Graduate Programs
Ph.D. in Experimental Health Psychology
The mission of the Experimental Health Psychology Program at UMKC
is to enhance health outcomes, broadly defined, for individuals and
communities. In service of this mission, we offer advanced training
in the fundamental areas of experimental psychology, health
psychology, and quantitative and methodological approaches for
applied psychology. The program emphasizes the development of
research skills and empirical investigation of real-world problems
in the life and health sciences. Graduates are prepared for careers
in academia, allied health, industry, and government agencies.
Experimental Health Psychology at UMKC is a full-time program of
graduate study. Didactic instruction is integrated with research
from the beginning of students' training. Students are paired with a
faculty mentor and become part of a lab where they learn how basic
research is applied to practical problems and develop the knowledge
and skills to carry out original research. These experiences are
graded in complexity and designed to foster the development of
cumulative knowledge and skill as the student progresses through the
program.
The Experimental Health Psychology program curriculum is designed to
provide students with a common core of knowledge in the following
areas:
- Scientific psychology;
- Research methods, techniques of data analysis, and psychological
measurement;
- Empirical, methodological, and theoretical foundations of
individual and community health psychology
In addition, students complete a Master’s Thesis, pass Comprehensive
Examinations prior to candidacy for the doctoral degree, and
complete a dissertation leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in
Psychology degree.
Areas of study representing core faculty research include:
- Social cognition and health
- Health in diverse communities
- Adolescent development
- Neuropsychology and applied neuroscience
- Cognitive aging
- Psychophysiology in cognition and mental health
See Department Faculty Listing for more information about faculty
research interests.
