Each semester, all students have a 20 hour per week work assignment that supplements formal coursework and practicum experiences by additional professional activities involving research, teaching, counseling or administrative work. The assignment varies according to the needs, professional goals and competencies of the student. A variety of teaching and research positions are available each year in the Psychology Department, and a wide array of sites are available for counseling assignments, both on campus and in the community. This allows us to give financial support as well as individual attention to each student we accept. Faculty work closely with students on both an individual and small group basis.
Classes are typically small and informal.
This relationship is independent of the student s choices of thesis and dissertation chairs. Each new incoming student also is assigned an advanced student mentor who serves as an informal advisor. Advanced students also collaborate with faculty in instructional, supervisory, and research activities. Program size and informality, funding opportunities, and the involvement of students in peer learning are all part of an underlying philosophy of collegiality, a philosophy that de-emphasizes competition. We think our program s outcomes are impressive.