The Undergraduate’s Guide to Graduate School – Psychology Edition
Written by Krystal Lowe
Thumbnail Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
The decision to pursue your undergraduate degree in psychology can be both exciting and daunting. Many students beginning their undergraduate studies have a clear vision of what their academic path will entail, while plenty of others will figure it out along the way – and that is okay. Seldom has there ever been a single, linear path to a rewarding career in psychology. With that said, life as a university student is incredibly busy, often distracting us from the specific requirements needed to pursue our desired careers within the psychological sciences.
The field of psychology is incredibly diverse, and the value of an undergraduate degree is recognized in a variety of settings. However, a substantial number of careers within the psychological sciences require graduate-level studies. Students must fulfill several fundamental prerequisites before applying to graduate school – many of which may be overlooked until their third or fourth year of study. For instance, a solid GPA is critical to your academic success, but good grades alone will not land you a spot in your desired graduate program. Students should be knowledgeable about the expectations of graduate school beyond good grades and the necessary steps required of them at an early stage. However, these expectations are rarely overtly advertised to students. Instead, many of us hyperfocus on our grades throughout the first half of our degree and only come to realize the things we should have been doing as third or fourth-year approaches. This article will provide students with a synopsis of basic requirements to meet if they hope to become a successful graduate applicant and learn of what the application process generally entails.
1. Get Cozy with Research & Data
Students decide to major in psychology for various reasons, from the fascination elicited by exploring the mind and brain to the desire to help others while also exploring themselves in the process. What a lot of psychology students do not sign up for, however, is statistics. Many junior students of psychology feel blindsided by the requirement to complete Research Methods and Statistics. I mean, we signed up to help people, not to do math! While Research Methods and Statistics can be exceptionally intimidating for students, they are the foundation upon which psychology is built. In fact, psychology's legitimacy as a science depends on them! As students of psychology who will work with vulnerable populations in the future, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to understand statistics and research.
Surprisingly, Research Methods and Statistics can be one of the most rewarding courses you take in your psychology degree. The knowledge you acquire will inevitably alter the lens with which you view the world, and through this experience, you will further develop and polish your critical thinking skills. In addition, it is an understanding of research and data that will assist you in being a good candidate for graduate school and many positions outside of academia. For an overview of research basics, check out this article written by The Journal’s Erin Stacey.
2. Find a Mentor & Volunteer in Labs
Beyond obtaining good grades and a solid grasp of statistics, the single best thing you can do for yourself is to find a mentor. Mentors are most often your professors who have a doctorate and run a research lab of their own; they are the individuals you approach to request supervision of your honours thesis. Most, if not all, graduate programs in psychology require an honours degree or prior relevant research experience. Additionally, graduate applications call for at least three letters of recommendation, and it is your mentors that you request these from.
The value of mentorship transcends typical administrative requirements such as letters and supervision. Your mentors are people with whom you build professional relationships; they are individuals who will assist you in achieving your goals while simultaneously challenging you in ways that help you grow and evolve. Mentors will also help you identify opportunities that may have otherwise been unknown to you, such as upcoming conferences or paid research assistant positions.
A great way to approach potential mentors is to volunteer in their lab. Not only will this help you to develop your skills as a researcher, it will also offer you the opportunity to network with others. Many individuals within your cohort will likely be your colleagues in the future, and networking will allow for collaboration on projects outside of regular coursework.
In addition, several external mentorship opportunities are available to undergraduate students. This type of mentorship is distinct from your thesis supervisor in that it is offered by peers through universities or the Canadian Psychological Association student mentorship program. For instance, the University of British Columbia offers the Diversity Mentorship Program that is open to prospective graduate students who are from diverse, under-resourced, or underrepresented backgrounds. Students are paired with Masters or PhD students who have similar backgrounds and research interests, who mentor them through the graduate application process. Likewise, the CPA Student Mentorship Program matches Student Affiliate Members with other senior psychology students, giving individuals the opportunity to build professional relationships and receive guidance on a range of topics within the professional domain.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
3. The Application Process
The application process and its requirements differ across institutions, but they generally include the following materials:
a. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
b. Reference letters (2-3)
c. Academic transcripts
d. GRE scores (where applicable)
e. Personal Statement (sometimes listed as "Statement of Research Interest”)
In addition to the above materials, many graduate programs require you to apply for external funding in order to be eligible for internal funding (yes, you can actually get paid to be a graduate student). External funding opportunities can be found through The Government of Canada's Research Portal.
Contacting Potential Supervisors
It is always a good practice to reach out to potential supervisors before applying to a program - in fact, many institutions require it! When contacting potential supervisors, introduce yourself as an applicant and let them know how your research interests align with theirs. Show that you have done your research on them and mention something of substance, whether that is asking a question, inquiring about a recent publication, or even asking about their current graduate students. Don't be offended or discouraged if they don't answer! This is common, but your name is now in their mailbox.
How are applications evaluated?
Graduate applications are typically evaluated through an initial screening process beginning with your Curriculum Vitae and academic transcript. Graduate committees will gauge your GPA, GRE scores (when applicable), and number of conference presentations and publications. Your personal statement is then assessed for its writing quality and whether your research interests align with those of your potential supervisor. Finally, letters of recommendation are evaluated by whether the letter provides specific evidence of your work and by whom the letter was written.
4. "Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process" (Appleby & Appleby, 2006)
A "kiss of death" is a metaphor used to explain an action that is likely to lead to failure. Appleby and Appleby (2006) utilize this metaphor in their paper, "Kisses of Death in the Graduate School Application Process." The researchers surveyed 88 graduate programs and explored opinions on hindrances to graduate school admissions. The paper offers an extensive breakdown of five major impediments students create for themselves in the application process. The first is damaging personal statements. A personal statement is the students' opportunity to inform graduate school committees about their research interests, academic background, career goals, and objectives. These statements are important as they allow students to illustrate a part of themselves that cannot be translated through a transcript or a CV. However, the researchers urge caution against excessive self-disclosure, elaborating on personal mental health problems, and including professionally inappropriate information.
A second barrier to a good application are harmful letters of recommendation. It is crucial for students to choose their references wisely and only include professional individuals who can genuinely speak to their abilities. Ideal reference letters describe the applicants' accomplishments as well as desirable characteristics, and they are written by mentors and/or supervisors in an academic context.
A students' lack of knowledge about the program they are applying to is a third drawback for many graduate committees. It is essential for students to do background research on the programs they are applying to demonstrate that they are a good fit. Background research includes exploring the faculty and their individual research interests, reaching out to alumni or current students, and obtaining knowledge of the overall program.
The fourth deterrent for graduate committees is poor writing skills. The authors illustrate the graduate school application process as being similar to that of writing a manuscript. While it should go without saying, spelling and grammatical errors, as well as poorly written material in the application, will inevitably reflect on the student’s overall writing abilities. Students must consider that graduate level studies usually require a thesis component and that errors in the application process will indicate weak writing skills.
Lastly, the authors specify "misfired attempts to impress" as a final kiss of death. These attempts include name-dropping, insincere flattery, criticizing the undergraduate program where they obtained their degree, or submitting letters of recommendation from influential officials who do not have a role in the psychological sciences.
Appleby and Appleby's (2006) article can be found here.
Important:
Not everyone with an undergraduate degree will continue their studies, and that is okay too! There are many ways to apply your training in psychology to differing careers. Dr. Megan Norris, a SMU alumna, published the "Canadian Handbook for Careers in Psychological Science" in collaboration with many professionals across the country. This book is a fantastic free resource. Best of luck to all those applying to graduate programs for next year!