Graduate Program

Degree Offered

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.)
    Concentrations: Clinical Psychology; Cognition, Brain and Behavior; Developmental Psychology; Evolutionary Psychology; Health Psychology; Quantitative/Methodology.

Interdisciplinary Program

Computational Science and Engineering: The Computational Science and Engineering interdisciplinary graduate certificate program prepares students to effectively use high-performance computing within their disciplines and is open to graduate students in this department. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.


Master of Science in Psychology en route to Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

Although the Department awards the Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology under Plan I (thesis) according to the regulations set forth in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog, all screening of new applicants is done in terms of entry for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Psychology program. The department requires students to pursue the M.S. in Psychology unless an approved thesis is transferred from another institution.


Admission Requirements

The department admits new students to the graduate program only for the Fall semester of each year; exceptions to this procedure are rare. Since competition for the few available openings each year is strong, only applicants with excellent academic records as well as first-rate letters of recommendation are likely to succeed in gaining admission. Interested applicants are advised to have at least 15 credit hours in psychology, including one course in psychological statistics and either a laboratory course or independent research in psychology. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores are required for the application. The GRE Psychology Subject test, although strongly recommended, is not required.

Deadlines

Fall semester: December 1 for full consideration. After that date, comparison of candidates and extension of offers of admission and of financial aid begins, and continues until May 1 or until all positions have been filled.
Spring semester: None accepted.
Summer session: None accepted.

Only those applications received and completed by December 1 are guaranteed to receive consideration. Early applications are strongly encouraged. 


Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

General requirements for the Ph.D. are set forth in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. Regulations include a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate credit (precise requirements depends upon area) with a grade point average of 3.0 ("B") or better, exclusive of thesis and dissertation credit hours; satisfactory performance on the doctoral comprehensive examination; and a dissertation accepted by the final oral examining committee.

The Breadth Requirement

To ensure a breadth of training, all students are required to complete a 12 credit hour (generally four graduate courses) breadth requirement. These courses can be taken inside or outside the Department, but they must be outside the concentration, and they must be scholarly in nature. Clinical Psychology concentration students satisfy the breadth requirement through the training requirements of the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Collateral Requirement

To satisfy the departmental requirement of a foreign language or comparable alternative requirement, students use the computer labs (PSYC 503L and 504L) associated with the statistics (PSYC 501) and experimental design (PSYC 502) courses, respectively.

Required Core Courses

Students are required to select a concentration. The emphases are options for students in any concentration except for those of the same name. The following core courses are required in addition to any courses required in the student’s concentration:

  Credit
Hours 
First Year: Fall Semester
PSYC 501 Advanced Statistics 3
PSYC 503L Advanced Statistics Lab 1
PSYC 505 Research Seminar 2
PSYC 551 Graduate Problems 1-3
  First Year: Spring Semester  
PSYC 502 Design and Analysis of Experiments 3
PSYC 504L Design and Analysis of Experiments Lab 1
PSYC 551 Graduate Problems 1-3
Second Year: Spring Semester
PSYC 507 Teaching Seminar
Note: This course must be taken prior to a teaching a course within the department.
2

Concentrations

Clinical Psychology: Clinical students begin their core sequence in clinical psychology during their first year. The clinical core sequence is presented in the department’s Guidelines for Graduate Students. Beyond the departmental core courses, clinical students are required to complete the following courses:

Credit 
Hours
PSYC 531 Pre-Clinical Practicum 1
PSYC 532 Seminar in Psychopathology 3
PSYC 533 Psychological Evaluation: Cognitive and Neuropsychology Functions 3
PSYC 535 Psychological Evaluation: Personality Functions 3
PSYC 538 Introduction to Clinical Science 3
PSYC 610 Case Conference Practicum 1
PSYC 631 Psychotherapy Practicum 1-3
PSYC 634 Ethics and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology 3
PSYC 636 Diversity Multicultural Perspectives in Clinical Psychology 3
PSYC 637 Empirically Supported Treatments 3
Four approved Clinical Electives 9


Additional courses are required to satisfy the American Psychological Association (APA) foundation requirements. Current APA foundation requirements, along with courses that may be used to satisfy them, are presented in the department’s Guidelines for Graduate Students.

Cognition, Brain and Behavior: The Cognition, Brain and Behavior concentration reflects a unique opportunity for training in experimental psychology. Immediate hands-on experience conducting and disseminating research, coupled with comprehensive coursework, builds competent, confident students capable of developing competitive research profiles. Students enter under a faculty mentor and begin active research in the first year. Beyond the departmental core requirements, Cognition, Brain and Behavior concentration students are required to complete the following:

PSYC 540 Biological Bases of Behavior
PSYC 541  Introduction to Functional Neuroimaging
PSYC 561 Cognitive Processes I
Students in the second and all subsequent years must participate in a literature discussion section once per year:
PSYC 641 Sem: Cognition, Brain and Behavior


Students in this concentration are required to select additional elective courses from the concentration area to satisfy a total requirement (including core courses) of 15 credit hours. The choice of electives and substitution of any alternative elective courses must be approved by the concentration faculty.

Developmental Psychology: Beyond the departmental core requirements, all Developmental Psychology concentration students are required to complete three courses from the following:

  • PSYC 523 Social Development
  • PSYC 528 Seminar in Cognitive Development
  • PSYC 539 Child Psychopathology
  • PSYC 629 Culture and Human Development
  • PSYC 650 ST: Special Topics (in Developmental Psychology—multiple offerings)

Evolutionary Psychology: Beyond the departmental core requirements, all Evolutionary Psychology students are required to complete five courses. These courses should include:

  • PSYC 650 ST: Evolutionary Psychology
  • Four other courses on evolutionary analysis of behavior.

At least one course must be offered in the Department of Psychology. Appropriate courses include PSYC 650 ST: Behavior Genetics, PSYC 650 ST: Evolution and Cognition, and PSYC 650 ST: Evolutionary Social Psychology.

At least two of these courses should be taken in the Department of Biology or the Department of Anthropology. Appropriate courses include:

  • ANTH 560 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Anthropology
  • ANTH 562 Human Life History
  • BIOL 502 T: Evolutionary Biology

Any other courses must be approved by the Committee of Studies.

Health Psychology: Beyond the departmental core requirements, Health Psychology concentration students are required to complete PSYC 510, two courses from Category A, two courses from Category B, and one advanced statistics/quantitative course from Psychology or Education (e.g., EDPY 593 T: Multilevel Modeling or EDPY 607 Structural Equation Modeling). A substitute advanced statistics/quantitative course must be approved by the Health Psychology Committee.

PSYC 510 Advanced Health Psychology
  Category A
PSYC 515 Social Psychology of Health Promotion
PSYC 650 ST: Health Disparities
PSYC 650 ST: Pediatric Psychology
  Category B
PSYC 540 Biological Bases of Behavior
PSYC 547 Drugs and Behavior
PH 501 Principles of Public Health
PH 507 Health Care Systems


Substitute coursework for Categories A and B must be approved by the Health Psychology Committee.

Quantitative/Methodology: Beyond the departmental core requirements, all Quantitative/Methodology concentration students are required to complete PSYC 601 and four other courses. At least two of these four courses must be selected from the following list of quantitative courses offered in the department:

PSYC 601 Multivariate Statistics
Choose from:
PSYC 506 Seminar in Mathematical Psychology
PSYC 604 Latent Variable Modeling
PSYC 605 Advanced Latent Variable Modeling
PSYC 650 ST: Analysis of Data
PSYC 650 ST: Meta-Analysis
PSYC 650 ST: Quasi-Experimental Design


At least one, but not more than two, of these courses must be selected from courses in quantitative methods offered by other UNM departments. The Quantitative Methodology Committee maintains a list of extra-departmental courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement. Any other course a student wishes to count toward the extra-departmental requirement must be approved by the Quantitative Methodology Committee.


Emphases

Diversity/Multicultural Psychology: Students must complete a total of 9 credit hours of graduate coursework. In addition to PSYC 508, students must choose one course from Category A. Students must then choose a third course from either Category A or Category B. 

Students in this emphasis will have one of their research projects (either thesis or dissertation) feature at least one of the a priori aims or hypotheses incorporate an aspect of furthering understanding of diversity/multicultural issues in psychology.

PSYC 508 Psychological Research with Diverse Populations
Category A
PSYC 516 Health Disparities
PSYC 629 Culture and Human Development
PSYC 636 Diversity Multicultural Perspectives in Clinical Psychology *
Other Psychology courses approved by the Diversity/Multicultural Psychology Faculty such as Special Topics courses focused on subjects in diversity or with working with specific populations.
Category B
Courses related to Diversity and Multiculturalism that are offered by other UNM departments and programs, such as the College of Population Health, the Institute for the Study of Race and Social Justice or the Department of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies. Courses in fulfillment of Category B must be approved by the Diversity/Multicultural Psychology Faculty to count towards the emphasis. Course syllabi will be reviewed as part of this process.


* Note: Clinical Psychology concentration students may not use PSYC 636 to fulfill the Diversity/Multicultural Psychology emphasis. Clinical Psychology concentration students will be required to demonstrate diversity/multicultural competence by providing clinical services to diverse clientele, obtaining clinical hours in a practicum with a focus on diverse clientele, and receiving supervision through the UNM Cultural Counseling Center (e.g., Diversity Specialty Clinic).

Health Psychology: The purpose of the Health Psychology emphasis is to provide specialized training in the application of psychology to physical health and medical problems. Beyond the courses required for the concentration, students must complete at least two courses from category A and at least one course from category B. 

Category A
PSYC 510 Advanced Health Psychology
PSYC 515 Social Psychology of Health Promotion
PSYC 650 ST: Health Disparities
PSYC 650 ST: Pediatric Psychology
Category B
PSYC 540 Biological Bases of Behavior *
PSYC 547 Drugs and Behavior
PH 501 Principles of Public Health
PH 507 Health Care Systems


* Note: Clinical Psychology concentration students may not use PSYC 540 to fulfill the Health Psychology emphasis.

Substitute coursework for Categories A and B must be approved by the Health Psychology Committee. This emphasis is not available to Health Psychology concentration students.

Quantitative Methodology: Students choosing an emphasis in Quantitative Methodology must complete 9 credit hours of graduate coursework in the Quantitative/Methodology area. Any of the following courses may be used to satisfy the requirements for this emphasis. 

PSYC 601 Multivariate Statistics
PSYC 604 Latent Variable Modeling
PSYC 605 Advanced Latent Variable Modeling
PSYC 650 ST: Analysis of Data
PSYC 650 ST: Programming in Psychology
ECE 595 ST: Analysis Methods in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging 
EDPY 606 Applied Multivariate Statistics
EDPY 607 Structural Equation Modeling
PH 502 Epidemiologic Methods I
STAT 574 Biostatistical Methods: Survival Analysis and Logistic Regression
STAT 576 Multivariate Analysis
STAT 577 Introduction to Bayseian Modeling
STAT 581 Introduction to Time Series Analysis

Requests to use other courses are reviewed by the Quantitative Methodology Committee on a case-by-case basis. This emphasis is not available to Quantitative/Methodology concentration students.


Courses

PSYC 1110. Introduction to Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2110. Social Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2120. Developmental Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2220. Cognitive Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2250. Brain and Behavior. (3)



PSYC 2270. Psychology of Learning and Memory. (3)



PSYC 2320. Health Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2330. Psychology of Human Sexuality. (3)



PSYC 2510. Statistical Principles for Psychology. (3)



PSYC 2996. Topics. (1-6, no limit Δ)



PSYC 302. Psychological Research Techniques. (3)



PSYC 313. Case Management in Addictions. (1)



PSYC 324. Infant Development. (3)



PSYC 329. Adolescent Psychology. (3)



PSYC 331. Psychology of Personality. (3)



PSYC 332. Abnormal Behavior. (3)



PSYC 335. Clinical Psychology. (3)



PSYC 335L. Clinical Psychology Laboratory. (2)



PSYC 342. Evolution and Human Behavior. (3)



PSYC 344. Human Neuropsychology. (3)



PSYC 345. Neuroscience of Aging and Dementia. (3)



PSYC 346. Introduction to Forensic Psychology. (3)



PSYC 347. Drugs and Behavior. (3)



PSYC 360. Human Learning and Memory. (3)



PSYC 364. Psychology of Perception. (3)



PSYC **367. Psychology of Language. (3)



PSYC 373. The Psychology of Horror. (3)



PSYC 374. Cultural Psychology [Cross-cultural Psychology]. (3)



PSYC 375. Psychology of Gender [Psychology of Women]. (3)



PSYC 376. The Psychology of Love. (3)



PSYC 391. Junior Honors Seminar. (3)



PSYC 392. Junior Honors Seminar. (3)



PSYC *400. History of Psychology. (3)



PSYC *405. Crisis Worker Practicum. (1, may be repeated five times Δ)



PSYC 408 / 508. Psychological Research with Diverse Populations. (3)



PSYC 411. Treatment of Addictions. (3)



PSYC 412. Applied Clinical Experience in Addictions Counseling (Field Work). (1-6 to a maximum of 9 Δ)



PSYC 416 / 516. Health Disparities. (3)



PSYC 421 / 521. Advanced Developmental Psychology. (3)



PSYC 422. Child Language. (3)



PSYC 423. Human Emotions. (3)



PSYC 430. Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorders. (3)



PSYC 433. Depression: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention. (3)



PSYC 434. Behavior Therapies. (3)



PSYC 439 / 539. Child Psychopathology. (3)



PSYC 440. Neuroscience of Sleep and Dreaming. (3)



PSYC 441. Sleep: Scientific Investigation. (3)



PSYC 443 / 643. Psychobiology of Emotion. (3)



PSYC 444 / 644. Advanced EEG Analysis in MatLab. (3)



PSYC 445L. Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory. (2, may be repeated once Δ)



PSYC 450 / 650. Special Topics in Psychology. (1-3, no limit Δ)



PSYC 450L. Special Topics in Psychology Laboratory. (2, no limit Δ)



PSYC 454. Positive Psychology. (3)



PSYC 455L. Positive Psychology Laboratory. (2)



PSYC 465L. Gorilla Observation Laboratory. (3)



PSYC 472. Psychology of Prejudice. (3)



PSYC 491. Senior Honors Seminar. (3)



PSYC 492. Senior Honors Seminar. (3)



PSYC 499. Undergraduate Problems. (1-3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



PSYC 501. Advanced Statistics. (3)



PSYC 502. Design and Analysis of Experiments. (3)



PSYC 503L. Advanced Statistics Laboratory. (1)



PSYC 504L. Design and Analysis of Experiments Laboratory. (1)



PSYC 505. Research Seminar. (2)



PSYC 506. Seminar in Mathematical Psychology. (3)



PSYC 507. Teaching Seminar. (2)



PSYC 508 / 408. Psychological Research with Diverse Populations. (3)



PSYC 514. Health Psychology Interventions. (3)



PSYC 516 / 416. Health Disparities. (3)



PSYC 521 / 421. Advanced Developmental Psychology. (3)



PSYC 528. Seminar on Cognitive Development. (3)



PSYC 531. Pre-Clinical Practicum. (1)



PSYC 532. Seminar in Psychopathology. (3)



PSYC 533. Psychological Evaluation: Cognitive and Neuropsychology Functions. (3)



PSYC 535. Psychological Evaluation: Personality Functions. (3)



PSYC 538. Introduction to Clinical Science. (3)



PSYC 539 / 439. Child Psychopathology. (3)



PSYC 540. Biological Bases of Behavior. (3)



PSYC 541. Introduction to Functional Neuroimaging. (3)



PSYC 542. Seminar in Recovery of Function and Epilepsy. (3)



PSYC 551. Graduate Problems. (1-3, no limit Δ)



PSYC 554. Positive Psychology. (3)



PSYC 561. Cognitive Processes I. (3)



PSYC 565. Seminar in Thought and Language. (3)



PSYC 569. Seminar in Psycholinguistics. (3, no limit Δ)



PSYC 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



PSYC 601. Multivariate Statistics. (3)



PSYC 604. Latent Variable Modeling. (3)



PSYC 605. Advanced Latent Variable Modeling. (3)



PSYC 610. Case Conference Practicum. (1, no limit Δ)



PSYC 629. Culture and Human Development. (3)



PSYC 630. Seminar in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. (3)



PSYC 631. Psychotherapy Practicum. (1-3, no limit Δ)



PSYC 634. Ethics and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology. (3)



PSYC 636. Diversity Multicultural Perspectives in Clinical Psychology. (3)



PSYC 637. Empirically Supported Treatments. (3)



PSYC 641. Seminar in Cognition, Brain and Behavior. (2, no limit Δ)



PSYC 643 / 443. Psychobiology of Emotion. (3)



PSYC 644 / 444. Advanced EEG Analysis in MatLab. (3)



PSYC 650 / 450. Special Topics in Psychology. (1-3, no limit Δ)



PSYC 691. Clinical Internship. (1-6)



PSYC 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



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