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2024-2025 Graduate Catalogue
Psychology, Ph.D.
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 Return to: Graduate Programs
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Thomas Cariveau
The Department of Psychology offers a doctoral program in psychology with three concentrations.
- The General Clinical concentration that provides education and training in psychological science and clinical practice to prepare individuals for licensure as doctoral-level psychologists in health-service fields as designated by the American Psychological Association.
- The Applied Behavior Analysis concentration in which students have the opportunity to engage in coursework and training designed to provide strong backgrounds in the experimental and applied analyses of behavior and in the methodological and conceptual foundations of behavior analysis. Doctoral degree program accreditation awarded by the Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board.
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The Psychological Science concentration prepares individuals to work in a broad range of professional domains, including education, health, government, and industry. This includes a solid foundation of quantitative and methodological skills pertaining to the science of psychology.
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Student Learning Outcomes
- Students demonstrate doctoral-level knowledge in the theoretical and empirical frameworks of the science and application of Psychology.
- Students demonstrate doctoral-level comprehensive knowledge in research design and quantitative methods.
- Students demonstrate effective communication of empirical findings in writing (in the style of the American Psychological Association) and in oral presentations.
- Students demonstrate doctoral-level ability to critically evaluate research and to independently develop a research plan based on current empirical findings.
- Students demonstrate doctoral-level knowledge, technical skills, and ethical decisions that are appropriate for the student’s particular concentration.
Admission Requirements
Students will be admitted to the PhD program by recommendation of the Department of Psychology Admissions Committee based upon eligibility requirements and available resources. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or its equivalent from a foreign institution of higher education accredited university.
- Major of psychology or at least 21 hr. of psychology with a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) with evidence of a grade of at least a B- in a course in statistics and a grade of at least a B in a course in psychology research methods.
- Three letters of recommendation from professionals in a psychology-related field. At least two letters must be from faculty members.
- Science-based statistics and research methods courses in departments outside of psychology will be considered for non-psychology majors only after the application has been submitted. It will then be reviewed for possible approval by the graduate coordinator and graduate admissions committee. Applicants who are non-psychology majors may count these two courses for up to 6 hours of the 21 hours of psychology courses. Applicants who are considering this option must include relevant syllabi as part of their application.
- Current curriculum vitae/resume.
- A 500-800 word statement of interest written in essay form that is composed of research experiences, other psychology-related experiences, research interests to pursue within graduate school, career goals, and any other additional strengths that will make the applicant an excellent candidate for the graduate program.
- A completed application submitted to the Graduate School.
- Interview with the Department of Psychology faculty required to determine faculty research match.
- The UNCW Department of Psychology does not use the GRE for Graduate Admissions.
Overview of Concentrations
General Clinical Concentration
The General Clinical concentration, designed to meet American Psychological Association accreditation standards, embraces a scientist-practitioner training model in preparing individuals for licensure as doctoral-level psychologists in health-service fields that can include children, adolescents, and adults. The program focuses on the biological, psychological, behavioral, social and cultural influences on the development, assessment, and treatment of mental health, substance use, and behavioral disorders.
Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration
The Applied Behavior Analysis concentration, designed to meet Board Certified Behavior Analyst standards, is a scientific discipline that involves the comprehensive use of the principles of learning to design, implement, and evaluate strategies that promote socially significant improvements in behavior. Students will be trained with an emphasis on empirically supported and individualized assessment and intervention, consistent with outcomes-driven and problem-solving models. Students are also trained in the experimental and applied analyses of behavior underlying effective interventions for vulnerable populations. Doctoral degree program accreditation awarded by the Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board.
Psychological Science Concentration
The Psychological Science concentration emphasizes training skilled researchers who will be prepared to work in a broad range of careers in education, health, and industry. Coursework is designed to provide disciplinary knowledge in the core domains of psychology and a solid foundation of quantitative and methodological skills. Students will engage in faculty-mentored research in one or more of the following areas: behavior analysis, behavioral pharmacology, cognitive, developmental, neuroscience, personality, and social. Students earning their Ph.D. in the Psychological Science concentration will be able to pursue research-oriented careers in academic, industry, or government settings.
Degree Requirements
Below are the degree requirements for each of the 3 concentrations.
General Clinical Concentration
- The program requires at least 92 post-baccalaureate credit hours of graduate study.
- Each student will complete an MS degree in Psychological Science in their first 2-3 years, including at least 34 credit hours, and an empirical thesis. Students must successfully present and defend their thesis to their faculty committee.
- Each student must pass a doctoral qualifying examination.
- Each student will complete at least 58 credit hours in doctoral-level coursework.
- Each student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the student’s committee that results in an original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research. Students must successfully present and defend their dissertation to their committee.
- Each student will complete a 1-year external internship.
- All requirements for the degree must be completed within the time frame set forth by the Graduate School.
- At least 2 of the academic training years must be completed at UNCW.
- At least 1 year of the program must be completed in full-time residence.
- All grades for students in The General Clinical concentration must be a B- or higher.
Curriculum
Students will complete requirements for a Master of Science in Psychology during the first 2-3 years. After obtaining their MS degree, they will complete doctoral requirements.
Requirements for the Master of Science in Psychology, General Clinical Concentration (34 credits)
I. Discipline-Specific Knowledge
II. Research and Quantitative Methods
III. Thesis and Dissertation
IV. Profession-Wide Competencies
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy, General Clinical Concentration (58 credits)
I. Discipline-Specific Knowledge
II. Research and Quantitative Methods
III. Thesis and Dissertation
IV. Profession-Wide Competencies
Applied Behavior Analysis Concentration
- The program requires at least 87 post-baccalaureate credit hours of graduate study.
- Each student will complete an MS degree in their first 2-3 years, including at least 53 credit hours, and an empirical thesis. Students must successfully present and defend their thesis to their faculty committee.
- Each student must pass a doctoral qualifying examination.
- Each student will complete at least 34 credit hours in doctoral-level coursework.
- Each student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the student’s committee that results in an original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research. Students must successfully present and defend their dissertation to their committee.
- All requirements for the degree must be completed within the time frame set forth by the Graduate School.
- At least 2 of the academic training years must be completed at UNCW.
- At least 1 year of the program must be completed in full-time residence.
- All grades for students in the Applied Behavior Analysis concentration must be a B- or higher.
- The maximum amount of credits that a PhD student may count toward a doctorate from a master’s program is 53 credits. This applies whether the master’s degree was earned at UNCW or elsewhere. Grades earned on transfer work must be equivalent to a “B” or better and must be approved by the Graduate coordinator and ABA coordinator. A minimum of 34 credit hours of graduate study must be completed in residence.
Curriculum
Students will complete requirements for a Master of Science in Psychology during the first 2-3 years. After obtaining their MS degree, they will complete doctoral requirements.
Requirements for the Master of Science in Psychology, Applied Behavioral Analysis Concentration (53 credits)
I. Discipline-Specific Knowledge
II. Research and Quantitative Methods
IV. Profession-Wide Competencies
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Behavioral Analysis Concentration (34 credits)
I. Discipline-Specific Knowledge
II. Research and Quantitative Methods
Completed in MS
IV. Profession-Wide Competencies
V. Electives
Two electives approved by the Behavior Analysis Coordinator and Graduate Coordinator. Credits: 6
VI. Experiential Learning (3 credits)
Psychological Science Concentration
- The program requires at least 66 post-baccalaureate credit hours of graduate study.
- Each student will complete an MS degree in Psychological Science in their first 2-3 years, including at least 34 credit hours, and an empirical thesis. Students must successfully present and defend their thesis to their faculty committee.
- Each student must pass a doctoral qualifying examination.
- Each student will complete at least 32 credit hours in doctoral-level coursework.
- Each student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the student’s committee that results in an original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research. Students must successfully present and defend their dissertation to their committee.
- All requirements for the degree must be completed within the time frame set forth by the Graduate School.
- At least 2 of the academic training years must be completed at UNCW.
- A minimum of 32 credit hours of graduate study must be completed in residence. At least 1 year of the program must be completed in full-time residence. The maximum amount of credits that a PhD student may count toward a doctorate from a master’s program is 34 credits. This applies whether the master’s degree was earned at UNCW or elsewhere. Grades earned on transfer work must be equivalent to a “B” or better and must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.
Curriculum
Students intending to pursue a PhD in Psychological Science must first complete the requirements for the MS in the Psychological Science Concentration. Students then complete the doctoral-level course requirements and research experiences, including qualifying examinations after successful defense of their MS thesis. Graduates of the program are not eligible for licensure.
Requirements for the Master of Science, Psychological Science Concentration (34 credits)
I. Research and Quantitative Methods (13 credits)
II. Discipline-Specific Knowledge (12 credit hours); Select 4 of these courses
III. Elective (3 credits)
- One elective approved by the Graduate Coordinator Credits: 3
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy, Psychological Science Concentration (32 credits)
Must have completed the Master’s degree requirements (see above).
I. Advanced Quantitative Methods (3 credits)
II. Electives (9 credits)
Select from the following; a minimum of 2 Topical Seminars are required; no more than 1 course at the 500 level may be used to fulfill this requirement.
III. Psychological Science Weekly Colloquium (4 credits)
VI. Dissertation (9 credits)
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