Cognitive, Developmental, Social, or General Experimental Psychology Concentration

Entry into the Ph.D. program requires an M.A. in Psychology from UNC Greensboro or from another institution. For students continuing from the M.A. program at UNC Greensboro, only courses with grades of B or better may count toward the Ph.D. degree; grades below B in courses that were counted toward the M.A. degree must be replaced by either re-taking the same course or by earning a grade of B or better in a substitute course. Course equivalents are decided according to departmental policy, which varies by course category (e.g. tools courses vs. core courses). A minimum of 71 credits hours are required for the Ph.D. degree.

Students who receive an M.A. from another institution will submit syllabi, thesis document, and other materials for review to determine the portability of their MA degree. Typically, students earn credit for the M.A. degree and must complete remaining Ph.D. requirements and a minimum of 35 credits at UNC Greensboro.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

For information on the application and admission, please see https://psy.uncg.edu/graduate/admissions/.

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 71 credit hours

Core Courses and Electives (47 credits minimum, including credits acquired in the M.A.)

Including core courses and electives taken to satisfy the M.A. requirements, students complete 18-30 credit hours in their area of concentration (cognitive, developmental, social or general experimental) and 18-30 credits outside their area of concentration. Of these credits, only 6 credits of independent study courses (PSY 601 Graduate Problems in Psychology ) can be counted; at least an additional 3 credits of research tools courses beyond the M.A. statistics requirements must be taken; and at least four psychology seminars must be taken (from PSY 735C, PSY 735D, PSY 735I, PSY 735J, or PSY 735S).

Research (24 credits minimum, including credits acquired in the M.A.)

Including the thesis completed to satisfy the M.A. requirements, all students complete the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
PSY 751	Independent Doctoral Research	1-6
PSY 799	Doctoral Dissertation Research *	1-24

*

A minimum of 12 dissertation credits (PSY 799) are required.

Required Milestones*

• Residency (Immersion)
• Plan of Study
• Research Competency
• Comprehensive Exam (Written & Oral)
• Dissertation Proposal
• Admission to Candidacy
• Dissertation Defense
• Filing the Final Approved Dissertation

*

General information about milestones for doctoral programs is available in Section III of the Graduate Policies page in the University Catalog. For information about how milestones are accomplished for a specific program, please refer to the doctoral program's handbook.