I am interested in applying to graduate programs in either psychology, anthropology, or statistics. I have a BA in anthropology (3.81), a BS in psychology (3.529), and a minor in statistics from an R1 state university. I have limited research experience. I worked as an undergraduate TA for a psychological research methods course. I plan on taking the GRE in less than one month and I can anticipate strong letters of recommendation.
What are some good graduate programs that I should look into for the social sciences and statistics?
For a statistics graduate program, have you taken courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and upper level calculus-based probability theory? These are likely to be prerequisites to graduate level statistics courses.
I have taken only Calculus II, Design of Experiments, Sampling Methods, Intro to SAS, and Intermediate Statistical Methods. All with A’s and B’s. I am more interested in the social sciences, but with a quantitative focus.
first off, ask your advisors or Professors in each department. But beyond that, a good place to start for ‘good graduate programs’ is the old nrc rankings. The link below is for the then top psych programs.
But note, for a top PhD program, you’ll need some research on your CV. Perhaps look for a job as a Lab Manager at a R1 uni to get some research experience for a year or two.
If you are interested in both statistics and psychology, check out the field of quantitative psychology. Quantitative psychologists take a strong background in math/statistics and an understanding of psychology/social sciences and use that to develop statistical methods that psychologists, and other social scientists, can use to answer ever-evolving questions. It’s a field that’s in high demand, and there are more openings for quantitative psychologists than there are applicants.
Another field that might interest you is psychometrics/educational measurement. It’s also a social science that requires a heavy background in math/status, but educational measurement specialists develop standardized tests and other tools to measure educational progress or assess whether students have reached standards. You could work at places like ACT or SAT, people who make tests for K-12 education like Pearson, etc.
If you are interested in master’s programs, check out the MAPSS program at University of Chicago and the Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences program at Columbia.
If you take a few more classes, you would also be eligible for MA programs in statistics - you’d need calculus III and linear algebra, though, and you’d probably want a little more and maybe a class in R.
For PhD programs, you won’t be very competitive if you have limited research experience. I’d seek out opportunities to work with professors at a nearby university to get some research experience. You could try things like getting a job as a lab manager of a university psychology lab, or working as a research assistant at a think tank or other agency. Many test prep development companies and/or other educational research firms will hire someone with a BA in psychology and a strong background in statistics, and you can gain the research experience you’d need to be competitive for PhD programs.
Getting an MA or MS first is another stepping stone to the PhD, because you can get research experience there (although it’s more expensive to do it this way). The two programs I listed above are tailor-made to your interests, but they are far from the only ones.