Required Courses

The minimum course requirement for the PhD set by the Graduate School is 27 courses. Most of these will consist of seminars, special interest area courses, and independent study or research. Students in the Personality Program Area take eleven required courses during the first two years of the program. In addition, during the first year one elective must be taken from those offered by cognitive psychology and one from social psychology.

The following is a sample curriculum providing a tentative sequence for completion of program requirements. This curriculum will vary between individuals, dependent upon factors such as course availability, and the specific interests of the student.

First Year

Fall

  • 401-1 Proseminar in Psychology
  • 453-1 Correlation and Regression
  • 494/421-1 Theories of Personality/Psychopathology-1
  • Elective

Winter

  • 401-2 Proseminar in Psychology
  • 406/421-2 Empirical Foundations of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy/Psychopathology-2
  • 451-1 Statistics in Experimental Design
  • Elective

Spring

  • 405 Psychometric Theory
  • 451-2 Statistics in Experimental Design
  • Elective

Electives must include at least one course each from Cognitive Psychology and Social Psychology. Students who have not had a course in physiological psychology are strongly encouraged to enroll in 312-1, Neurobiology and Behavior. If support is available, the first summer should be devoted to research and/or to training in computer methodology. 442, 406, 421, and 494 are offered in alternate years. A first year research project must also be completed by the end of the summer.

Second Year

Fall

  • 450 Fundamentals of Statistics
  • 494/421-1 Theories of Personality/Psychopathology-1
  • Elective

Winter

  • 406/421-2 Empirical Foundations of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy/Psychopathology-2
  • Electives

Spring

  • 496-1/Cntemporary Psychotherapy/Elective
  • Electives

A second year research project leading to the MA is to be completed during this year. During spring quarter plans should be made for studying for preliminary exams and summer quarter should be devoted to writing them.

General Requirements of First and Second Years of Study

The first year of graduate study is, admittedly, a difficult one, but it is designed to establish a solid basis for the student's later graduate study and for his/her career in psychology. The student's work will be evaluated carefully by the faculty at the end of the first year of study.

No formal courses at the graduate level are given during the summer session. Summers are used for independent work and research.

Third Year

Fall

  • Elective Seminar

Winter

  • Elective Seminar

Spring

  • Elective Seminar

Comprehensive examinations are taken before the beginning of fall quarter. Seminars may be in any department of the university, but one should be taken each quarter. A position paper is to be written during the third year while the research program continues. Preparation for the dissertation proposal and qualifying exam should begin during the third year and be completed by the end of summer before the fourth year of graduate study at the latest.

Fourth Year

This year is generally spent conducting dissertation research, which should result in a completed dissertation by June of the spring quarter.

General Requirements of Third and Fourth Years of Study

During the third and fourth years, students generally take a series of seminars offered by members of the department. Each seminar is devoted to a phase of research to be announced at that time. If different topics are offered in successive years, permission of the instructor may be obtained to take the seminar a second time. Permission to take independent study on a specialized topic, not part of the departmental offering, may be asked of any member of the Department.