Quantitative Psychology

[strawberrily]

Hi. I'm applying this fall for a PhD in Quantitative Psychology, and I was just wondering if there were any others out there who have applied/are applying in this field. It's such a small, overlooked field that I really would like to find some more information. I mention it to my professors and they just give me blank stares.

One thing I'm curious about is what the acceptance rates are for these kinds of programs. I have a GPA of ~3.75, a GRE Verbal of 710, Quantitative of 780, and an Analytical Writing of 5.0. I'm also graduating a year early, which a rather pissy graduate adviser told me would count against me, but I don't have a lot of choice thanks to family finances.

Another thing is, my undergrad school is pretty small (Bucknell), and I've taken the only upper-level quant psych course they offer, Advanced Psych Stats, and I'm getting a minor in Statistics, but I still have no idea what my research focus is, which I know I'll have to talk about in my applications. I love statistics and I love applying working with them and analyzing data, but I feel like I really don't know enough to pick a specific sub-domain. And my professors are no help, due to the aforementioned black stares.

Thanks for any responses. ^__^

[stuellers]

strawberrily -

I just completed a PhD in quant psyc and would love to help answer your questions. Your numbers are as good or better than many of the applicants I have seen be accepted to quant psyc programs in the last 5 years. Graduating early should not be a problem unless your math is week (many but not all applicants who get offers have done multivariate calculus and linear algebra - if you haven't taken these, take them this fall or in the spring, and mention it on applications; these are more important than stats classes). Ignore your advisor on that one and take care of finances. I have had to make many education decisions based on that issue.

What courses are required for the minor in stats? A small school won't count against you, most of the applicants I saw last year were from very small schools.

Don't worry about not really knowing what research area you want to dive into. I have yet to meet an applicant who does. There just isn't a good mechanism to help undergrads learn enough about quant psyc to know what they want to research in.

The best thing you can do is contact faculty and express you interest and ask lots of question after (trying) to read a couple of their papers (do not get discouraged if you do not understand the paper) and [ii] contact grad students in the programs. An import question to ask is whether professors are taking students. Don't get your heart set on working with a certain prof until you know.

Where are you applying? Use this http://www.apa.org/d...5/docprogs.html list or this one http://www.apa.org/r...tive/index.aspx.

Please contact me directly if you have other questions. I'm open to phone conversations too and can connect you to several professors.

Hope this helps

- Stephen Tueller

http://psychology.nd...s/quantitative/

s t u e l l e r @ g m a i l . c o m

(take the spaces out)

Edited September 8, 2010 by stuellers

[spunky]

Hi. I'm applying this fall for a PhD in Quantitative Psychology, and I was just wondering if there were any others out there who have applied/are applying in this field. It's such a small, overlooked field that I really would like to find some more information. I mention it to my professors and they just give me blank stares.

One thing I'm curious about is what the acceptance rates are for these kinds of programs. I have a GPA of ~3.75, a GRE Verbal of 710, Quantitative of 780, and an Analytical Writing of 5.0. I'm also graduating a year early, which a rather pissy graduate adviser told me would count against me, but I don't have a lot of choice thanks to family finances.

Another thing is, my undergrad school is pretty small (Bucknell), and I've taken the only upper-level quant psych course they offer, Advanced Psych Stats, and I'm getting a minor in Statistics, but I still have no idea what my research focus is, which I know I'll have to talk about in my applications. I love statistics and I love applying working with them and analyzing data, but I feel like I really don't know enough to pick a specific sub-domain. And my professors are no help, due to the aforementioned black stares.

Thanks for any responses. ^__^

i couldn't help but respond back to your thread because it looks as if i was reading the story of my life again... interest in statistics, coming from a small undergrad school (in my case in rural british columbia), nobody really knew what this quant field is, etc... my advice is pretty much the same you already got. take LOTS and LOTS of math/stats courses... when i was having my interview before i was formally accepted to my program in psychometrics i couldn't help but notice how my potential advisor had high-lighted all my math/stats courses and stats-in-psych/methodology courses on my transcript (other credits i took like social psych, personality, neuropsych, etc didnt seem to factor too much in his decision). if i may (and you're able to) take a few courses in computer programming. that's definitely gonna take you over the top and will allow you to jump over good, ol' SPSS towards the more-resepcted R or SAS programming environments. i'd dare to say it is a little bit easier to get into programs like quant psych, psychometrics, research methodology, measurement, etc. because there really aren't a lot of applicants interested in them so you should be fine. i got in my program without a specific research topic but i did try to woo-and-wow my current advisor by saying i had interest in such and such areas of applied statistics heh... (mention something about structural equation modelling. i feel smarter just by saying it )

[SportyChick]

How are you enjoying UBC's quantitative psychology program? I'm interested in going to UBC for Quantitative Psychology.

i couldn't help but respond back to your thread because it looks as if i was reading the story of my life again... interest in statistics, coming from a small undergrad school (in my case in rural british columbia), nobody really knew what this quant field is, etc... my advice is pretty much the same you already got. take LOTS and LOTS of math/stats courses... when i was having my interview before i was formally accepted to my program in psychometrics i couldn't help but notice how my potential advisor had high-lighted all my math/stats courses and stats-in-psych/methodology courses on my transcript (other credits i took like social psych, personality, neuropsych, etc didnt seem to factor too much in his decision). if i may (and you're able to) take a few courses in computer programming. that's definitely gonna take you over the top and will allow you to jump over good, ol' SPSS towards the more-resepcted R or SAS programming environments. i'd dare to say it is a little bit easier to get into programs like quant psych, psychometrics, research methodology, measurement, etc. because there really aren't a lot of applicants interested in them so you should be fine. i got in my program without a specific research topic but i did try to woo-and-wow my current advisor by saying i had interest in such and such areas of applied statistics heh... (mention something about structural equation modelling. i feel smarter just by saying it )

[spunky]

How are you enjoying UBC's quantitative psychology program? I'm interested in going to UBC for Quantitative Psychology.

i'm TOTALLY loving it... i was torn between applying for an M.Sc. in Statistics and an M.A. in Quantitative Psychology/Psychometrics and i think i made the right choice... i'm already adding the finishing touches on a paper i am going to present with my advisor in this coming AERA conference (American Education Research Association) in New Orleans on Hierarchical Linear Models for psychoeducational research and it has only been my first semester. can't wait to get published in psychometrikaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

[SportyChick]

That sounds soooo exciting! I submitted my application already. I really really want to be at UBC and just dive into statistics! It's my passion! I did not take tons of statistics courses (only 2 classes), however, I was in the top 2% of my Statistics class...and Graduate with an upper level GPA of 3.75/4.0. I took tons and tons of psychology courses... (used my psychology courses as "electives" as well).

If you don't mind me asking-- what was your GRE score?

i'm TOTALLY loving it... i was torn between applying for an M.Sc. in Statistics and an M.A. in Quantitative Psychology/Psychometrics and i think i made the right choice... i'm already adding the finishing touches on a paper i am going to present with my advisor in this coming AERA conference (American Education Research Association) in New Orleans on Hierarchical Linear Models for psychoeducational research and it has only been my first semester. can't wait to get published in psychometrikaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

[spunky]

That sounds soooo exciting! I submitted my application already. I really really want to be at UBC and just dive into statistics! It's my passion! I did not take tons of statistics courses (only 2 classes), however, I was in the top 2% of my Statistics class...and Graduate with an upper level GPA of 3.75/4.0. I took tons and tons of psychology courses... (used my psychology courses as "electives" as well).

If you don't mind me asking-- what was your GRE score?

sure! my GRE scores were:

730- Quant

560- Verbal

4.5- Essay

now, to which program did you apply? perhaps we'll end up crossing paths. you could've either gone through the Measurement Evaluation and Research Methodology (MERM) program or the Quantitative Psychology program. who did you choose as your advisor? dr. savalei? dr. biesanz? dr. hakstain? i'm doing a joint thing with dr. savalei (Quant Psych) and dr. zumbo (MERM)...

one little thing, though... and especially for Quant Psych. the program is very mathematically-oriented. i did my B.Sc. in Mathematics with a minor in Psych so i didnt have too much trouble there, but i think you'll be expected to have at least some basics of linear algebra, multivariate calculus and some 2nd/3rd -year knowledge of probability and statistical distribution theory. some computer programming abilities (especially in either R, SAS or S help as well. you'll find out very quickly that SPSS is way too limited for the kind of stuff you're gonna work with...).if you dont mind me asking, which 2 stats courses did you take? i'm hoping it was something beyond the methodology courses most people take in the social sciences....