The Graduate School Bulletin
Department of Psychology
296 Eberhart Building
(336) 334-5013
Graduate Programs:
Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, General Experimental Psychology concentration, 36 hours
Master of Arts/Doctor of Philosophy (MA/PhD) in Psychology, Clinical Psychology concentration, 100 hours
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, General Experimental Psychology, or Social Psychology concentration, 72 hours
Graduate Faculty
Overview
PSY Psychology Courses
Graduate Faculty
Professors
Arthur D. Anastopoulos, PhD, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children, adolescents, and adults, including multi-method assessment, multi-modal treatment, parent-child interactions, and parent training.
Robert Guttentag, PhD, Cognitive development, children’s learning and remembering (Head of Department).
Timothy Johnston, PhD, Comparative studies of behavioral development and evolution, and the history of developmental theories in psychology and biology.
Michael J. Kane, PhD, Attention and memory, particularly where they interact in the “working memory” system and how they contribute to intelligence and higher-order cognitive processes (Director of Graduate Study).
Susan P. Keane, PhD, Social and emotional development in children and adolescents, peer relations, friendship, developmental psychopathology.
Thomas R. Kwapil, PhD, Schizophrenia and related illnesses studied from experimental and developmental psychopathology perspectives.
George F. Michel, PhD, Developmental psychobiology, sensorimotor development during infancy, neuroendocrine processes in mammalian parental care.
Rosemery Nelson-Gray, PhD, Adult depression and personality disorders; theory and techniques of behavioral assessment.
John Seta, PhD, Processes related to social cognition and groups.
Terri L. Shelton, PhD, Developmental psychopathology, assessment and treatment of young children.
Jacquelyn White, PhD, Gender issues and interpersonal violence with a particular focus on intimate partner aggression and victimization.
Edward J. Wisniewski, PhD, Cognitive processes underlying concept formation and conceptual combination, judgment and decision making.
Adjunct Professors
Susan Calkins, PhD, Social and emotional development in childhood with emphasis on the development of aggression.
Walter Salinger, PhD, Physiology of behavior, particularly pre- and postnatal neural development, infant and adult neural plasticity, visual physiology.
Associate Professors
Peter Delaney, PhD, Planning and problem solving, memory, expertise and skill.
Douglas W. Levine, PhD, Areas of quantitative research includes power analysis, classification problems, categorical data analysis, and using re-sampling methodologies in factor analysis.
Stuart Marcovitch, PhD, Cognitive development, particularly conscious and unconscious influences on behavior.
Julia L. Mendez, PhD, Parenting and social competence among ethnic minority children, preventive intervention with low-income children and families.
Christina M. Rodriguez, PhD, Physical discipline and child abuse and its association with children’s emotional functioning.
Lili Sahakyan, PhD, Retrieval processes in human long-term memory, the role of context in memory.
Paul Silvia, PhD, Self-awareness, self-regulation, cognition and emotion.
Dayna R. Touron, Ph.D, Cognitive aging, skill acquisition, strategy use, metacognition.
Assistant Professors
Janet J. Boseovski, PhD, Social cognition in early to middle childhood, including personality understanding, stereotyping and prejudice; development psychopathology.
Kari Eddington, PhD, Cognitive, motivational, and neurobiological processes in depression; mechanisms of change in psychosocial treatments for depression.
Lilly Shanahan, PhD, Adolescent development, family influences on development, development methods.
Gabriela Stein, PhD, Models of depression in Latino and African American youth, developing culturally responsive prevention and interventions for ethnically diverse families.
Overview
The Psychology Department offers two graduate training tracks—a terminal MA in general experimental psychology and a PhD with specializations in clinical, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology. Students may apply to either or both tracks. The clinical program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.
At both levels, the objective is to provide the combination of a sound scholarly foundation with methodological and practical skills that will enable the student to function in a variety of academic, research, and service settings. The program has an experimental orientation, with four major areas of concentration:
- Clinical (Anastopoulos, Eddington, Keane, Kwapil, Mendez, Nelson-Gray,
Rodriguez, Stein)—includes research training and clinical training in a variety of service settings. - Developmental (Boseovski, Guttentag, Johnston, Keane, Marcovitch, Michel, Sahakyan, Salinger, Shanahan, Touron)—includes basic research in behavioral, cognitive, language, and social development in infant, child, adolescent, and adult humans and in animals.
- Cognitive (Delaney, Guttentag, Kane, Marcovitch, Sahakyan, Touron, Wisniewski)
—includes basic research in human memory, cognition, and language. - Social (Boseovski, Seta, Silvia, and White)—includes basic research in social phenomena, e.g., aggression, attitudes, communication, gender relations, intergroup comparison, and social competence.
The goal of the terminal MA is the Master of Arts degree. Those who successfully complete the terminal MA, however, may apply to the PhD program. In addition, students with master's degrees from other institutions are welcome to apply to the PhD program. Their past work is evaluated to determine which requirements of our program have been satisfied.
Department of Psychology Policy on Professional Impairment
MA - Master of Arts in Pyschology, General Experimental Psychology concentration
The terminal MA in Psychology with a concentration in general experimental psychology requires 36 semester hours—12 hours in four core courses, 8 hours of statistics, 10 hours of electives and 6 hours of thesis.
Application and Admission
In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit a Psychology Department Application form (which includes two brief essays), which is available at http://psychology.uncg.edu/academic_programs/graduate/applying/.
The deadline to apply is April 20 for Fall admission.
Degree Requirements
Core Courses (12 hours)
Each student must take at least one core course from four of five core areas:
Clinical
PSY 661 Psychological Disorders in Children (3)
PSY 662 Psychological Disorders in Adults (3)
Cognitive
PSY 652 Cognitive Processes (3)
Developmental
PSY 643 Developmental Psychology (3)
Biological
PSY 625 Advanced Animal Behavior (3)
PSY 650 Physiology of Sensory and Behavioral Processes (3)
Social
PSY 647 Advanced Social Psychology (3)
Statistics and Methodology (8 hours)
PSY 609, 610 Statistical Methods in Psychology I, II (4) (4) or alternatives with permission of the Director of Graduate Study
Additional Courses (10 hours, plus 6 hours of thesis)
In addition to 6 hours of *PSY 699 Thesis, additional courses are to be selected from 600-level psychology courses or, with the permission of the Director of Graduate Study, graduate level courses in other departments.
*Indicates Capstone Experience
MA/PHD - Master of Arts/ Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Clinical students in the MA/PhD track are required to satisfy all requirements for the MA degree in clinical psychology as part of their PhD requirement. A minimum of 55 semester hours is required for the MA component of the PhD. The PhD in Clinical Psychology requires 100 semester hours including internship hours. All credits taken to satisfy the MA component may be applied toward the PhD requirements.
Students who receive an MA in Clinical Psychology from another institution will submit syllabi, thesis document, and other materials for review. The students will work closely with their advisor and the Director of Clinical Training to develop their doctoral plan of study. Typically, students earn credit for 28-32 credit hours (approximately 1 year). In addition, the thesis is reviewed by a committee of three faculty, and if viewed as comparable in scope and theoretical focus to the UNCG thesis requirement, no additional thesis work will be required.
Application and Admission
“In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit a Psychology Department Application Form, which is available at http://psychology.uncg.edu/academic_programs/graduate/applying/.
The deadline to apply is December 15 for fall admission.
It is important to note that the department does not accept students who seek a terminal MA degree in clinical psychology, only those seeking a PhD.
Degree Requirements
MA General Core Courses (9 hours)
For APA accreditation purposes, one of the non-clinical courses must address social bases of behavior and one must address biological bases of behavior. Nine hours are chosen from the following core courses:
Cognitive
PSY 652 Cognitive Processes (3)
Developmental
PSY 643 Developmental Psychology (3)
Biological
PSY 625 Advanced Animal Behavior (3)
PSY 650 Physiology of Sensory and Behavioral Processes (3)
Social
PSY 647 Advanced Social Psychology (3)
MA Clinical Courses (21 hours)
Clinical Core Courses (9 hours)
PSY 661 Psychological Disorders in Children (3)
PSY 662 Psychological Disorders in Adults (3)
One course in ethics (e.g. PSY 735 Contemporary Problems: Ethics and Cultural Competence) (3)
Additional Clinical Courses (12 hours)
PSY 622 Theory and Methods of Psychotherapy (3)
PSY 623 Theory and Methods of Personality Assessment (3)
PSY 626 Theory and Methods of Behavioral Assessment and Therapy (3)
PSY 640 Theory and Methods of Intellectual Assessment (3)
MA Research Tools Courses (17 hours)
PSY 609, 610 Statistical Methods in Psychology I, II (4) (4)
PSY 624 Research Methods in Clinical Psychology (3)
*PSY 699 Thesis (6)
*Indicates Capstone Experience
MA Clinical Practicum Training (8 hours)
PSY 642 Practicum in Clinical Intervention (8) (Taken over four semesters)
PhD Seminars (12 hours)
In addition to the MA requirements, student must complete the following:
Two advanced clinical seminars (PSY 735) (6)
Two advanced seminars outside the clinical area (PSY 735), approved in advance by the student's doctoral committee (6)
• One from another area in psychology or from another department.
• One may address research design/statistical issues.
PhD Research Tools Courses (19 hours minimum)
In addition to MA requirements, students must complete the following:
PSY 721 Teaching of Psychology (1)
PSY 751 Independent Doctoral Research (6)
PSY 799 Doctoral Dissertation Research (12-24)
PhD Clinical Practicum Training (14 hours)
In addition to the 8 hours of PSY 642 taken to satisfy the MA requirements, students must complete the following:
PSY 642 Practicum in Clinical Intervention (6) (Taken over two semesters)
PSY 762 Advanced Practicum in Clinical Psychology (6) (Taken over two semesters)
PSY 763 Internship in Clinical Psychology (2) (Taken over two semesters for clinical internship year)
Preliminary Examination
This examination is scheduled in consultation with the doctoral advisory committee.
PHD - Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Cognitive, Developmental, Social, or General Experimental Psychology concentration
Students must satisfy all requirements for the MA degree as part of their PhD requirements, and all courses taken to satisfy the MA degree may be applied towards the PhD requirements. Completion of the requirements for the terminal MA satisfies the MA requirement of the PhD. A minimum of 72 semester hours is required for the PhD degree.
Students who receive an MA from another institution will submit syllabi, thesis document, and other materials for review to determine the portability of their MA degree. Typically, students earn credit for the MA degree and must complete remaining PhD requirements and a minimum of 35 hours at UNCG.
Application and Admission
In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit a 500 word personal statement and Department Applicant Information Form directly to Department. Form is available at http://psychology.uncg.edu/academic_programs/graduate/applying.
The deadline to apply is December 15 for fall admission.
Degree Requirements
Core Courses and Electives (48 hours minimum, including hours acquired in MA)
In addition to core courses and electives taken to satisfy the MA requirements, students complete 18-30 semester hours in their area of concentration (cognitive, developmental, or social) and 18-30 hours outside their area of concentration. Of these hours, only 6 hours of independent study courses (PSY 601) can be counted; at least an additional 3 hours of research tools courses beyond the MA statistics requirements must be taken; and at least four psychology seminars (PSY 735) must be taken.
Research (24 hours minimum, including hours acquired in MA)
In addition to the thesis completed to satisfy the MA requirements, all students complete the following:
PSY 751 Independent Doctoral Research (6)
PSY 799 Doctoral Dissertation Research (12)
Preliminary Examination
This examination is scheduled in consultation with the doctoral advisory committee.
PSY Psychology Courses
515 History and Systems of Psychology (3:3)
Pr. a minimum of 12 hours of psychology, including 121, senior standing, or permission of instructor
Discussion of prescientific thinking on psychological problems, origin of systems of psychology, and ways systems are reflected in contemporary psychology.
519 Special Topics in Psychology (3:3)
Pr. appropriate introductory 200-level core course or equivalent, or permission of instructor
Intensive examination of current theories and research in a specific area of biopsychology, learning, development, cognition, social psychology or clinical psychology. Check with department for offerings. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
589 Experimental Course
This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings.
601 Graduate Problems in Psychology (1-3)
Work individually or in small groups in psychological problems of special interest. Work may represent either a survey of a given field or an intensive investigation of a particular problem. For students with a strong background in psychology; students should consult instructor before registering. (Graded on S-U basis)
602 Seminar in Systematic Issues (3:3)
Pr. 515 or equivalent, or permission of instructor
Contemporary state of knowledge with regard to the logic and language of psychology.
604 Behavior of Individuals in Work Organizations (3:3)
Pr. permission of instructor
Factors determining the behavior of individuals in work organizations including personal attributes such as motivation, attitude, personality, interest, skills, and knowledge; and organizational attributes such as formal structure, technology and work flow, leadership, role taking, and reward systems.
608 Personality and Social Development (3:3)
Pr. HDF 651 and HDF 652 or permission of instructor
Integrates theory and research focusing on dimensions of normal personal-social growth from infancy through childhood. Importance of peer and family relations in the development of social attitudes, self-concept, prosocial behaviors, social conformity, and moral reasoning. (Same as HDF 608)
609 Statistical Methods in Psychology I (4:3:1)
Pr. psychology graduate student or permission of instructor
Summarizing and comparing distributions. Thorough review of statistical estimation and hypothesis testing for linear models, e.g., t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple comparisons.
610 Statistical Methods in Psychology II (4:3:1)
Pr. 609 or permission of instructor
Statistical estimation and hypothesis testing for linear models, e.g., ANOVA for crossed, nested, incomplete, and repeated measures designs, ANCOVA; multiple regression and correlation; general linear model.
611 Experimental Design in the Behavioral Sciences (3:3)
Pr. STA 662 or permission of instructor
Development of strategy, from generation of hypotheses through data analysis and interpretation. Consideration of choice of designs and statistical procedures, including covariance and multivariate analysis.
612 Psychological Perspectives on Language (3:3)
Pr. 481 or 483 or permission of instructor
Traditional psychological perspectives as they relate to language phenomena. Empirical questions and findings in comprehension and memory for language. Relationship between language and thought.
613 Matrix Algebra Useful for Statistics (1:1)
Pr. one basic graduate statistics course
Matrix manipulation and understanding the language of matrix algebra rather than formal mathematics.
614 Child Language: The Psychological Perspective (3:3)
Pr. undergraduate course in cognitive development or psycholinguistics, or permission of instructor
In-depth analyses of children's language acquisition and its role in development of cognitive functioning. Methodologies, findings, and issues as they relate to more general psychological questions.
617 Behavior Theory (3:3)
Pr. 515 or permission of instructor
Theories of behavior and learning, from 1900 to present.
622 Theory and Methods of Psychotherapy (3:3)
Pr. or coreq. 661, 662 and permission of instructor
Psychotherapy concepts and research from interpersonal, behavioral, humanistic, and cognitive perspectives. Supervised introductory practicum experience in therapeutic methods.
623 Theory and Methods of Personality Assessment (3:3)
Pr. or coreq. 622, malpractice insurance, and permission of instructor
Construction, evaluation, and interpretation of objective and projective measures of personality as used with normal and clinical groups. Laboratory practice in personality assessment and in diagnosis.
624 Research Methods in Clinical Psychology (3:3)
Pr. or coreq. 622, STA 661 and 662, and permission of instructor
Broad-based methodological perspective on approaches to research in clinical psychology; personality, psychopathology, psychotherapy, epidemiology, behavioral medicine, and clinical child psychology.
625 Advanced Animal Behavior (3:3)
Pr. 435 or 436 or 438 or permission of instructor
Current research and theories including development and evolution of behavior, sociobiology, behavioral genetics, behavioral ecology, and the use of comparative method. (Same as BIO 625)
626 Theory and Methods of Behavioral Assessment and Therapy (3:3)
Pr. 622 and permission of instructor
Evaluation of research and theory underlying behavioral assessment and behavior therapy. Supervised introductory experiences in the use of behavioral assessment and therapy techniques.
640 Theory and Methods of Intellectual Assessment (3:3)
Pr. 661, 662, malpractice insurance, and permission of instructor
Research and theory underlying intellectual assessment. Supervised introductory experience in the use of standardized intelligence tests, including evaluation and communication of test results.
642 Practicum in Clinical Intervention (1-6)
Pr. 622, 661, 662, and malpractice insurance
Supervised application of psychological principles to the assessment and therapeutic change of individual or group behavior, generally with clients in the UNCG Psychology Clinic. Open to clinical psychology graduate students. (Graded on S-U basis.)
643 Developmental Psychology (3:3)
Pr. 455 or 456 or 457 or permission of instructor
Systematic survey of theories and content of developmental psychology. Developmental issues and research examined in areas including attention, memory, language, socialization, sex roles, and aggression.
644 Human Behavioral Development (3:3)
Pr. 326 or 342 or permission of instructor
Theory and research on the biological-behavioral analysis of pre- and postnatal development; learning and perception, including biological factors in infancy through childhood.
645 Cognitive Development (3:3)
Pr. 455 or 456 or 457 or permission of instructor
Theory and research in relation to attention, memory, problem solving and language. Emphases on Piagetian and information-processing approaches.
646 Social Bases of Personality (3:3)
Major personality theories; social bases of individual differences. Research methodologies and specific areas of research.
647 Advanced Social Psychology (3:3)
Pr. 460 or 461 or 462 or permission of instructor
Theoretical concepts, research methodologies, and empirical findings; aggression, attitude change, attribution, and exchange theory.
650 Physiology of Sensory and Behavioral Processes (3:3)
Pr. 435, 436, 438, or permission of instructor
Neural substrates of motivation, emotion, sleep, motor acts and coordination, learning, language, complex processes, and psychopathology.
650L Physiological Psychology Laboratory (1:0:3)
Pr. enrollment in or completion of 650
Fundamental neuroanatomy with guided dissections, experiments, demonstrations, and training in surgical and other techniques useful in understanding and executing research in physiological psychology. (Graded on S-U basis)
651 Experimental Analysis of Operant Behavior (3:2:3)
Pr. 442 or 444 or permission of instructor
Research methods used in the study of operant behavior; current status of research and theory relevant to basic processes in operant behavior.
652 Cognitive Processes (3:3)
Pr. 481 or 483 or permission of instructor
Human intellectual functioning including pattern recognition, attention, memory, comprehension, reasoning, and problem solving.
655 Sensation and Perception (3:3)
Pr. 435 or 436 or 438 or permission of instructor
Sensory/perceptual processes emphasizing visual and auditory systems from stimulus transduction to higher order information processing.
661 Psychological Disorders in Children (3:3)
Pr. permission of instructor
Empirical approach to etiology, assessment, and treatment of psychological problems of children, emphasis on development factors. Not intended for students without a strong background in abnormal psychology, child development, and developmental theory.
662 Psychological Disorders in Adults (3:3)
Pr. permission of instructor
An empirical approach to the etiology, assessment and treatment of psychological problems of adults.
681 Family-Centered Interdisciplinary Practice: System of Care (3:3)
Pr. exposure to System of Care through departmental courses before enrollment, basic research methods and basic statistics course, or permission of instructor
System of Care has core values/principles, infuses service planning/delivery. Students develop competencies: 1) family-centered; 2) client partnerships; 3) community services; 4) cultural competency; 5) interagency collaboration. Participatory research with families included. (Same as SWK 681)
691 Advanced Clinical Topics in Couple and Family Counseling/Therapy (3:3)
Pr. 622
Advanced seminar in the scientific foundations for practice of couple and family counseling/therapy. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
699 Thesis (1-6)
711 Experimental Course
This number reserved for experimental courses. Refer to the Course Schedule for current offerings.
721 Teaching of Psychology (1:2)
Pr. admission to the graduate program in psychology, or permission of instructor
Introduction to principles and practices of good undergraduate teaching for graduate students in psychology. Covers basics such as course planning, teaching techniques, legal and ethical issues. (Graded on S-U basis.)
724 Ethical Responsibilities of Clinical Psychologists (3:3)
Pr. admission to graduate program in clinical psychology or permission of instructor
In-depth coverage of professional ethics as they pertain to the many different settings in which clinical psychologists often work, including clinical practice, research, teaching, consultation, and other professional activities.
735 Contemporary Problems (3:3)
Pr. 600-level course in appropriate content areas
Specific course title identified each semester by subscript, e.g., Contemporary Problems: Advanced Research Methods in Developmental Psychology. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
745 Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology (3:3)
Pr. admission to graduate program in clinical psychology or permission of instructor
Examination of psychological research, theory, and clinical practice using a multicultural perspective so as to increase awareness, knowledge, and skills involved in the development of cultural competence.
751 Independent Doctoral Research (1-6)
Individual work on psychological problems of special interest culminating in an intensive, critical review of literature in a given field or scientific investigation of problem. Before registering, student should obtain the approval of graduate faculty member who agrees to monitor and evaluate the proposed research. (Graded on S-U basis.)
762 Advanced Practicum in Clinical Psychology (1-12)
Pr. 642, malpractice insurance
Supervised application of psychological principles to the assessment and therapeutic change of individual and group behavior, generally with clients in the UNCG Psychology Clinic. Open only to clinical psychology graduate students. (Graded on S-U basis)
763 Internship in Clinical Psychology (1-12)
Pr. 642, 762, malpractice insurance
Application of psychological principles to the assessment and therapeutic change of individual or group behavior in an APA-accredited off-campus setting. Students are individually supervised by appropriate agency staff. Open only to clinical psychology graduate students. (Graded on S-U basis)
799 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-24)
801 Thesis Extension (1-3)
802 Dissertation Extension (1-3)
803 Research Extension (1-3)