Psychology

Discipline Coordinator

Lisa Terre, (816) 235-1066, terrel@umkc.edu

Note on Licensure and Use of the Term “Psychologist” or “Counselor”: The Psychology discipline is NOT an appropriate choice for people who wish to practice as psychologists or counselors. Moreover, completion of an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. with Psychology as one of its components cannot be expected to legitimize the use of the title “Psychologist” or “Counselor” (which are restricted by statute). For students seeking to become license-eligible psychologists, there are two UMKC programs you may wish to consider: The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program (in the Department of Psychology) and the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program (in the School of Education).

The Psychology Department recognizes that combining the capabilities of doctoral faculty in more than one discipline is of great value for certain talented and creative students. Selecting psychology as a primary or secondary discipline would be appropriate for students who wish to (a) apply a psychological perspective or theory to a problem generally associated with another discipline, such as the application of social psychological theory to voting behavior (political science) or (b) Integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to address a particular area of concern (such as combining psychology with linguistics or biology). In short, the psychology discipline is for people who wish to apply psychological perspectives and/or methods to their scholarly pursuits.

The psychology faculty who participate in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. have a broad range of interests. However, as a small faculty, we can not cover every possible area. As such, our priority will be to take students into the discipline who have an identified area of scholarship that complements the interests of one of our participating faculty so that we can provide the quality of educational experience that our students deserve.

Discipline-Specific Admission Requirements

Psychology is appropriate as a coordinating unit for Interdisciplinary Ph.D. study for the exceptional student who has a thorough background in psychology. The following minimal requirements must be fulfilled:

1. B.S. or B.A. in psychology or an advanced degree in a related discipline (e.g., counseling, special education).
2. At least a score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred. However, applicants with scores that do not meet this criterion will be considred if there is other exceptional evidence of promise for doctoral study.
3. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better.

1. An up-to-date resume or vitae.
2. Reprints of all publications, if applicable.
3. Detailed statement of applicant's career and professional goals.

Psychology is appropriate as a co-discipline for the exceptional student who demonstrates a clear aptitude for graduate study of psychology. The following minimal requirements must be fulfilled:

1. Minimum combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE. However, applicants with scores that do not meet this criterion will be considered if there is other exceptional evidence of promise for doctoral study.
2. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
3. B.A. or B.S. degrees in psychology are not required. However, prior to admission, students must have received a grade of B or better or the equivalent in the following undergraduate courses: Introduction to Psychology, Statistics and Experimental Psychology. Comparable coursework taken at other institutions will be considered if the coursework was recently completed.

Admission is considered for fall semester only. Application deadline is Jan. 15 for fall.

Suggested Compatible Co-disciplines

Core Program Requirements

1. Psychology 5515 Advanced History and Systems of Psychology.
2. 12 hours of coursework in statistics and research methodology (including Psychology 5516, 5517, 5601, and one additional research/statistics course approved by the student’s supervisory committee). The three required statistics and research courses must be completed in the Department of Psychology at UMKC).
3. 15 hours of coursework in general breadth areas of psychology, selected from the following list: Psychology 5505, 5507, 5512, 5518, 5521, 5522, 5533, 5622, 5631, and 5632). Other courses may be substituted to fulfill this requirement, with the approval of the student’s supervisory committee. Up to six of these hours may be completed as directed readings (Psychology 5597) within the student’s area of specialization.
4. All students are required to complete a minimum of a one-credit-hour course on professional ethics. Students can complete this requirement by taking the courses offered by the graduate school, such as the Responsible Conduct of Research (SGS 590A, B, C, D, E, or F), or by completing another course approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
5. All required courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better.
6. In addition to the above coursework, students are required to complete at least 24 hours of research credit. This will consist of 12 credits of Psychology 5590 (Directed Research), followed by 12 credits of Psychology 5699 (Research and Dissertation). At least 12 of these credits must be completed with the student's primary mentor.

1. Psychology 5515 Advanced History and Systems of Psychology.
2. Nine hours of coursework in general breadth ares of psychology selected from the following list: 505, 5507, 5512, 5518, 5521, 5522, 5533, 5622, 5631, and 5632). Other courses may be substituted to fulfill this requirement, with the approval of the student’s supervisory committee. Up to three of these hours may be completed as directed readings (Psychology 5597) within the student’s area of specialization.
3. All students are required to complete a minimum of a one-credit-hour course on professional ethics. Students can complete this requirement by taking the courses offered by the graduate school, such as the Responsible Conduct of Research (SGS 590A, B, C, D, E, or F), or by completing another course approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
4. All required courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better.

Other Discipline-Specific Special Requirements

Comprehensive Examination Guidelines