Another "What area of study is this, technically?" question (possibly triggering with mention of rape)

[gatorgrad]

Hi all!

 

I'm starting to look seriously into doctoral programs as I'm looking to apply for Fall 2014 admission. A bit of background - I have a BA in Women, Gender and Sexualities Studies from 2011. I'm currently working on a second BA in psychology, and I'll be done in the Spring of 2014.

 

For my first undergraduate thesis, I looked into media portrayals of rape victims, how rape victims construct their identity as a victim of rape, and the transition from viewing oneself as a victim of rape to a survivor of rape.

 

For my second thesis, I'm going to be continuing that research, adding in rape trauma syndrome, and the correlation between the severity of it that is experienced, and previous exposure to slut shaming and rape stigma in media and culture.

 

I've isolated ONE program which fits these needs to a T, and that is UMSL Ph.D in Clinical Psychology with a Trauma Studies certificate. There's a professor there that deals with research very similar to this, and I've contacted her, and she agrees that that program would be a superb fit for my interests.

 

I'm just worried that I wouldn't get in because I don't have a Master's level degree. My first UG GPA was 3.2, and my current Psych GPA is 3.8 (which will be combined, so I need to get my GPA up in the next year)

 

Anyways, the other program I'm looking at is the combined M.A./PsyD program at Widener. It gives the M.A. in Human Sexuality and the Psy.D in 5 years, and if you complete it in time, you don't pay for the M.A. level courses at all. This school is appealing because they have 100% placement for internships through the APA, but it's SO expensive, and not everyone qualifies for funding.

 

What other areas could I look into? I'm honestly not sure if I want to ultimately do research or work in the clinical arena. Ideally, I'd love to do both, but I know that may not be a possible reality. Would just looking into Clinical Psych be a good idea, or should I look into Social Psych and then look for professors that have somewhat similar research areas?

 

Second question:

The university I'm currently at is very hardcore into evolutionary and developmental psychology, both in UG and graduate level. We have two professors who teach social psychology, but neither of them have research interests even remotely similar to me. My advisor has said "You might be out of luck in terms of writing a thesis, since I need an advisor that aligns with my interests. So frustrating!

 

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[FacelessMage]

I'd say look for researchers with similar interests to yours, and then apply to the program that the school offers (if it interests you).  Maybe look at both clinical and social psych programs just for some variety. I've seen similar research fall under both categories. My advice would be to look at who's authoring the research that you're interested in, and then find out what schools they are at and apply there.

 

As for the second question (which wasn't really a question so I don't know what you're getting at), your thesis research doesn't have to align with what you want to do in grad school. I know several people who did their honours theses in one topic, and then went on to study a completely different topic in grad school because their interests didn't align with any of the undergraduate supervisors I'm one of the lucky few who got to research exactly what I wanted for my undergrad thesis, now I just can't find any graduate supervisors that study the same topic!).

[CicadaShell]

I know this thread is old but I just came across a list of Human Sexuality programs and I thought I'd share.  Its a long!

 

 

 

"The following educational programs are listed in alphabetical order according to studies at the 

 

undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral/internship or continuing education levels. The school’s 

 

location, degrees offered, and training specializations are listed, as well as other interesting information 

 

that was highlighted on each program’s website. When reviewing the list, it is important to remember 

 

that this is not a comprehensive list of programs of study or practice, for example some programs and 

 

training institutions may not have websites to advertise their offerings. The intention of the listing is to 

 

help students and practitioners find programs of study. With this in mind, the Student Column 

 

Committee of Contemporary Sexuality presents the following list of programs and institutions to study 

 

human sexuality."

 

Graduate Programs 

 

1Program reflecting training primarily as a researcher

 

2Program reflecting a practitioner model/clinical skills 

 

³Program reflecting general sexology 

 

American Academy of Clinical Sexologists2 

 

Maimonides University - North Miami, FL

 

Ph.D. – pastoral clinical sexology

 

Prepares students for sex therapy certification in Florida (a requirement in FL if wanting to practice in 

 

this state). Emphasizes the importance of religion in providing therapy. 

 

Columbia University – Mailman School of Public Health1 

 

New York, NY

 

M.P.H. – sexuality and health

 

Equips students with skills needed to address health issues, e.g., reproductive health, and child and 

 

adolescent health, related to sexuality through interdepartmental studies. (Note: Students applying for 

 

the program are expected to have worked for 2 years in the field of public health, which can include 

 

undergraduate volunteer/practicum experiences). 

 

Hofstra University – Interdisciplinary Studies/Marriage & Family Counseling2 

 

New York, NY

 

M.A. – interdisciplinary studies/marriage & family counseling (plus family counseling certification)

 

Provides skills needed for marriage/family counseling and introduces students to sexuality education, 

 

counseling and research.

 

Indiana University – Kinsey Institute1

 

Bloomington, IN

 

Ph.D. minor - human sexuality; majors include counseling, education, health behavior, psychology, and 

 

sociology 

 

Offers research programs investigating a variety of sex topics and a summer institute for students who 

 

are not involved with the university. Houses one of the largest library holdings on human sexuality, as 

 

well as a sexuality art museum. Hosts seminars on sexuality and holds special events.

 

Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality3 

 

San Francisco, CA

 

M.A., MPH, Ed. D., Ph.D., DHS (Doctor of Human Sexuality), plus certification options – human 

 

sexuality

 

Seeks to train sexologists. Offers long-distance learning. Certificate programs are unique to the 

 

Institute, e.g., erotology. Also, the Master’s program allows students to travel to Paris or China for a 

 

cultural perspective on public health. 

 

San Francisco State University Program in Human Sexuality1 

 

San Francisco, CA

 

M.A. – human sexuality.

 

Provides foundation for sex counseling, teaching and research. Specializes in gay, lesbian, and 

 

bisexual studies. Houses the Institute on Sexuality, Social Inequality, and Health, the National 

 

Sexuality Resource Center, and the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality, plus has a summer 

 

institute. 

 

University of Connecticut – Center for HIV Intervention & Prevention – Psychology 

 

Department1 

 

Storrs, CT

 

M.A., Ph.D. – social psychology with a specialization in HIV prevention

 

Conducts HIV risk dynamics and prevention research.

 

University of Guelph – Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition1, 2 

 

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

 

M.Sc. – couple and family therapy; Ph.D. – family relations and human development

 

Emphasizes child/adolescent development, social/personality development, parent-child relations, 

 

social gerontology, human sexuality, and marriage/family therapy.

 

University of Hawaii – Human Sexuality Program – Department of Social Work; Pacific Center 

 

for Sex and Society - Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology1, 2

 

Honolulu, HI

 

M.A., Ph.D. - specializes in human sexuality counseling

 

Houses the Pacific Center for Sex and Society, which provides research opportunities. 

 

University of Minnesota – Department of Family Social Science1, 2 

 

St. Paul, MN

 

M.A., Ph.D. - family social science; M.F.T. certification for clinical track

 

Specializes in marriage/family and sex therapy.

 

University of New Brunswick – Department of Psychology1, 2 

 

Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

 

Ph.D. – psychology

 

Prepares students for clinical or experimental psychology involving human sexuality.

 

University of Quebec – Department of Sexology2 

 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

 

B.A., M.A. – sexology

 

Focuses on sex education. Master’s level encompasses sex therapy and research, plus more advanced 

 

sex education. 

 

University of Utah – Department of Psychology1,2 

 

Salt Lake City, UT

 

Ph.D. – clinical psychology

 

Emphasizes human sexuality in research and clinical work. 

 

University of Wisconsin – Departments of Psychology & Sociology1 

 

Madison, WI

 

Ph.D. – psychology or sociology

 

Focuses on human sexuality, especially sex research. Is part of a consortium where a student may 

 

study at University of Chicago, University of Minnesota or Wisconsin.

 

Widener University – Human Sexuality Program2 

 

Wayne, PA

 

M.Ed., Ed.D. – human sexuality education/clinical sexuality

 

Prepares professionals for sex education, consulting, research, and counseling. Also offers joint degree 

 

programs with Social work or Clinical Psychology. Program is both distance and work friendly in that 

 

human sexuality courses are offered on weekends. One semester course is generally two weekends. 

 

Also provides opportunity to study abroad.

 

Internship & Post-Doctoral Programs 

 

University of California – Center for AIDS Prevention Studies 

 

San Francisco, CA

 

Grants traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies.

 

University of Minnesota – Department of Family Practice & Community Health Minneapolis, 

 

Fellowships in human sexuality, dysfunction and disease prevention for post-doctorates in clinical 

 

psychology.

 

Conducts sexuality research, provides sex education, offers clinical services for sexual and relationship 

 

problems, and promotes community sexual health via community health initiatives. Houses the Center 

 

for Sexual Health and the Center for HIV/STI Intervention & Prevention Studies.

 

Continuing/Professional Education Programs 

 

The Masters & Johnson Institute 

 

St. Louis, MO

 

Does not have an academic program, but provides training programs involving workshops and, 

 

through special arrangements, practicum in residence that focus on recovery from sexual trauma.

 

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

 

Piscataway, NJ

 

Post-graduate training in relationship and sex therapy

 

Offers a week-long sexuality course (40 hours) that’s not offered by any other program (counts as 

 

graduate credit if individual writes a paper).

 

Rutgers University – Post-Graduate Training Program in Sex Therapy – Department of 

 

Psychiatry/Medical School

 

Piscataway, NJ

 

Hosts a 10-month course, which meets for two hours on a weekly basis. Covers both assessment and 

 

treatment of all sexual dysfunctions. The second semester of the course offers supervision of 

 

participants’ cases.

 

Southern Connecticut State University

 

New Haven, CT

 

Graduate course in Human Sexuality, including a 15 hour SAR.