2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

Psychology, PhD


Banner Code:  LA-PHD-PSYC

Web: psychology.gmu.edu

The goal of the doctoral program is to train students in the principles and applications of psychology. The program provides knowledge of the basic content areas in psychology and practical experience in applying this knowledge to solving human problems in life, work, and school. The program offers the following concentrations: applied developmental psychology, biopsychology, clinical psychology, human factors/applied cognition, and industrial/organizational psychology.

This program of study is offered by the Department of Psychology .

For policies governing all graduate degrees, see the Academic Policies  chapter of the catalog.

Application Requirements


Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in the Admission chapter  of this catalog. For information specific to the PhD in psychology, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental web site.

Reduction of Credit


For students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree, the number of credits required may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits subject to the approval of the program faculty and the dean. Requests for reduction of credit are reviewed by a committee only after acceptance to the PhD program.

Core Courses


Core course requirements cover the basic subject matter identified by the profession as essential to doctoral training: biological bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, cognitive bases of behavior, individual behavior, and history of psychology.

Specialty Courses


The 700-, 800-, and 900-level courses provide doctoral candidates with greater depth of study in specific content areas.

Practica


The purpose of the practica is to provide a broad range of experiences in settings related to the students’ concentrations.

Advancement to Candidacy


To advance to candidacy, students must complete all core courses required by their the program. Students must also successfully complete and pass written and oral comprehensive exams.

Dissertation (12-24 credits)


The dissertation requirement is designed to demonstrate the student’s ability to apply psychological principles to research problems. Once enrolled in 999, students must follow the university’s continuous registration policy as specified in the Academic Policies  chapter of the catalog. Students who defend in the summer must be registered for at least 1 credit of 999.

Students apply to this degree a minimum of 3 credits of 998 and 3 credits of 999; they may apply a minimum 12 and a maximum of 24 dissertation credits (998 and 999 combined) to the degree. Because of the continuous registration policy, students may be required to register for additional credits of these courses.

Student Evaluation


Students in the doctoral program are evaluated on the basis of grades, comprehensive exams, research, and communication skills. In doctoral courses, A and B are the only acceptable grades. Students in the doctoral program must successfully complete comprehensive exams administered each year.

Degree Requirements


In addition to satisfying the requirements for all doctoral degrees, students must successfully complete 72–74 credits of required course work chosen in one of five concentrations. Each concentration consists of four educational components: core courses, upper-level specialty courses, supervised practica, and dissertation.

▲ Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology (APD)


The applied developmental psychology concentration is concerned with enhancing developmental processes and preventing developmental disorders in individuals and families across the life span. It uses the knowledge base and methodologies of developmental science to assist the development of individuals who vary in cultural and ethnic backgrounds; economic and social opportunities; physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities; and conditions of living (e.g., families, neighborhoods, communities, and physical settings). The program’s emphasis is on child development (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence), and students may focus their studies on the cognitive, social, emotional, language, personality, or physiological aspects of development.

The applied developmental concentration has two goals: to train students to teach and do research on basic and applied issues in child development for employment in such settings as universities, research institutes, and organizations, and to train students to do applied work in developmental psychology (consultation, program evaluation, assessment and evaluation, developmental interventions, and parent training) in such settings as schools, hospitals, courts, child care facilities, and other organizations. Applied developmental psychology doctoral students have the option of also completing course requirements for the MA concentration in school psychology.

Students pursuing this concentration must complete 72 credits.

One course of developmental core (3 credits)


Two courses of cognitive, biological, social, or historical core (6 credits) chosen from:


Two courses of quantitative methods (8 credits)


Advanced specialized methods (9 credits) chosen from:


Specialized content (15 credits):


One required course (3 credits)

Four elective courses (12 credits) chosen from:

Professional seminar/professional ethics (3 credits)


Students take 1 credit in fall and 1 credit in spring of their first year and 1 additional credit at any other time (preferably in their second year).

8 credits of directed reading and research or practicum


Elective courses


If additional credits are required, students complete the 72 credits required for the degree with elective courses, which may include credits of PSYC 897 over and above those used to fulfill the requirements above. Credits for MA thesis and proposal (PSYC 798, 799) may not be used as electives in the PhD program.

Dissertation (12 credits):


Students take at least 3 credits of 998 and 3 credits of 999.

Total: 72 credits


▲ Concentration in Biopsychology (BP)


The biopsychology concentration focuses on studying the biological substrates of behavior. Core and affiliated faculty in the neuroscience and cognitive programs study areas as diverse as neural control of behavioral development; brain systems in substance abuse; animal models of learning and memory and their disorders (such as Alzheimer’s); human brain systems involved in cognition, perception, and movement; and computational models of neural functioning.

The program’s core facilities have well-equipped behavioral testing and histological/histochemical facilities. The program’s strong links to the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study and the Center for Biomedical Genomics and Informatics allows opportunities for collaborative work as diverse as tissue slice preparations and molecular genetics. The doctoral program prepares students for research-based careers in academics, government, or industry.

Students pursuing this concentration must complete 72 graduate credits.

Four courses of biopsychology core (14 credits)


One course (3 credits) chosen from:

Two courses of cognitive, developmental, social, or historical core (6 credits) chosen from:


Specialized content (15 credits)


Students should contact the department for a list of courses approved to meet this requirement.

Three semesters of 1-credit research course (3 credits)


Third year research project (3 credits) chosen from:


Four courses of quantitative and research methods (14 credits)


Two required courses (8 credits)

One elective course (3 credits)

Students choose a fourth course in quantitative or research methods in consultation with an advisor and with the approval of the program faculty. This can include the course not chosen to fulfill the requirement above.

Professional seminars (2 credits):


Elective credits


Students can complete the 72 credit requirement through credits of additional coursework, research, or seminar.

Dissertation (12 credits):


Students take at least 3 credits of 998 and 3 credits of 999.

Total: 72 credits


▲ Concentration in Clinical Psychology (CLN)


The clinical psychology concentration is committed to the scientist–practitioner model. The goal of the program is to train clinical psychologists who are capable of integrating research and applied clinical activities. The program is unique in approaching clinical psychology from social psychological and community perspectives. A social psychological approach uses theory and research from social psychology to understand emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal functioning. A community approach stresses the impact of social and cultural factors on the individual and the impact of the individual on the community. Most of the faculty members employ cognitive–behavioral and interpersonal approaches to research and clinical practice.

Students pursuing this concentration must complete 76 graduate credits.

One course (3 credits) of biological bases of behavior chosen from:


One course (3 credits) of developmental bases of behavior chosen from:


Three courses (11 credits) in research methods and analysis


Ten required courses (41 credits):


Two elective courses (6 credits)


Students choose electives in consultation with and the approval of an advisor.

Dissertation (12 credits):


At least 3 credits of each.

Internship


Students complete a full-time, 12-month clinical psychology internship at a site accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Externship (optional, but recommended)


Students complete a part-time clinical psychology externship in the third or fourth year of the program.

Total: 76 credits


▲ Concentration in Human Factors/Applied Cognition (HF)


The human factors and applied cognition concentration covers basic theoretical and empirical issues and emphasizes research that applies cognitive science to real-world problems. The program builds bridges between human factors engineering and cognitive psychology. Many applications of cognitive science are in the domain of human factors, and many doctoral students who complete our program go on to be human factors professionals.

Students pursuing this concentration must complete 72 graduate credits.

One course (3 credits) of cognitive core chosen from:


Two courses of biological, social, developmental, or historical core (6 credits) chosen from:


Two courses (8 credits) of quantitative and research methods:


Three courses (9 credits) of advanced statistics or qualitative methods


Three courses (9 credits) of additional specialized content


These are seminars with variable topics that may be repeated for credit when the topic is different.

One course (3 credits) of special topics in professional issues:


Directed reading and research


Students are encouraged to take a minimum of 1 credit of this course each semester.

Elective courses


Students have several options for completing the remaining 72 credits required for the degree. They may take additional content courses, including the variable topics seminars 734, 737, or 768, or they may take 3 to 6 credits of Practicum - PSYC 730 with permission of their advisor. Students who do not have work experience in applied cognition or human factors are encouraged to take up to 6 credits of practicum.

Students are strongly encouraged to develop competence in programming and computer science through course work or independent study. Students are also encouraged to identify and take relevant courses within or outside the department with permission of their advisor.

Some options for fulfilling this requirement:

Dissertation (12 credits):


Students take at least 3 credits of 998 and 3 credits of 999.

Total: 72 credits


▲ Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (IO)


The industrial/organizational psychology concentration focuses on multiple aspects of behavior in organizational settings, including personnel selection, quantitative analysis, teams, leadership, work and family issues, and organizational health issues. Mason’s graduate work in this area emphasizes research as the key to knowledge in both academic and applied settings. The program fosters a peer-oriented environment whereby students collaborate on numerous projects in addition to working with faculty members, in many different areas of industrial/organizational psychology.

Students pursuing this concentration must complete 72 graduate credits.

One core course (3 credits)


Six courses (19 credits) in statistics


One additional specialized statistics course (3 credits)

PSYC 646, 756 or other relevant course chosen in consultation with an advisor.

Five courses (15 credits) of specialized content


 Chosen in consultation with an advisor.

At least 9 credits of professional development


Seminar and brownbag (9 credits required)

Practicum or directed reading and research (2 credits recommended)

Dissertation (12 credits)


Students take at least 3 credits of 998 and 3 credits of 999.

Electives


Students complete the remaining credits required for this degree through additional course work in professional development or dissertation.

Total: 72 credits