist-practitioner model for Clinical PhD
– Trains you to be a practicing clinicians in a
variety of settings, placing less emphasis on
research
– Growing in numbers and respectability
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The PsyD (Doctor of Psychology)
– Complete coursework and internship, and most
PsyD programs also require a doctoral
dissertation
– Generally, more emphasis on clinical training
• e.g., students tend to get more experience with
psychological testing in PsyD programs
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The EdD (Educational Psychology)
– Provides training in applied school psychology
– Job opportunities in colleges as an academic or a
practitioner, in research, and in government,
schools, military, or corporate settings.
2. What Kind of
Degree?
• The EdD (Educational Psychology)
– Complete coursework and doctoral dissertation
as well as complete practicum hours in relevant
settings
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Clinical Psychology
– Assess & treat mental and emotional disorders.
– Many clinical psychologists also do research.
– Work in academic and health care settings (e.g.,
clinics, hospitals, community mental health
centers, and private practice)
– In most states, you cannot practice
independently without a doctorate degree.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Counseling Psychology
– Typically work w/ normal or moderately
maladjusted people, assessing needs & providing
a variety of therapies.
– Research evaluates effectiveness of treatments
and explores novel treatment options.
– Often work in academic settings as well as health
care settings.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Educational Psychology
– Study how people learn and design methods and
materials used to educate others.
– Often work in universities (psychology &
education)
– Job opportunities appear to be limited to those
holding doctoral-level degrees.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• School Psychology
– Help to promote intellectual, social, & emotional
development of children.
– Work in academia and applied settings (nursery
schools, daycare centers, mental health clinics, etc.)
– To work in public schools, must be certified by
the state and complete state-approved training
program.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Developmental Psychology
– Study human development across the life-span.
– Typically employed in academic settings, but
also can consult on children-oriented programs.
– Students with bachelor’s and master’s in
developmental can work in applied settings (e.g.,
daycare centers, youth group programs)
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology
– Study the relation between people and work.
– Typically work in academia as well as business,
industry, and government settings.
• Students with master’s level degrees can obtain
positions in applied settings.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Social/Personality Psychology
– Study how people interact with each other and
how they are affected by (1) personality and (2)
social environment.
– Tend to work in academia, but increasingly hired
in applied settings (advertising agencies,
government, consulting firms – even online
dating sites!)
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Forensic Psychology
– Relatively new field – often a subtype of a social
or clinical psychology degree.
– Study legal issues from psychological perspective
(e.g., line-up procedures, eyewitness accuracy)
– Work in academia, law schools, research
organizations, law enforcement agencies, etc.
• Also can consult on court cases.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Cognitive Psychology
– aka. “Experimental Psychology” (although this
sometimes refers to any non-clinical areas)
– Study various behavioral processes
• Learning, sensation & perception, human
performance, language, memory, animal behavior, etc.
– Tend to work in academia, but also employed in
applied settings.
3. What area of
psychology interests
you?
• Lots of new and emerging areas also might
interest you:
– Community psychology
– Environmental psychology
– Rehabilitation psychology
– Health psychology
– Psychology of Aging
What Do People Do
With Their Degrees?
• In 2002-2003, new doctoral graduates were
classified in:
– Clinical Psychology (47%)
– Counseling, School/Educational, & Other
Applied Fields (7%)
– Developmental (5%)
– Social & Personality (4%)
Applying to Graduate
School
• Competition for admission can be intense!
– Usually more applicants than available spots
– Research the school you’re applying to and the
faculty you’d want to work with
• Read some of their papers! Email them to make
contact.
– It’s all about fit
Applying to Graduate
School
Finding the Right School
• APA book lists programs by state & then by:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Contact Information
Department Information
Programs & Degrees Offered
APA Accreditation Status
Student Applications/Admissions
Financial Information/Assistance
Employment of Department Graduates
Additional Information
Application Requirements
Applying to Graduate
School
Finding the Right School
What should you be looking for?
• Matching career goals & scientific approach
– experimental vs. non-experimental
• Multiple people you could work with
• Adequate financial support
– TAships, scholarships
Applying to Graduate
School
Finding the Right School
• What are the resources/facilities like?
– Subject pool? Graduate student offices? Adequate lab
space?
• What percentage of people graduate?
• What kind of positions do graduates seek upon
completion of their degree?
– Clinical? Academic? Non-Academic?
• Does the University & department have a good
reputation?
Applying to Graduate
School
Finding the Right School
Don’t be afraid to look out of state, or even
out of country – go where the program
and faculty will best fit your future
goals!!!
Applying to Graduate
School
Getting Your Application Ready
•
•
•
•
•
•
Know the application deadline(s)!
Documents required for complete packet
Who receives the application
Admission/application fee
Make copies of everything you send
Follow-up
Applying to Graduate
School
Getting Your Application Ready
1. Application form
2. Transcript (from every post-secondary
school you attended)
3. Two or three reference letters
4. Your GRE scores (sent from ETS)
5. Personal Statement (or Letter of Intent)
6. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Applying to Graduate
School
Getting Your Application Ready
What are schools looking for in their graduate
students??
• Genuine interest in research
• Good fit with the program
– e.g., research interests, scientific approach
• Demonstrated research potential
Get research experience while you can!
Applying to Graduate
School
Getting Your Application Ready
• Undergraduate grades
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
– Some schools also requite GRE Subject Test
• Reference Letters
– Typically three letters; one should probably be
from your Independent Research supervisor.
Applying to Graduate
School
Getting Research Experience
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do an independent research course
Work as an research assistant
Do a contract study (PSYC 3391)
Attend conferences if you can
Join professional organizations (SPSP, APA)
Know about research in their department!
Applying to Graduate
School
Demonstrating Research Potential
• Have a clear and informed statement of
research interests.
– Not too broad and not too specific. They pay
close attention to this!
• If you can, get some publications or
conference presentations.
– Although this is a definite advantage, it is not
mandatory or even expected!
Applying to Graduate
School
Undergraduate Grades
• You don’t necessarily need a perfect GPA
– Look for an increasing trend over the past 2 years
• Psychology grades are most important
– Statistics and research methods are very important
• Need to plan early:
– Keep GPA high
– Take a wide range of courses, including some social
sciences courses
Applying to Graduate
School
Graduate Record Examinations
• Typically, you need to write 2 tests: General &
Subject
• The General Test has three subsets:
– Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing
• Practice using ETS practice books and CD-Roms
• These test scores (especially the General) are given
a lot of attention, so prepare thoroughly!
Applying to Graduate
School
Reference Letters
• You will usually need 2 to 3 letters
– One should be from your independent research
supervisor, and one in your chosen field
• Choose professors who:
– Can provide specific, detailed comments on your
potential as a graduate student
– Have taught or worked with you recently, and,
if possible, more than once
Applying to Graduate
School
Reference Letters
• When requesting letters:
– Be PROFESSIONAL and ORGANIZED
– Ask in person, give advance warning, and ask if they feel
comfortable writing a strong letter
– Give all of the forms at once, with due dates
– Complete top parts of the forms yourself and provide an
addressed, stamped envelope
– Give them your transcript, list of courses you’re
currently taking, CV, and any other useful information
Some things to keep
in mind…
• It’s expensive!
– Higher for out of state and private schools
• Many schools offer financial assistance
– Fellowships & Scholarships
• Through the university or federal granting agencies
– Assistantships in research, teaching, and some
clinical positions
• Also great for your CV!
It’s never too early…
• Start thinking about what you’ve done, what
you’re interested in doing, and how to make
it happen
• Get connected to faculty members
• Become involved in student organizations
– On and Off Campus!
• Keep current in your field of interest
Any Questions??
Email us!
Eliane: boucher_e@utpb.edu
Crystale: marsh_c@utpb.edu