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Behavioral Science Program Description
The Behavioral Science Program is a small (35 student) program leading to a doctoral degree (Ph. D.) in psychology. Students entering with a Bachelor's degree earn the Master of Arts degree (MA.) as part of the doctoral program. The objective of the program is to provide a rigorous base of knowledge in psychology, including data analytic and methodological skills. Students are able to develop research and content specializations through department-wide focus areas. Experiences in basic and applied research are emphasized. Our graduates are employed in such diverse roles as academic research and teaching positions, professional positions in industry, and in roles such as evaluation specialists in public service and policy settings.
Program Strengths
In our Behavioral Science Program, we seek to bring the power of science to bear on meaningful social issues. We are particularly strong in research methods, with several internationally known quantitative methodologists and solid qualitative research opportunities as well. We share the conviction that research designs and data, rigorously applied, are powerful tools for transforming our understanding and guiding effective action.
Applied research focus: We have a number of faculty engaged in work on the prevention of health problems and the promotion of well-being for problems such as alcohol, tobacco, and other addictions; sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS; and cancer prevention across a spectrum of risk factors. Another area of strength for us is work on the effects of cultural difference, defined broadly to include ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, social class and their intersections.
Collaboration: Clinical and School Program students and faculty work alongside Behavioral Science students and faculty on many kinds of research, and the research strengths of the Behavioral Science collaborators are in demand for projects linked to clinical, school and community concerns. Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities to work and learn with a variety of faculty and collaborative programs.
Flexible requirements: Behavioral Science program requirements are relatively flexible, making it possible to "tailor" your academic experiences and research practica to focus on the strengths you want to build for your own professional direction.
Multicultural emphasis: Our research and curriculum requirements reflect commitment to a science that actively engages with the realities of our multicultural world. Although we cannot promise perfection, we do work hard on these challenges and we have been acknowledged on our campus for doing so. You will find faculty and students representing a range of cultures, broadly defined to include race and ethnicity, social class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation. We are committed to building the knowledge base with research that genuinely expands our understanding of diverse lives. Furthermore, we are committed to teaching and applying that knowledge with competencies suited for our multicultural world.
Basic information about our program of study, our program faculty, curricular requirements, and the admissions process are provided on this site. In addition, general information about the psychology department should be reviewed in considering our program.
Interdisciplinary Interest Areas
The Department has special strength in several interest areas that involve faculty and graduate students from all three of our Ph.D. programs. Students in the Behavioral Science Program are encouraged to explore opportunities in at least one of these interest areas, which represent promising avenues for professional development.
Research Methodology. Training in quantitative methods, qualitative methods, evaluation research, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, consulting, data management, and programming for research applications.
Gender and Multicultural Issues. Interest in antecedents and consequences of gender, sex, sexual orientation, class, and ethnic similarities and differences, through the life span.
Health Promotion. Focus on environmental, physiological, interpersonal, and community factors associated with illness, as well as behavioral and community-based strategies to promote health. Specific interests include processes of self-change directed toward cancer prevention and AIDS risk reduction; women's health issues; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse prevention in community settings; and etiology of alcohol use, misuse and prevention.
Developmental Studies. Consideration of topics in human development throughtout the lifespan from early childhood to senior populations. Special foci on well-being, anxiety, family, school, and applied longitudinal designs and analyses.
Curriculum and Programs of Study
The Graduate School requires a total of 90 course and research credits for the Ph.D. degree in psychology (18=dissertation; 6=thesis; 66=course credit). Specific departmental and program requirements are as follows:
Departmental Requirements
The department requires preparation in five major areas: l)foundations of psychology and content area; 2)research methodology and data analysis; and 3) advanced knowledge; 4) multicultural competence; and 5) research proficiency. These requirements must be met by all doctoral students, regardless of area of concentration. The following requirements must be met by successful completion of the designated courses unless transfer credit is approved for equivalent courses taken at another institution (see below).
Foundations of Psychology:
Any four courses from among the core content areas (PSY 600-609 series) must be completed (up to two may be transferred from prior graduate work). Core areas include: physiological psychology, learning, developmental psychology, perception, cognition, personality, social psychology, theories and systems of psychology, multicultural psychology, and advanced psychopathology.
Research Methodology and Data Analysis:
Three courses must be taken in sequence: Experimental Design (PSY 532); Advanced Quantitative Methods(PSY 533); and, Methods of Psychological Research and Experimental Design (PSY 6ll).
Advanced Knowledge:
Students must pass written and oral comprehensive examinations. Written exams are typically taken in the third or fourth year, and address methodological issues, specialty area(s), and general core knowledge. Areas on which the examination will focus are determined in consultation with the student's committee. The oral examination is taken shortly after successful completion of the written exam.
Multicultural Competence:
Students earning a graduate degree in the URI Psychology Department should be able to demonstrate multicultural competence in all of the following:
Didactic Component: Consistent with the Department’s goal of curricular flexibility, all graduate students will complete PSY 600, Multicultural Psychology, or another graduate course that the student’s committee or the Psychology Department’s Graduate Curriculum Committee has approved as dealing primarily with issues in multicultural psychology; or complete a didactic learning experience in multicultural psychology in the context of an independent study.
Research Component: In keeping with Institutional Review Board requirements, all graduate students will include a section in their thesis/dissertation proposals that articulates how the issue of multiculturalism has been considered with respect to the choice of topic, methodological approach, participants, measures, procedures, and the interpretation of the research. This is not intended to limit the student’s choice of topic, participants, or method, but to assure that the student expresses the ways in which various choices are made and the implications of those choices for the subsequent interpretation of results.
Applied Component:All graduate students will demonstrate multicultural competence through one of the following activities, or a suitable alternative approved by the student’s committee:
- A practicum dealing with a multicultural client group or setting;
- Teaching a course on multicultural psychology or teaching a course in psychology (or a related discipline) in which multicultural issues are infused throughout course content;
- A comprehensive examination question about an issue in multicultural psychology, or written from a multicultural perspective; or
- A research study primarily addressing a multicultural question or involving diverse participants.
Research Proficiency:
A doctoral dissertation (PSY 699: 18 credits) must be completed. Students entering without a Master's degree in Psychology must do a Master's thesis (PSY 599: 6 credits) prior to attempting a doctoral dissertation. Students with a Master's degree in Psychology must demonstrate research competency. This can be done by having a previously completed Master's thesis reviewed and accepted by the student's committee or completing a research competency project.
Behavioral Science Program Options
The Behavioral Science Program relies on students' Program Committees (i.e., Master's and Doctoral Committees) to work with students to design uniquely tailored programs of study that will meet the students' needs within the constraints of requirements and available resources. Students choose their course work from a variety of courses depending upon their area of interest. As noted earlier, emphasis is placed on methodological and quantitative skills in both coursework and practicum experience. Beyond the required 3-course sequence in Research Methodology and Data Analysis (PSY532, PSY533, & PSY611), other courses are available that allow students to broaden their skills in this area including Small N Designs, Psychometric Methods, Factor Analysis, Evaluation Research, Non-Parametric Statistics, and Structural Modeling.
Focus areas in Multicultural and Gender studies and in Health Psychology are also available.
All first-year students are required to take a one-credit orientation seminar seminar each semester during the first year (PSY 615C).
