Classes that Psychology Graduate Students Must Take
Students majoring in psychology often wish to further their education in graduate school. Graduate schools have high standards and are often very competitive. During undergraduate studies, students should take recommended courses that serve as prerequisites for upper level psychology graduate school classes.
Many psychology graduate schools require students to take courses in abnormal psychology and personality psychology. Elective courses in perception, learning and cognitive psychology are valuable as well as physiological and social psychology. Students should check the requirements of specific graduate programs and consider courses that match the desired program’s specifications, such as classes that are required for forensic psychology.
Outside of major classes, students will want to take a research methods course. Many professors offer class credit for volunteer work in their research labs. Experience conducting research will not only provide valuable credit for graduate school entrance, but will also strengthen student and professor relationships. This is important for obtaining quality letters of recommendation that are also necessary for graduate school admission. Methodology, experimental design and ethics classes will expand understanding for psychological research and improve odds of admission.
Standardized tests for graduate student hopefuls require content knowledge and understanding a variety of subjects. Statistics is the number one prerequisite class for psychology graduate students and is often overlooked. Students need basic mathematical skills in geometry, trigonometry and algebra to score well on the entrance exams. Classes in grammar, technical and professional writing will not only help with exams, but also prepare students for thesis writing, which is a major part of graduate study.
Specialization courses in areas of interest also increase chances of admission to graduate schools. Students should take courses on the history of psychology, cultural and gender influences or group mentality. If an undergraduate university offers classes in field training, clinical psychology, psychotherapy techniques and behavioral neuroscience, it could lead to areas of specialization during post graduate education. Also, a minor in anthropology, sociology or social work may also prove useful.
Undergraduate students should closely examine requirements and prerequisites when deciding on coursework that will lead to eventual graduate school study. If students take a variety of psychology classes and study math and language application skills, it will prepare them for graduate school entrance exams and probably increase the odds of admission into a psychology graduate program.
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Resources:
http://psychology.about.com/od/academicresources/f/psychcourses
http://www.psychology.uwaterloo.ca/gradprog/preparation/grad_school_in_psych.html
http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/psychology
http://courses.uww.edu/Undergraduate.mvc/PSYCH/
