https://psychology.byu.edu/Pages/Undergrad/FAQ.aspx
Are there any Tteaching Aassistant positions available? Are theyre paid positions? What
qualifications do I need?
Psych Central (1150 SWKT) is a great place to begin building experience in tutoring others, especially Psych
111 students. Students working there as teaching assistants earn credit in Psychology 492R. The
centerPsych Central is re-staffed every semester or term. If you are interested, go to Psych Central and
make an appointment with the Graduate Student Coordinator in order to discuss possible openings.
Graduate students fill most paid Tteaching Aassistant positions, so there are limited undergraduate
positions. There is no special way to identify them except by asking professors whether they have paid
undergraduate teaching assistant positions available. Also, talk to students who are already teaching
assistants and ask them about possibilities. While some positions pay, most undergraduate students only
earn credit for the experience.
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Commented [BYU1]: Is there a web page with their information? Maybe there should be; we get questions about Psych Central all the time at the front desk. If I passed the AP Psychology exam, does that count for Psych 111?
If you scored a 3, you will earn general credit toward the requirement of completing 120 credits for
graduation, but it will not substitute for Psychology 111. A score of 4 or a 5 on the AP test will fulfill the
Psych 111 requirement.
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I am taking the “old” psychology track and was supposed to take Psych 490, but that class no
longer exists. What do I do?
Take either Psych 210 or Psych 311. Each fulfills the former requirement.
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How do I go about getting involved in research?
There is no guaranteed prescribed way to get involved in research, and it generally requires much initiative
on your part!. Far too many students sit around, hoping something will just fall into their lap. This rarely
happens.don’t proactively seek chances to do research, instead assuming that opportunities will present
themselves. This is a false assumption. To make sure you don't miss out on valuable research opportunities,
the key is to get started early! First, identify the professors you might want to work with. You can access
find out the research interests of the professors on the faculty page of the psychology department
websitePsychology Department website. The Undergraduate Coordinator’s officePsych Student Support
Services also provides updated information about professors who are seeking students to be research
assistants. Next, it helps to look up the professors who interest you on the Harold B. Lee Library web page
(go to Article Indexes, then Psychology, then Webspirs), in order to gain more specific knowledge about
what the professors have published. Read some of their published work of professors to make sure you are
interested in the research thatwhat they are doing. You could also approach the professors directly to ask
about their research or for reprints and other literature that would better prepare you to work with them.
When you do approach a professor about working with him or her, you may phone or use e-mail, but it is
often more effective to visit in person during the professor’s office hours. Office hours listings are available
listed in the Psychology department Department office (1001 SWKT) and outside each professor’s office.
Remember that it may not be easy to arrange an opportunity to do research with a professor, much less the
one you hope to work with, because there are far fewer professors than students. For this reason, you
should start early in your search for research experience. If the professors you really want to work with are
booked too busy for the a semester, you will have the opportunity tocan prepare and approach them again
the following semester. You might also consider working with a professor who is not your top choice as far
as your research interests are concerned, but with whom you would enjoy working, and in this way gain
valuable experience. Once you have agreed to work with a professorprofessor has agreed to work with you,
undefined be responsible and follow through on your commitments. Do more than is asked, and volunteer
(and expect) to do grunt tedious or menial work. You must show that you are sincere in your interest to do
research before a professor is inclined to involve you in trust you with larger responsibilities.
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Commented [BYU2]: How old is this “old” track? Is this question obsolete? Commented [BYU3]: How does SSS provide this information? Through e‐mail? Over the phone? Commented [BYU4]: There is nothing called Article Indexes on the HBLL website. This sentence is moot. I contacted the HBLL and couldn’t find anything remotely close to what this sentence describes. juniorsjuniors or senior, and are generally small - —often fewer than 10 students. Thus, capstones also
present a unique opportunity to become better acquainted with a professor and his or her work. Capstone
subjects vary from semester to semester and generally have a narrow focus. Brief descriptions of the
courses are available on AIMwhen registering for classes on myBYU. More detailed descriptions are available
at the Undergraduate Coordinator’s officePsych Student Support Services (1150V 1005 SWKT).
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How do I sign upregister for a capstone course?
Some capstones may be added directly on AIMmyBYU, but most must be added by contacting the professor
who will be teaching the course. If you have further questions, contact the Undergraduate CoordinatorPsych
Student Support Services.
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Are there research opportunities for undergraduate psychology majors outside of BYU?
It requires some internet research and some persistence on your part, but there are definitely opportunities
to do research outside of BYU absolutely! Here are a few websites to get you started:
http://www.apa.org/science/undergradopps.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/5353/classes/intern.html
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How do I set up an Aacademic Iinternship?
There are two routes ways to set up an academic internship. The first is to already have a psychologyrelated job in place; and then contact Dr. Miller for approval to participate in the Psychology Internship
Program (harold_miller@byu.edu, 1074 SWKT). OrAs another option, you may look for volunteer or
employment positions which would fulfill the Psych 399R requirements. Please click here for more
information on obtaining an internship.
Commented [BYU5]: Isn’t this what the previous sentence says? Once you have obtained an approved internship, you must make sure the appropriate paperwork is filled out
before adding the class. These forms can be obtained online or by contacting the internship office.
Click here for more information about Psych 399R.
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Can I receive academic internship credit for work I already did in a previous semester?
No. This is prohibited by the BYU academic internship policy.
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Where can I go to search for an internship?
There are many ways to locate an internship. You can look through employment listings in your local
newspaper, talk to the graduate student liaison in 1007 SWKT., or search through the numerous databases
available here. You may also click here for other ideas on finding an internship.
Commented [BYU6]: Who is this? What does this person do? I’ve not heard of a graduate student liaison. Back to top
What can I do with my degree?
There are six common career paths following a psychology degree. They include: outpatient and residential
care, social and human services, human resources, therapy, teaching, and professional graduate schools
(e.g.i.e., medicine, business, law, and so forthetc.). (Note that, in order to do therapy in its traditional
sense, you will need at least a master’s degree.) To teach high school psychology, you must receive a
teaching credentialcertificate. Teaching at higher levels requires graduate degrees. There are also “less
traveledcommon” career paths;. Tto read about some of these possibilities, visit
http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb01/careerpath.html or http://psychologycareercenter.org/.
For more details about the traditional career paths, go
to http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/5353/classes/careers.html orhttp://www.psywww.com/careers
/.
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Commented [BYU7]: Is this true anymore? Didn’t we furlough the MS program here because of its obsolescence in the professional world? What types of psychology-related jobs are available in Utah County? How do I find them?
There are jobs in Utah County both for people working on undergraduate psychology degrees and for those
who have completed degrees, but you should be warned that the competition can be fierce severe.and it
may take several months to get this type of job. Among the main employers in the area are the Utah State
government (go to www.dhrm.utah.gov/ for listings) and the local mental health providers, such as Wasatch
Mental Health, Provo Canyon School, Heritage Schools, Chrysalis, Slate Canyon Youth Center, Center for
Change, and the school districts. You might also check under “Mental Health” in the Yellow Pages. If you are
having difficulty breaking into the job marketfinding employment, you may want to try volunteering or
completing an internship in order to get your foot in the doorattain experience and build your réesumée.
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How do I get involved in human resourcesa job related to human resources?
According to John Ostrom and Darin Walker from the Human Resources Department at Intermountain
Health Caresome professionals working in human resources, you can generally get a job in human resources
with only an undergraduate degree. However, you should expect to start from the bottom of the totem
poleat the lowest job--—perhaps by doing filing and other types of clerical work. They also indicatedMany
agree that it is far more competitive to find a job in human resources is far more competitive in Utah than in
other states; — often there are more than 100 several dozens of applicants for one job. Thus, if you want to
get intowork in human resources, you might want should be willing to look for work outside of Utah.
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How much money can I expect to make earn in various professional careers within psychology?
For statistics on the incomes associated with Mastersmaster’s- and Ddoctorate- level positions, see
this
salary table (PDF).
The American Psychological Association and the National Association of Colleges and Employers list the most
common psychology employment areas and salaries as:
* Health care and social services, $20,000 to $25,000. Job tasks include counseling, administration and
research.
* Education, $17,000 to $25,000. Job responsibilities include teaching, research and provision of student
services. Childcare pays the lowest salaries--typically below $20,000.
* Management and business, $25,000 to $40,000. Such work includes employee development and training,
consulting, merchandising, banking, customer service and office work. Banking and consulting earn the
highest salaries and customer service and office work the lowest.
* Federal, state and local government, $20,000 to $29,000. Duties include law enforcement, legislative
support and administrative work.
For more information, go to http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/goodnews.html .
Also, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics offers detailed statistics about occupations. Their website
is http://www.bls.gov/home.htm .
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Commented [BYU8]: This is something that I would constantly have to update on our website; is it worth putting this information here? Why not just provide the links to website that will actually have updated information and leave it at that? What types of graduate programs are there? How can I differentiate between clinical and nonclinical programs, PhD’s and PsyD’s, etc.and so forth?
The Rider University web page site has some great answers. Here are some excerpts from the siteThe
following is based on much of the information on their website:
Commented [BYU9]: Is this a real degree? Is it commonly known? General Information:
There are several types of graduate programs in psychology, . tThe most common being are experimental,
developmental, social, biopsychological, cognitive, clinical, counseling, school, and organizational psychology
(also known as industrial-organizational psychology, or simply "I/O"). These last four (clinical, counseling,
school and I/O) are considered by the American Psychological Association (APA) to be the four distinct areas
of applied psychology. Other more specialized graduate programs might be devoted to sports psychology,
psychology and law, or behavioral medicine. Large psychology departments at large universities may include
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many of the most common programs mentioned above, but most universities will have only a few of them.
Programs in Applied Psychology:
MASTER’S PROGRAMS (may be full full time or part time)
There are a variety of Mmaster’s levels programs in fields related to clinical and counseling psychology.
Usually these programs train students in basic counseling skills. Some programs may have specialized areas
of training such as marriage and family counseling, drug addiction counseling, group counseling, vocational
counseling, family therapy, child therapy, divorce mediation, prison counseling, etc.and so forth. When it
comes time to apply for jobs, it is very advantageous to have an area of specialization. People with
Mmaster’s degrees usually work in group counseling practices, clinics, programs for niche populations (drug
abusers, battered wivesvictims of domestic abuse, chronic psychiatric patients, and so forthetc.), and
employee assistance programs. In many states, people with Mmaster’s degrees CANNOT cannot have their
own private practice. Earning Aa Ph.D.PhD will enable you to make more money and may open up different
doors for you, but it is not absolutely necessary to have one. In somemany cases, a Mmaster’s degree may
be ideal! In fact, with the current rise of managed care systems in the field of mental health, insurance
companies may only pay for psychotherapy provided by clinicians who are part of a group practice. While
Ph.D.PhD's may be in charge of the group, they may very well hire clinicians with Mastersmaster’s degrees
to do therapy with the clients who are referred to the group. It is very possible that psychotherapists with
Masters degrees will be in greater demand in the future than they have been in the past. If you are
determined to get a Ph.D.PhD, you can sometimes get a Mastersmaster’s degree from one school and then
transfer to a Ph.D.PhD program at another school. However, you will probably lose credits, as some credits
will not transfer between schools. Many Ph.D.PhD programs also prefer to train students right from the start
of their graduate careers and do not give advantages to transfer students.
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY (Ed.D. or Ph.D.PhD, usually 4– -5 years full time, longer if part time; sometimes
less difficult competitive programs to get into than clinical psychology programs).
Counseling psychology programs usually emphasize training in counseling/ or psychotherapy methods.
These programs also include some training in research methods (i.e., statistics and experimental courses),
but usually are not as rigorous as such courses in clinical psychology programs. However, counseling
programs that offer a Ph.D.PhD rather than the traditional Ed.D. often have intenseified their research
training. Similarly to clinical psychology programs, counseling programs require internship experiences and
a dissertation. In many casesrecent years, the distinction between counseling and clinical psychology
programs is disappearing. A counseling program is often completely separate from the psychology
department at some universities.
Commented [BYU10]: How current or outdated is this? Commented [BYU11]: Is this feasible? Didn’t we furlough the MS program largely because of its obsolescence in today’s market? Commented [BYU12]: Is this true? Ph.D.PhDs in CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (5 years minimum; full time; difficult to get accepted)
These programs educate students about issues related to mental health and mental health treatment. Many
programs emphasize research and will require you to take courses in statistics and experimental design. You
will be expected to conduct experimental research, which will culminate in your dissertation. A dissertation is
a year-long research project that you design and conduct on your own (with help from a committee of
faculty members). Most programs are behavioral, cognitive, biological, or psychoanalytic in their approach.
Some programs mix all of the above. A few are humanistic/ existential. During the first few years in a
clinical program, you will get some training in psychotherapy and psychological testing, but the most intense
clinical training usually comes later, during an internship. A few Ph.D.PhD clinical psychology programs
underplay the research component and spend more time on training you to do psychotherapy, but most
programs weigh heavily on the research.
PSYPsy.D. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY (4–-5 years; full or part time; difficult to get accepted)
These PsyD programs lead to the degree "Doctor of Psychology" rather than the traditional Ph.D.PhD, or
("Doctor of Philosophy"). They were created as an alternative to Ph.D.PhD clinical psychology programs.
They are designed specifically for people who want to practice psychology and are not less interested in
quantitative research. There is some research training, but much more time is spent on learning the various
aspects of clinical work (i.e., individual and group psychotherapy, testing, marriage and family counseling,
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and so forthetc.). Usually internship experiences in a wider variety of settings are required more than in
Ph.D.PhD programs. Psy.D. clinical psychologists usually work in hospitals, clinics, and in private practice.
CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK (MSW, 2–-3 years full time, longer if part time)
Social work programs are an alternative to psychology training. "Clinical" social work programs teach
students about working in the mental health and social welfare systems. Training in counseling and
psychotherapy sometimes is not as extensive as in psychology programs, especially Psy.D. programs.
Research usually is not emphasized. Many clinical social workers do individual and group psychotherapy.
Social work programs may be easy or difficult to get accepted to, depending on the reputation of the
university.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY (usuallyapprox. 4–-5 years for Ph.D.PhD or Ed.D., 2–-3 years for mastersmaster’s
degree)
School psychologists are trained to do counseling and psychological testing in a school setting. Their
strength, therefore, is their understanding of school systems and education. They may would probably work
with the school's students or the staff. Some school psychologists may also have an additional private
practice. Some school psychology programs offer the an Ed.D. Others, which may place more emphasis on
research training, will offer the a Ph.D.PhD.
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Commented [BYU13]: Isn’t this true for just about every graduate program in the United States? Sentence seems unnecessary. How do I start looking for a graduate school?
A good place to start is by visiting one or all of the following websites:
www.psychgrad.org
www.geocities.com/heartland/flats/5353/classes/graduatestudy.html
www.rider.edu/160_418.htm
The first site has questions you can ask yourself about whether you are ready for graduate school, and if
so,, what preparation you need, and how you might go about looking for a school. It also has helpful hints
about choosing schools, writing your personal essays, obtaining letter of recommendation, etcand so forth.
There are also helpful websites for looking at school profiles, including GradProfiles.com , GradSchools.com ,
and Petersons.com . If you are seeking a particularly academic track, consult http://www.phds.org . A
helpful book published by the American Psychological Association, entitled Graduate Study in Psychology
(2003 edition), is available in 1150V SWKT. It lists over 500 graduate programs and includes information on
the number of applicants during the previous year, the number of acceptancesaccepted applicants, financial
aid and tuition, what the school is looking for in a graduate studentadmission criteria, contact websites, and
other useful information. The book is not available for checkout but may be used in the Undergraduate
Coordinator’s Psych Student Support office.
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How can I find information on graduate schools in Forensic Psychology?
Some useful websites:
www.psywww.com/careers/forensic.htm
www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/bookmarks.html
www.unl.edu/cs/forensics/index.shtml
According to Cathy Oslzly of Division 41 of the APA (Psychology and Law), the schools listed at the last
website are of considered top quality.
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How do I learn about the GRE? How can I prepare for it?
A visit to http://www.gre.org will answer most questions, including how to sign up for the exam. Some who
have done well on the exam recommend GRE prep courses while others find recommend studying from a
GRE prep manual adequate. What works for you will largely depend on your study habits. If you are
disciplined have enough self-discipline to study on your own and can learn and review concepts from a book,
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then a prep manual shouldwill likely suffice. If you have a difficult time motivating yourself or would like
concepts explained by a teacher, a course might be more suitable. Whichever method of preparation you
choose, try to make sure that you have the opportunity to take at least one practice test in order to
familiarize yourself with the computer format. Most books prep manuals come with cds CDs or internet
websites for practice tests, as do most prep courses. (prep courses also feature practice tests).
Note: There is a wealth of information about psychology available on the Internet. Many of the links listed in
the FAQs have information beyond responses to the specific questions posed here. If your questions remain
unanswered, call the Undergraduate Coordinator at 801-422-5356, or send an email
toundergrad_coord@byu.edu . If you have questions of a more general nature, try the following websites:
www.psywww.com/index.html
www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/bookmarks.html
Both have links for nearly any psychology-related question or topic you may want to explore, from graduate
school info to specialty areas in psychology.
You may also want to explore the American Psychological Association’s website:
www.apa.org
Commented [BYU14]: Why is this important? How does online information about psychology have anything to do with the GRE or our department? Formatted: Font: (Default) Verdana, 8.5 pt, Font color:
Gray-60%, Pattern: Clear (White)
https://psychology.byu.edu/Pages/Grad‐School‐Prep.aspx Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5"
Contents



Five Ways to Prepare for Graduate School
GRE Test Prep Class
Writing a Compelling Personal Statement
Commented [BYU1]: This is inaccurate; no such entry below. Five Ways to Prepare for Graduate School
GPAGrade Point Average (GPA)
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The graduate schools to which you apply will evaluate your GPA in any of
three ways: overall GPA; GPA over your last 60 semester credit hours of
study; or GPA within your major coursework. Of course, you will want as
high a GPA as possible no matter how it is evaluated, but realize that the
latter following two aspects may weigh more heavily than your GPA in
admissions considerations than overall GPA.
GRE Scores
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Most schools focus on quantitative and verbal subscales as well as the
Psychology subject test. It would be best to research the admissions criteria
for schools you are interested in, either by navigating to the school’s website
or by Ccontacting the school’s graduate admissions counselor. at the schools
you are interested in and ask for their admissions criteria.
Commented [BYU2]: This is probably the least efficient method of getting information on a program; it’s originally listed as the way to get info on a grad program. A combined quantitative / verbal score of at least 1200 is greatly preferred
for Tier 2 schools and above; Tier 1 schools prefer a 1300– - 1400 combined
score.
Commented [BYU3]: Fact check Research Experience
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When it comes to research experience, the more the better!more experience
strengthens your application for graduate schools. During your
undergraduate years, try to work in the lab of a reputable scholar for at least
one year. Ideally, you should focus on learning skills such as literature
search and review, data entry, data correction, data analysis, and scholarly
Commented [BYU4]: This is very colloquial, where most everything else isn’t. Plus, most international students have a hard time understanding American idioms. Although not essential, publication credits (for i.e., posters, paper
presentations, chapters, peer-reviewed journals, and so forthetc.) will also
strengthen your application. Opportunities for publication to publish your
work will increase as you work with your professor. Even if your work is
never "officially" published, you ought to have some sort of research writing
experience, be it an hHonor's Tthesis or some other similar project.
When looking for research projects in which to participate, do not obsess
over finding the ideal project before you will accept a research
opportunityexclude good opportunities just because they do not match your
ideal research project; varied experience is a plusan advantage, even if it’s
not in the area that you’re most interested in. Focus instead on finding a
good mentor who will help you acquire a firm foundation in research skills.
When you have found a research position, try to work up to a eventually
acquire a position of responsibility in the lab, such as leader of ing some
aspect of the project, or supervisor supervising of other lab members. These
positions will look good on your réesumée.
Remember that you will be applying to graduate school in between
December/ and January timeframe of your senior year, so you must begin
research at the latest during your junior year at the latest, to be able to
complete a full year before application time. If possible, however, If you can
swing it though, getting involved with research during your sophomore year
would be ideal.
Clinical Experience
Commented [BYU5]: Is this often an important criteria even for PhD Psychology (not Clinical Psychology) applicants? Supervised work with a licensed practitioner is strongly also preferable.
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In addition, Ssome type of formal training, such as from that received from
a crisis hotline, is a pluswill strengthen your application.
An appropriate ratio of direct clinical contact hours to supervision hours is
strongly recommended.
Experience with assessment (, such as through behavioral observation), and
experience with clinical intervention (, such as that gained from co-leading
research groups), is a plusalso helpful.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation from professionals who have known you
personally for an extended period of time (—at least one year) —will carry
the mosta great deal of weightimportance for your application.
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Commented [BYU6]: Jargon—nominalization Commented [BYU7]: Again, jargon
Commented [BYU8]: Revise for clarity: what is a good example of appropriate ratio? The terms Commented [BYU9]: What kind of group? A research group? Formatted: Font: 11 pt
Try to get letters of recommendation from at least two professionals who
have supervised or mentored your clinical work or research work.
Letters from professionals Those who know the quality of your work – ( i.e.,
your reliability, professionalism, conscientiousness, work ethic, and your
interpersonal skills –) carry the most weightare preferred above all others
who could provide letters of recommendation.
Letters from professors inYou might be considering asking for letters of
recommendation from professors who taught whose classes where you have
done well received high grades. These kinds of letters would carry
considerably considerable less influence weight; an exception might be, for
instance, the a professor of a small n honors course with whom you have
had extensive interaction, through which your talents have been
evidenced.who is familiar with your capabilities and talents.
Professionals Recommenders who are grateful for your contributions to their
labs or clinics or who have ties to the faculty of institutions to which you are
applying can are more likely to make extra effort for you in the application
process give you additional leverage; (they mightcan make phone calls,
write “heads-up” e-mails, etc.).and so forth to bolster your application.
Professionals who are grateful for your contributions to their labs or clinics
will more likely “go the extra mile” for you in this process.
Final WordsAdvice
Cultivate relationships with these people potential recommenders early, —at
least one year before applying to graduate school, —so that they can keep
an eye onadvise you and provide you with opportunities to become a more
competitive candidate. Meet with them individually and express to them
what your goals are.your goals. Ask for help in achieving those goals, and
then be willing to do your part to get there.
Look actively for professionals who are well- respected in their fields that,
who are willing to mentor you. This means that they recognize how
important your goals are to you, and that they will provide you with the
opportunities, encouragement, and critiquing advice that you need to
develop into a qualified and, competitive candidate.
In general, strive to make your mentor’s job of writing letters as easy as
possible. For example, keep careful records of your research contributions,
achievements, and skills. You can submit these to your mentor at the time
you ask him or her to write your letters. These materials, in combination
Commented [BYU10]: These paragraphs are very wordy. I’m not sure that my revisions are all that much better at this point. Commented [BYU11]: Merged with the previous paragraph.
with your curriculum vita or résumé, should function as a convenient
template for anyone writing your letters of recommendation.
Commented [BYU12]: Do most grad school applicants submit a CV? Earlier it only mentions submitting a résumé. [Home Page for Graduate Program]
Our Ddepartment: Our department consists of over 30 full-time faculty, all of which whom are
committed to productive research, and quality teachinginstruction. , and student
mentoring.Further, at BYU we are all heavily dedicated to student mentoring. These
characteristics make our graduate program an ideal context to foster your professional
development. For even more reasons to come hereto BYU, download our graduate program
brochure. .
Our Ggraduate Pprogram: Our graduate training program has two graduate programsdegrees,
the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. (Doctorate) program and the Psychology Ph.D. (Doctorate)
program. . The Clinical Psychology doctoral program is for those who want to be trained as a
clinicians (a -psychotherapists) in addition to training in research. . The Psychology doctoral
program is for those who want more focused training in research, but do not want clinical
training (this is sometimes referred to as our “Non-Clinical” program). . The Psychology
doctoral program has three program areas: Applied Social Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience,
and Developmental Psychology. . The following links provide more details for the specific
program areas. .
Program Areas:
 Clinical Psychology (Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program)
 Applied Social Psychology (Psychology Ph.D. Program)
 Behavioral Neuroscience (Psychology Ph.D. Program)
 Developmental Psychology (Psychology Ph.D. Program)
Frequently Asked Questions about our Program
How to Apply
Student Resources:
 Graduate Handbook
 Graduate Catalog
 Graduate Studies
 Funding Sources (here I will have links to information about various graduate student
grants)
o Source one
o Source two
Commented [BYU1]: At first it sounded as though we teach
quality, not that our teaching is, itself, high quality. Does this make
sense?
Commented [BYU2]: This is a little more concise.
Commented [BYU3]: Redundancy
Commented [BYU4]: For the sake of emphasizing the positive
over the negative.
[Clinical Psychology Program Page]
Our Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology is for people who want training in psychotherapy
(with the end goal of getting licensed as a clinical psychologist), research, and teaching, with the
end goal of getting licensed as clinical psychologists. . This training can be used in a future
career that includes some combination of research, teaching, and/or practice (—particularly
psychotherapy, but also program development, methodological consulting, etc.).and so forth .
Our graduates often work as professors at colleges or universities, doing research and/or
teaching,; as clinicians, in private practice, or at mental health clinics, or at medical clinics,; or as
researchers at for government agencies or for private organizations. .
We have 15 full-time clinical psychology faculty with interests in the following areas of
psychology: assessment/diagnosis, autistic spectrum disorders, child and adolescent
psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive neuroscience, depression, divorce
prevention, eating disorders, emotion, group psychotherapy, health, marital relationships,
measurement, methodology, neuroimaging, obsessive compulsive disorder, pediatric weight
control, program evaluation, psychotherapy outcomes, psychotherapy process, stress,
theoretical/philosophical underpinnings of psychotherapy, traumatic brain injury, and
religiousness/spirituality. . See their individual web pages for more details.
Scott Baldwin
Erin Bigler
Scott Braithwaite
Gary Burlingame
Bruce Carpenter
Shawn Gale
Chad Jensen
Michael Lambert
Michael Larson
Elizabeth Norton
Brent Slife
Mikle South
Diane Spangler
Patrick Steffen
Jared Warren
Commented [BYU5]: Unnecessarily interrupts the flow of the
sentence.
Commented [BYU6]: The and/or construction, when used too
liberally, can become affected and/or ambiguous. Let’s just be
careful with it. (See what I did there?)
Commented [BYU7]: For complex lists within lists, this semicolon-and-comma combination usually works well. Let me know if
it’s not clear.
Commented [BYU8]: Is this an accurate revision?
Commented [BYU9]: This is very clear. Can we get someone in
Clinical Psychology to fact check this to make sure it’s completely
accurate?
Commented [BYU10]: I assume these will all be links to their
faculty profile?
[Applied Social Psychology Area Page]
Our PhD program in Psychology has three emphasis areas, one of which is Applied Social
Psychology. . This program and emphasis area is for people students who want training in
research and teaching, with an eye towards real-world applications of social psychology. This
training can be used in a future career that includes some combination of research, teaching,
and/or application:
 (e.g., program development and evaluation,
 statistical or methodological consulting,
 legal consulting, industrial or organizational consulting, or
 various applications to health psychology).
Our graduates often work as professors at colleges or universities doing research and/or teaching;
as researchers for government agencies or for private organizations; or as consultants.
We have 11 full-time sSocial pPsychology faculty with research interests in the following areas:
 altruism and morality;
 psychology of religion;
 cancer control
 qualitative research;
 ; cross-cultural differences;
 romantic relationships;
 forgiveness;
 relational approaches to psychology;
 gender and gender stereotypes;
 relationships and health outcomes;
 human agency and responsibility;
 religion and health outcomes;
 media influences on behavior;
 religion and spirituality;
 motivation;
 sexual harassment;
 personality development;
 statistical modeling;
 predictors of health testing;
 stress and coping;
 prevention of marital distress;
 teaching of psychology;
 program development and evaluation;
 theistic approaches to psychology.
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Commented [BYU1]: This sentence is already in the previous
page.
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0" + Indent at: 0.25"
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Commented [BYU2]: How’s this? Bullet points are easier to
sift through than running text, especially when they’re not complete
sentences. This is probably more user-friendly to prospective
students who are just looking for quick information
[Behavioral Neuroscience Area Page]
Our PhD program in Psychology has three emphasis areas, one of which is Behavioral
Neuroscience. . This program and emphasis area is for people students who want training in
research and teaching, with an eye towards the integration of psychology and neuroscience. This
training can be used in a future career that includes some combination of research, teaching,
and/or application: (e.g.,
 neuroimaging,
 assessment and testing, or
 consulting). Our graduates often work as professors at colleges or universities doing
research and/or teaching; as researchers for government agencies or for private
organizations; as consultants; or at mental health clinics or medical clinics.
We have 11 full-time bBehavioral nNeuroscience faculty with research interests in the following
areas:
 addiction;
 epilepsy;
 aging;
 gene-environment interactions;
 Alzheimer’s Disease;
 language processing;
 anesthesia and consciousness;
 learning and memory;
 autism spectrum disorders;
 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
 behavioral analysis;
 neuroanatomy;
 behavioral economics;
 neuroimaging (structural and
functional);
 behavioral genetics;
behavioral neuroscience;
 neurodegenerative disease;
 cognitive neuroscience;
 reading;
 critical illness;
 traumatic brain injury;
 electroneurophysiology;
 visual processing
 emotion processing;
.
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[Developmental Psychology Area Page]
Our PhD program in Psychology has three emphasis areas, one of which is Developmental
Psychology. . This emphasis area is new to our graduate program as of fall of 2013, and is for
people students who want training in research and teaching, with an eye towards discovering and
applying knowledge about biological, cognitive, and social aspects of development throughout
the lifespan. This training can be used in a future career that includes some combination of
research, teaching, and/or application:
 (e.g., program development and evaluation,
 statistical or methodological consulting, or
 applications in clinical or health settings). Our graduates often work as professors at
colleges or universities doing research and/or teaching; as researchers for government
agencies or for private organizations; or as consultants.
We have 8 full-time sSocial pPsychology faculty with research interests in the following areas:
 autism spectrum disorders;
 behavioral genetics;
 childhood and adolescence;
 cognitive development;
 developmental psychobiology;
 developmental psychopathology;
 gene-environment interactions;
 identity formation;
 infant perception and cognition;
 language processing;
 moral development;
 motivation;
 parent-child relationships;
 pediatric weight control;
 prevention and intervention;
 program development and evaluation;
 reading;
 religion and spirituality;
 social and personality development;
 visual processing;
 youth psychotherapy outcomes.
Commented [BYU3]: Some pages say program and emphasis
area, while others just say emphasis area. I would recommend
consistency across the board as far as this go. I don’t have an
opinion one way or the other as long as it’s consistent.
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[Frequently Asked Questions Page]







Do I have to be LDSa member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
What if I already have a master’s degree?
Can I get a master’s degree on the waywhile I’m a PhD student?
Can I have an advisor in a different programemphasis area?
Can I work while going to school?
Is there financial aid?
What space/research resources are available for students?
Commented [BYU4]: The Church styleguide prefers to use the
full name of the Church, wherever possible.
Degree Overview
Commented [BYU1]: This is very different from the PhD Psychology page; why the discrepancy? We should discuss what we need to change about both pages, substantively speaking., so they’re congruous with each other. Training Model
The Clinical Psychology doctoral PhD program at Brigham Young University is a well-established, nationally visible
known program. We are committed to excellence and have a training model and the resources necessary for us to
reach our goal. Our program has enjoyed continuous accreditation1 by the American Psychological Association
(APA) since 1971. . We are confident that oOur program’s emerging national reputation will continues to grow in
prestige, thanks to quality resources and a commitment to excellence.
The clinical training program adheres to the scientist-practitioner model. The program is, by design, eclectic in
orientation and broad in scope. From cognitive-behavioral or humanistic perspectives, to object relations and family
systems, students are exposed to a diversity of clinical approaches and populations. Training focuses on
competence in academics and research, competence and while givesing students both the theoretical and the
practical experience necessary to develop strong clinical skills.
Candidates with various backgrounds who have strong academic and clinical promise are recruited. Adhering to the
scientist-practitioner training philosophy, our Our goal is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills to be
excellent generalist clinical psychologists, equipped to pursue academic, research, or clinical careers. . Although
many of our graduates pursue professional careers, academic and research competencies competency are is also
central to the goals of the program. Beyond a general "core" education and clinical training, students may gain
added experience in therapy, assessment, forensics, health psychology and a variety of other options, or they may
elect optional Eemphasis Aareas in: (1) Child, Adolescent, and Family, (2) Clinical Neuropsychology, or (3) Clinical
Research.
Formatted: Font: Not Italic
Commented [BYU2]: Deleted for redundancy Commented [BYU3]: Is this suffix ist necessary? Is there a recognized form of clinical practice known as generalist? Aesthetically it sounds strange and jargon‐like. Commented [BYU4]: Is this accurate? Or is the name of the emphasis really Child, Adolescent, Family? Curriculum
The Clinical Psychology program is ordinarily completed in five years, including a one-year, full-time internship
completed in an accredited agency away from the university. Although many APA programs currently prefer
students to apply only after completing the Bbachelor's degree level, we welcome students with eithereither with
Bbachelor's or with Mmaster's degrees. The Cclinical Ppsychology program at Brigham Young University has an
excellent reputation, both for the clinical skills of our students and solid grounding in theory and research. Our
students seeking internships are frequently accepted in some of the outstanding training sites of the nation. For
example, Rrecent students have completed internships at Baylor University Medical School, Duke University
Medical School, University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, the Yale
School of Medicine, and several hospitals in the Harvard Medical School Consortium.
We have recently undergone an extensive self-study assessmentand realignment to streamline the curriculum.
Students take didactic courses primarily on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Thursday mornings are generally
reserved for practicum supervision and case conference. This leaves Tuesdays, Thursday afternoons, and Fridays
open for clinical clerkships, externships, supervision, study, and research. Coursework and training include
psychodiagnostics, personality dynamics, psychopathology, and individual, family, and group therapytherapy for
individuals, families, and groups. . Clinical skill training begins in the first semester with a course in interviewing
and microskills. In the second semester, students begin working directly with clients, providing psychotherapy and
conducting psychological assessments appropriate to their training levellevel of training. In the second and third
years, students have opportunities for clerkship experiences in the state prison, the state mental hospital, aboth
community mental health settings. Clerkships and externships, which are (paid clinical training experiences), are
offered in over twenty clinics and hospitals in the area, and which provide exposure to a varied clientele under the
supervision of more than twenty professional adjuncts to our Facultyfaculty. The fourth year is primarily devoted to
completing the student’s dissertation; thus, we expect our students to have completed all their academic
requirements prior to leaving for internship. In keeping with the scientist-practitioner model, our students undergo
rigorous training in statistics, research design, and methodology, primarily in their second and third years. They
may involve themselves in faculty-directed research or choose topics related to their own interests in anticipation
of conducting their dissertation research.
Commented [BYU5]: Meaning? Commented [BYU6]: Specifying which days of the week seems a little unnecessary: this is a detail that would only be needed when a student is putting together a schedule, not when investigating whether he or she is going to apply here. An alternative could be this: Students take didactic courses, receiving practicum supervision and case conferences. They also are given time for clinical clerkships, externships, supervision, study, and research. Commented [BYU7]: Jargon: is this a commonly known term in Psychology? Commented [BYU8]: The word adjunct has a very specific connotation, making it seem that the students will work The University is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and is the largest private,
church-related sponsored university in the country. As a religion-sponsored us institution, issues of commitment to
values and faith commitments are considered as integral parts both of both treatment philosophies and of personal
ecologies. Whereas Even though a numbermany of our students each every year are members of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS), students of other faiths are welcome and are equally considered without
biasfor admission. Similarly, while the majority of faculty are mainly LDS, there are several professors in
psychology our department who are of other faiths. Many of the major religious denominations are represented on
campus and in the community, and those of other faiths are an important part of the diversity that we welcome.
The University university does expect that all students, regardless of religion, will maintain the behavioral
standards of the school, the Honor Code. These include high standards of honesty, integrity, chastity and morality;
graciousness in personal behavior, dress and grooming; and abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, tea, coffee, and
nonmedical use of drugsdrug abuse. The exact statement is included in the application packet and is found at
the Honor Code Office web site.
Notes
1
Information on accreditation can be obtained from the Commission on Accreditation, 202-336-5979, or Office of
Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC
20002-4242, or at www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/.
Commented [BYU9]: Jargon: what does this phrase mean? Rather strange phrase. Commented [BYU10]: Are there really?