Loyola University Chicago- Psychology

Psychology

Application Deadlines
Application Requirements
Contact Information
Curriculum
Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
Faculty
Overview

Overview

The Department of Psychology prepares students to contribute theoretical and empirical knowledge to the field of psychology, to teach psychology at the college level and to apply this knowledge to better the human condition. In addition to a strong scholarly foundation, the department is committed to fostering a healthy balance between basic and applied perspectives in psychology, as well as to promoting sensitivity to cultural diversity in psychological research.

Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)

The Department of Psychology offers a Ph.D. degree program in three different areas: applied social psychology, clinical psychology (including a clinical-child subspecialty) and developmental psychology. The Department also offers an M.A. degree program in applied social psychology. Applicants must specify which program they wish to enter.

Ph.D. Degree Program in Applied Social Psychology

The Ph.D. degree in Applied Social Psychology emphasizes both basic and applied research in social psychology. The program helps students become researchers/practitioners who can conceptualize practical problems from a social psychological perspective and who can work with others in planning, evaluating, and modifying social programs. Through selective coursework in psychology and related disciplines, students may specialize in application areas such as law and criminal justice; education; and political, consumer, community, health and industrial/organizational psychology. The program also provides a strong foundation in social cognition, attitudes, groups, close relationships and positive psychology. Graduates are expected to contribute to and use social psychological knowledge for the improved welfare of individuals, groups, organizations and society as a whole. Students also are expected to become effective communicators of knowledge through presentations, publications and teaching. Research opportunities and internship placements are available throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

M.A. Degree Program in Applied Social Psychology

The Department of Psychology also offers an M.A. degree program in applied social psychology. The curriculum includes a focused set of courses that emphasize theoretical, methodological and statistical knowledge useful for applied social research and program evaluation. The program also requires an empirical thesis on an applied social topic.

Ph.D. Degree Program in Clinical Psychology

The Ph.D. degree program in Clinical Psychology, which has been accredited by the American Psychological Association* since 1959, offers formal classes, advanced seminars, supervised clinical and research experience and independent study opportunities. The clinical program is designed to produce competent professionals who are capable of functioning in both clinical and research settings. The program provides students with:

A broad knowledge of scientific psychology
Specialized knowledge in psychological assessment, psychopathology and clinical intervention
Knowledge and experience related to the planning, execution, evaluation and dissemination of socially-relevant clinical research
The ability to communicate psychological information in research, teaching and clinical contexts
A sensitivity to cultural and individual differences
Flexibility in the application of psychological principles and techniques to a wide variety of populations and across a range of settings
Knowledge and respect for the ethical standards of the profession
The ability to work effectively with professionals from a variety of disciplines

Clinical-Child Subspecialty: The clinical-child track allows students to graduate with a clinical-child subspecialty. This subspecialty trains students to work with children, adolescents and families. The track integrates coursework, externship and research experiences, and a pre-doctoral internship, along with an ongoing evaluation process, a "Brown Bag" colloquium series and other activities. Those studying in this subspecialty are encouraged to interact with the students and faculty of the developmental program.

* American Psychological Association, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, Phone: 202-336-5979

Ph.D. Degree Program in Developmental Psychology

The goal of this program is to promote the understanding of basic and applied developmental theories, research and issues. Students earning a Ph.D. degree in Developmental Psychology have access to a variety of theoretical and practical resources. They take classes with core psychology faculty, as well as faculty from other departments within Loyola University Chicago. In addition to course work, students also complete individual tutorials and individual research projects. Faculty members encourage students to join current research projects or to propose new topics. Student and faculty research has involved early narrative and memory development, the role of parents in facilitating early literacy, the role of emotion in memory, second language acquisition in young children, infant perceptual and cognitive development and social development in childhood and adolescence.

Faculty

The Department of Psychology faculty represents a broad spectrum of interests, backgrounds, training and experience. Students have access to the entire Department of Psychology faculty, regardless of their chosen degree area. Faculty members are listed according to their areas of specialty.

Applied Social Psychology

Fred Bryant, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor
Areas of interest: Measurement of subject life quality, meta-analysis research on social interventions and evaluation of test validity

Tracy DeHart, Ph.D. (State University of New York at Buffalo), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: The self, self-regulatory processes, close relationships and health-related behavior

John Edwards, Ph.D. (Ohio State University), Associate Professor and Senior Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Areas of interest: Formation, components and measurement of attitudes

Renee Engeln-Maddox, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago), Instructor
Areas of interest: Gender, social comparison, media effects on self definition

Linda Heath, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor
Area of interest: The effects of mass media

Arthur Lurigio, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago), Professor and Associate Faculty Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Areas of interest: Criminal justice, social psychology and the law

Victor Ottati, Ph.D. (University of Illinois), Associate Professor and Director of Applied Social Psychology
Areas of interest: Attitudes, persuasion, social cognition, affect and cognition, metaphor and cognition, nonverbal behavior, stereotyping and prejudice

R. Scott Tindale, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Professor and Department Chair
Areas of interest: Information processing and social influence in individual and group decision-making

Clinical Psychology

Amy Bohnert, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Developmental psychopathology, extracurricular activity involvement, emotional competence, optimism, and exercise and mental health

Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. (DePaul University), Professor and Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Areas of interest: Human sexuality, HIV/AIDS prevention and health promotion, minority mental health and professional practice issues

Joseph Durlak, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University), Professor
Areas of interest: Community and child clinical psychology, health promotion and the evaluation of interventions for child populations of all ages

Noni Gaylord, Ph.D. (University of Memphis), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Resilience, coping, and protective family and parenting factors in African-American children and adolescents.

Duke Han, Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts—Boston), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Neuropsychology and neuropsychological assessment

Grayson Holmbeck, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University), Professor and Director of Clinical Training
Areas of interest: Pediatric psychology, family relations during early and late adolescence, developmental psychopathology, statistical applications and research methods

Scott Leon, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Psychotherapy outcomes and the development of models of children's mental health services

Thomas Petzel, Ph.D. (St. Louis University), Professor
Areas of interest: Psychological and behavioral dimensions of writing anxiety, shyness and social anxiety and cognitive dimensions of clinical depression

Maryse Richards, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor
Areas of interest: Developmental stage of adolescence and urban African-American adolescents

Patricia Rupert, Ph.D. (University of Kansas), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Professional burnout, research ethics, and specific ethical issues related to managed mental health care, confidentiality, professional relationships and graduate education

Developmental Psychology

Denise Davidson, Ph.D. (State University of New York/Albany), Associate Professor and Director of Developmental Psychology
Areas of interest: Cognitive and social development, including the development of memory over the lifespan; emotional development in children; bilingual language development in children

Catherine Haden, Ph.D. (Emory University), Assistant Professor and Directory of the Children’s Memory Study
Areas of interest: Cognitive and social foundations of memory and narrative development

Kathleen Kannass, Ph.D. (University of Iowa), Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Infant perceptual and cognitive development, the development of attention and distractibility in infancy and early childhood, and individual differences in voluntary attention

Other Department Faculty

Richard Bowen, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Professor
Area of interest: Vision and visual perception

Raymond Dye, Ph.D. (University of California–Berkeley), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Human auditory perception, spatial hearing and human factors

Richard Fay, Ph.D. (Princeton University), Professor
Areas of interest: Hearing, neural mechanisms of perception, sensory neuroscience and the evolution of hearing

Lois Leidahl, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor
Areas of interests: Spatial representation, gender differences, animal behavior and cognition

Anne Sutter, Ph.D. (University of Oregon), Associate Professor
Areas of interest: Vision, visual perception and attention.

William Yost, Ph.D. (Indiana University), Professor
Areas of interest: Auditory perception, hearing science

Curriculum

The training objectives are reflected in the program curriculum, which includes formal classes, advanced seminars, supervised clinical and research experience, and independent study opportunities. While certain requirements are established to ensure that all students acquire the proficiency outlined in the training objectives, flexibility exists for students to pursue their specialized interests and subspecialty training.

Application Requirements

Successful applicants to the Ph.D. degree programs in psychology generally have a GPA of at least 3.5. Applicants to the M.A. degree program generally have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.

A $50 application fee
A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work
Scores for the GRE (general and subject examination). Successful applicants usually have scores of 600 or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections.
Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant's academic work)
A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals (See details below. Also, both the clinical and developmental psychology programs have special requirements for the statement of purpose)
Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required.
International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org

Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.

Clinical Psychology also requires:

A curriculum vitae or personal resume
An interview: Clinical Psychology applicants who become admission finalists will be invited for a personal interview, where applicants come to Loyola University Chicago to meet our faculty and students and learn more about the program. This is a full-day process, usually held on two Fridays in February.

Developmental and Applied Social Psychology also recommend:

A writing sample or research paper: applicants to these two programs are encouraged to supply a writing sample, such as a research paper.

Statement of Purpose

All applicants must submit a brief statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals. Considerable attention is given to students’ ability to articulate research interests and career plans.

Clinical Psychology

In addition, students applying to the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. degree program should respond to the following questions in their statement of purpose:

What is your specific area of interest in clinical psychology: child and family, general adult, health psychology or other (please specify)
Among the many alternatives, why are you applying to Loyola University Chicago
What relevant professional research experience have you had that has prepared you for advanced training in psychology
What are your short-term and long-term professional goals
Please identify at least two clinical psychology faculty members with whom you would like to work during your graduate training. Visit www.luc.edu/psychology/psyfaculty/facultymenu.shtml for the latest information about faculty interests and research areas

Developmental Psychology

In addition, students applying to the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. degree program should respond to the following questions in their statement of purpose:

What is your specific area of interest (research interest) in developmental psychology
What are your long‑term professional goals
Please identify one to two developmental faculty with whom you would like to work during your graduate training. You can consult our program's Web site for the latest information on faculty interests and research areas

Application Deadlines

Applied Social Psychology Programs
Fall admission: January 15

Clinical Psychology Program
Fall admission: December 1

Developmental Psychology Program
Fall admission: February 1

Deadline and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/psychology for the most up-to-date information.

Contact Information

The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:

Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu

For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:

Department of Psychology
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.3001
Fax: 773.508.8713
E-mail: grad-psyc@luc.edu
www.luc.edu/psychology

Loyola University Chicago