1. Psychology
  2. Training Areas
  3. Critical Social/Personality Psychology
  4. Curriculum and Degree Information

Curriculum and Degree Information

Review our Student Handbook

COURSES

The Ph.D. Program in Critical Social/Personality Psychology requires that a minimum of 60 credits be completed through a combination of required and elective Ph.D. level courses.

A grade of B or better must be achieved in all required courses.

Required Courses (See Student Handbook - Core course descriptions on p. 10)

  • Theoretical and Historical Foundations of Social/Personality Psychology (3 credits)
  • Second theoretical course in social theory, environmental or contemporary social psychology of the student choice (3 credits)
  • Research Methods and Ethics (3 credits)
  • Statistical Methods in Psychology I (3 credits)
  • Statistical Methods in Psychology II (3 credits)
  • Critical Psychology Lab (1 credit)
  • Student Research Seminar I (3 credits)
  • Student Research Seminar II (3 credits)
  • Advanced qualitative methods (3 credits) 
  • Advanced quantitative methods (3 credits)

Colloquium: Current Issues in Critical Psychology (5 semesters, 0 credits)

This required course operates as a colloquium series, providing a forum for research presentations by guest speakers, faculty, students; for program meetings; and for internal and external networking.                                    

Elective Courses (9 credits)

Sample Electives:

  • Queer Psychology
  • Participatory Democracy and Social Movements
  • Black Lives and Decolonizing Methodologies: A Cross- Psychology Course in Critical Perspectives on Diversity and Decolonizing Psychology
  • Research with Children and Youth
  • Childhood and Youth Studies: Approaches and Methods
  • Critical Urbanisms: Reimagining Just Social Infrastructures and Politics from Below
  • Social Construction of Space and Time
  • Using Archives in Social Justice Research

MILESTONES

The Ph.D. Program in Critical Social/Personality Psychology requires a series of academic milestones designed to scaffold your development as a scholar. Our milestones are listed below. A detailed description of each in our Student Handbook (p. 6-7 and Appendices A, B, & C).

  • History Log Project
  • First Doctoral Examination
  • Second Doctoral Examination | Masters Thesis
  • Dissertation Proposal & Defense
  • Dissertation Project & Defense

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY

Students advance to Candidacy when they have:

  1. completed 60 credits*
  2. passed their first and second doctoral examinations
  3. received a grade of “B” or better in Research Methods and Ethics, Statistics I, Statistics II,
  4. submitted a dissertation “Topic Proposal Form” approved by the department

*Note: Students must have a full-time course of study for each semester of enrollment.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 

To fulfill doctoral degree requirements, students must meet all the requirements stated above for advancement to Doctoral Candidacy and successfully complete an approved dissertation.