There are various schools where one can pursue a graduate in psychology. However, the three most highly ranked schools include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and the University of Georgia at Athens. In this essay, I will answer the following questions with the aim of comparing the three schools.
School 1: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1. List the Admission Requirements for Graduate Studies in Psychology
To obtain admission for graduate studies in psychology, I must meet the below requirements:
I must have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally approved undergraduate program
Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 in the major field and a 3.0 in undergraduate work
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Completed at least 20 semester hours of psychology and maintain a 3.2 in all psychology coursework including research method and statistics
Those with an undergraduate degree in an area other than psychology must complete some minimum courses to gain admission for graduate studies in psychology. Some of these requirements are specific coursework like child psychology, developmental psychology, or abnormal psychology.
I plan to apply as a non-matriculating student and then, to complete these courses on campus. The most interesting thing is that I will be able to fulfill these minimum requirements through online learning. Most of these programs are given to students who need to pursue only a small number of courses. In my cases, I can complete these courses through a community college which will help reduce the costs of completing these requires courses.
2. For Each Requirement Indicate Whether You Have The Necessary Skill Or Experience Or Need The Skill?
Certainly, earning a degree in psychology requires some skill set and abilities. These skills include math, communication, research, and problem-solving. Many people may wonder why a psychology student may need math skills. However, it turns out that these students must understand probabilities, interpret data and correlations, and perform a variety of different statistical calculations.
Psychology is all about dealing with people. Therefore, interpersonal skills are one of the most important skills. Typically, psychologists interact with individuals experiencing different social, emotional, and psychological problems. Therefore, I will depend on my communication skills to relay information in both verbal and written formats.
Psychology students spend a tremendous amount of their time conducting research. Typically, this entails data collection and doing literature reviews on a wide range of topics. Therefore, strong research skills are important.
3. For Each Skill That Is Needed Indicate Steps You Would Take To Satisfy The Admission Requirement.
As with any field of study, I must start my education by improving my skills in the areas above. To beef up my skills in these areas, I will take some extra courses during my first and second years of study. To improve my math, communication as well as research and problem-solving skills, I will take various math classes to fulfill both general education and program requirements. The strategy will be a great opportunity for me to brush up on these skills and understand how psychologists use them in their field of profession.
4. What is The Total Cost of this Graduate Program?
The cost of this program at the University of North Carolina is calculated at $65,000 for each financial year.
5. Does this program require a certain grade point average (GPA) to be maintained? If so what is that GPA?
This program requires that one must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 in the major field and a 3.0 in undergraduate work
6. How Long is the Program?
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this program is designed to be completed in within five years of full-time study. However, the actual completion time depends on the student’s prior background, research requirements, and study progress. The minimum residency requirement is 135 units of completed research units and coursework that takes at least four years.
7. Does the program require any field experience before completion? If so, please explain.
Yes. The University of North Carolina requires that students undertaking this course go through intensive and broad-responsibilities field experience before completion. During this field experience, skill building, research skills, and classroom education are brought to the field of practice.
School 2: The University Of Virginia at Charlottesville
List The Admission Requirements For Graduate Studies In Psychology.
At the University of Virginia, psychology is still a capped major. Therefore, the school has a high demand, and it cannot afford to accommodate each applicant who dreams of enrolling for the graduate program in psychology. As part of the conditions of being a capped program, all applicants must meet the following requirements to gain admission:
Submit an application to the school by the posted deadline
Have a minimum of three GPA in the combined prerequisite programs
If one joined the University of Virginia as a freshman, the individual should declare the major by the 5 th semester or before the end of 80-semester units. If one joined the University of Virginia as a junior level transfer, he/she should declare the major before the end of the first semester
If one does not meet any of the above requirements, he/she may still gain admission to the psychology major. However, this is not a guarantee.
For Each Requirement Indicate Whether You Have The Necessary Skill Or Experience Or Need The Skill?
Just like Stanford University, the University of Virginia also requires that one must demonstrate proper math, communication, and research skills. Math skills will help me interpret data and correlations and perform various statistical calculations. Psychologists deal with people. In this sense, communication skills are vital to helping me convey information to other people.
For Each Skill That Is Needed Indicate Steps, You Would Take To Satisfy The Admission Requirement.
To improve the above skills, I will take short courses during my first year of study.
What is the Total Cost of This Graduate Program?
The total cost of this program varies depending on one’s expenses, and the campus one attends. However, the average cost of resident students is $35,000, and that of non-resident students is $31,000.
Does this program require a certain grade point average (GPA) to be maintained? If so what is that GPA?
This program requires that one must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the combined prerequisite programs
How long is the program?
It takes four years for one to complete a degree in psychology at the University of Virginia. However, for transfer students, it can take them 2 to 3 years to complete this program because the school is not too friendly as far as transferring class credits is concerned.
Does the program require any field experience before completion? If so, please explain.
The University of Virginia requires that students pursuing this program must complete a supervised field experience within the degree program. This field experience gives students an opportunity to apply the knowledge obtained in the classroom in real-world settings. Moreover, it enables them to build professional relationships in the industry while still in school.
School 3: The University of Georgia at Athens
List the admission requirements for graduate studies in psychology.
Students seeking admission for graduate studies in psychology are required to have completed one year of university or college study of a single foreign language. Applicants are also required to have a 60-credit major, which aims to offer a foundation for graduate training in psychology and professional career.
The individual should have substantial coursework in statistical, methodological, and content areas of psychology. Students with less than 18 credentials in psychology and a GPA of less than 3.0 will not be considered for admission.
For applicants who meet the above requirements, further evaluation is based on graduate GPA, undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, recommendation letters, and research experience and the difficulty and variety of coursework complete.
For Each Requirement Indicate Whether You Have The Necessary Skill Or Experience Or Need The Skill?
The psychology program at the University of Georgia is designed based on a scientific-practitioner model. Students are expected to demonstrate research skills, especially skills in research methods used to advance knowledge about the causes, treatment, and prevention of behavioral, interpersonal, and emotional problems. Other skills required include communication and numerical skills.
For Each Skill That Is Needed Indicate Steps You Would Take To Satisfy The Admission Requirement.
The best way to obtain these skills to satisfy admission requirement is by enrolling for short courses. Especially, online courses would help me save a lot of time.
What is the total cost of this graduate program?
The estimated total cost for a graduate program in psychology is $51,000 per year.
Does this program require a certain grade point average (GPA) to be maintained? If so what is that GPA?
The program requires a GPA of less than 3.0 for one to qualify
How long is the program?
Generally, the program takes 5 to 7 years to complete. Since students are preparing to become professionals, courses after the first year are chosen with the advice of the supervisory committee and student’s advisors in consideration of the student’s personal career goals.
Does the program require any field experience before completion? If so, please explain.
Professionals in this field typically deal with human beings, particularly individuals experiencing emotional, behavioral, and psychological problems. Therefore, the school has made it mandatory for students to take a supervised field experience before graduating. This helps students to apply knowledge acquired in class in real life situations thus perfecting their practice.
