Developmental Psychology Program

Area Adviser: Dr. Lisa Crockett

Welcome to the homepage of the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. Program in the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The program focuses on exploring fundamental developmental processes and how they unfold within the multiple contexts of daily life, including family, school, and culture. Faculty research interests include cognitive and social development in childhood and adolescence, and how they are affected by the conditions of children’s lives. Some of our faculty conduct research with ethnically and culturally diverse populations in the U.S. and internationally. Faculty are also committed to integrating their knowledge with public policy issues concerning health disparities, education, and mental health.

Our approach to graduate education emphasizes a low student-to-faculty ratio and the development of close working relationships between faculty and students on research projects. This approach gives us the flexibility to offer individualized programs of study that are tailored to students’ interests and career goals. Program faculty are affiliated with research initiatives and collaborations campus-wide (e.g., the Center on Children, Families and the Law, the Center for Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, and the Center on Brain, Biology, and Behavior) creating valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary training and for exploring the policy applications of developmental research. There are extensive resources to support graduate training, including assistantships, funding for research projects, and travel funds for conference presentations. By integrating understanding of basic developmental processes with knowledge of biology, culture, educational processes, and public policy, our faculty are committed to preparing graduate students for careers in this exciting field.

Graduates of the program work in a variety of positions, including tenure-track professorships at both research universities and small liberal arts colleges, as well as research positions at national and international research and public policy centers and government agencies.

Admission Requirements

The Developmental Program welcomes applications from students with undergraduate majors in psychology as well as those from a variety of related areas, such as education and human development. Successful applicants typically have previous research experience with children or adolescents. Applicants are encouraged to contact the faculty members with whom they are most likely to work and identify them in their application. In addition, please check the departmental graduate student admission requirements.

The PhD Path

The Developmental Psychology program admits graduate students directly into the doctoral program, but most earn the Master’s degree as part of their Ph.D. program. The Psychology Department’s overview of the Ph.D. path and the Department Grad Handbook describe the milestones and requirements for earning a Ph.D.

Upon admission, each graduate student is assigned an advisor in the program who serves as the primary mentor. Initially, the Developmental Program and the departmental Graduate Executive Committee are responsible for monitoring the student’s progress. Before the student completes 50% of their coursework, a doctoral Supervisory Committee is approved by the Graduate Executive Committee to supervise the remainder of the student’s progress. The Supervisory Committee is responsible for designing the student’s program of study and supervising the implementation of that program through completion of the comprehensive examination and/or other approved demonstration of mastery of the discipline and the doctoral dissertation project. A Supervisory Committee must include at least three members consisting of professors from our department, as well as at least one member consisting of a professor from a department outside of our department.

Coursework

Departmental course requirements are listed in the Department’s Graduate Student Handbook; additional requirements for the Developmental Program are described in the Developmental Psychology Program Graduate Handbook.