Psychology Ph.D.
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Program learning outcomes
PhD training is intended to produce high levels of expertise in developing and conducting research, analyzing and interpreting data, and interpreting existing theory and research in psychology (i.e., scholarship). Consequently, our curriculum consists of hands-on research experience, graduate seminars in each student's area of interest, and foundational courses dealing with quantitative methods and substantive areas of research and theory.
Research
Because research competency is foundational to all of our program goals, all graduate students are expected to be actively engaged in research throughout their training. In broad terms, we train our students to acquire the skills to independently contribute knowledge to the discipline through research, and to synthesize and critically evaluate the key findings, concepts, methods, and theories that are relevant to their research area.
All students are expected to learn methods relevant to their research, to acquire competency in quantitative analysis of data, and to obtain research experience under the supervision of faculty. This research experience may be acquired by the student as a paid or unpaid research assistant on either sponsored or non-sponsored research.
Teaching and Mentorship
In the course of their graduate training, students are expected to gain skills in teaching and mentoring via such opportunities as classroom teaching, mentoring undergraduate students in the lab, presenting research, and/or through engaging in pedagogical development. Developing the skills to effectively communicate and convey information to others in support of their learning is an important aspect of PhD-level training. Many employers inside and outside academic settings expect these skill sets when they hire PhDs.
Service
As preparation for their future career responsibilities, students are encouraged to participate in service at the departmental, university, and national levels. Opportunities to participate in departmental, collegiate, and university governance and initiatives are shared with students via email announcements.