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Be sure to read this page before you go for advisement! Need advisement forms? B.A. in psychology, click here B.S. in psychology, click here.
Questions about UTC's I/O Program
All I/O questions and answers courtesy of Dr. Biderman
High School Related Questions I am interested in a job within psychology after college. What can I do to prepare in high school?A strong college preparatory high school education is a good beginning for a career in psychology. Courses in science, math, English, history, social studies, and a foreign language are important. Science and math are particularly important because they provide the necessary skills for research and analysis in college psychology courses. Some high schools offer a course in psychology, which can give you an overview of what the field is about. You can also find a volunteer job where psychologists work, or read about psychology in newspapers and magazines to explore the field. Do not be misguided, however, by popular stereotypes of the field. Psychology is a broad behavioral science with many applications.
Is there any one class that I should take before others?
This APA web site explain the job outlook for psychology majors, pay and other aspects at this web site.
How come a class I had at another school, with the same name, didn't transfer?
I received a letter saying that I was "provisionally admitted." What does that mean? The admissions process to any UTC graduate program occurs in two phases. In the first phase, the Graduate Division makes an initial assessment of an applicant's undergraduate GPA. If it is 2.5 or better, the applicant is "Provisionally Admitted," even if they have not yet completed their application file. In this status, applicants are permitted to take up to 9 credit hours of graduate course work that, if approved by the program coordinator, may be applied to the student's graduation requirements if that applicant is subsequently admitted to the program. If I get a master's degree from UTC, which classes will transfer to a doctoral level program?
I am interested in clinical psychology. Does UTC have a clinical psychology masters program?
If I would like to go to graduate school, what other things can I do than get good grades?
Should I get a masters degree before applying to Ph.D. programs? If your goal is to obtain a Ph.D. and you have the capability of being admitted directly into a Ph.D. program, you should probably not enter a masters-only program. The two years that you spend obtaining a masters degree will probably only save you (at most) one year of the Ph.D. program requirements. Many Ph.D. programs are set up to be four-year programs, but are more likely to take 5 or 6 years to complete. For students entering with a masters degree, those numbers are likely only to decrease by 1 year (at best). Further, having a masters degree (from any program) does not necessarily make it much easier to enter a Ph.D. program. They are still going to be most interested in your undergraduate GPA and your GRE scores. So, there is not much to gain in a masters program if you are sure that you want to obtain a Ph.D. and you have the qualifications to be admitted directly to a Ph.D. program. If you are unsure of your academic goals, or if you have been unable to get into a Ph.D. program, seeking a masters degree is a good alternate course. Each year, it is typical for 2 to 4 of our students to be seeking admission to a Ph.D. program. Often times, they are successful. This success is based largely on their hard work in the individual classes (strong graduate GPA) and their retaking of the GRE after serious preparation (which can lead to increased scores). In recent years, we have had students admitted to Ph.D. programs at the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Central Michigan University, the University of Missouri, St. Louis, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Of course, most of our students choose to end their education with the masters degree and go on to very successful and satisfying careers. What's the difference between masters and Ph.D. programs? Ph.D. programs are generally much more academically demanding than masters programs. And obviously, they take longer. Is it worth it? The answer to this depends on your career goals. There are three work contexts typical for I/O students: academics, consulting, and individual firms. To be an academic, you have to have a Ph.D. in almost all instances. However, both consulting firms and individual firms hire both Ph.D. and masters students. In almost all cases, a Ph.D. will get you in at a higher level with the commensurate increase in pay and responsibility. As a general rule, the more education you obtain, the more flexibility you are going to have in future career decisions. What do graduates of I/O masters programs generally do? Unfortunately, there is not very much good data to answer this question, either from our graduates or nationally. Based on our experience, most students who have a masters degree in I/O work, at least initially, in the Human Resources department of an organization. In smaller firms, one person may be the entire HR department. In larger firms, students typically specialize in some area such as staffing, training, job analysis, or compensation. A growing employment option for masters students is to work for a consulting firm. Consulting firms have, and are, hiring masters-level I/O types to work on projects for their clients. These projects are typically in the traditional HR areas (staffing, training, performance appraisal, compensation) but may also involve more macro-organizational tasks such as setting up team-based practices, doing employee surveys, or suggesting changes to organizational structure. In addition, some students take one aspect of their training and focus in that area. For instance, one recent graduate does marketing research because of the data analysis skills that she obtained in our program. And, of course, others end up in jobs and careers that are not closely linked to their training. How much do new I/O masters graduates make? Again, data on this is very difficult to come by. However, our sense is that typical starting pay for an I/O masters graduate will be around $28,000, with a lot of variability in both directions. I received a letter saying that I was "provisionally admitted." What does that mean? The admissions process to any UTC graduate program occurs in two phases. In the first phase, the Graduate Division makes an initial assessment of an applicant's undergraduate GPA. If it is 2.5 or better, the applicant is "Provisionally Admitted," even if they have not yet completed their application file. In this status, applicants are permitted to take up to 9 credit hours of graduate course work that, if approved by the program coordinator, may be applied to the student's graduation requirements if that applicant is subsequently admitted to the program. This provisional status allows local students to get started on course work while they work to complete their application. The I/O program policy is to allow provisionally admitted students to take only elective courses. However, they take this course work at the risk of ending up not being admitted to the program. It is important to point out that "Provisional Admission" is not probation. Successful completion of the 9 hours in no way ensures subsequent admission to the I/O program. Clearly, provisional admission is good for applicants who are already residing in the Chattanooga area. Applicants should never make plans to move to Chattanooga to attend the I/O program just because they have been provisionally admitted. The second phase of the admissions process is for the I/O faculty to make their admission decision. For the vast majority of applicants, this decision occurs in late March or early April. Can I apply after the March 15th deadline? Yes. However, if you do, consideration of your application is affected not only by your qualifications, but also by the space available for the coming Fall semester. Thus, your probability of admittance is highest if you submit your materials by the March 15th deadline. The later you apply, the less likely it is that there will be space available. Do you accept new students in the Spring (or Summer)? Admission for the Spring or Summer terms is unusual. Typically, we admit students for these times only if we are sure that they would be fully admitted in a regular Fall admission cycle. Because of the sequencing of our classes, full-time students who begin in the Spring cannot complete the program in less than 5 semesters, whereas almost all full-time students who start in the Fall will be finished in 4 semesters (not counting the Summer as a semester). However, part-time students may be able to get a jump on their program by starting in the Spring or Summer. How much is all of this going to cost? For the 2000-2001 academic year, fees for in-state graduate students are $190 per credit (topping out at $1732 for 12 credits). Tuition and fees for out-of-state graduate students are $466 per credit (topping out at $4480 for 12 credits). These figures are usually adjusted each summer for the following academic year. In-state and out-of-state residency is determined by the Graduate Division. Generally, if you come from out-of-state to attend school, you will retain your out-of-state designation for the entire program. Out-of-state students who are working full-time in Tennessee are permitted to take 6 hours each semester at in-state rates. You may contact the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, Dr. Deborah Arfken, with questions about residency regulations. Where do graduate students typically live? Since there is no dedicated on-campus housing for graduate students, the vast majority of our students live off-campus. A great many of them live in one of the apartment complexes that are located on Mountain Creek Road at the foot of Signal Mountain (technically Walden's Ridge). This area is a 10-minute drive from campus. Can I go on to a Ph.D. program after graduating from UTC's I/O program? Certainly, but not automatically. We have no formal ties with any Ph.D. program. However, 10 to 20% of our graduates go on to do Ph.D. work. Admission to a Ph.D. program is in no way assured if you successfully complete our program, but if you come and do well, you may improve your prospects. Absolutely. We would love to meet you. Just contact Mike Biderman by e-mail or phone (423/755-4268) and we will set up a mutually convenient time. Your visit will not affect our admissions decision, so do not come just for that reason. But if you want to see us in person and/or want to see the Chattanooga area, we encourage your visit. Typically, you will spend 30-45 minutes with one of the faculty and then we will try to find a graduate student to show you around campus. In addition, we will point you towards the available housing options here. Click here for driving directions. Can I report some other GPA other than my overall GPA? Many students think that their overall undergraduate GPA (including all collegiate hours, no matter where they were taken) is not the best reflection of their academic abilities. While our formula uses the overall GPA, we encourage you to report some other value that you think is a better reflection of your present academic accomplishment. We will take this information into consideration when evaluating your application. You may indicate this on the Supplemental Application Form and/or in your Personal Statement. Who should I get to complete my recommendation forms? Academic references (i.e., former or current professors) are best. However, they are not absolutely necessary. You may use other professional acquaintances if academic references are difficult (or impossible) to contact. Classes typically begin during the last full week of August. We hold an
orientation for two days at the end of the week prior to the start of classes.
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