A "good" personal statement is a very important element in your file when applying to the graduate programs in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis or any other graduate program.  Your personal statement should tell the reviewer why you are applying to the program and why you feel the school you are applying to is a good fit for you.  Your personal statement should tell the reader a lot about who you are and what your goals are.  The reviewer needs to know about your work ethic and your ability to persevere to achieve your goals.  Basically, you are "selling" yourself to the admission committee. 

Some schools may have word limits for your personal statement.  Be sure to read the rules and adhere strictly to those limits.  If no maximum word count is stated, the statement can be as long or as short as you feel necessary to tell your story.  The School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis does not specify a limit. 

While this next point may seem obvious, many personal statements are received with numerous spelling and grammar errors.  By all means, spell and grammar check your document carefully.  Spelling and grammar errors can blemish an otherwise excellent application file.  It is always a good idea to have one or more people look over your document before you submit it. 


Many of the School of Psychological Science's faculty members are involved in ongoing research projects.  During your first year in the PsyD or master's program you will have the opportunity to learn about each faculty member's specific areas of interest and current projects.  PsyD students are assigned a faculty advisor based on their expressed area of interest when applying to the program.  Because those interests frequently change upon exposure to new ideas presented by faculty during classes and counseling sessions, PsyD students will have the opportunity to change faculty dissertation advisors if those interests change over time.  Even though many faculty members are actively engaged in research projects, they are always willing to help students with specific research projects in their area of interest.   


Unlike many schools that use a multiple regression form of application processing, the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis considers every document in the application dossier to be of equal importance.  While high GRE scores are a good indicator of the potential for success in a demanding graduate program such as ours, you will not be eliminated from consideration just because you did not score above 600.  Your undergraduate grade point average, especially grades received in psychology courses, can also help us determine your potential to succeed.  However, just because your gpa was not 4.0 does not mean you will be rejected.  We also look at what scholarly activities you have participated in and what types of volunteer or work-related activities you have that show your interest in the field of psychology.  Your letters of recommendation also tell the reviewers a lot about the kind of student you have been or how other professionals in the field view your potential.  And don't gloss over the importance of your personal statement.  A very well-written personal statement will reflect well on your past training and potential.  In short, every document in your application dossier is important and considered equally when the admission committee for the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis considers your application.

The School of Psychological Sciences is located in the recently renovated Good Hall.  Historic Good Hall houses a large computer lab that is available to all students.  Students may print documents free of charge in all computer labs.  Wireless technology is available in all buildings across the campus.  The School of Psychological Sciences provides a graduate study lounge in Good Hall equipped with computers and printers for psychology doctoral and master's students to use. 

In addition to Good Hall there are computer labs available in many other buildings on campus.  Both Mac and PC platforms are available in many of the computer labs. 

The Krannert Memorial Library also houses computer facilities and has copy machines and a media center that are available to students for a small fee.  The IT Help Desk personnel located in the Krannert Memorial Library building are available to help students with any technology questions.   

Students in the graduate psychology programs at the University of Indianapolis live in a wide variety of settings.  Many students choose to live in apartment complexes near the campus while others commute from farther away to take advantage of the diverse cultural and ethnic areas that Indianapolis has to offer.  Indianapolis is a very easy city to get around in, but having a car makes commuting to school much easier.  There is a limited amount of on-campus housing available to graduate students.  Your peer mentor can be a valuable resource when you are looking for a place to live.  The Director of Student Services (email to keatonma@uindy.edu) can also provide you with a list of apartment complexes rated by our current students. 

Here is your chance.  The School of Psychological Sciences will be hosting an open house/information session on Friday, September 4.  Anyone interested in learning more about obtaining a doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) or a master's degree in clinical psychology or mental health counseling should plan to attend.  The open house will give you the opportunity to talk to faculty, staff and current students about our graduate programs so you can make an informed decision when you choose a school to attend.  If you need more information or want to reserve a spot, please email Dr. Margie Keaton at keatonma@uindy.edu.


Open House/Information Session

Friday, September 4, 2009

8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Good Hall Recital Hall (Room 105)

Continental breakfast and registration at 8:00 a.m.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Dr. Margie Keaton at keatonma@uindy.edu


Once you have accepted an offer for admission to the doctoral psychology program or the psychology master's degree programs in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis you will be contacted by the Graduate Psychology Association (GPA) to be assigned a peer mentor to help you acclimate to your new environment.  The GPA is a student-run organization.  Current graduate students volunteer to mentor the new incoming students.  Your peer mentor can help you with many things, such as advising about 'good' apartments, finding your way around campus or Indy, forming study groups or just finding the best grad student relaxation spots around.  Your peer mentor will work with you as long as you want or need.  Of course, you will also be assigned a faculty advisor who can help you in any number of ways, personal or academic.   

Yes, you can!  Up to 15 hours of equivalent graduate coursework can be transferred for either the psychology doctoral program or the psychology master's programs.  Because of APA requirements the transferred courses must be equivalent to courses offered in the UIndy curriculum.  You must have attained a grade of B or better for the transfer credit to be considered.  Also, any transferred coursework must have been completed within the past 5 years.  You must petition for transfer credit and supply a detailed course syllabus and academic transcript.  There are specific deadlines that must be adhered to for your petition to be considered.  In certain limited situations more than 15 credit hours of transfer credit may be considered.  Please contact the Director of Graduate Programs at ddowning@uindy.edu or the Director of Student Services at keatonma@uindy.edu if you have specific questions.   

There are several options for completion of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis.  Your unique circumstances will determine which program you choose.  The fastest route to the doctorate degree in clinical psychology and the minimum length of time allowed by state law licensing requirements is the 3 + 1 program.  This program gives you three years of coursework and one year of internship and is most popular with students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree in clinical psychology.  The 4 + 1 program is the most commonly selected program.  The 4 + 1 program allows you to complete a master's degree along with the doctorate, gives you time to complete your dissertation prior to going on internship and gives you the option to add extra practicum hours to your resume.  The master's degree, the completed dissertation and the extra practicum will give you a definite advantage when it comes to internship time.  There is also a 5 + 1 program for anyone who needs a less intense course load for completing their degree.  Once you begin your program you will have plenty of opportunity to discuss these options with your advisor. 


If you are seeking a doctoral degree in psychology at the University of Indianapolis all application material must be submitted by January 10 to be considered for the fall class.

If you are interested in a psychology master's degree in clinical psychology or mental health counseling you must submit all application documentation by February 25 to be considered for the fall class. 

Late applications for either the doctoral degree in psychology or either of the psychology master's degrees will only be considered if there are spaces available in the class. 

You can learn more about what documents you will need to submit for the master's program or the doctoral program by visiting our website.

Hate standardized tests?  Sorry, but there is no way out of the GRE requirement for admission to the School of Psychological Sciences doctoral or master's programs.  And you need to score well to be competitive with the majority of our applicants.
 
Took the GRE, but it was long ago?  Sorry, but if it was more that five years ago you will have to do it again. 
 
What score must I get?  If you scored below 500 on any part, you really need to do some more studying and try to improve your scores.  Our average scores for the incoming class of 2008 were 600 for the doctoral (PsyD) program and 520 for the psychology master's programs on the verbal, quantitative and psychology subject sections of the GRE.  You don't have to take the GRE Psychology Subject test, but scoring well can give you an advantage over someone who did not take the test or someone who did not do too well.  If you don't score well, it will not count against you, so just DO IT!

Now that you know something about the University of                      
Indianapolis and the School of Psychological Sciences, I'm sure
you are wondering how to apply for the doctoral degree in clinical
psychology or a psychology master's degree.  It's very easy, but
there are deadlines to consider.  Applications for the doctoral
degree in clinical psychology (PsyD) must be postmarked by
January 10 and psychology master's degree applications must be
postmarked by February 25.  Here's what you need to do:
 
  1. Go to the SoPS website, complete the online application and pay the $55 application fee.  You will also submit your personal statement at this time.
  2. Ask three people to write letters of recommendation for you.  Be careful when you choose these people.  The idea here is to give us more insight into your potential to succeed in our programs.
  3. Contact each of your post-secondary schools to request an official transcript be sent to the University of Indianapolis, School of Psychological Sciences.
  4. Sign up and take the GRE General Test and the GRE Psychology Subject Test and send the scores to us.  The Psych Subject test is not required, but it can certainly help you!
  5. If you are an international student there are a few more things you must do.

That's all there is to it.  We will let you know as soon as we receive your application.  Still not sure?  Receive a viewbook by mail or email the Director of Student Services at psychology@uindy.edu or visit our website.
 

Let me introduce you to the School of Psychological Sciences (SoPS) at the University of Indianapolis.  Located on the south side of Indianapolis and housed in historic Good Hall SoPS offers American Psychological Association accredited Doctoral Degrees in Psychology as well as Masters Degree Programs in clinical psychology and mental health counseling.  The focus of these programs is on preparing individuals for professional practice through coursework, practicum experiences and internships.

The SoPS faculty is composed of a diverse group of scholars and clinicians representing a variety of clinical approaches and specialties.  The small class sizes allow the faculty to work closely with each student to help develop each student's unique strengths.  Financial aid is available for students along with a limited number of fellowships and graduate assistantshipsSoPS graduates work in a variety of settings all around the world.

Check us out  

 

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