Psychology

112 Psychology Building

Phone: (915) 747-5551

E-mail: psychology@utep.edu

CHAIRPERSON: Judith P. Goggin

GRADUATE FACULTY: Cohn, Coleman, Crites, Francis, Goggin, Hosch, Lucker, Malpass,

Morera, Moss, Radhakrishnan, Schneider, Tomaka, Wiebe, Wood, Zárate

 

General Requirements for Graduate Programs in Psychology

Admissions Requirements

Before being admitted into any graduate program, either MA or Ph.D., the applicant's undergraduate preparation must include a course in psychological statistics and 12 hours of upper-division courses in psychology including a course in experimental psychology.

Although applications are accepted by the Graduate School throughout the year, decisions regarding applications for admission to the graduate programs in Psychology are made once per year, for the fall term. Applicants must submit all required documents by February 1. Applications not completed by February 1 will be considered for admission for the following year. Decisions regarding admissions are made by the Psychology Graduate Program Committee and the Graduate School. Admission is competitive.

In addition to the General Requirements for Admission into a Graduate Program established by the Graduate School, the Psychology Department requires that specific documents be sent directly to the Graduate Program Director to complete the application process for graduate programs in Psychology. The address to which these documents must be sent is:

Graduate Program Director

Department of Psychology

The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, Texas 79968-0553

The documents required are as follows:

1. A copy of the completed application for admission submitted to the Graduate School

2. A copy of all transcripts submitted to the Graduate School

3. A copy of official GRE aptitude test scores (note: the Psychology Department

requires GRE scores of all applicants regardless of other advanced degrees)

4. A two to three-page personal statement outlining your experiences, skill, training, and

career goals and how the program will benefit your professional development

5. Three letters of reference from individuals who can evaluate your potential for

graduate academic work and future professional contributions

 

 

Departmental Academic Standards

In addition to the University requirement that all students admitted into graduate programs must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all upper-division and graduate courses, the Department of Psychology requires in all graduate programs that: (1) students earn a grade of "B" or better in those courses that are taken to meet the minimum core course requirements; and (2) students who receive a grade of "C" or lower in two courses be dismissed from the program.

Students who earn a grade of "C" or lower in a required core course must retake the course the next time it is offered and earn a grade of "B" or better. A student who fails in two attempts to earn a grade of "B" or better in a required core course will be dismissed from the program.

Students may not count more than 6 hours of approved upper-division undergraduate courses for graduate credit. The following courses are approved for undergraduate and graduate credit:

PSYC 4301 Psychological Testing (3-0)

PSYC 4309 History and Systems of Psychology (3-0)

PSYC 4311 Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology (3-0)

PSYC 4312 Advanced Abnormal Psychology (3-0)

PSYC 4317 Advanced Statistics (3-0)

PSYC 4324 Psychobiology (3-0)

PSYC 4341 Motivation and Emotion (3-0)

PSYC 4343 Seminar in Psychology (3-0)

PSYC 4345 Seminar in Meta-Analysis (3-0)

MA Programs

The department offers two concentrations leading to the MA degree: General Experimental Psychology and Clinical Psychology. The MA in General Experimental Psychology requires the completion of 30 credits, including 24 hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis. The MA in Clinical Psychology requires the completion of 45 credits, including 33 hours of course work, 6 hours of internship, and 6 hours of thesis. Information on required courses, which may change from year to year, may be obtained from the Graduate Program Director.

All MA students are required to pass both a written and an oral examination. The written preliminary examination is given twice a year, in the Fall and Spring semesters. Students must complete the written examination prior to beginning the thesis. The oral examination is the final defense of the thesis before the thesis committee members.

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. is designed to train research psychologists to work in applied psychology. A special focus of this research is directed toward bilingual, bicultural issues as a result of the University's location on the U.S.-Mexico border. Candidates are required to take a core curriculum consisting largely of quantitative, experimental design, methods, and psychometrics courses. In addition, two proseminars in the core curriculum provide breadth in students� knowledge of sensation and perception, cognition, physiological, developmental, personality, and social psychology.

Students must select one of two areas of concentration: (1) Psychology and Health or (2) Human Behavior in Organizations. Field placement and dissertation topic must reflect the concentration chosen.

Course Requirements

All Ph.D. candidates, regardless of their area of concentration, are required to complete concentration core courses that are designed to provide students with specific knowledge and skills that will prepare them for field placements in applied settings. Students are required to complete 78 semester hours: 21 hours of core courses, 18 hours of concentration courses, 9 hours of research (with at least two faculty members), 6 hours field placement, 6 hours of dissertation, and 18 hours of electives. A research dissertation (PSYC 6320 and PSYC 6321) is required of students. Students must register for PSYC 6320 for the first 3 hours of dissertation work and for PSYC 6321 thereafter until the dissertation is complete.

The core courses (21 semester hours) required for all Ph.D. candidates are:

PSYC 5100 Seminar on Current Topics

PSYC 5310 Statistics I - Applied Correlation and Regression

PSYC 5311 Statistics II - Experimental Design

PSYC 5331 Cross-Cultural Research Methods

PSYC 5334 Field Methods in Psychology

PSYC 5404 Proseminar I

PSYC 5405 Proseminar II

The remaining 57 credits will be earned in concentration electives (12), research applications (9), field placement (6), dissertation (6), and general electives (18).

Concentration Electives (18 hours):

Concentration electives, consistent with the student�s interests, should be chosen from the courses listed below and must be approved by the Graduate Advisor. Any substitutions must be approved by the Graduate Advisor.

PSYC 5306 Attitudes and Attitude Measurement

PSYC 5309 Seminar in Psychopathology

PSYC 5312 Program Evaluation

PSYC 5315 Psychopharmacology

PSYC 5321 Seminar in Personality Assessment

PSYC 5322 Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy

PSYC 5323 Psychometrics

PSYC 5325 Special Topics in Health Psychology

PSYC 5326 Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

PSYC 5330 Special Topics in Organizational/Social Behavior

PSYC 5333 Seminar in Intellectual and Neuropsychological Assessment

PSYC 5335 Special Topics in Research Design and Data Analysis

PSYC 5337 Special Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

PSYC 5338 Personnel Selection, Placement, Evaluation, and Training

PSYC 5342 Special Topics in Psychology and Law

PSYC 5355 Seminar in General Psychology

It is recommended that students interested in a field placement in industry complete PSYC 5330 and 5338 prior to their placement.

Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate written and oral proficiency in two languages, English and Spanish. Alternative languages must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee. Course work taken to complete the language requirement cannot be counted toward the seventy-eight (78) credit hours required for the Ph.D. degree.

Transfer Students with Graduate Credit

Students accepted into the Ph.D. program with graduate credit from The University of Texas at El Paso (including the Psychology Department) or from another university must satisfy the same requirements as those beginning their Ph.D. graduate training in Psychology at UTEP without previously earned graduate credits. The student may petition the Graduate Program Committee to accept a maximum of 24 hours of graduate credit (excluding thesis hours) completed at UTEP or another institution. Approved credits will appear as Advanced Standing Credit on the Preliminary Plan of Study. Students who have taken PSYC 5301 (Research Applications) from UTEP prior to admission to the Ph.D. program may request that a maximum of 3 credit hours for this course be included in the 24 hours that may be counted toward their Ph.D. degree as long as those hours were not used to meet requirements for a previous or separate degree.

The student must make a written request for Advanced Standing Credit to the Graduate Program Committee. It is the student�s responsibility to provide all evidence and material necessary for the Graduate Program Committee to review the request. Advanced Standing Credits are subject to final approval from the Graduate School.

Maximum Time for Completion of the Ph.D. Degree

Students in the Ph.D. program in Psychology must complete all requirements for a Ph.D. within one eight-year period. The eight-year period begins with the term of the first course listed on the student's degree plan. Use of advanced standing will proportionately decrease this time period but in no case will be less than six years of study.

Written Examinations

Preliminary Exam - A written preliminary examination will be given after the student's second year of study. A student may retake the written preliminary examination one time. If not passed in two attempts, the student will be dismissed from the program. Students are not permitted to register for PSYC 6320 (dissertation) until they have passed the written preliminary exam.

Written Comprehensive Exam - Ph.D. candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination that will be constructed and graded by the student's comprehensive examination committee. Students may retake the written comprehensive examination one time. If students do not pass the written comprehensive examination in two attempts, they will be dismissed from the program.

Ph.D. Oral Examinations

A dissertation proposal must be defended orally before the student's committee prior to collecting data. In addition, students must successfully defend their dissertation during a final oral examination conducted by the dissertation committee. The final oral examination may include committee examination on any appropriate material.

Field Placements

Field placements are arranged and administered by the Coordinator of Field Placements and the Field Placement Committee. Students are required to complete six (6) credit hours of field placement (PSYC 6305). Twenty (20) clock hours per week for one long semester (Fall or Spring) or for a summer term (June 1 through August 31) is equal to 3 credit hours of Field Placement. Thus, students may fulfill the field placement requirement by (1) working 40 hours per week for one long semester or for the summer term or (2) by working 20 hours per week for two long semesters or for one summer term and one long semester.

Microfilming of Dissertation

The doctoral candidate who has successfully completed all requirements for the degree is required to pay the cost of microfilm reproduction of the complete dissertation. The signed original copy (unbound) of the doctoral dissertation is sent from the Office of Graduate Student Services to University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan, for reproduction.

The student must also submit to the Graduate School two copies of an abstract, not to exceed 350 words in length (double-spaced) that has been approved in final form by the supervising committee. This will be published in Dissertation Abstracts International.

Publication by microfilm does not preclude subsequent publication of the dissertation, in whole or in part, as a monograph or in a journal. Copyright at the author's expense may be arranged, if desired, by completing a special form available in the Graduate Student Services Office. In order to protect patent or any other rights, the Graduate Student Services Office may be requested to delay publication by microfilm for a period of one year. This request must be supported by a written recommendation of the supervising professor.

 

For Graduate Students Only

Psychology (PSYC)

5100 Seminar on Current Topics (1-0)

Contemporary problems in various research areas will be discussed and recent applied research programs will be examined. Special methodological requirements for field evaluation and other non-experimental research approaches will be emphasized. All psychology doctoral students are required to take this course. Prerequisite: Department approval.

5301 Research Applications (0-0-3)

Supervised research in designated laboratories. Students may repeat course for credit. Prerequisite: Instructor approval. Psychology Research Course fee required.

5306 Attitudes and Attitude Measurement (3-0)

Considers issues relevant to psychological construct assessment, including attitudes, emotion, and personality.

5309 Seminar in Psychopathology (3-0)

An examination of the research related to problems in etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of the major disorders.

5310 Statistics I: Applied Correlation and Regression Methods (3-0)

Reviews correlation techniques, simple and multiple regression, and discusses their applications for psychological research in applied settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 4317 or equivalent.

5311 Statistics II: Experimental Design (3-0)

Consideration of problems of analysis and design commonly encountered in psychological research. Prerequisite: PSYC 4317, PSYC 5310, or equivalent.

5312 Program Evaluation (3-0)

Examines issues in evaluation research design, implementation, utilization, and ethics. Case studies and class activities provide applied experience.

5315 Psychopharmacology (3-0)

A study of current topics and recent developments in the biochemical basis of

psychopathology and related strategies of psychopharmacological intervention.

5321 Seminar in Personality Assessment (3-0)

Introduction to methods and issues in the evaluation of personality and to the projective and objective instruments to assess personality. Prerequisite: PSYC 4301 or instructor approval.

5322 Theories and Methods of Psychotherapy (3-0)

An analysis of theory, technique, and research methods used in various current psychotherapies. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

5323 Psychometrics (3-0)

Principles of psychological evaluation, including intellectual, academic, neuropsychological, personality, attitude, and interest measures; reliability and validity; principles, methods, and statistical procedures employed in developing new psychometric instruments, especially with respect to different cultural/ethnic minorities.

5325 Special Topics in Health Psychology (3-0)

Examines relationships among psychological factors, physical health, and subjective well-being. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

 

5326 Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3-0)

An introductory graduate foundation course covering the application of psychological principles, methods, and knowledge in the workplace. Topics may include individual differences in the workplace, employee selection and training, organizational development, performance measurement and evaluation, employee motivation, leadership, job attitudes, groups and conflict in organizations, and cross-cultural organizational psychology.

5330 Special Topics in Organizational/Social Behavior (3-0)

Theoretical and applied approaches to individual and group behavior. Topics may include organizational and group theory, organizational culture and climate, leadership, jury/group decision making, intra- and intergroup conflict, and cross-cultural issues related to the above processes. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

5331 Cross-Cultural Research Methods (3-0)

Consideration of the difficulties confronting causal inference in cross-cultural comparisons. The concept of equivalence is examined as it applies to populations, tests and indicators, and controlled manipulations. The role of theory in developing appropriate research strategies is emphasized. A broad range of research methods are examined for their special contributions and difficulties in cross-cultural comparisons.

5333 Seminar in Intellectual and Neuropsychological Assessment (3-0)

Techniques of intellectual and neuropsychological assessment. Administration of major intellectual and neuropsychological instruments and interpretation and reporting of results. Introduction to neuropathological syndromes. Prerequisite: PSYC 4301 or instructor approval. Course fee required.

5334 Field Methods in Psychology (3-0)

Design and implementation of field research, including observational methods, experiments and quasi-experimental designs, and program evaluation. Solutions to specific, commonly occurring design and statistical problems are emphasized.

5335 Special Topics in Research Design and Data Analysis (3-0)

An advanced course in data analysis and research design. Topics may include structural equation modeling (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, multiple group confirmatory analysis), meta-analysis, or the selection and implementation of an appropriate data analysis plan for a grant or research proposal. Prerequisites: PSYC 5310 and PSYC 5311.

5337 Special Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3- 0)

Topics may include negotiation and conflict resolution, cross-cultural issues, judgment and decision making, job attitudes and behaviors, organizational climate and values, motivation, leadership, training, career development, and consumer behavior. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

 

5338 Personnel Selection, Placement, Evaluation, and Training (3-0)

Examines principles in the development of selection, placement, performance evaluation, and employee training. Topics may include issues in selection and placement, performance evaluation and evaluation of training programs, methods of determining reliability and validity of selection, evaluation and training procedures, cross-cultural and legal issues. Prerequisite: PSYC 5326 or instructor approval.

5342 Special Topics in Psychology and Law (3-0)

Focuses on selected issues and problems where psychology contributes to and has implications for the legal system and human behavior in relation to the legal system. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

5355 Seminar in General Psychology (3-0)

Advanced study of contemporary problems and issues in selected topics in psychology. May be repeated with different instructors. Prerequisite: Department approval.

5360 Clinical Internship (0-0-6)

Supervised experience with clinical techniques in an approved agency other than the department�s clinic. Each 150 clock hours is equivalent to three credit hours. May be repeated until 9 hours are accumulated; however, no more than nine credit hours of PSYC 5360 or a combination of PSYC 5360 and PSYC 5370 will count towards the MA degree in Clinical Psychology. Grades in this course will not be utilized in computing grade point average. Prerequisite: Instructor approval. Psychology majors only. Pass/Fail grading option.

5398 Thesis (0-0-3)

Initial work on the thesis. Psychology Research Course fee required.

5399 Thesis (0-0-3)

Continuous enrollment required while work on the thesis continues. Prerequisite: PSYC 5398. Psychology Research Course fee required.

5404 Proseminar I: Sensation/Perception; Cognition; Physiological Psychology (4-0)

Survey of current theories, methods, and research involving sensory and perceptual mechanisms; human cognition and information processing; brain function related to behavior.

5405 Proseminar II: Developmental, Personality, Social, and Differential Psychology (4-0)

Survey of the basic principles, current theories, methodology, and research in developmental, personality, social, and differential psychology. Cross-cultural research and theories appropriate to each field will be emphasized.

 

 

 

For Doctoral Students Only

Psychology (PSYC)

6305 Field Placement (0-0-3)

Professional experience in an applied setting. The location and extent of the activity involved must be approved by the graduate studies committee.

6320 Dissertation (0-0-3)

Initial work on the dissertation. Psychology Research Course fee required.

6321 Dissertation (0-0-3)

Continuous enrollment required while work on dissertation continues. Prerequisite: PSYC 6320. Psychology Research Course fee required.