PSYCHOLOGY
PROFESSORS:
Deffenbacher, French, Hamm, Hendricks, Millimet, Woody
ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS:
Brown, Harrison, Kelly-Vance, Reiter-Palmon, Ryalls, Ryan, Scherer, Thomas
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR:
Bonner, Casas, Strasser, Tilton-Weaver
ADJUNCT FACULTY:
Jesteadt, Kessler, Langner, Neff, Paige
COURTESY FACULTY:
Abbott, Angle, Coufal, Craiger, Evans, Harland, Kuhn, Liebowitz, Lorsbach, Riley, Rodriguez-Sierra, Shriver

Admission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by February 1 for consideration for admission for the following fall semester. Admission is made only for fall semester.

A minimum of 15 undergraduate semester hours or the equivalent of psychology courses including basic statistics and an upper level laboratory course emphasizing the experimental method, data collection, statistical analysis, and report writing are required. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores for the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections are required. The Advanced GRE in psychology is recommended for all applicants. It is required for all applicants applying for a teaching assistantship. An admission decision will not be made without these scores. Applicants must complete both Graduate College and departmental application forms, submit three letters of recommendation, and provide transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate course work they have completed. The Departmental Application Form requires a statement of purpose and an indication of the program and, where appropriate, the area of concentration within the program to which the applicant is applying. In making decisions on admission, the faculty not only consider evidence of academic and professional potential, but also the availability within the department of resources to support the applicant's interests. In some instances interviews with applicants may be required.

GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION

PSYC 8000 is required of all graduate students in psychology during their first semester. The remainder of the course work is elective but should be planned in consultation with the student's academic advisers. The UNO department of psychology supports emphasis within the M.A. program in the following areas: quantitiative, comparative/physiological, cognitive, social/personality, developmental, school, and industrial/organizational psychology. Final approval of a student's plan of study resides with the advisers, the department, and the graduate college. Half of the course work applied to an M.A. must be in courses which are open only to graduate students.

Students are strongly encouraged to limit employment to 20 hours per week, including any teaching assistantship. Students must consult with their adviser prior to accepting employment in excess of 20 hours per week.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements for all Master's Degree Programs in Psychology

The comprehensive examination must be completed before a student can enroll for thesis or practicum credit or form a thesis or practicum committee. The comprehensive examination required for the master of arts and master of science degrees is met by fulfilling two criteria listed below. Note: these are minimum requirements and additional requirements may be imposed by faculty in a particular subdiscipline of psychology (e.g., industrial/organizational psychology).

  1. Obtaining a score of at least 600 on the Advanced Psychology Test of the GRE. (NOTE: not required for the School Psychology program).
  2. Completion of the required four proseminar courses (one from each proseminar course group) with a grade of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher in each course.
Departmental proseminar requirements for all master's degree students are: one statistics proseminar (from Group 3), and three other proseminars from Groups 1 and 2, with at least one from Group 1 and at least one from Group 2. Specific areas of concentration may have additional proseminar requirements.
Group 1
PSYCH 9210 Proseminar: Sensation and Perception
PSYCH 9230 Proseminar: Behaviorial Neuroscience
PSYCH 9240 Proseminar: Comparative Psychology
PSYCH 9040 Proseminar: Learning
PSYCH 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology

Group 2
PSYCH 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYCH 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology
PSYCH 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology

Group 3
PSYCH 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYCH 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II
When an applicant for admission has a score of 600 or more on the GRE Advanced Test in Psychology, and has an excellent grade in an undergraduate course similar to one of the proseminars in Group 1 or Group 2, the Graduate Program Committee may approve another graduate course for one proseminar if recommended by the faculty in the student's disciplinary area. Students still must take at least one proseminar from each group. Application for substitution must occur in the student's first semester.

Special Performance Quality Rule

If at any time two grades of "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) in graduate courses become a matter of record, a graduate student in the department of psychology will be placed on departmental probation. An unexecused grade of "W" in a proseminar course will be considered equivalent to a grade of "C" for purposes of this policy. An excused "W" must be approved by the chair of the department of psychology. Students placed on this probation will forfeit any departmental graduate assistantship they may have and any approved programs of study will be subject to re-evaluation and change. Before registering for additional courses, a student placed on probation must, with the assistance and approval of his/her adviser, submit a plan for remediation of his/her academic problems, and have that plan approved by the Graduate Program Committee. The Graduate Program Committee will review and, if appropriate, modify the plan. Further, any enrollment in graduate courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee. The student will remain on departmental probation until the Graduate Program Committee approves termination of probation status.

MASTER OF ARTS

To complete the master of arts degree in psychology, students must present at least 30 credit hours of graduate level course work in psychology or related fields approved by their adviser and the Graduate Program Committee. Six (6) hours of thesis credit must be included in this total.

Areas of Concentration for the M.A. Degree

Concentration in Cognitive Psychology
Graduate students in cognitive psychology are required to take six proseminars:

PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I (Multiple Regression)
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II (Analysis of Variance)
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9210 Proseminar: Perception
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology
In addition to these 18 hours, at least two of the following courses must be taken as part of the 30 hours required for the M.A.:

PSYC 8526 Psycholinguistics
PSYC 9040 Proseminar: Learning
PSYC 9120 Multivariate Statistical Analysis
PSYC 9530 Cognitive Development
PSYC 9520 Language Development
PSYC 9910 Topical Seminar in Psychology (Cognitive topic)
Concentration in Developmental Psychology

The M.A. program in developmental psychology is intended to provide students with a strong knowledge base in child development, psychology, research methods, and statistical analysis. The program emphasis is on typical development in the periods of infancy through adolescence. Students must choose between two degree plans, depending on their individual goals.

Plan A (Thesis Option):
Plan A is recommended for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. and/or who wish to complete an independent research project (the thesis). This plan requires completion of a minimum of 31 credit hours, as listed below:
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology (0 credit course)
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology
PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II
PSYC 9650 Research Methods
PSYC 9960 Research Other Than Thesis (1-6 credit hours)
PSYC 8990 Thesis (6 credit hours)

Additional Proseminars (2 courses required)
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psycholgy

Advanced Developmental Seminars (2 courses required)
PSYC 9510 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
PSYC 9520 Language Development
PSYC 9530 Cognitive Development
PSYC 9540 Memory & Mechanisms of Development
PSYC 9550 Psychosocial Development
PSYC 9590 Seminar in Developmental Psychology
Plan B (Non-Thesis Option):
Plan B is recommended for students who plan to work in an applied setting involving children and/or families and who do not plan to pursue a Ph.D. This plan requires completion of a minimum of 37 credit hours. In addition to required course work, students choose 3 elective courses (within or outside the department of psychology). Instead of a thesis, students complete two applied practica (6 credit hours).
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology (0 credit course)
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology
PSYC 9650 Research Methods
PSYC 9960 Research Other Than Thesis (1-6 credit hours)

Statistics: (1 course required)
PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II

Additional Proseminars (2 courses required)
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology

Advanced Developmental Seminars (2 courses required)
PSYC 9510 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
PSYC 9520 Language Development
PSYC 9530 Cognitive Development
PSYC 9540 Memory & Mechanisms of Development
PSYC 9550 Psychosocial Development
PSYC 9590 Seminar in Developmental Psychology

Practicum:
PSYC 8980 Practicum in Developmental Psychology (6 credit hours)

Electives (3 courses required)
PSYC 8250 Family Analysis and Treatment
PSYC 8316 Psychological & Educational Testing
PSYC 8590 Exceptional Children
PSYC 9090 Theory of Measurement and Designs
PSYC 9320 Program Evaluation
PSYC 9570 Applied Behavior Analysis
Additional courses outside the department of Psychology (e.g., SOWK, SOC, SPED, GERO, CJUS, COUN, and PA)
Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
An M.A. with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology is the master's track for industrial/organizational psychology graduate students intending to pursue a Ph.D. The M.A. degree requires the completion of a thesis. Three of the required five proseminars for industrial/organizational psychology graduate students must include PSYC 9010 (Statistical Methods I), PSYC 9020 (Statistical Methods II), and PSYC 9440 (Social Psychology).
Additional Required courses include:
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology
PSYC 9090 Theory of Measurement and Design
PSYC 9610 Motivation and Morale or 9630 Leadership Theories & Research
PSYC 9650 Research Process in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
PSYC 9660 Criterion Development and Performance Appraisal
PSYC 9670 Personnel Selection
PSYC 8990 Thesis (6 hours)
Concentration in Psychobiology
Students can earn an M.A. degree in psychology with a concentration in psychobiology. Requirements include completion of the department's proseminar requirements and three to four additional courses in the student's area of interest (as determined and approved by the student's supervisory committee). Research also is required, including completion and defense of a thesis.
Proseminar Groupings:
Group I
PSYC 9040 Proseminar: Learning
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9210 Proseminar: Sensation and Perception
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 9240 Proseminar: Comparative Psychology

Group II
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology

Group III
PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II

Concentration in School Psychology
This program requires a total of 42 hours. Departmental proseminar requirements for all master's degree students are: one statistics proseminar (from Group 3), and three other proseminars from Groups 1 and 2, with at least one from Group 1 and at least one from Group 2.
Group I
PSYC 9040 Proseminar: Learning
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9210 Proseminar: Sensation and Perception
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience*
PSYC 9240 Proseminar: Comparative Psychology

Group II
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology*

Group III
PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II

*These courses are recommended.

Additional Course Work
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology (no credit)
PSYC 8500 Introduction to School Psychology
PSYC 8520 Psychological Assessment I: Foundations
PSYC 8530 Psychological Assessment II: Early Childhood
PSYC 8540 Psychological Assessment III: Middle Childhood and Adolescence
PSYC 8590 Psychology of Exceptional Children
PSYC 8970 Practicum in School Psychology
PSYC 8576 Behavior Analysis and Intervention
or PSYC 8550 Psychotherapeutic Interventions
TED 8210 Human Relations for a Bias Free Education
PSYC 8990 Thesis (6 hrs)

Other requirements
The required courses must be completed with a grade of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above. Students must complete a Comprehensive Portfolio which will be evaluated by a team consisting of the core school psychology faculty and include an oral defense of their portfolio.

Concentration in Social/Personality Psychology
A 30 hour research-oriented program preparing the the graduate for doctoral study. The curriculum includes:
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9550 Social and Personality Development
PSYC 9010 Statistical Methods I (Multiple Regression)
PSYC 9020 Statistical Methods II (Analysis of Variance)
PSYC 8990 Thesis (6 hours)
PSYC 8000 Profession of Psychology
Electives (9 hours)

Master of Science in Industrial/Orgnaizational Psychology

To complete a master of science (M.S.) degree in industrial/organizational psychology the student must present 36 credit hours of graduate course work in psychology or related disciplines. An M.S. in industrial/organizational psychology is the appropriate track for industrial/organizational psychology graduate students seeking employment following completion of their master's degree. An M.S. degree requires completion of a practicum in lieu of a thesis. The same proseminar and quality of performance requirements described for the M.A. programs apply to this program. However, three of the five required proseminars for industrial/organization psychology graduate students must include PSYC 9010 (Statistical Methods I), 9020 (Statistical Methods II), and PSYC 9440 (Proseminar: Social Psychology).

Additional Required Courses
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology
PSYC 9090 Theory of Measurement and Design
PSYC 9610 Motivation and Morale or 9630 Leadership Theories & Research
PSYC 9620 Industrial Training and Organizational Development
PSYC 9660 Criterion Development and Performance Appraisal
PSYC 9670 Personnel Selection
PSYC 8950 Practicum in Industrial Psychology or
PSYC 9950 Practicum in Organizational Behavior
Electives to acheive required 36 hours.

Master of Science in School Psychology

To receive an M.S. degree in school psychology, the student must present at least 36 graduate credit hours in psychology or related areas. Departmental proseminar requirements for all master's degree students are: one statistics proseminar (from Group 3), and three other proseminars from Groups 1 and 2, with at least one from Group 1 and at least one from Group 2.
Group I
PSYC 9040 Proseminar: Learning
PSYC 9070 Proseminar: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 9210 Proseminar: Sensation and Perception
PSYC 9230 Proseminar: Behavioral Neuroscience*
PSYC 9240 Proseminar: Comparative Psychology

Group II
PSYC 9430 Proseminar: Personality
PSYC 9440 Proseminar: Social Psychology
PSYC 9560 Proseminar: Developmental Psychology*

Group III
PSYC 9010 Proseminar: Statistical Methods I
PSYC 9020 Proseminar: Statistical Methods II

*These courses are recommended.

Additional Course Work
PSYC 8000 The Profession of Psychology (no credit)
PSYC 8500 Introduction to School Psychology
PSYC 8520 Psychological Assessment I: Foundations
PSYC 8530 Psychological Assessment II: Early Childhood
PSYC 8540 Psychological Assessment III: Middle Childhood and Adolescence
PSYC 8590 Psychology of Exceptional Children
PSYC 8970 Practicum in School Psychology
PSYC 8576 Behavior Analysis and Intervention
or PSYC 8550 Psychotherapeutic Interventions
TED 8210 Human Relations for a Bias Free Education

Other requirements
The required courses must be completed with a grade of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above. Students must complete a Comprehensive Portfolio which will be evaluated by a team consisting of the core school psychology faculty and include an oral defense of their portfoilio.

SPECIALIST IN EDUCATION

A specialist in education in school psychology degree requires 72 graduate credit hours. Successful completion of master's degree courses is required. In addition to meeting the department's proseminar requirements specified for a master’s degree and taking PSYC 8000, students must complete the following courses with grades of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better:
PSYC 8250 Family Analysis and Treatment
PSYC 8576 Behavior Analysis and Intervention
or PSYC 8550 Psychotherapeutic Intervention (if the other course was taken at the master's level)
PSYC 8800 Ethics and Law for Psychologists
PSYC 9940 School Psychology Applied Research Project (pending approval)
PSYC 9780 Advanced Educational and Psychological Consultation (pending approval)
PSYC 9790 Seminar in School Psychology: Administration of Psychological Services
PSYC 9970 Practicum in School Psychology (6 credit hours)
PSYC 9980 Internship in School Psychology (6 credit hours)

Electives (6 credit hours)
Graduate course in Psychology (must be approved by School Psych Program Committee)
Graduate course in Education (must be approved by School Psych Program Committee)

A handbook of policies and requirements is available upon request.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Through cooperative relationships with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, programs are offered at UNO leading to the doctorate with specialization in industrial/organizational psychology, developmental psychology, and psychobiology. Doctoral programs require a minimum of 90 graduate credit hours which may include course work applied to a master's degree. All doctoral students are required to complete three proseminar courses in addition to those completed for the master's program. These additional proseminar courses must include a second statistics proseminar and one additional proseminar course from each of the remaining proseminar groups. Equivalent courses completed at another university may be substituted for proseminar courses with the approval of the student's Supervisory Committee. Each doctoral student is expected to demonstrate proficiency in languages, research skills or knowledge in collateral research areas appropriate to the student's research interest as determined by the Supervisory Committee. Doctoral students must pass a comprehensive examination as prescribed by their Supervisory Committees and write and successfully defend a dissertation. The doctorate is not granted simply on the basis of completed courses and related requirements but rather is additionally dependent upon the student demonstrating outstanding scholarly potential.

Faculty in each of the areas in which doctoral study is offered have developed guidelines for course requirements in addition to the proseminar requirement described above. These guidelines are as follows:

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

In addition to the courses taken for an M.A. concentration in industrial/organizational psychology and dissertation credit hours, doctoral students specializing in industrial/organizational psychology are required to include the following courses in their program of study: PSYC 9630 (Leadership Theories and Research), PSYC 9120 (Multivariate Statistical Analysis), PSYC 9960 (Research other than Thesis),PSYC 8950 (Practicum in Industrial Psychology), and PSYC 9030 (Seminar: Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology). Students should enroll in at least two seminars but are required to include the topical seminar on Problem Solving and Decision Making.

Developmental Psychology

In addition to the courses completed for the M.A. degree, doctoral students in developmental psychobiology must take 12 hours of doctoral seminar, 3 hours of Practicum, 12-18 hours of dissertation, as well as courses from the following categories: cognition, learning and/or development (24 hours minimum); psychological measurement and/or evaluation (6 hours minimum); research design and methodology (9 hours minimum); statistics (6 hours minimum); and course work emphasizing human diversity/cross-cultural issues (6 hours minimum). In addition, students must meet all general requirements specified in the UNL Graduate Studies Bulletin.

Psychobiology

Doctoral students specializing in psychobiology should take the Seminar in Developmental Psychobiology at least once and complete at least 9 credit hours of graduate level courses in biological science. In meeting the departmental requirements for the proseminar courses, psychobiology students are expected to take all three biologically oriented proseminars (Behavioral Neuroscience, Comparative Psychology, and Sensation and Perception.)

Final approval of a student's doctoral program resides with the Supervisory Committees which must be appointed prior to completion of half of the credit hours to be applied to the degree. For further details regarding regulations applicable to these cooperative Ph.D. programs, students are referred to the UNL Graduate Studies Bulletin.

Courses for the doctoral programs are completed at the Omaha campus, yet the administration of the degree is processed at the Lincoln campus. Please send all application materials to the UNO psychology department, our department will forward necessary documentation to the Lincoln campus.

Certificate in Human Resources and Training

In conjunction with the the department of business administration and the School of Communication, the department of psychology is offering a Certificate in Human Resources and Training. For specific requirements, please go to Human Resources & Training Certificate.

For more information...

about the graduate program in psychology, please call (402) 554-2592.

Course Descriptions--Psychology