Every semester, students receive course credit for participating in research. Class sizes are relatively small. This is an extremely important component of the Ph.D. program application. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. The majority of the assistantships are research assistantships which means that the student works on a research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
Students usually have the opportunity to choose a research project of which to work.
This research can lead to a thesis project. In addition, to the university assistantships, opportunities are available to work on research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, AARP, and the Department of Transportation. Because our students receive a great deal of research experience, they are very competitive in doctoral program admissions. Also, because our students work closely with several faculty members, they leave with strong letters of recommendation. In addition, many students, who have decided not to pursue a Ph.D. degree, have been very successful at finding employment in applied settings following the completion of the program.