GRADUATE STUDY IN HUMAN SERVICES

Psychology

Employment Status

Recent PhDs in Psychology: 2007

Recent PsyDs in Psychology:2007

Realities of Graduate School

The overall median undergraduate GPA reported for applicants admitted to master’s degree programs is 3.37, while that for doctoral programs is 3.55

Median GRE scores for applicants admitted to master’s degree programs: 510 (GRE-V), 580 (GRE-Q), and 600 (GRE-Subject)

Median GRE scores for applicants admitted to doctoral degree programs are 575 (GRE-V), 640 (GRE-Q), and 650 (GRE-Subject)

Source: American Psychological Association. (2009). Graduate Study in Psychology. Washington, DC: Author.

Average Acceptance Rates for Doctoral Programs by Subfield

Clinical = 21.2 Counseling = 21.5 School = 37.4 Industrial/Organizational = 25.7 Quantitative = 42.6 Health = 30.9 Social = 19.4 Neuroscience = 26.9

*Calculated by dividing the number of students accepted into a program by the number of students who applied

Source: Nocross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2006, Spring). Graduate Admissions in Psychology: II. Acceptance Rates and Financial Considerations. Eye on Psi Chi, 10(3), 20-21, 32-33.

Source: Nocross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2006, Spring). Graduate Admissions in Psychology: II. Acceptance Rates and Financial Considerations. Eye on Psi Chi, 10(3), 20-21, 32-33.

Acceptance Rates for Master’s Programs by Subfield

Clinical = 52.7 Counseling = 65.5 School = 48.9 Industrial/Organizational = 56.6 Quantitative = 72.7 Health = 70.3 Social = 47.6 Neuroscience = 32.3

* Calculated by dividing the number of students accepted into a program by the number of students who applied

Source: Nocross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2006, Spring). Graduate Admissions in Psychology: II. Acceptance Rates and Financial Considerations. Eye on Psi Chi, 10(3), 20-21, 32-33.

Source: Nocross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2006, Spring). Graduate Admissions in Psychology: II. Acceptance Rates and Financial Considerations. Eye on Psi Chi, 10(3), 20-21, 32-33.

Realities of Graduate School: Time to Complete

It typically takes a full-time student 4 to 7 years to earn a doctorate in psychology, and 2 to 4 years to earn a masters degree

On average, students take 7 years from entrance into a graduate program to complete a doctoral degree 80% of recent PhD recipients also have

masters degreesSource: American Psychological Association. (2009). Graduate Study in Psychology. Washington, DC: Author.

Realities of Graduate School: Financial Aid

64% of programs indicate that they offer some form of fellowship or scholarship to 1st year students; 62% offer to advanced students

81% of programs indicate that they offer teaching and research assistantships to 1st year students; 87% offer to advanced students

Source: American Psychological Association. (2009). Graduate Study in Psychology. Washington, DC: Author.

Realities of Graduate School: Financial Aid

Source: Nocross, J. C., Kohout, J. L., & Wicherski, M. (2006, Spring). Graduate Admissions in Psychology: II. Acceptance Rates and Financial Considerations. Eye on Psi Chi, 10(3), 20-21, 32-33.

Criteria Considered for Graduate School in Psychology

GRE Scores Research Experience Work Experience Clinically Related Public Service Extracurricular Activities Letters of Recommendation Statement of Goals and Objectives Interview Major/Minor in Psychology or Record of

Specific Courses in Psychology Undergraduate GPA

Social Work

Master’s in Social Work (MSW) Programs

An undergraduate degree in social work is not an admission requirement for MSW programs Sociology, psychology, and other behavioral

sciences provide a good foundation

Relevant paid or volunteer experiences in social services, residential or care facilities, shelters, or other human service settings are very important

Generally requires 2 years of coursework as well as many hours of supervised fieldwork

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Occupational outlook handbook - Social workers. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Master’s in Social Work (MSW) Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor (2006) predicts that employment of social workers will increase faster than the average for all occupations into the next decade

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Occupational outlook handbook - Social workers. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children

Median annual wages: $39,530

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Occupational outlook handbook - Social workers. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Medical and Public Health Social Workers

Provide persons, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer's, cancer, or AIDS

Median annual wages: $46,650

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Occupational outlook handbook - Social workers. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Assess and treat individuals with mental, emotional, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs

Median annual wages: $37,210

Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006). Occupational outlook handbook - Social workers. Retrieved from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Marriage and Family Programs

Marriage and Family Programs Marriage and family therapy is one of the fastest

growing mental health disciplines

Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals who bring a family-oriented perspective to health care. They evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders and other health and behavioral problems, and address a wide array of relationship issues within the context of the family system. MFTs believe that individuals and their problems must be seen in context, and that the most important context is the family.

Source: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (n.d.). A career as a marriage and family therapist. Retrieved from: http://www.aamft.org/resources/Career_PracticeInformation/career.htm

Marriage and Family Programs These professionals might be providing family-related education,

serving as an advocate, providing social services, or lobbying for or seeking funding for family related programs

Those who earn the master's degree in Family Therapy will most often be providing family-centered interventions, helping couples or families deal with a variety of issues

Marriage and family therapists might work in a treatment setting, a social service agency, a school system, or the criminal justice system

Often work in many of the same settings as those with degrees in psychology, counseling, or social work

A master’s degree is the most common advanced degree in this area, typically taking about 2-3 years to complete

Source: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (n.d.). A career as a marriage and family therapist. Retrieved from: http://www.aamft.org/resources/Career_PracticeInformation/career.htm

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The GRE General

The GRE is a computer based, adaptive test At the start of the test, you are presented with

test questions of moderate difficulty. As you answer each question, the computer scores it and uses that information, as well as your responses to preceding questions and information about the test design, to determine the next question. As long as you answer correctly, you will typically be given questions of increasing difficulty. When you respond incorrectly, you will typically be given less difficult questions.

Once you answer a question and move on to another, you cannot go back and change your answer. Source: About the GRE General Test. (2010). GRE General Test. Retrieved from

Educational Testing Services website: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/

The GRE General

Skills Measured: The Verbal Reasoning section measures your ability to:

analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it

analyze relationships among component parts of sentences recognize relationships between words and concepts

The Quantitative Reasoning section measures your ability to: understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis reason quantitatively solve problems in a quantitative setting

The Analytical Writing section measures your ability to: articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively examine claims and accompanying evidence support ideas with relevant reasons and examples sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion control the elements of standard written English (this factor plays a role only

to the extent that poor writing skills impede readers' understanding of the argument)Source: About the GRE General Test. (2010). GRE General Test. Retrieved from

Educational Testing Services website: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/

The GRE

Testing fees range from $160-205 ETS preparation materials:

http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare/index.html

Kaplan preparation materials: http://www.kaptest.com/GRE/Home/index.ht

ml Princeton Review preparation materials:

http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/free-gre-practice-test.aspx

Source: About the GRE General Test. (2010). GRE General Test. Retrieved from Educational Testing Services website: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/

The GRE Subject Test: Psychology Most editions of the test consist of approximately 205

multiple-choice questions. Each question in the test has five options from which the examinee is to select the one option that is the correct or best answer to the question.

Some of the stimulus materials, such as a description of an experiment or a graph, may serve as the basis for several questions.

The questions in the Psychology Test are drawn from the core of knowledge most commonly encountered in courses offered at the undergraduate level within the broadly defined field of psychology.

A question may require recalling factual information, analyzing relationships, applying principles, drawing conclusions from data, and/or evaluating a research design.

Source: About the GRE Subject Tests. (2010). GRE Subject Tests. Retrieved from Educational Testing Services website: http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/psychology/index.html

The GRE Subject Test: Psychology There are questions in three content categories:

Experimental or natural science oriented (about 40 percent of the questions), including learning, language, memory, thinking, sensation and perception, and physiological psychology/behavioral neuroscience. They contribute to the experimental psychology sub-score and the total score.

Social or social science oriented (about 43 percent of the questions). These questions are distributed among the fields of clinical and abnormal lifespan development, personality, and social psychology. They contribute to the social psychology sub-score and the total score.

General (about 17 percent of the questions), including the history of psychology, applied psychology, psychometrics, research design, and statistics. They contribute to the total score only.

Source: About the GRE Subject Tests. (2010). GRE Subject Tests. Retrieved from Educational Testing Services website: http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/psychology/index.html

Prepare early! Inform yourself of the facts

Application methods and fees Application deadlines Admission criteria Typical GPA and GRE criteria Typical acceptance rates Tuition, financial aid options Cost of living

Helpful Resources

Resources

Guide to careers in the helping professions: http://teachpsych.org/otrp/resources/himelein

99.pdf What is the interview process like?

http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_644.aspx

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/01/questions.aspx

Recommendations for the application process: http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_801

.aspx Organizing your personal statement:

http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_756.aspx

Resources

Letters of recommendation: http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_7

21.aspx How do I select programs to apply to?

http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_695.aspx

What is graduate school like? http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_6

67.aspx http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/01/cult

ure-shock.aspx

Resources

What is the difference between clinical and counseling psychology? http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_6

63.aspx http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/03/simi

larities.aspx Top 10 habits that hold graduate

students back: http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/09/bad

-habits.aspx What can I do if I get a low GRE score?

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/03/score.aspx

Resources:

American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guide

s/careers.aspx Association for Psychological Science:

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/ APA Grad Psych:

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/index.aspx Eye on Psi Chi:

http://www.psichi.org/pubs/eye/past.aspx

Resources

National Association of Social Workers: http://www.socialworkers.org/

Council on Social Work Education: http://www.cswe.org

Association of Social Work Boards: http://www.aswb.org/

Social Work Graduate School: http://socialworkschool.tripod.com/

American Sociological Association: http://www.asanet.org/

Resources

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: http://www.aamft.org

Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/

Guide to careers in the helping professions: http://

teachpsych.org/otrp/resources/himelein99.pdf

Resources

Educational Testing Services: http://www.ets.org

Kaplan Test Prep: http://www.kaptest.com

Princeton Review: http://www.princetonreview.com/