Seminar Lecture 7 3.3
- Do you need to go to Grad School
- Yes:
- Licensed Psychologist
- Licensed pro counselor
- Licensed School Psych
- Academia as professor and/or researcher
- No:
- You're unsure abt career direction
- You're not sure if clinical is your thing
- You're concerned about incurring debt
- You don't like school
- Because teachers, parents, and friends say you should
- Why:
- Why do you want or need it?
- How will you use it?
- What kind of psych do you see yourself doing?
- Consider your lvls of motivation, interest, & initiative
- Yes:
- Grad School is very competitive, doctoral programs more so than master's
- Financial Considerations
- application process
- tuition is higher for grad school. What funding is available?
- Related Grad Degrees:
- Masters
- Usually 2 yrs (60 hrs)
- MA, M., Ed, MBA, MSW, MMFT
- Specialist
- Expanded Masters
- 3+ yrs
- Often in School Psych
- Professional School
- Med, PA, OT, Law
- Doctoral
- Usually either research or applied or both
- Typically leads to psychologist
- PhD
- EdD
- PsyD
- Masters
- Prep for Grad school
- process of building a history of experiences & accomplishments
- Beginning early on
- Career exploration exercises (CDC, faculty)
- Explore options, settle on minors
- Take Stats & Research Methods
- Begin doing volunteer wok & job shadowing
- Begin getting involved in departmental events
- Begin connecting w/faculty & other students
- Hold leadership roles
- Strong academic performance
- Get to know your faculty
- Begin forming collaborative relationships. Research is a good way to do this
- Take more than one class from your favorites
- Visit during office hours for outside-the-classrooms discussions
- Contribute constructively to classroom discussions
- Be visible
- Stand out from your peers in a good way
- Why get involved in research?
- Doc programs are research programs
- Demonstrates interest in and knowledge of the process
- Helps understand the research you read
- Acquire knowledge and skills outside the classroom
- Opportunity to get to know faculty by working with them
- Develop skills in project management, teamwork, critical thinking, and written and oral communication skills
- Could lead to potential publications and/or presentations
- Prepares you for research at the grad lvl & enhances grad school app.
- Psy 3990: Research in Psychology
- Common tasks:
- Searching research literature and reading journal articles
- Collecting data (surveys)
- Coding, entering, and analyzing data
- Preparing a poster/paper presentation on research project
- Common tasks:
- Applied & pro experiences
- Internships
- Volunteering
- Job Shadowing
- Relevant Job Experiences
- Campus Organizations
- Professional Organizations
- Conferences
- Leadership Roles
- Strong academic performance
- The minimum GPA for app isn't usually the most competitive
- Demonstrates ability to do the work
- Indicator of your potential for success
- Some schools weigh other factors more heavily or look at the last 60 hours
- You can sometimes offset low GPA in other areas
- Begin writing CV (comprehensive pic o/ed background & academic experiences)
- Clear: Well-organized & logical, easy to read
- Concise: relevant and necessary
- Complete: Includes everything you need
- Consistent: don't mix styles/fonts
- Correct: proper grammar
- Current: up-to-date
- Standardized tests:
- GRE is most common for psych programs (general test)
- Math, verbal reasoning, analytical writing
- Begin studying early--4 to 6 months before you plan to take it
- Research grad programs:
- Determine what type of program to apply to
- Talk to faculty advisor
- Use online resources to research available programs
- Things to look for:
- Program fit
- Program prerequisites
- Financial assistance
- Accreditation
- Average GPA & GRE scores
- Average no. o/app received
- No. o/spots available
- App cycle timeline
- Letters o/recommendation
- Ask faculty you know well professionally & academically
- Typically, you need 3 letters (ideally from faculty)
- Start building relationships now!
- Letters must be strong, not lukewarm. Faculty should be able to speak to your potential as a graduate student
- Writing your personal statement:
- Show a clear career direction and why you want to go to grad school
- Specifically discuss why you want to get THAT degree at THAT program
- Identify specific faculty in their program w/interests similar to yours
- Beginning early on
- process of building a history of experiences & accomplishments