The goal of the Psychology Department at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ is to train students at the highest level in one of four specialty areas of Psychology.  Upon completion of the Ph.D., the students will be thoroughly prepared for post-graduate training and to eventually assume teaching and/or research positions in academia or industry.

Learning Goal 1:  Attain scholarship in one of four areas of Psychology:  Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive or Social.

To assess Learning Goal 1, student evaluations will include review of the following:

  • grades in academic courses;
  • successful completion of Master's degree;
  • successful completion of qualifying exam;
  • successful completion of Ph.D. dissertation;
  • successful entry into the job market.

Role of the Graduate Program in Psychology to help students meet Learning Goal 1 in a timely manner.

  • evaluate each student in yearly Area meetings;
  • insure that course offerings satisfy the needs of all students as they progress through the program;
  • insure all students are funded for at least five years as Fellows, T.A.'s, or G.A.'s.

Learning Goal 2:  Attain research expertise in one of four areas of Psychology:  Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive or Social.

To assess Learning Goal 2, student evaluations will include review of the following:

  • research productivity of the student in the form of conference presentations and published articles;
  • encourage the student to seek and attain outside funding.

Role of the Graduate Program in Psychology to help students meet Learning Goal 2 in a timely manner.

  • carefully pair students with advisors who are well-suited to shepherd them through the program;
  • carefully review the Master's committee for the student to insure that there is sufficient focused research expertise of committee members;
  • carefully review the qualifying exam committee for the student to insure that there is sufficient scholarly breadth and depth of knowledge and research expertise to adequately guide the student;
  • -carefully review the Ph.D. committee for the student to insure that there is sufficient focused research expertise of committee members;
  • provide them every opportunity to apply for outside funding.

Learning Goal 3:  Attain teaching expertise in one of four areas of Psychology:  Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive or Social.

To assess Learning Goal 3, student evaluations will include review of the following:

  • collect and review teaching evaluations of their performance as Teaching Assistants from both the students and course instructors;
  • collect and review teaching evaluations from courses the students teach over the summer session.

Role of the Graduate Program in Psychology to help students meet Learning Goal  3 in a timely manner.

  • insure that all students have an opportunity to serve as a T.A. for at least one year;
  • insure that all students have the opportunity to teach their own course sometime during their graduate career;
  • provide careful guidance and feedback  to the student during teaching effectiveness seminars as well as during class seminars, the Master's defense and the Ph.D. defense.

Learning Goal 4: Entrance into the job market.

To assess Learning Goal 4, student exit interviews will be collected and, to the degree possible, records kept of successive positions of all graduates.

Role of the Graduate Program in Psychology to help students meet Learning Goal  4 in a timely manner.

  • conduct critical reviews of each student's C.V.  ;
  • alert students to possible job opportunities in a bi-monthly "announcement" sent to all students;
  • conduct mock interviews;
  • provide advice and mentorship regarding how to obtain interviews and conduct themselves during the interviews.