Main Departmental Office
Terrill Hall, 351
P.O. Box 311280
Denton, TX 76203-1280
(940) 565-2671
Graduate Faculty: Aronson, Baker, Beyerlein, Campbell, Clark, Clarke, Critelli, Doster, Guarnaccia, Harrell, Haynes, Hayslip, Jenkins, D. Johnson, R. Johnson, Kelly, Kennelly, Mahoney, Marshall, Martin, Petrie, Ramos, Reed, Rogers, Schneider, Sewell, Terrell, Toledo, Watkins.
The Department of Psychology accentuates the importance of scholarship, research, and quality of training for all students, whether they are preparing for careers in basic research, applied research, teaching, or service delivery. This training takes advantage of numerous resources within the department, including the Psychology Clinic, the Institute of Applied Research, the Brain Mapping Facility, and specific laboratories for statistics, psychophysiology, neuropsychology and psychoneuroimmunology. Graduates of the department have gone on to distinguish themselves in research, administrative, teaching, and service careers in a range of settings, including universities, medical schools, hospitals, mental health centers, counseling centers, rehabilitation services, industrial and organizational settings, and private practices in consulting, therapy and assessment.
Active research projects in the department include a wide range of interests and skill competencies. Research is currently being conducted on individual, family, and group psychotherapy; psychotherapy supervision; marital counseling; vocational counseling; gerontological counseling; and multicultural counseling.
Research is also being conducted in personality and forensic assessment, issues in personality theory, Adlerian theory, personal construct theory, and antisocial personality.
In addition, there are ongoing research programs in aging, attention deficit disorders, divorce, eating disorders, sexual aggression, adults molested as children, physical and emotional abuse, death and dying, depression, chemical dependency, child psychopathology, academic adjustment, hallucinations in schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Other areas include health and illness, preventive health, biofeedback, stress and immune functioning, psychoneuroimmunology, international health practices and athletic injury.
Additional research programs include those in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, physiological measures of cognition, hemispheric specialization, learning and attention, and short-term memory.
There is active involvement in the study of the history of psychology, young adult development, placebo effects, work teams, personnel selection, self-system development, personal relationships, malingering and deception, sport psychology, program evaluation, research methodology, and structural equation modeling.
There are ongoing projects in ethical and professional issues, minority and women's issues, and religious issues in counseling.
Center for the Advancement of Psycholegal Studies. The creation of the Center for the Advancement of Psycholegal Studies is a systematic effort to address relevant research and scholarly issues facing the law/mental health interface. The first phase of the center's development is establishment of grant support and funding.
Center for the Study of Work Teams. The goal of the Center for the Study of Work Teams is to create learning partnerships with industry for the purposes of generating, archiving and disseminating information about work teams. The center serves as a research and education entity for organizations using team-based structures and, in conjunction with its industry partners, provides those organizations with the highest quality products and services concerning team issues. The center is committed to harnessing strengths of business and academia in a joint effort to master the challenges of designing and implementing work teams.
Psychology Clinic. As part of the department's Applied Training Unit, the Psychology Clinic is a training
site for graduate students. Through the clinic, psychological services are offered to the metroplex community.
Services
available to the community include psychotherapy, vocational counseling, psychological assessment and
biofeedback training.
1. Before being admitted to either the master's or the doctoral program, the applicant must meet the requirements for admission to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies specified in the General Information Section of this catalog.
2. Admission to graduate degree programs in psychology is competitive, as available facilities do not permit admission of all qualified applicants.
Applying is a two-part process. First, prospective applicants for graduate degree programs must obtain and file an application for admission to the UNT graduate school from the graduate dean's office. Second, applicants for graduate psychology degrees also must obtain and file a separate application for admission to psychology programs from the psychology department's graduate office. The application deadline for graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology is January 1 preceding the fall semester for which the student is applying. The application deadline for industrial/organizational psychology is February 1 preceding the fall semester for which the student is applying. All other programs will commence review of application files on February 1 and continue to admit students through the year according to the university calendar for admission for each semester. (See the Academic Calendar in this catalog for admissions deadlines.) All academic prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring semester preceding that fall semester.
3. Applicants must submit satisfactory scores on the aptitude (verbal and quantitative) section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) prior to admission. A minimum cumulative score of 1000 on the GRE (minimum 500 verbal) is required for admission. Undergraduates who plan to apply for graduate training should arrange to take the GRE during their senior year.
4. References and recommendations must be submitted by applicants for admission to the doctoral and master's programs in psychology. Applicants are required to submit three satisfactory recommendations on special forms provided by the department, including one from their last professional employer (if they have had such previous experience) and one from the last academic institution attended.
In all cases, the Department of Psychology maintains the right to make independent inquiry of the applicant's employers and the faculties of institutions previously attended, as well as to deny admission to an applicant who in its judgment, or in the judgment of any of the psychology departments of the federated universities (in the case of doctoral applicants), fails to meet personal or academic admission standards.
The department offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees:
The doctoral programs in counseling and clinical psychology have been approved by the American Psychological Association. The doctoral program in health psychology/behavioral medicine is accredited by the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology.
The PhD degree in counseling psychology is offered in collaboration with Texas Woman's University, a member of the Federation of North Texas Area Universities.
The master's degree is intended to prepare students for higher degrees and to qualify them for a number of subdoctoral positions.
The doctoral curricula in clinical psychology and counseling psychology are designed to serve a variety of purposes that focus on the development of a well-rounded professional psychologist. These purposes include a thorough grounding in scientific methodology and an orientation to the profession, development of competency in psychological assessment and evaluation, and training in various psychotherapeutic and counseling techniques and skills.
The experimental psychology curriculum is intended to provide a highly individualized program for the
student interested in study and research in one of several specialized areas. The health psychology/behavioral
medicine curriculum provides students with a biopsychosocial perspective on the maintenance of health, the prevention
and treatment of illness, and the investigation of etiological and diagnostic processes of illness and behavioral
health. The program prepares health psychologists for practitioner and research roles in clinical ecology,
pediatrics,
neurosciences, cardiovascular behavior medicine and occupational health. All departmental PhD programs
require successful completion of a doctoral dissertation.
1. A minimum of 24 hours in psychology, of which at least 12 must be advanced. These hours must include courses in experimental psychology and elementary statistics.
2. A grade point average of at least 3.0 on all undergraduate psychology courses taken.
3. A GPA of at least 3.0 on the last 60 hours completed for the bachelor's degree, or 2.8 for the entire bachelor's degree.
4. The department strongly encourages master's applicants to include undergraduate course preparation in the following areas of psychology: social, history and systems, tests and measurements, physiological, and learning/cognition.
5. A statement of purpose describing the student's educational and career goals.
6. Applications must include a curriculum vita.
1. The applicant whose major for the bachelor's or master's degree was in a field other than psychology must have completed a minimum of 24 prerequisite hours in psychology (on which the GPA must be 3.5 or higher), including statistics, experimental psychology and either learning/cognition theory or history and systems of psychology.
2. Applicants with a bachelor's degree only must have a GPA of at least 3.5 on the last 60 semester hours or 3.0 for the entire bachelor's degree. Applicants in psychology must have a GPA of 3.5 on all work in psychology including statistics, experimental psychology and either learning/cognition or history and systems of psychology.
3. Applicants holding a master's degree must have an overall GPA of 3.5 on all graduate work, exclusive of practicum and thesis grades.
4. The department strongly encourages PhD applicants to include course preparation in the following areas of psychology: social, tests and measurements, and physiological.
5. For students with a master's degree applying to the clinical or counseling programs, prior credit must include a minimum of 6 hours of supervised practicum experience and a thesis or its equivalent. Lacking either of these prerequisites, the student may be required to remove the deficiencies during the first year in the program.
6. Submit a statement of purpose describing the student's educational and career goals.
7. Applications must include a curriculum vita.
A committee has been constituted by the department to consider the possible separation from the degree program of any students who in the committee's judgment appear unlikely to succeed professionally, regardless of grades earned. Students who do not make satisfactory and continuous progress through their program may be dropped from it.
Students interested in becoming licensed and certified as psychologists or psychological associates in the state of Texas are required to have specified supervised experiences that are approved by the Department of Psychology. Departmental program directors should be consulted for details.
Both the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees are available in the Department of Psychology. The MA degree requires presentation of evidence that the student has a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language, while the foreign language requirement may be waived for the MS degree. Description of procedures for fulfilling the language requirement is located in the Master's Degree Requirements section of this catalog. For any master's degree which does not include a thesis, a final oral comprehensive examination is required.
All degree programs must be planned in consultation with the student's advisory committee. Students are strongly urged to file a degree plan during their first semester of graduate study.
50-60 Hours
Required courses: PSYC 5420, 5620, 5630, 5700, 5780, 5820 (6 hours), 5831-5832 and 5950.
Electives: PSYC 5640 or 5720 and one additional course selected from 5010, 5030, 5070, 5640, 5680, 5710 and 5720.
Additional courses: two courses (at least 3 hours each) selected from (a) the remaining 5000-level psychology courses, or (b) one field outside the Department of Psychology, as a minor.
61-64 Hours
Required courses: PSYC 5050, 5340, 5420, 5470, 5620, 5680, 5690, 5700, 5780, 5820, 5831-5832, 5880 and 5950.
Other courses will be selected in consultation with the student's advisory committee.
Students interested in becoming licensed professional counselors in the state of Texas should notify the director of their program area so their degree plan may be arranged to include appropriate course work.
Track 1, 32 Hours
Will not lead to eligibility to take the psychological associate examination in the state of Texas.
Required courses: PSYC 5030, 5640, 5700, 5840 and 5950.
Electives: 6 hours selected from the remaining 5000-level psychology courses, in consultation with the major professor.
Minor: a 6-hour minor from a field outside the Department of Psychology may be selected.
Required courses: PSYC 5640, 5700, 5790, 5840, 5900 and 5950.
Electives: 12 hours selected from the remaining 5000-level psychology courses, in consultation with the major professor.
Minor: a 6-hour minor from a field outside the Department of Psychology may be selected.
50 Hours
Two tracks are available within the program: one in personnel psychology and the other in employee counseling and consulting psychology. Students in both tracks will take a common core of courses consisting of PSYC 5230, 5240, 5420, 5700, 5740, 5750, 5820, 5831-5832 and 5950.
Additional required courses for students in the personnel psychology track are PSYC 5030 and 5840; CSCI 5010 (computer sciences); and an approved elective. Additional required courses for students in the employee counseling and consulting psychology track are PSYC 5440, 5620, 5680 and 5870.
66 Hours
Required courses: PSYC 5050, 5100, 5420, 5620, 5700, 5730, 5831-5832 and 5950.
Electives: two courses from PSYC 5050, 5680, 5720 and 5750; two courses from PSYC 5010, 5600, 5640 and 6020; and one course from 5000-level courses in psychology.
Minor: EDAD 5710, EDSP 5100, EDUC 5130, and EDSE 5400.
Students interested in certification as a school psychologist in Texas should consult the program director concerning requirements.
For each master's degree specialization, except experimental and industrial, an option to substitute 6 hours of academic courses, practicums or field work for the thesis is provided for the student who does not intend to proceed with doctoral work. Such substitutions must be approved by the student's advisory committee. Programs in which such substitutions have been made must include 750 clock hours of practicum, and a minimum grade of B must be made on courses substituted for the thesis.
Basically, the PhD degrees in psychology require a minimum of 90 semester hours beyond the
bachelor's degree, plus a one-year supervised internship for the clinical, counseling, and health
psychology/behavioral
medicine programs. The qualified and accepted student may enter a degree program holding either a bachelor's
or master's degree. The maximum amount of transfer credit for appropriate master's degrees is 30 semester hours.
A student entering with a master's degree or equivalent may, upon the consent of the advisory committee, transfer a maximum of 12 appropriate semester hours beyond the master's degree, provided the work has been taken in a department offering a doctoral degree in psychology. Thus, a minimum of 48 hours in residence would remain to be completed.
Students should be aware that internship training sites are spread across the country. Responsibility for an internship training site's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act rests with the internship site. Internships are competitive and the student is responsible for securing an internship that meets with departmental approval.
The composition of the minimum 90 hours required above the bachelor's degree varies by major area. Occasionally changes are made in program requirements. In such cases requirements in the student's program manual supersede the departmental requirements in the university catalog.
This program requires a minimum of 99 semester hours plus a one-year internship. The 20 hours in general core psychology include the following: advanced social psychology, advanced research design, advanced statistics, theories of learning, advanced history and systems, and advanced physiological psychology. The clinical core consists of professional issues and ethics; assessment, evaluation and diagnosis; psychotherapy; psychopathology; and clinical service skills.
This program requires a minimum of 111 semester hours plus a one-year internship and includes 20 hours in general core psychology: advanced social psychology, advanced research design, advanced statistics, theories of learning, advanced history and systems, and advanced physiological psychology.
The counseling core consists of 45 hours that includes course work in the following areas: developmental issues, assessment, individual and group techniques, legal and ethical issues, psychopathology, vocational psychology, personality and multiculturalism. Counseling majors are required to take a pre-practicum for which they receive 3 hours credit. A research core composed of 16 hours and practicum training consisting of 12 hours also are required. The elective cluster is composed of 12 hours selected to represent an organized and integrated sequence in the student's area of interest.
This program requires a minimum of 93 semester hours and includes 20 hours in general core psychology: advanced social psychology, advanced research design, advanced statistics, theories of learning, advanced history and systems, and advanced physiological psychology. The experimental core consists of a minimum of 15 hours in experimental psychology, statistics and research practicums. The student is expected to be involved in research throughout the program. Further experimental core requirements are selected in consultation with the student's major adviser, to be selected from one of four concentration areas. A minor field consisting of 12-18 hours may be selected. Each student must also complete a 6-12 hour integrated elective area in psychology that is consistent with individual interests.
This program requires a minimum of 99 semester hours plus a one-year internship and includes 20 hours in general core psychology: advanced social psychology, advanced research design, advanced statistics, theories of learning, advanced history and systems, and advanced physiological psychology. Health psychology/behavioral medicine majors may choose either the internship track or research track. The health psychology/behavioral medicine core is composed of 37 hours: behavioral approaches to treating medical problems, diagnosis of psychosomatic and behavioral disorders, chemical and ecological sensitivity, assessment of personality and intellectual functioning, and ethics. Clinical and research practicums require 23 hours. The minor or related field consists of 12-18 hours. The student completes the program by selecting an elective course area consistent with his or her desired professional expertise.
Candidates must present evidence that they have a reading knowledge of one foreign language (see the Doctoral Degree Requirements section for details) or have demonstrated competency in a research tool subject that has been approved by the Department of Psychology and the graduate council. If the tool substitution involves taking additional courses, the student must make a minimum grade of B in each course. Credits earned are in addition to the hours required for the degree.
The candidate must meet the doctoral residence requirement as outlined in the General Information section of this catalog.
Each of the departmental PhD programs requires successful completion of a comprehensive examination in the student's respective program. The faculty in each program area is responsible for the format, administration and grading of the examination.
Students complete two dissertation-related examinations: proposal and final comprehensive examination. (1) Students first defend their dissertation proposal. This can be done only after successfully completing the language requirement, master's thesis or its equivalent, and the qualifying PhD examination in the major area. (2) Upon completion of the dissertation research, the student may schedule the final comprehensive exam (dissertation).
A temporary degree program adviser and committee are assigned to doctoral students during the first semester of enrollment. The dissertation committee is formed at some point later in the student's program. The minimum number of members for a dissertation committee is four. It is the department's expectation that one of the four members will be from outside the department of psychology.
UNT Graduate Catalog College of Arts and Sciences Table of Contents
UNT Undergraduate Catalog Table of Contents
UNT Graduate Catalog Table of Contents
UNT Undergraduate Catalog Course and Subject Guide
UNT Graduate Catalog Course and Subject Guide