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Objectives
Doctoral training in experimental psychology prepares the student for an academic career in teaching and research. It offers concentrations in developmental psychology, adulthood and aging, cognitive psychology, mental retardation research, and social psychology. Faculty members help students develop flexible programs of study, according to individual interests.
The program provides the student with strong bases in general psychology and research design and analysis in specific interest areas. Research training is a major component and follows an apprenticeship mode. At the beginning of the program, the student works with one or more faculty members and collaborates on research with them. Through the affiliation with active contributors, the student is involved in the important questions and major methodologies of that area.
Program Overview
Experimental students usually complete their studies within four years.
Satisfactory completion of a specified number of core courses and an acceptable thesis earns the student his or her Master of Arts degree and admission to doctoral candidacy. Ph.D. students must satisfactorily complete advanced study and training in their area of specialization, a series of exams, and the dissertation.
Entering students should have a broad background in the arts and sciences and be prepared to concentrate on psychology. Time is provided, however, to take electives through other departments such as Anthropology, Computer Science, Sociology, and at the Schools of Applied Social Sciences, Management, and Medicine.
Program Requirements
A minimum of six core courses in advanced general psychology and a sequence of research-oriented activities is required.
Core courses are selected from the following: Sensation and Perception,
Cognition and Information Processing, Learning Theory, Physiological
Foundation of Behavior, Developmental Psychology, Advanced Social
Psychology, Advanced Psychopathology, Measurement of Behavior, and
Multivariate Data Analysis. It is possible to place out of these classes by
examination or on the basis of equivalent coursework.
Specific core requirements, as well as additional classes, are dictated by program emphasis.
A two semester sequence in statistics and research design is planned to provide the basic skills necessary for empirical investigation. Students also begin a year-long research clerkship under the tutelage of a faculty member.
Through this the student increases his or her familiarity with the substance of a
particular area of study as well as the methods used to investigate it. Research
clerkship projects often provide topics and data sources for subsequent thesis and
dissertation research.
Complete a sequence in teaching designed to make them proficient teachers.
Information on the Teaching Program can be found on the Teaching Website.
All students are encouraged to present research papers at professional meetings and/or publish in professional journals.
For a list of organizations and journals students have participated in, click here.
Students should complete their master’s thesis by the end of the second year and begin work on developing their doctoral dissertation during the third year.
Each experimental student must complete three specialty area examinations prior
to the dissertation prospectus oral defense. They select a specific topic for which
they then prepare a reading list and sample questions. Faculty experts in the
specialty area approve the reading lists, prepare examinations, and monitor the
test performance. These exams enable students to pursue particular topics of
interest in greater depth.
Admission Requirements
THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2009. Paperwork received after this date may not be given full consideration. The
Office of Graduate Admissions attempts to notify students of final decisions by
April 15. Applications from minorities are strongly encouraged.
Students are accepted for fall admission only.
To be admitted, students are required to have a completed bachelor’s degree, although not necessarily in psychology.
The student should have completed a minimum of 18 semester hours of undergraduate psychology courses, including general psychology, statistics, and at least one laboratory or experimental course.
Preferred minimum scores for admission are: GRE-V 600; GRE-Q 600; GRE-V+Q 1200; GRE-Adv 600; TOEFL 550; GPA 3.0. Average scores for students who entered the program recently were: GRE-V 642; GRE-Q 632; GRE V+Q 1273; GRE-Adv 663; GPA 3.64
Application Checklist
 School of Graduate Studies forms
Test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the
Advanced Section in Psychology (institution code is 1105, NO department code)
Previous transcripts (sent directly from the institution)
Three letters of recommendation (sent directly from the recommender with a signature on the back flap)
Previous research, related work experience, and a personal statement of goals.
$50 application fee (sent directly to Grad Studies - payment sent to the Department of Psychology will be returned)
Online applications are strongly encouraged.
If you apply online, you will be able to complete the entire application, and the
only items that need to be sent in by mail are your transcripts (sent directly by
your institution) and your letters of recommendation (sent directly by your
recommenders).
If you send your application by mail, please send part B ONLY to the School of
Graduate Studies. All other materials should be sent directly to the Department
of Psychology at the following address:
Department of Psychology
Mather Memorial Building, #109
Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106-7123 USA
For FedEx and similar services, use 11220 Bellflower Road as the street address.
General information regarding the application procedure, important dates, and the Cleveland area may be obtained by visiting the Office of Graduate Admissions Website.
CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE GRADUATE STUDIES APPLICATION
Contacting the Program Prior to Applying
An important consideration in selecting a graduate program is the fit between a student and the program philosophy, structure and faculty interests. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the specific faculty member(s) with whom they are interested in working. Visits prior to application are at the discretion of the faculty member(s), and requests may not be able to be honored because of their other time commitments.
Areas of Specialization
Click here for information about the different areas of specialization within the Experimental Psychology Graduate Program.
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