Who should apply?

It is not possible to anticipate every pattern of student interest and preparation. However, the following guidelines may assist a student in deciding the program for which he or she might choose to apply.

Advice to students entering with a B. A. or B. S.

Students who are admitted into your Ph.D. program typically have an excellent undergraduate record (GPA 3.5 or above) with research experience in developmental or educational psychology (or a closely related field), and desire training for a research-oriented career. With your advisor's assistance you can plan a program which allows you to earn an M. A. on the way to a Ph.D. The majority of doctoral students enroll in and earn a Ph.D. in Human Development without declaring a specialization. Students can wait until after they arrive on campus to decide if they would like to apply for the Educational Psychology specialization or to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. in Human Development without specialization. The large majority of students admitted into the Ph.D. program register for 9 credits per semester (a full-time course of study). To be considered for a departmental fellowship, applications must be submitted by December 15th.

If students wish to do a research oriented degree in the field of Human Development but do not have extensive research experience, they should apply for a Masters degree in Human Development with thesis (see the Admissions criteria detailed in Section B below). Masters students take many of the same courses as students in the doctoral program. Research experience is gained by conducting an empirical study to meet the thesis requirements. If they are interested in a general Masters degree for example one which will prepare you to work in a school- or agency- based education intervention program, you should apply either for the M. A. in Human Development without Thesis or for the M. Ed. in Human Development. The requirements for these two degrees differ only in the option of engaging in an experiential practicum or writing a seminar paper.

Advice to applicants with a Masters degree

If you have an M. A. or M. S. in one of the social sciences or education, or with an M. S.W., or M.S.N., it is possible to have up to 9 credits of social science and education courses from the masters degree count toward the 72 hours required for the doctorate if they are recent and if they are approved by the faculty as being related to your overall course program. The applicability of these courses will be evaluated after the student is enrolled in the program.

In most cases, students who hold a Masters degree in a discipline unrelated to human development should consider the advice offered above to those entering with a B. A. or B. S. degree.