Contact Person:

Cathy Rawlings

http://cas.umkc.edu/psychology/EHPPhD.asp

Note: The information on the Department of Psychology web pages (link above) supersedes information in this Department of Psychology catalog section, as the catalog is updated only once per year.

The mission of the Experimental Health Psychology Track at UMKC is to enhance health outcomes, broadly defined, for individuals and communities.  In service of this mission, we offer advanced training in the fundamental areas of experimental psychology, health psychology, and quantitative and methodological approaches for applied psychology. The program emphasizes the development of research skills and empirical investigation of real-world problems in the life and health sciences.  Graduates are prepared for careers in academia, allied health, industry, and government agencies.

Experimental Health Psychology at UMKC is a full­ time program of graduate study.  Didactic instruction is integrated with research from the beginning of students' training.  Students are paired with a faculty mentor and become part of a lab where they learn how basic research is applied to practical problems and develop the knowledge and skills to carry out original research. These experiences are graded in complexity and designed to foster the development of cumulative knowledge and skill as the student progresses through the program. 

Students completing the Experimental Health Psychology Track will demonstrate:

1. Competence in the evaluation, conduct, and dissemination of research to support independent activity at the next level (e.g., post-doctoral research, academic research, applied research),

2. Ethical conduct and high professional standards in research, including sensitivity to issues of diversity,

3. Knowledge in the theoretical and scientific foundations of health psychology, and

4. Understanding of the breadth areas of scientific psychology and their application to health psychology.

The program is designed for applicants with a prior bachelor's or master's level degree. The following are minimum criteria recommended for admission:

1. A bachelor's degree in Psychology or related discipline. Satisfactory completion of prior coursework in Introductory/General Psychology, Experimental Methods/Research Design and Statistics/Quantitative Methods is required. Satisfactory completion of prior coursework in at least two of the following areas is also strongly recommended: Biopsychology, Cognitive Psychology, Learning, Motivation, Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, and Social Psychology.

2. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or graduate GPA of 3.5. Alternative criteria may be accepted at the discretion of the admissions committee if there is good reason to believe the regular criteria do not adequately portray the student’s potential to do quality work in the program. However, admission to the program is highly competitive, and we seek to admit students with a general history of excellence.

3. Competitive Graduate Record Examination scores from the general test (GRE Math + Verbal greater than 300; Analytical Writing score of at least 4.5). Students whose scores fall below this recommended minimum may present additional evidence of their capacity to do quality doctoral-level work. Such additional evidence will be considered and accepted at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

4. Demonstrated evidence of interest in health research. The program follows a mentorship model. Therefore, applicants whose research interests are similar to those of the faculty will be given higher consideration. A listing of program faculty interests and research can be accessed through the Department of Psychology web page.

5. History of personal conduct consistent with the ability to adhere to high standards of student conduct, as outlined in the UMKC Standard for Student Conduct.

A detailed description of program policies and procedures, including the requirements for retention, is available in the student handbook that can be accessed through the Experimental Health Psychology Track web page.

New students are admitted in fall semester only. Because the program receives applications from many more qualified individuals than can be admitted, admission is competitive. All application materials must be received by December 5 to be considered for admission the following fall. Visit the Experimental Health Psychology Track web page for current application procedures and links to other helpful application resources.

A detailed description of program policies and procedures, including the requirements for retention, is available in the student handbook that can be accessed through the Experimental Health Psychology Track web page.

The following represents the program’s core curriculum. 

Sem-Year	Course Number and Title	Credits
FS-1	PSYCH 5516   Quantitative Analysis I: Regression & Analysis of   Variance	3
FS-1	PSYCH 0000   Psychology Core Course	3
FS-1	PSYCH 5590   Directed Research 3	3
WS-1	PSYCH 5517  Quantitative Analysis II: Advanced Topics in Regression & Multivariate Data Analysis	3
WS-1	PSYCH 5601   Experimental Methods in Design	3
WS-1	PSYCH 5590   Directed Research	3
FS-2	PSYCH 5631   Theoretical Foundations of Health Psychology	3
FS-2	PSYCH 5538   Development & Evaluation of Assessment Tools	3
FS-2	PSYCH 5599  Thesis	3
WS-2	PSYCH 5580   Structural Equation Modeling/Hierarchical Modeling	3
WS-2	PSYCH 0000   Psychology Core Course	3
WS-2	PSYCH 5599   Thesis
	At completion of master's degree: 36 total credits 12 research credits
FS-3	PSYCH 0000   Psychology Core Course	3
FS-3	PSYCH 0000    Elective	3
FS-3	PSYCH 5696   Pre-disertation  3	3
WS-3	PSYCH 5601 Experimental Methods in Design	3
WS-3	PSYCH 5696   Pre-disertation	3
SUM-3	Comprehensive Exam to advance to candidacy
FS-4	PSYCH 5699   Research and Dissertation
	If students do not defend their dissertation by the end of the 4th year, they must enroll in 1 credit of Dissertation in each succeeding semester until it is completed.
	Post-master's degree: 24 total credits 12 research credits
	Program: 60 total credits