<p>whats a good school for psychology??</p>
<p>Clark University, Santa Clara University, Tufts, many others.</p>
<p>check out this website. it gives official accredited schools in all types of doctoral psychology. from all the professional psychologists i talked to, this is the best starting source. good luck! </p>
<p>The APA site only describes doctoral programs in psychology not undergraduate programs. There is little correlation between a school's undergraduate and graduate experience in psychology and many colleges with excellent undergraduate programs in psychology do not have graduate programs at all. If your final goal is to become a doctoral level psychologist, then choosing an undergraduate program in psychology should be based on a few factors. First, what is the track record of the psych department in getting their graduates in doctoral programs, particularly elite programs such as Yale, Michigan, Stanford, etc and clinical psychology programs which are quite difficult to get into at any university? Second, what are the research opportunities for undergraduate students? While grades and GRE scores are important, undergraduate research experience and involvement with faculty on such projects is vital to getting into good graduate programs in psychology. If you don't plan on getting a doctorate in psychology, then I would look for a college where the psychology curriculum is integrated in in a robust liberal arts program.</p>
<p>How do you KNOW there is little correlation between ug and grad at major research u's? At the schools with top grad depts, psych also tends to be one of the most popular undergrad majors. See Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. Also might be a little easier getting involved in research at a place where there is lots of major research going on all the time.</p>
<p>while i understand what mol10e is saying, anyone interested in pursuing a career in psychology is almost expected to obtain a doctoral degree. when i began the college search process, i talked to 2 or 3 different psychologists. they agreed that the APA site was the first place i should look. they also suggested that i take the schools from that list and narrow the list down according to size preference, ect. furthermore, the schools listed on the APA site not only provide a strong undergraduate degree in psychology, they also prepare their students for their graduate studies.</p>
<p>The biggest problem with the APA listing is absence of small liberal arts schools. If you stick to that list you'd be investigating Idaho State and Spalding University and ignoring Swarthmore, Carleton, Haverford et al.</p>
<p>The lack of correlation between graduate and undergraduate experiences at the same university has to do with the fact that in most places there are often dedicated graduate faculty who have little contact with the undergraduate students and vice-versa. A good graduate experience often comes down to who your major adviser/mentor is and the nature of their research program. This is arguably not what a good undergraduate experience should be. Your point is well taken that at the major research univerisities there is often a greater quantity of research being performed than at a smaller college. The key issue is how much of that research experience is avialable to undergraduates.</p>
<p>i would stay stanford has the best psych. doctoral rogram in the country, and probably undergrad. as well. just being in AP psych at paly, a high school across the street from stanford, we got to go to a lot of really great graduate student seminars lectures etc. at stanford which were amazing. santa clara u. is also supposed to have an excellent master's psych. program.</p>
<p>In most places if not 99.9% there is no dedicated graduate-only faculty in psychology.</p>
<p>While most large graduate programs do not distinguish graduate and undergraduate faculty on paper, the distinction certainly exists especially with the most distinguished faculty.</p>
<p>The journeyman level degree in psychology is a PhD or PsyD. When I went to grad school, many years ago, the grad program I went to had a firm policy against admitting it's own undergrads (avoiding "inbreeding"). </p>
<p>The competition for PhD slots in clinical psych programs can make Ivy undergrad admissions look easy. Programs can get 50 applicants per position, and a PhD program may admit only 10 or less students. An alternative to consider is a PsyD program, which can offer the same licensing alternatives for clinical practice.</p>
<p>Having some applied experience working in the field, thru undergrad field work and research opportunities, is a good strategy for competitive admissions. A student might have more opportunity for that type of experience at a LAC, where there are not grad students and PhD candidates. Personal recommendations from faculty are very important in grad school admissions.</p>
<p>FWIW--although it was long ago, I was a top student at a third tier state "teachers college", but had faculty who were available and interested in undergrad education. Being a top student at wherever you are is important.</p>
<p>I agree with much of what drmike says about the role of the undergraduate psychology program in preparing students for graduate training and some of the benefits of psychology programs in LAC and other colleges which may not have Ph.D. programs but which provide the educational and research experiences that graduate schools are looking for in prospective students. What is also important is that most psychology majors at the college level will not become psychologists (not get the Ph.D. or masters in school psychology), therefore how well integrated the psychology curriculum is with other aspects of the college exeperience will be vital in helping these students use their psychology training in careers and pursuits that have nothing to do with the practice of psychology. A broad, liberal arts education coupled with a psychology major would seem to make the most sense for the bulk of psychology majors, most who will not go on to graduate school</p>
<p>You should check out UC Irvine. They have two psych majors that reside in two different schools - Cognitive Psychology is in the school of Social Sciences, and Psychology and Social Behavior in the School of Social Ecology.</p>
<p>Plus, they have Elizabeth Loftus there, who made the list of the 20th century's 100 greatest psychologists and was the highest-ranked woman.</p>
<p>Like others here, I believe the optimal preparation for graduate work in psychology is a strong liberal arts foundation. The small liberal arts colleges have an excellent record in giving students this background plus mentored research experience that facilitates graduate school admissions. I am a psychologist practicing in public mental health and I've supervised more than 100 graduate students on internship, so this is not based just on my personal educational course. If a student has a clear, strong interest in a specific area of psychology and research in that domain then they may want to look at universities that are strong in these areas (University of Wisconsin for family therapy, University of Minnesota or University of Chicago for developmental psychology, or University of Pennsylvania for cognitive behavioral psychology)--but that interest should not limit their choices for undergraduate work.</p>
<p>Admission to university based Ph.D. programs is often more selective than PsyD professional schools, but there is also typically better financial aid so students should look carefully at both options. A strong undergraduate record good GREs, and demonstrated interest/experience in research or human services are probably more important for admissions than the specific institution</p>
<p>Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill</p>
<p>Best school; Financial Sales of hard knocks. People will tell you about their sex lives before they will reveal their financial situation. Really bears out the "hiearchy of needs."</p>
<p>I have no idea how CMU is ranked in Psych, but that was my wife's major there. Psychology is in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS), and while CMU has a reputation as a super-selective school, getting into H&SS is much easier.</p>
<p>Admission statistics for H&SS (2004-05):
--Applied: 2070
--Admitted: 1149
--Enrolled: 250
--SAT Range(25%-75%): 1230-1430
--Avg GPA: 3.47
--Avg Class Rank: 14%</p>
<p>Having spent a couple of years there (working) and finding my wife of 26 years there, I can tell you it's a great school.</p>