A Message to Prospective Graduate Students from the Graduate Director
June, 2009
Dear Prospective Graduate Applicants:
Welcome to the Psychology Department at Temple University. We are pleased that you are considering our graduate program, and we hope that this site provides you with information that is useful in making your decision concerning graduate school.
The Temple University Department of Psychology is a dynamic and productive environment for students; a recent national ranking ranked us among the top 10 in the U.S. based on faculty research and scholarly productivity. Part of our commitment to the research enterprise centers on training the next generation of researchers, that is, the prospective graduate students searching this web site. Graduate students form part of the life-blood of any vibrant department, and we at Temple are always seeking applicants who will be able to benefit from and contribute to an intellectually stimulating environment.
The Psychology Department is organized into four Areas: Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS); Clinical; Developmental; and Social. In addition to having a strong research training component, our Clinical Area is APA-accredited in Clinical Training. Clinical students assess and treat patients in our Psychological Services Center under the direction of licensed faculty members. We also offer a concentration in Developmental Psychopathology.We have recently redefined the direction of our Social Program as intergroup relations, stereotypes, and prejudice, and we plan to bring in a new Area Director in the Fall of 2010. We expect there to be exciting growth in the Social area, and we are accepting a limited number of students into the Social Area for the 2010-2011 academic year. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Andy Karpinski
Our graduate program is a full-time Ph.D. program. The deadline for applications for Fall 2010 admission is December 15, 2009. We only admit new students in the Fall semester.
Psychology has been dramatically influenced by neuroscience in recent years, and some faculty members in every Area in our department include a neuroscientific focus or component in their research. Graduate students in Psychology can complete a Specialization in Neuroscience and graduate with a Ph.D. in Psychology/Neuroscience. This graduate specialization program is described on the Neuroscience Program web site. Among the more than 140 neuroscience faculty at Temple in 9 colleges and 31 departments, 18 are in the Psychology Department. Neuroscience faculty in all departments, including Psychology, are identified on the Neuroscience Program web site.
Below is a link to the listing of Psychology Department faculty, their area affiliations, and their research interests. You can use the listing to contact by email any faculty member whose research might be of interest to you, to determine if there might be a place in his or her laboratory for someone with your interests and background. Most faculty members admit students to work in their labs each year. Some faculty are members of more than one research area. It is possible to apply to study with those faculty in either of those areas. So, for example, you might be interested in studying cognitive development, and the faculty member whose interests match yours is a member of two areas: Brain and Cognitive Science (BCS) and Developmental. Depending on how you wish to study cognitive development, you can apply through either area. If you are interested mainly in other areas of cognition as well as development, for example cognitive neuroscience or perception, you most likely should apply through the BCS Area. On the other hand, a student with interests in cognitive development considered in conjunction with social development probably would apply through the Developmental Area. Another faculty member studies cognition in brain-damaged individuals. She is a member of the BCS and Clinical areas. Students interested in the role of brain structures in adult problem solving would apply through BCS, while those interested in broader effects of brain injury would apply to the Clinical Area.
It is important first that you go over all faculty information carefully, so that you have an idea as to how faculty research interests match your own. Faculty members who are members of more than one research area will typically discuss the various application paths on their web sites. However, it is important to note that, if you wish to receive a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. and/or clinical training, you must apply through the Clinical Area. Clinical training is available only to students admitted through the clinical program.
As noted above, it is highly recommended that you contact by email faculty whose research is of interest to you before applying to the program. Faculty are always ready to communicate with prospective students, and contact with faculty will provide you with much information that will be useful in making your decision as to whether to apply to our program and which Area would best match your interests. Keep in mind, however, that finding a faculty member with research interests that match your own does not guarantee admission to the program. There are occasions—for example when a person is on study leave and away from campus for a year—when a faculty member might not be accepting students. Also, we receive more applications than we can admit, so the selection process is highly competitive.
We wish you success in applying to our program. For content/program related questions, please contact me at robert.weisberg@temple.edu. For procedural questions, please contact our Graduate Secretary, Lauren Cannon at lmc15@temple.edu. There are also other links below that you may find helpful.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Sincerely yours,
Robert Weisberg, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Program in Psychology
Helpful links:
Letter from chairperson Dr. Marsha Weinraub
Application Information
Application Requirements
Neuroscience program: www.temple.edu/cla/neuroscience