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psychology

About Us

We are a vibrant community of behavioral scientists and clinicians who are dedicated to our students’ academic and career success!

Our students have the support of a fully staffed advising office and faculty mentorship in both research and applied arenas.   We encourage students to take advantage of every opportunity we offer to get the most of their education at UMKC.

Our Faculty

The Departmental Faculty come from both Clinical and Experimental (Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences) traditions including Social Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Quantitative Psychology.  All of our faculty have active programs of research and invite student participation in their projects.   Their research specializations range from understanding basic cognitive and emotional processes to more applied questions related to the impact of crime and victimization, the adaptation of refugees in Kansas City, and the promotion of better food choices by children.

Read about faculty research here.

Our Students

With the largest undergraduate major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a thriving doctoral program, Psychology students have a large presence on the campus and in the greater Kansas City community.   When you join our department, you will be surrounded by active, engaged peers.

Meet our students.

 

 

Advising

Our Psychology Advising Office (PAO) is dedicated to helping psychology students succeed during their time at UMKC!

The Psychology Advising Office remains open and is here to help our students.  We will be available to help you by email, by phone, or by Zoom. You can email us for assistance at umkcpuga@umkc.edu, or you can leave us a phone message by calling 816.235.1092. We will respond to all emails and phone messages within two business days. We look forward to helping you with all of your advising questions and needs!

Our advisors can assist with:

  • Registering for class
  • Planning your courses during your time at UMKC
  • Making sure you are on track to graduate
  • Answering questions about career options after graduation
  • Preparing for graduate study

When do I come to you and when to I go to Arts and Sciences advising?

Our office works in tandem with the College of Arts & Sciences Student Services Office to provide academic advising.  While CASSS provides academic advising and support for College and University requirements, the PAO specializes in assisting psychology students with psychology-related issues.  This  advising flowchart (PDF) provides an overview of when psychology students should visit the PAO and when they should visit the CASSS.  Hint: we hope you visit both offices regularly—at least once each semester!

 

Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences Option

 

From the Department Chair:

December 21, 2020

Dear students:

Thank you for your interest in studying psychology at UMKC.  I am writing today to let you know that our department has made the difficult decision to suspend admissions for Fall ’21.  We will not be admitting any students for the coming ’21 – ’22 academic year.

We did not come to this decision easily.  We are experiencing a number of uncertainties related to student funding and program offerings that convinced us that suspending admissions was the best course of action.  We plan to use the coming year to redesign our program to better serve our students and the faculty who teach and mentor them.

I understand that preparing an application requires significant time and effort, and I apologize that this decision has come so late in the process.  Of course we will be refunding your application fee as soon as possible.

I hope that the coming year is a healthy and productive one for you.  If your interest in UMKC remains active a year from now, we would be happy to receive your application at that time.  In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Joan M. McDowd, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair | Department of Psychology 
mcdowdj@umkc.edu

Overview

Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences 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. Click here to view a short, informational video about the Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences (previously known as Experimental Health Psychology) option here at UMKC.

Areas of study representing core faculty research include:

  • Social cognition and health
  • Health in diverse communities
  • Infant, child, and adolescent cognition
  • Neuroeconomics
  • Affective neuroscience
  • Neuropsychology and applied neuroscience
  • Cognitive aging
  • Psychophysiology in cognition and mental health
  • Applied quantitative methods and measurement

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.

Funding

Our curriculum requires students to take 9 credit hours each Fall and Spring semester in the first three years. All graduate students are awarded non-resident tuition waivers, and they pay resident rates. Tuition and fee costs for 2020-2021 are calculated at $407 per credit hour tuition plus approximately $58 per credit hour in fees. (Most fees are capped at 12 credits.) Additional flat rate fees, including a Graduate Professional Development fee, total $75.55 per semester. (Click here for details regarding tuition and fees.) After the first three years, students take 3-6 credit hours each semester in the Fall and Spring.

The Department’s goal is to provide funding in the form of tuition support and a stipend to incoming students. However, due to budgetary constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot guarantee financial support to incoming students. We will post updates as they become available.

Become a Student

We provide UMKC Psychology students with excellent advising so they stay “on track” with the coursework and experiences they need to support their career, life and educational goals.

 

 

Clinical Ph.D. Option

From the Department Chair:

December 21, 2020

Dear students:

Thank you for your interest in studying psychology at UMKC.  I am writing today to let you know that our department has made the difficult decision to suspend admissions for Fall ’21.  We will not be admitting any students for the coming ’21 – ’22 academic year.

We did not come to this decision easily.  We are experiencing a number of uncertainties related to student funding and program offerings that convinced us that suspending admissions was the best course of action.  We plan to use the coming year to redesign our program to better serve our students and the faculty who teach and mentor them.

I understand that preparing an application requires significant time and effort, and I apologize that this decision has come so late in the process.  Of course we will be refunding your application fee as soon as possible.

I hope that the coming year is a healthy and productive one for you.  If your interest in UMKC remains active a year from now, we would be happy to receive your application at that time.  In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Joan M. McDowd, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair | Department of Psychology 
mcdowdj@umkc.edu

Overview

Our Clinical Psychology Ph.D. is a full time, APA accredited1 program of graduate study that provides professional education in the entry-level science and practice of clinical psychology.   The program has a science-practice training model and our program is particularly suitable for students interested in pursuing careers in academia, research and medical settings.

The program seeks to enhance the public health, broadly defined, through:

  • Providing rigorous training of students (Education Mission)
  • Supplying accessible resources for the integration of behavioral sciences, health research and healthcare (Service Mission)
  • Developing knowledge and enhancing health outcomes through empirical research (Research and Evaluation Mission)
  • Incorporating integrity and respect for human and intellectual diversity in all our activities (Human Mission)

Research

Research training is a major emphasis and is based on a mentorship model in which each incoming student is paired with a faculty member with shared interests.  Check out of faculty research interests.  Students complete an original thesis and dissertation and continuously engage in research throughout their program.  They are encouraged and expected to present their research at national and international conferences and to publish their work in scientific journals. The department provides a rich research environment for students across various research laboratories; collaborations with colleagues at community- based organizations, medical centers, and other Kansas City institutions; as well as national and international research collaborations.

Clinical Training

The program’s clinical training and services are grounded in a commitment to the integration of science and practice.  Our clinical training is graduated to provide increasing skills and specialization opportunities as students’ progress.  All second year students complete their year-long clinical practicum at UMKC’s Community Counseling and Assessment Center allowing program faculty the opportunity to provide regular direct supervision of students’ clinical work.   Practicum after that are tailored to students’ interests and developmental needs and take place in a range clinical settings in the Kansas City area.

Program Structure

The program is designed to be completed in 5-6 years of full-time program participation. The core curriculum includes training in assessment, psychotherapeutic intervention, professional and ethical issues, quantitative analysis, research methods, psychopathology, biopsychology, and health psychology outlined in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program Student Handbook. Beginning in the second year students also engage in year-long clinical practicum experiences and typically apply for internship at the end of the fourth or fifth year.

Admission

Please see note from Department Chair above.

Typically the program admits 4 students from a pool of over one hundred applicants each year (see Ph.D. Program Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data page). The program received initial APA accreditation1 in 2004, and in 2018 it was re-accredited1 by the APA for the full ten years possible.

Professional Licensure Disclosures

The doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at UMKC is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). APA accreditation is recognized in all 50 states as providing required education for psychology license eligibility. State Boards of Psychology determine training requirements for licensure and typically include post-doctoral training as well as examinations beyond the educational requirements of a PhD program. Students should confirm state licensing requirements directly with the state for which they are interested in licensure. ASPPB (Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards) provides a compendium called PsyBook, which summarizes requirements for each state that may be a helpful resource for students determining vocational location and licensing requirements.

As an APA-accredited program, UMKC’s clinical psychology program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist in Missouri and in many other states. Indeed, UMKC clinical psychology has graduates who are successfully licensed in various states. Yet, as noted above, some states do have additional training and education requirements and most states have post-doctoral clinical supervision requirements as well. Here is a state-by-state listing of psychology licensure information, which is based on an annual review by ASPPB. If you are interested in seeking licensure in a particular state, you should check the web site directly of the State Licensing Board you are interested in for the most accurate and up-to-date information on educational and other requirements for licensure, as there is no guarantee that our summary or ASPPB’s review is entirely accurate and up-to-date.

More Information

This program follows the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants.

Notes

1For additional information or questions on the accreditation of our Clinical Psychology Program, contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Web: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/ Phone: 202-336-5979. E-Mail: apaaccred@apa.org.

 

Contact Us

If you have questions about our programs or want to know more about anything related to Psychology at UMKC, we would love to hear from you.

Campus Location

The Department of Psychology is located on the third floor of 5030 Cherry Street in Cherry Hall, immediately south of the Student Union.

  • Main Office
    Contact: Robin Lehman, Business Support Specialist II
    Location: Cherry Hall, Room 324
    Hours: Mondays – 9:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Tuesdays – Fridays – 9:00a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    Phone: 816-235-1318
  • Undergraduate Advising Office
    Location: Cherry Hall, Room 330
    Hours for Fall 2020
    816-235-1092

Mailing Address

University of Missouri-Kansas City
Department of Psychology
5030 Cherry Street, #324
Kansas City, Mo 64110-2499

 

Degree Programs

Students in our degree programs have numerous opportunities to work alongside faculty engaging in hands-on community experiences and conducting cutting-edge research on human behavior.

Undergraduate students can pursue a major or minor in Psychology at UMKC. As the largest undergraduate major on campus, you will have a vibrant network of peers and energetic, engaged faculty.
Learn more about our undergraduate options.

Students interested in graduate education in psychology can pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology or Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences (previously known as Experimental Psychology) in our department.  Our Clinical program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Learn more about our graduate options.

The Propel programs housed within the Psychology Department allow high school students and young adults with intellectual developmental disabilities the opportunity to explore employment and education on a major university campus.
Learn more about Propel.

 

 

Faculty and Staff

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Faculty Research

Our faculty have a wide range of research interests and enjoy mentoring both doctoral and undergraduate students who are interested in working with their team!

Below is a brief overview of their  research interests along with links to their research labs where you can get much more detailed information.  A * designates that this faculty member does not admit students in either Ph.D program.

Kymberly Bennett, Ph.D.

  • The impact of social cognition on health. In particular, she’s interested in how causal attributions shape physical and psychological health.
  • Lab: Social Cognition and Social Health.

Diane Filion, Ph.D.

  • Her research interests focus on physiological measures of attention and emotion, attentional function and dysfunction, aging and psychopathology
  • Lab: Cognitive Psychophysiology Research Group

Oh-Ryeong Ha, Ph.D.

  • Infant and child development utilizing behavioral and physiological techniques (eye-tracking, mouse-tracking, economic games), with a particular focus on eating decisions, self-control, resilience to advertising effects in children with and without obesity, identifying risk factors for developing obesity in infant-parent dyads, prosocial decision-making in parent-child dyads, as well as impacts of stress, rejection, inequity contexts on adults’ prosocial and eating decisions.
  • Lab: Child Lab

Erin Hambrick, Ph.D.

  • Children who have been exposed to trauma or adversity. Specific lines of research include identifying risk and protective factors following exposure to trauma or adversity, identifying helpful ways for caregivers to talk to children about disasters, and evaluating the effectiveness of available trauma treatments in community-based settings.
  • Lab: lab PANDA

Lark Lim, Ph.D.

  • Utilizing computational, behavioral and functional neuroimaging (EEG and fMRI) techniques to understand the neural mechanisms of cognitive-affective interactions and decision-making in the brain and their implications for affective-behavioral dysregulation in normal and clinical populations
  • Lab: Lim Lab for Affective Neuroscience & Neuroeconomics

Jennifer Lundgren, Ph.D.

Jacob Marszalek, Ph.D.

  • Translational methodology, motivational theories (e.g., flow, anxiety, reactance), measurement, social justice advocacy, evaluation of institutional/educational programs for minority outreach and support.

Ricardo Marte, Ph.D.*

  • Risk and protective factors surrounding adolescent problem behaviors (e.g., delinquency, aggression, and drug use).

Joan McDowd, Ph.D.

  • Cognitive aging, particularly in attention and memory processes. Although primarily interested in healthy aging, she also applies methods from cognitive psychology to understanding cognition in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, as well as in severe mental illness.
  • Lab: SilverRoo Lab

Johanna Nilsson, Ph.D.

Alexis Petri, Ed.D.

  • Young adults from marginalized populations, often having experienced trauma, and college-going. Specific focus on educational policy, experiential and applied learning, high impact learning strategies, and universal design for learning.
  • PROPEL Program: www.umkc.edu/propel

Melisa Rempfer, Ph.D.

  • Serious mental illness, disability and rehabilitation, neurocognition and community outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disabilities, and community-based participatory research.
  • Lab: Serious Mental Illness & Community Functioning Research Lab

Joah Williams, Ph.D.

 

Forms

What are the requirements for a Bachelor's degree in psychology? :

What are psychology electives?

:

  • Be able to integrate their knowledge, experience, and critical thinking skills to solve new and challenging problems in their chosen career field.
  • Demonstrate an ability to develop or autonomously extend a research project that advances fundamental or applied scientific understanding.
  • Be able to communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical audiences with clear and articulate oral or written discourse.
  • Understand how to make effective use of diverse information resources such as published scientific literature, technical databases, and other forms of authoritative internet-based content.
Students graduating with a Physics-based Ph.D. Degree will:
  • Have all the foundational knowledge of a M.S. Degree.
  • Demonstrate an ability to formulate and execute a frontier-level independent research project.
  • Be able to expertly communicate with technical and nontechnical audiences using clear and articulate oral or written discourse.
  • Master the effective use of diverse information resources such as published scientific literature, technical databases, and other forms of authoritative internet-based content.
Graduates of our graduate program generally find that:
  • The rigorous training they receive in a physics program helps their career advancement regardless of whether or not their chosen career field is science and technology related.
  • Their broad exposure to different areas of science is beneficial if they take on leadership positions in organizations with diverse science and engineering components.
There are opportunities for support:
  • Entering graduate students often receive part-time employment as teaching or research assistants with a stipend and remission of a major part of their tuition.
  • Students making satisfactory progress are normally supported all the way through to the attainment of their degree.
  • The Department and the University offer a number of fellowships and scholarships to graduate students that have excellent standing in their course work and research efforts.
  • Faculty offer guidance to their students on obtaining nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships from government agencies and corporate or private foundations.
Admissions Criteria:
  • The standard UMKC requirements for Graduate students apply.
Course Offerings:
  • Physics: Technical, graduate-level theoretical physics classes that cover the full spectrum of physical phenomena and their mathematical models with an emphasis on condensed matter physics according to our faculty specialties.
  • Astronomy: Technical, graduate-level classes that cover astronomical entities from stars to galaxies to the cosmos as a whole along with the methods used to observe them according to our faculty specialties.
  • Read our catalog pages for details.
Forms and Documents:

Student Handbooks

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student Handbook

 

2019-20 Handbook

 

 

Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences Psychology Student Handbook

 

ACBS Handbook (2020)

 

Psychology M.A./Ph.D Program Forms

 

Forms Listed Order of Anticipated Use

 

 

 

 

 

  • Master’s Degree Plan of Study (See Cathy Rawlings for hard copy)

 

 

 

 

  • Report of Results of Thesis Examination

 

 

 

 

Doctorate)

  • PhD Plan of Study (See Cathy Rawlings for hard copy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psychology Ph.D. Semester Forms

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forms

Student Handbooks

Clinical Psychology PhD Program Student Handbook
Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences Handbook

Click HERE for the following School of Graduate Study forms:

  • Doctoral Dissertation FINAL Evaluation Form (Non-IPhD)
  • Full or Half Time Status for Graduate Students
  • Graduate Student Travel Grant
  • Master’s Thesis FINAL Evaluation Form
  • Travel Form for Reimbursement

Additional program forms

Additional university forms

Get Involved

What you DO beyond the classroom matters!

Check out the opportunities that UMKC’s Department of Psychology offers you beyond the traditional classroom setting. You will gain experience, form relationships with your peers and faculty and make your resume or CV stand out from the crowd.

When you are looking to fill our an elective, consider extending your education by enrolling in undergraduate research (Psych 490 & Psych 491) or doing a community-based Internship for course credit at one of many local community agencies.

Our department also sponsors two undergraduate clubs that are part of the Student Government Association: Psi-Chi (the National Honors’ Society in Psychology) and Psychology Club. Both of these organizations provide opportunities for students to network, increase their knowledge in small learning settings and volunteer in the community. Each organization is student run which means they provide opportunities for student leadership as well.

Graduate Admissions

Instructions for Submitting and Applications

To apply to the university and submit application materials for the program, please visit the application page. There you will be guided through the application process, either entering information into our online forms or uploading documents.

Notice regarding the GRE:

For students applying to the Clinical option for Fall 2021, GRE scores (general or psychology subject) are not required, and scores will not be considered as part of the application review process. We employ a holistic review process that includes fit with faculty interests, the personal statement, grades, research and clinical experience, and reference letters.

For students applying to the Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences option, GRE scores (general or psychology subject) are not required, but applicants may choose to include them. We do not have a minimum GRE score required for admission, and we evaluate scores as one part of a holistic review process that includes fit with faculty interests, the personal statement, grades, research experience, reference letters, and test scores.

Notice to Clinical Applicants:

Please note that all students who are admitted to the program are required to complete clinical practica and an internship, and that some practicum and internship sites may require criminal and other background checks before allowing students to participate.

Important Dates

Application Deadline:  All application materials must be received by December 15th, 2020 to be considered for the upcoming fall semester.

Program Start Date:  Newly accepted students begin their coursework in the program in the fall semester only.

Interview Day:  A virtual interview for applicants applying for Fall 2021 will be scheduled for Spring, 2021. Details will be posted here as soon as they are available.

Acceptance Dates:  Although applicants who are offered admission have until April 15 (unless the 15th falls on a weekend) to either accept or reject our offer, applicants are strongly encouraged to notify us of their decisions as soon as possible.

What Happens After the Application Deadline

      1. Applications received by the deadline are reviewed.
      2. We invite the top applicants to interview in February or March. These interviews are an opportunity for program faculty to meet and talk with applicants. It also provides  applicants the opportunity to meet faculty and current students. 
      3. Shortly following Interview Day, offers of admission are initiated. Please note that the admissions process proceeds through April 15th and it may take the full admissions period to make decisions and notify applicants. We ask that applicants do not inquire about the status of their application unless they have not heard from us by April 16th.
      4. The university reserves the right to notify applicants by e-mail. Please make sure your current e-mail address is noted on the application materials. If any other contact information changes during the admissions process, notify the department of those changes immediately by sending an e-mail to Robin.Lehman@umkc.edu in the Psychology Department.

Graduate Programs

From the Department Chair:

December 21, 2020

Dear students:

Thank you for your interest in studying psychology at UMKC.  I am writing today to let you know that our department has made the difficult decision to suspend admissions for Fall ’21.  We will not be admitting any students for the coming ’21 – ’22 academic year.

We did not come to this decision easily.  We are experiencing a number of uncertainties related to student funding and program offerings that convinced us that suspending admissions was the best course of action.  We plan to use the coming year to redesign our program to better serve our students and the faculty who teach and mentor them.

I understand that preparing an application requires significant time and effort, and I apologize that this decision has come so late in the process.  Of course we will be refunding your application fee as soon as possible.

I hope that the coming year is a healthy and productive one for you.  If your interest in UMKC remains active a year from now, we would be happy to receive your application at that time.  In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Joan M. McDowd, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair | Department of Psychology 
mcdowdj@umkc.edu

Options for Doctoral Study

The Department of Psychology offers a Ph.D. in Psychology with two options: Clinical Psychology (APA accredited) and Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Both options have a strong research emphasis and are based on a mentorship model in which an incoming student is paired with a faculty member with shared interests.  Most of our faculty are happy to serve as research mentors to students in either option provided there is a strong alignment between the student’s research interests and the faculty member’s areas of expertise. Check out the Faculty Research pages to see the range of topics our faculty study.

Funding

Our curriculum requires students to take between 9 and 14 credit hours per semester in the first three years.  All graduate students are awarded non-resident tuition waivers, and they pay resident rates. Tuition and fee costs for 2020-2021 are calculated at $407 per credit hour tuition plus approximately $58 per credit hour in fees. (Most fees are capped at 12 credits.) Additional flat rate fees, including a Graduate Professional Development fee, total $75.55 per semester. (Click here for details regarding tuition and fees.) After the first three years, students take 3-6 credit hours per semester.

The Department’s goal is to provide funding in the form of tuition support and a stipend to incoming students. However, due to budgetary constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot guarantee financial support to incoming students. We will post updates as they become available.

Setting

UMKC’s Department of Psychology is located in a vibrant, diverse neighborhood offering numerous options for housing, recreation and culture. As an urban campus UMKC’s mission is to serve the ethnically diverse community that surrounds it and this is reflected in many of the Department’s activities. We are in close proximity to the city’s premiere medical centers including UMKC’s own Medical School at Truman Hospital, Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, St. Luke’s Medical Center, the University of Kansas Medical Center, and the Kansas City VA.

Graduate Programs

Overview of our PhD. programs

The Department of Psychology offers a Ph.D. in Psychology with two tracks: Clinical Psychology (APA accredited) and Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences (previously known as Experimental Psychology).  Both areas have a strong research emphasis and are based on a mentorship model in which an incoming student is paired with a faculty member with shared interests.   Most of our faculty are happy to serve as research mentors to students in either track provided there is a strong alignment between the students’ research interests and the faculty member’s areas of expertise. Check out the Faculty Research pages to see the range of topics our faculty study.

 

Setting

UMKC’s Department of Psychology is located in mid-town Kansas City surrounding by vibrant, diverse neighborhoods offering numerous options for housing, recreation and culture. As an urban campus UMKC’s mission is to serve the ethnically diverse community that surrounds it and this is reflected in many of the Department’s activities. We are in close proximity to the city’s premiere medical centers including UMKC’s own Medical School at Truman Hospital, Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, St. Luke’s Medical Center, the University of Kansas Medical Center, and the Kansas City VA.

Internship Opportunities

Students can gain a variety of important, hands-on experiences working with community agencies through our Department’s internship class: PSYCH 461 (Field Practicum).  This class allows students to earn course credit for their internships, which in turn can count toward their major or minor in psychology.  The course requires students to work on-site at their internships for 120 hours during the semester.  This works out to be about 8 hours per week.  In addition to the on-site experiences, students complete online assignments with a Department faculty member who encourages students to connect their psychology course work with their internship experiences.

Benefits of an internship in psychology

In addition to helping students see how psychology can be applied to the world around them, completing an internship will provide important benefits to students as they prepare for their lives after graduating with a bachelor’s degree.  For example, an internship can be an important networking tool.  In fact, several of our interns have been hired into paid positions at the agencies after completing PSYCH 461.  One graduate of our internship program who worked with the Propel Program says:

“I knew I wanted to learn and gain hands on experience working with individuals with disabilities… As an intern, I tutored students, helped in classrooms, and more. I found employment as an undergraduate student with Propel as a peer mentor and program assistant. Working with Propel has become my dream job and I want to grow with this program. Since graduating, I now work as an Administrative Assistant with Propel, and love it.”  (BilliJo House)

Internship experiences are also critically important for students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in clinical or counseling psychology (or a related human services field).  Internships provide a wealth of experiences that students can draw upon when completing graduate school admissions applications.  In fact, another graduate of our internship program says:

“I think internships are a useful tool for students to get exposure to the field they have chosen to really get a glimpse of what it will be like outside of the school environment. Having observed the different areas of the mental health field, I was able to pinpoint which direction I want to pursue for my master’s degree.”  (Raven Kimmi)

Furthermore, internship site supervisors can be excellent references for job or graduate school applications (since they work collaboratively with interns and get to know them well).  The site supervisors at our partner agencies provide hands-on guidance to our interns.  They work with interns to ensure a variety professional experiences.  The site supervisor at Newhouse Domestic Violence Shelter notes,

“Getting direct experience in your field with clients is so important. You will have the opportunity to learn de-escalation techniques and problem-solving skills … Our internship offers experience with clients from every demographic and allows you to work with people you have never encountered before.”  (Kaitlin Dempsey)

We are fortunate to work with a variety of community partners that serve as internship sites for our students, including:

For a list of agencies that are currently taking interns, please contact the Director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program, Dr. Kym Bennett (bennettkk@umkc.edu).

We also encourage students to find their own internship sites.  To do this, please complete the PSYCH 461 Contract and contact Dr. Bennett (bennettkk@umkc.edu).

How to apply

The Psychology Advising Office (PAO) will send an email to all psychology students to announce when we begin the application process for PSYCH 461.  The process typically begins in November for spring internships, and in April for fall internships.  There are a few steps involved:

  • After receiving the email from the PAO, select the agency that is of most interest to you.
  • In most cases, you will email Dr. Bennett (bennettkk@umkc.edu) so that she can introduce you to the agency’s site supervisor.
  • For most agencies, you will be required to complete an in-person or phone interview, and to pass a background check. Some agencies have other application requirements, and those will be listed in the email from the PAO.
  • After approval has been given by the site supervisor, Dr. Bennett will secure permission for you to enroll in PSYCH 461.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Bennett or the PAO (umkcpuga@umkc.edu).

Meet Our Students

Psychology students at UMKC come together from all over the country. Get to know our students and you’ll know what our programs are all about.

Naomi Britton graduated in May of 2018 and landed a job as an investigator for the Jackson County Children’s Division. 

“I wanted to work with children, and I’m doing that. I’d like to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology in the future.”

“I chose psychology because I’ve always wanted to counsel people, and I find mental disorders fascinating.”

Read more of Naomi’s story

 

Kelsey Richardson fell in love with Research Psychology and graduated in 2016.

Richardson_Kelsey“I didn’t know I would enjoy research, but I love it. A lot of that is because of my professors. They were so supportive and told me I could succeed.”

“The teachers here work very hard to help and to guide you through your courses. The students I have become close friends with are truly inspiring, so many dreams and different stories, what they want to do, what they want to be. They are the heart of UMKC.”

Read more of Kelsey’s story

Angelique Long sittign outsideThe best advice Angelique Long received from a professor:

Be the person you needed as a child.

“I am studying psychology, and healing and humanities because I want to eventually work as a pediatric health psychologist and work with kids with chronic health issues or in palliative/hospice care.”

Read more of Angelique’s story

Dr. Jennifer Lundgren mentors Frances Bozsik

Dr. Jennifer Lundgren and Frances Bozsik

“Dr. Lundgren has provided training opportunities for me that have given me the opportunity to develop different skills. For example, she helped me to work on an interdisciplinary research project early on at UMKC. I have also worked with her as a teaching assistant, and have shadowed her while she completed psychological assessments—an experience I otherwise would not have had access to at that point in my training.”

Read more about this Dynamic Duo.

Propel Certificate Program

Angelique Long visiting the Toy and Miniature Museum with her Propel Mentees.

Propel is a program housed within the College of Arts and Sciences Psychology Department. It is made up of two separate programs available to high school students and young adults with intellectual developmental disabilities that allow students an opportunity to explore employment and education on a major university campus. For detailed information please visit the Propel website.

Psi Chi

WHAT IS PSI CHI?

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to graduate and undergraduate men and women who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests, and who meet the minimum qualifications (outlined below).

WHY JOIN PSI CHI ?

Membership in Psi Chi demonstrates to future employers and graduate schools that were considered to be an “excellent” student in the field of psychology.   More important, however, are the opportunities it provides opportunities for networking and further learning with faculty and students dedicated to psychological science.  In the past, Psi-Chi has invited faculty and advanced graduate students to give talks on their latest research, sponsored seminars on graduate school admissions, and volunteered together for a variety of campus and community events.   It is a great way to get involved on campus.

HOW DO I JOIN PSI CHI?

  1. Check to make sure you meet the academic requirements:
    • Major or Minor in Psychology
    • Second-semester sophomore or higher
    • 9 credits of psychology courses; at least 6 at UMKC
    • Minimum UMKC GPA of 3.50 and minimum psychology GPA of 3.50
    • Completed at least one full-time semester at UMKC.
  2. Go to the Psi Chi International Website and complete the application. Select University of Missouri-Kansas City as your “chapter”.
  3. Email a copy of your unofficial transcript to the faculty advisor Dr. Marte, with “Psi Chi application” in the subject line.”  You can access this by printing your DARS report.
  4. Once your application is reviewed and approved, you will be notified by email that is has been approved. You will then need to bring $70.00 cash, check or a money order (made out to UMKC Psi Chi) to Robin Lehman in Cherry Hall Room 324.  This money covers the $55.00 fee for a lifetime membership in Psi Chi International; the remaining $15.00 goes into the UMKC account for programming use.
  5. After we receive the money, you will be invited to join the Psi-Chi network through Roogroups and you will need to accept the invitation. Within a few weeks, you will be contacted by the international organization welcoming you as a member and inviting you to an induction ceremony.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING?

All events are posted on Roo Groups.

PSI CHI OFFICERS

A complete listing of the officers of both organizations is available on the Roo Groups site for each organization.

PSI CHI FACULTY ADVISOR

Dr. Ricardo Marte

 

Psych Pool

Why should I participate in research studies?

As students in a behavioral science, all the knowledge that you read about in your textbooks and learn about in courses comes from studies just like those being conducted at UMKC.   Because you are at a research-intensive university, you have the unique opportunity not only to collaborate with faculty to conduct research but to participate in their research projects and learn what it is like on the “other side” of the process.

Many faculty members offer extra credit for research participation.  They keep track of these credits through an online recruitment and tracking system called “Psych Pool” which is described below.   Some of the studies offer financial incentives for participation to compensate you for your time.

Where will I go to complete the studies and what is the time commitment?

Some projects require you to come to one of the faculty labs at 5030 Cherry Hall; other can be completed online?  Some of the studies require a very short period of time whereas other as more involved.  When you log into Psych Pool, you will be be able to read about the studies that are currently recruiting.

How do I become a participant in a research studies?

1.  Read the Participant Policies and Procedures regarding eligibility, requirements and compensation.

2. Sign into  Psych Pool.

  • If you have already created an account in this system, please enter your User ID and Password to login.
  • If you don’t have an account,”Request an account here.” in the lower left corner of that window. Read the instructions that appear, then fill in your First and Last name, the User ID you would like to use (for example, your UMKC e-mail username), your e-mail address and a telephone number where a researcher may contact you. After a few moments, you will receive an e-mail with your User ID and an automatically generated password (which you may change after logging in).
    • Once you have a User ID and Password, you may use these to log into the Psych Pool and view available experiments.
    • Use the Study Sign-Up link to see the list and enroll for participation.

3.  Select the course(s) you wish to receive extra credit for.

  • At the bottom of this page you will see a list of current courses for which the instructor is allowing research participation credit. You may select one or more of the courses in which you’re enrolled, or you may select “Participate for no credit” if you’re not enrolled in any of these classes and will not be receiving course credit for participation.
  • Use the Study Sign-Up link to see the list and enroll for participation.

4.  Use the Study Sign-Up link to see the list and enroll for participation.

Psych Pool Research Participant Policies and Procedures

Please first read the Psych Pool page.

Who can participate in Psych Pool studies?

Participation in most research projects is open to all UMKC students, faculty, and staff; but varies depending on the study. Individual study descriptions will indicate eligibility requirements. Participation in research by those who are under 18 years of age is permitted for a smaller pool of studies. Anyone younger than 18 yrs. must have a parent or other legal guardian sign a Parental Consent Form available from the researcher leading the study.

Study Sign-up

Participants may sign up for studies using Psych Pool. After signing up, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with further instruction. Please make a note of the building and room number, date and time of your appointment; as well as the name of the experimenter. After you participate, the experimenter should assess credit (unless this is a paid study) within 24 hours. If you have not received credit after 24 hrs, contact the experimenter. The use of factoring these credits into your class grade is at the discretion of the instructor.

Credits and/or Compensation

  • Participation credits are assigned in 1/2 hour increments. Participants receive 1 credit for each hour of research participation, and 1/2 credit for each half-hour.
  • Many studies offer compensation; read the description of each study carefully. For studies that offer course credit, check with your instructor to ensure that this experiment is appropriate and applicable for credit.

Cancellations

You can log into Psych Pool to cancel a research appointment. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time. The system will not allow cancellations within 24 hours of the start of an appointment.

Disputes

If you feel that you have been treated unfairly by an experimenter, you may petition the faculty coordinator to resolve the dispute. E-mail the Psych Pool Administrator for information.

Psych Pool Researcher Policies and Procedures

Overview

This document lists policies and procedures for research participant recruitment in the University of Missouri – Kansas City Department of Psychology using the research participant recruitment system (the “Psych Pool”). The following is intended for all Psychology Department researchers (both faculty and students).  Please make sure you have read general Psych Pool page.

Purpose of the Psych Pool

The UMKC Psychology Psych Pool has two, parallel goals:

1. Facilitate recruitment of research participants by Department of Psychology researchers.

2. Enhance student education by facilitating participating in psychology research.

Usage

The Psychology Department research participant recruitment system (the “Psych Pool”) is available for the use of any faculty or student researcher in the UMKC Department of Psychology. “Faculty” refers to regular, full-time faculty whose primary appointment is in the UMKC Department of Psychology (including tenured, tenure-track, and research faculty). “Student” refers both to graduate students working with a department faculty member (defined above) or to undergraduate psychology majors working with a department faculty member. Students registering to use the Psych Pool are required to list the name and contact information for their faculty sponsor.

Posting Study Information on Psychology Bulletin Board

If you would like your study to be posted on the bulletin board outside the psychology office, please send Ms. Cathy Rawlings information about the study. Please include in the format of this template.

Policies

  • All researchers using the Psych Pool must complete training in human subjects research, as required by the UMKC Institutional Review Board. They must also be listed on the appropriate IRB protocol for the study listed.
  • Faculty and student researchers must obtain a username and password from the Psych Pool Administrator prior to setting up a new study and recruiting participants.
  • Participants who fail to show up for a scheduled session should be listed as a “No-show” (unless they have an acceptable excuse, in which case you may, at your own discretion, cancel their session instead). Note that participants with more than one no-show may be removed fromt the Psych Pool for the remainder of that semester.
  • If you fail to show up to a session, or cancel with the subject with less than 24 hrs. notice, then you must assign them the same credit they would have received had they participated.
  • It is the responsibility of the researcher to assign research credit promptly upon completion of each session. This must be done within 24 hours of the end of the session. (Remember, if we can hold them to a 24-hour cancellation deadline, they should be able to hold us to a 24-hour credit deadline.)

 

Institutional Review Board

All studies listed in the Psych Pool must have current approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) at UMKC. Upon expiration or lapse of IRB approval, the experiment will be made inactive. IRB renewal will be required before the sudy can be re-activated.

  • All personnel involved in the study (faculty sponsors and student investigators) should be listed in that study’s IRB protocol.
  • When you submit your IRB protocol, you should include in the “Recruitment Process” section text that indicates you will be using the Psych Pool as well as the text of the study description you will be using.
  • Here is some sample text:
    “Participants will be recruited using the Psychology Department’s online research participant recruitment system. The study will be given the following title: “This is my study’s descriptive title”
  • The following text will appear in the system to describe this study:
    “You are invited to participate in a research study in the UMKC Department of Psychology investigating [what?]. This study will take place in the UMKC Department of Psychology, located at 4825 Troost, Room [which?], and is open to [who?]. Participation in this study will take [how long?]. During this time you will [do what?].”
  • You may also want to include something like the following in the “Compensation” section:
  • Participants recruited from Psychology Department courses may, at the discretion of the instructor, receive extra course credit for participating in this study. Participants who sign up using the online recruitment system will be credited using that system. (Instructors may print lists of students who participated at the end of the semester.)
  • For existing protocols that don’t currently include these provisions, an amendment should be submitted and approved prior to use of the Psych Pool. (If you have already indicated that you will use the online system, but did not include the description, this may usually be submitted as a minor revision to the IRB administrator.)
  • For more information about adding use of the Psych Pool to IRB protocols, contact the Psych Pool Administrator.

Exemption:

  • Some projects where data are not being used for “research” may be exempt from IRB oversight, for example those collected for training or teaching purposes. If this is the case, then the researcher/instructor must apply to the IRB for an exemption.
  • No project will be listed without specific IRB approval or exemption. After you set up your study in the online system (including both the IRB protocol number and the date this protocol expires), you should take a printout of your IRB protocol approval letter to Cathy Rawlings in the Department Office. Only after this is done will your study be made available to participants.
  • Please review the Policies and Procedures for Research Participants prior to using the Psych Pool.

Psych Pool Instructor Policies and Procedures

Overview

This document lists policies and procedures for having your students participate in research for course credit at the University of Missouri – Kansas City Department of Psychology using the research participant recruitment system (the “Psych Pool”).  Please make sure you have read general Psych Pool page.

Purpose of  Psych Pool

The UMKC Psychology Psych Pool has two, parallel goals

  • Facilitate recruitment of research participants by Department of Psychology researchers
  •  Enhance student education by facilitating participating in psychology research

 Usage

  • Use of Psych Pool is open to any instructor teaching a course at UMKC. Generally, the pool will be used for courses that either require research participation or offer extra credit for research participation. It allows the instructor to easily determine the number of participation credits earned by each student.
  • Research credits are assessed in 1-hour increments, such that 1 credit = 1 hour of research participation (although half credits may also be assessed).
  • All experiments listed in the Psych Pool are being done under the supervision of UMKC Department of Psychology faculty and have been verified to have been approved by a UMKC IRB.

Policies

  • Instructors must apply with Psych Pool Administrator to be granted access to Psych Pool.
  • If you offer alternatives to research participation, you may use Psych Pool to help students keep track of those points.
  • All courses will be inactivated at the end of each semester, and must be re-submitted at the start of the next semester. (This may be done any time following the last day of exams for the previous semester.)
  • Please review the Policies and Procedures for Research Participants prior to using Psych Pool.

Psychology Club

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY CLUB?

Psychology Club is the sister organization of Psi Chi.  Its goal is to provide enriching social and educational opportunists beyond the classroom within the field  Psychology.   Whereas Psi-Chi events often focus on advancing the science of psychology (which is consistent with its mission), Psychology Club officers have aimed to bring opportunities for practical and applied experiences to students.    Also, unlike Psi Chi, Psychology Club membership is free and open to all UMKC Students. If you are considering a career in Psychology or are just interested in learning more about the field we encourage you to join Psychology Club.

WHY JOIN PSYCHOLOGY CLUB?

We have regular meetings, volunteer opportunities, educational workshops, and other campus activities.   Former psychology majors have come to campus to tell us where their jobs are like and we volunteer together at a range of Kansas City agencies. We even “adopted” a rain garden here on campus in front of Cherry Hall.   In short, Psychology Club is a great way to get involved, get to know other students and interact with faculty in less formal settings. Joining will allow us to keep you updated with all of our UMKC Psychology Club Activities.

HOW DO I JOIN AND FIND OUT WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING?

  • Apply to be a member through Roo Groups.  Once we accept your membership request (usually within 48 hours), you will get reminders about all upcoming events.

PSYCHOLOGY CLUB OFFICERS

  • A complete listing of the officers of both organizations is available on the Roo Groups site for each organization.

 PSYCHOLOGY CLUB FACULTY ADVISOR

 

Psychology Professor Named Presidential Engagement Fellow

Posted on by Jessica Keith

Joan McDowd

The College is proud to congratulate Dr. Joan McDowd on her recent selection as a 2020-21 UM System Presidential Engagement Fellow. The Fellowship grants Dr. McDowd and the 14 other UM faculty in the 2020-21 cohort, including Dr. Jamila Jefferson-Jones (School of Law) and Dr. Joey Lightner (School of Nursing and Health Studies) from UMKC, opportunities to speak and share their excellent research with communities across the state of Missouri. Dr. McDowd currently serves as Chair of the Department of Psychology and Director of the Gerontology Program.

From the recent UMKC Today article announcing UMKC’s Presidential Engagement Fellows:

McDowd serves as director and advisor for Gerontology programs. Her research interests are in cognitive aging, particularly in attention and memory processes. Although primarily interested in healthy aging, she also applies methods from cognitive psychology to understanding cognition in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease as well as in severe mental illness. She was awarded the 2017 President’s Award for Community Engagement, which recognizes faculty who are involved in exemplary engagement activities such as volunteerism, service-learning, educational programming and outreach.

To learn more about the Presidential Engagement Fellows program and the 2020-21 cohort, see this UM news release.

State Licensing Boards

Alabama
See Board of Examiners in Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Alaska
See The Board of Psychologists and Psychological Associate Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Arizona
See Board of Psychologist Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Arkansas
See Psychology Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

California
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program alone does not meet California educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist. California accepts accredited programs to meet educational degree requirements; but California also requires additional specific coursework or continuing education training prior to licensure. Specifically, CA licensure requires 10 hours of training in human sexuality, 7 hours of training in child abuse assessment, 15 hours in spousal/partner abuse, detection and intervention strategies, 10 hours in aging and long-term care, and 1 semester or 1 quarter term course in alcoholism/chemical dependency detection and treatment. Students wishing to become licensed in California are advised to seek elective coursework or other training to meet these additional training requirements.

Colorado
See Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Professions and Occupations
Completion of UMKC’s APA accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Connecticut
See State Department of Public Health
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Delaware
See Division of Professional Regulation Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

District of Columbia
See DC Health Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Florida
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Georgia
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Hawaii
See Department of Commerce and Human Affairs Professional & Vocational Licensing Division Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Idaho
See Board of Psychologist Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Illinois
See Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Indiana
See State Psychology Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Iowa
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Kansas
See Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Kentucky
See Public Protection Cabinet Office of Occupations and Professions Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Louisiana
See State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Maine
See Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Maryland
See Department of Health Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Massachusetts
See Board of Registration of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Michigan
See Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program does not meet Michigan educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist. Michigan accepts accredited programs to meet educational degree requirements, but Michigan also requires additional specific coursework or continuing education training prior to licensure. Specifically, Michigan requires additional training in identifying victims of human trafficking before being approved for licensure. See Michigan admin code R.338-2525 for several possibilities that meet this requirement, ranging from reading an article to taking a continuing education workshop.

Minnesota
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Mississippi
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Missouri
See Division of Professional Registration Committee of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Montana
See Department of Labor & Industry Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Nebraska
See Department of Health & Human Services Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Nevada
See Board of Psychological Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

New Hampshire
See Board of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

New Jersey
See New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Psychological Affairs
We have not determined whether UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the New Jersey educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

New Mexico
See Psychologist Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

New York
See Office of the Professions: Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

North Carolina
See Psychology Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

North Dakota
See State Board of Psychology Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist. However, it is important to note that North Dakota specifies that telepsych may not replace face to face supervision requirements. During the COVID pandemic, UMKC is using telepsychology in some of our training. Therefore, it is advised that students interested in North Dakota check directly with the North Dakota licensing authority regarding COVID exceptions for telepsych.

Ohio
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Oklahoma
See State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Oregon
See Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Pacific Territories
UMKC has not determined whether completion of the training program meets educational requirements to apply for registration or licensure as psychologist in Pacific Territories.

Pennsylvania
See State Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Puerto Rico
UMKC has not determined whether completion of the training program meets educational requirements to apply for registration or licensure as psychologist in Puerto Rico.

Rhode Island
See Department of Health: Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

South Carolina
See Labor Licensing Regulation Board of Examiners in Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

South Dakota
See Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Tennessee
See Department of Health: Board of Examiners of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Texas
See Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a provisional psychologist. Provisional Psychologist is a pre-requisite to full psychologist in Texas.

Utah
See Department of Commerce Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing: Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

U.S. Virgin Islands
See Board of Psychology Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Vermont
See Board of Psychological Examiners
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Virginia
See Department of Health Professions Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Washington
See Examining Board of Psychology
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

West Virginia
See Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Wisconsin
See Department of Safety and Professional Services: Psychologist
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Wyoming
See Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board
Completion of UMKC’s APA-accredited program meets the educational requirements to apply for licensure as a psychologist.

Document: State Licensing Board Websites/Licensure Information

Research

Mentored research experiences with nationally known scholars stretch students’ minds and help to advance our knowledge of human behavior.

Professor Jennifer Lundgren, left, mentors Frances Bozsik in her psychology lab in the Cherry Street Building. Photo by Brandon Parigo, Strategic Marketing and Communications

Every year, we have approximately 60 undergraduate students who work with faculty on research.  Many present their work at UMKC and some have presented their findings overseas!

Many of our doctoral students finish their programs with CVs that make them stand out as scholars.

Check out our faculty research page to see who your mentor might be!

 

UMKC Department of Psychology Solidarity Pledge

·  we pledge solidarity with people across the nation demanding action toward racial equity and justice  ·  we pledge to work to dismantle systems of oppression and racial injustice that target the Black community and other individuals of color  ·  we pledge to create a department where we value diversity and integrate it throughout our teaching and learning  ·  we pledge to foster a climate where students, staff, and faculty feel safe to express their experiences as they relate to diversity, and where such expressions are valued, respected, and acted on in a way that supports inclusion for all  ·   we pledge to work on our personal growth as it comes to privilege and biases and hold each other accountable for this work

 

UMKC Department of Psychology Solidarity Action Plan

Initiated June 2020

 

We will commit to at least one day of intensive growth, reflection, and work related to anti-racism in the month of June 2020. Possible ways to accomplish this work include participating in at least one of the days of programming put together by Academics for Black Survival and Wellness during Juneteenth (June 19th – June 25) or the Justice in June program. At the end of the month we will share the work we did with the Department Chair, who will provide a summary of the activities to the larger department community.  In addition, each faculty member will write a brief reflective piece on their work to share at the August faculty meeting.
  • Team: all faculty
  • Time line: June work completed by June 30, 2020, summary report distributed by July 15, 2020, reflections shared at August faculty meeting, 2020
  • Progress: completed
We will participate in an all faculty training related to microagressions and managing difficult discussions.
  • Team leader: McDowd
  • Team: all faculty
  • Time line: Get training planned and scheduled for summer
  • Progress: Training session completed on July 15, 2020
We will strive to create an environment without microaggressions and will identify a process for addressing microaggressions and determining an appropriate response.
  • Team leader: Nilsson
  • Team: Hambrick, Williams
  • Timeline: Get a draft created for review for faculty and students by first faculty meeting in September 2020.
  • Progress:
    • Microaggression Statement and Policy accepted by faculty, October 16, 2020.
    • Process document posted to Department website
    • Informational presentation on the process made to students and faculty by Dr. Erin Hambrick, February 26, 2021.
We will invest effort in culturally responsive pedagogy. We will seek outside expertise to build our skill in this area.  We will then develop and agree upon our structure/system/expectations moving forward for each instructor to be able to describe their own diversity coverage in their courses.  Once this structure is established we will review the syllabus, course content, and learning outcomes for all courses to ensure appropriate coverage of issues related to diversity (both undergraduate and graduate).  We will draft a plan to assess our students’ response to our efforts at culturally responsive pedagogy.
  • Team leader: Bennett, Rempfer, and Marszalek
  • Team: Nilsson, Hambrick, Wilfred, Hardt
  • Timeline: Plan by August 21, 2020
  • Progress:
    • The team outlined a multi-step plan. The first step is to share rubric-like materials against which our class content and approaches can be evaluated. A “pair and share” activity was conducted at the December 18, 2020 faculty meeting in small groups, then share in the larger group.
    • Follow up discussions will be held at the faculty meeting in early 2021.
We will create and make available a list of resources for students to address the stressors that impact their lives.
  • Team leader: McDowd
  • Team: Duffy, Marte
  • Timeline: available on our web page by June 30th; updated regularly
  • Progress: still in progress; not yet on web page
We will create and support an undergraduate social justice committee.
  • Team leader: Marte
  • Team: Nilsson
  • Timeline Fall 2020
  • Progress: Still figuring out best way to do this due to limitations of Covid. As a first step, Psi Chi and Psych Club officers are attending the existing department Social Justice Committee meetings.
We will develop and adopt a Diversity statement for our Department that makes known our values and expectations, and is linked to both our undergraduate and graduate missions. In addition, we will develop an annual equity and inclusion accountability plan to guide our work on diversity initiatives beyond the diversity statement.
  • Team leader: McDowd
  • Team: Marte, Lim, Ha
  • Timeline: Draft diversity statement circulated by August 1, 2020; annual equity and inclusion accountability plan reviewed at August faculty meeting and drafted for coming year by September faculty meeting
  • Progress: Complete
We will listen, reflect, and actively address concerns raised in the PhD annual evaluation. A summary of survey feedback will be shared with the faculty and graduate students, as will the plan to address concerns raised.
  • Team leader: Williams
  • Team: Hambrick, Nilsson, Eddinger, Wilson, Marszalek
  • Timeline: June 2020 for summary of concerns; September 2020 for action plan
  • Progress:
    • Findings were reviewed at February 19, 2021 faculty meeting.
    • Faculty will develop an action plan for presentation at the April faculty meeting.
We will survey undergraduate students to evaluate the extent to which we are providing culturally responsive pedagogy, mentoring, and co-curricular activities. We will respond with an action plan to address the messages we receive from students on this survey.
  • Team leader: Marte
  • Team: Marszalek, Bennett
  • Timeline: Create a Canvas course auto-populated with all psych majors and minors to host the survey and prep/pilot test the survey over summer; collect data in November/December 2020 and promote in classes (e.g., post next to syllabus); disseminate during Spring semester 2021 along with action plan
  • Progress: survey items are being collected; team will also coordinate with UMKC efforts so as not to duplicate them and overload students
We will communicate our pledges publicly, and also publicly communicate our progress toward fulfilling those pledges.
  • Team leader: McDowd
  • Twitter: Bennett
  • Blog: Petri
  • Website
  • Quarterly newsletter: Marte
  • Progress:
    • This action plan document is posted on the Psychology web page
    • This action plan document will be updated and posted to the Psychology web page as progress is made.

Undergraduate Programs

Congratulations, UMKC Psychology Fall 2020 Graduates!

 

                             UMKC Psychology Fall 2020 Graduation Video

Enjoy this video of our graduates looking back and looking forward! It includes words of thanks,

memories, and plans for the future from our graduates, and nuggets of wisdom from both faculty

and graduates.

 

Mission

The mission of the Department of Psychology’s undergraduate program is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the field of psychology, including its value as a scientific method for understanding human behavior and solving social and behavioral problems. To this end, we offer a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Psychology minor.

Major in Psychology

We aim to provide a high quality undergraduate major that prepares students for highly competitive post-baccalaureate academic programs, as well as post-graduation employment. Our major affords students  with a breadth of knowledge, while also allowing freedom to explore individual interests.

In addition to a wide selection of classes, there are opportunities for study outside the classroom, both through research experiences that allow direct interaction/collaboration with faculty in the Department’s research laboratories, as well as applied internships that connect our students with agencies in our community.

Upon completion of a BA in psychology, students will be able to:
  1. Describe major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
  2. Engage in integrative, science-based reasoning to interpret behavior and solve problems.
  3. Apply ethical standards outlined by the American Psychological Association to science and practice.
  4. Effectively write, speak, and interact with others.
  5. Apply psychological content and skills to career goals, and develop professional direction for life after graduation.

Specific requirements and tools for planning a degree can be found in the UMKC Course Catalog.

Minor in Psychology

Students who wish to complement their major program of study with psychology will find our minor to be quite adaptable to their individual needs.  Our minors have a variety of majors, but the most popular ones are Sociology, Criminal Justice & Criminology, Communication Studies, Health Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry.

Our minor requires 18 credits; the only required course is PSYCH 210 (General Psychology). The remaining 15 credit hours (of psychology electives) can be selected to best complement your major.

For example, Sociology majors often select psychology electives like Child Development (PSYCH 222), Social Psychology (PSYCH 212), Psychology of Gender (PSYCH 305), Ethnic & Minority Perspectives (PSYCH 320), Motivation & Emotion (PSYCH 405), Psychology of Aging (PSYCH 440), and Abnormal Psychology (PSYCH 433).

A Chemistry major might select their psychology electives from ones that complement that major: Cognitive Psychology (PSYCH 407), Health Psychology (PSYCH 331), and Brain & Behavior (PSYCH 418).

Our Psychology Advising Office can work with you to customize a plan of study to complement your major.

Specific requirements and tools for planning a degree can be found in the UMKC Course Catalog.

We welcome prospective students to:

Undergraduate Programs

Mission

Brooke Guiot was a student athlete when pursuing her UMKC Psychology Undergraduate degree. Read more about Brooke.

The mission of the Department of Psychology’s undergraduate program is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the field of psychology, including its value as a scientific method for understanding human behavior and solving social and behavioral problems. To this end, we offer a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Psychology minor.

Major in Psychology

We aim to provide a high quality undergraduate major that prepares students for highly competitive post-baccalaureate academic programs, as well as post-graduation employment. Our major affords students  with a breadth of knowledge, while also allowing freedom to explore individual interests.

In addition to a wide selection of classes, there are opportunities for study outside the classroom, both through research experiences that allow direct interaction/collaboration with faculty in the Department’s research laboratories, as well as applied internships that connect our students with agencies in our community.

Upon completion of a BA in psychology, students will be able to:
  1. Describe major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
  2. Engage in integrative, science-based reasoning to interpret behavior and solve problems.
  3. Apply ethical standards outlined by the American Psychological Association to science and practice.
  4. Effectively write, speak, and interact with others.
  5. Apply psychological content and skills to career goals, and develop professional direction for life after graduation.

Specific requirements and tools for planning a degree can be found in the UMKC Course Catalog.

Minor in Psychology

Students who wish to complement their major program of study with psychology will find our minor to be quite adaptable to their individual needs.  Our minors have a variety of majors, but the most popular ones are Sociology, Criminal Justice & Criminology, Communication Studies, Health Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry.

Our minor requires 18 credits; the only required course is PSYCH 210 (General Psychology). The remaining 15 credit hours (of psychology electives) can be selected to best complement your major.

For example, Sociology majors often select psychology electives like Child Development (PSYCH 222), Social Psychology (PSYCH 212), Psychology of Gender (PSYCH 305), Ethnic & Minority Perspectives (PSYCH 320), Motivation & Emotion (PSYCH 405), Psychology of Aging (PSYCH 440), and Abnormal Psychology (PSYCH 433).

A Chemistry major might select their psychology electives from ones that complement that major: Cognitive Psychology (PSYCH 407), Health Psychology (PSYCH 331), and Brain & Behavior (PSYCH 418).

Our Psychology Advising Office can work with you to customize a plan of study to complement your major.

Specific requirements and tools for planning a degree can be found in the UMKC Course Catalog.

We welcome prospective students to:

Undergraduate Research (Psych 490/491)

When you participate in Supervised Research  (PSYCH 490 and PSYCH 491), everything you learned in your psychology research classes comes alive when you conduct your own  research!

Students in Psychology 490/491  work independently under the supervision of a research mentor and participate as research assistants on  research projects.  Details of the research experience vary from team to team and project to project.  Expectations are negotiated individually between the students and their  mentor.   These courses can be taken for 1-3 credit hours during the 16-week semester.  The number of credits is negotiated with the mentor prior to enrollment in the course.  Generally, students are expected to work 3 hours per week (during a 16-week semester) for each credit in which they are enrolled.

  • PSYCH 490 students work with UMKC Psychology faculty as their mentors in one of their research laboratories on campus or in a field-based project they are conducting.
  • PSYCH 491 students work on research projects at one of our community partner sites such as Children’s Mercy Hospital or KU Medical Center.  They are directly supervised by  Ph.D- or M.D.-level researchers at those locations.

Benefits

In addition to helping you consolidate and apply your “book” learning, students considering or planning to pursue graduate degrees will receive valuable training that will better prepare them for graduate school.  Research mentors will also have the opportunity to evaluate students’ levels of preparation for graduate degrees and write well-informed  letters of recommendation.

Students who participate in a faculty research project may have the opportunity to present the outcome of their work at local, regional, or national conferences.  All 490/491 students are encouraged to present their projects at the annual UMKC Symposium of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship held each spring.

Learning Goals

  • Upon completion of PSYCH 490 or 491, you will be able to:
  • Conduct research in an ethical and standardized manner
  • Critically evaluate research in Psychology
  • Conduct literature reviews using library databases
  • Use statistical software for data entry/analyses

How to Apply

Please download and complete the Psychology 490 & 491 Application.

Once completed, please leave it in the mailbox of the faculty mentor with whom you would like to work.  Faculty mentor mailboxes are located on the third floor of Cherry Hall, Room 356.  Or, if you complete the application electronically, you can email it to the potential faculty mentor.  Please review faculty members’ research profiles to best determine whose research area most closely relates to your own interests (link to new faculty page here).

For students interested in PSYCH 491, announcements will be sent by the Psychology Advising Office to the student list serv when externship opportunities become available.  Please contact the Psychology Advising Office for more information.

Approval to enroll in PSYCH 490/491 must be given by the faculty mentor before the course can be added in Pathway.  Please remember that most faculty research mentors receive many applications each semester.  Focus on creating a strong application that highlights your interests and experiences. Include a clear explanation of your research interest in relation to the research mentor’s area of expertise.  A strong, well thought out application will improve your chances of being accepted as a PSYCH 490/491 student.

Why Psychology?

A psychology degree is not only for people who want to “do therapy” but to anyone who is interested in understanding the roots of human behavior and applying that knowledge to help people adopt behaviors and structure environments that will increase their longevity, performance, and quality of life.

With your undergraduate degree, you might work as a Human Resources Professional using your knowledge to help increase workplace satisfaction, as a Research Assistant working with Psychologists to develop new knowledge about the validity of eye witness testimony or the brain mechanisms responsible for addiction to social media.  You might also opt for a more direct service position such as being a Caseworker for people trying to get back on their feet after an extended hospital stay or job loss or as the Director of a Youth Development Program.

A background in psychology is useful for those who intend to attend graduate school in Psychology or a related field (Counseling, Social Work, and Applied Behavior Analysis) as well as for those who hope to enter many professional schools as well.  What doctor, lawyer or business person would not benefit from understanding people’s perceptions, motivations, and understandings?   Joint majors and/or minors with Chemistry and Criminal Justice are two common examples of the ways people prepare themselves to apply to these professional programs.

Why Study Psychology at UMKC?

Our acclaimed faculty members are excellent teachers, researchers and community advocates. They consistently garner very high student teaching evaluations and many have won teaching and/or mentoring awards. Each year, we mentor approximately 60 undergraduate students  on research projects or in practicum sites! Not sure what you want to do? Our Orientation to the Major course will get you started and our Careers in Psychology class will help you hone your post graduate plans. Interested in graduate school? We’ve got you covered with a full-time advising office staffed with caring people who will make sure you are gaining the experiences you need.

Our faculty’s research  explores a wide range of questions including:

  • How to help children regulate their emotions and live satisfying lives?
  • How do we reduce the risk of mental health problems among those who have been victims of violence either as children or later in life?
  • Can psychological interventions help with chronic pain experienced by people with chronic diseases?

As a student in our program, you can gain experience researching these questions and perhaps develop and answer a question of your own!

We are also extremely involved in the local community and have many opportunities for students to engage as well. For example, Dr. Joan McDowd, won the University of Missouri Presidential award for Community Service focused on Healthy Aging. She has teams of undergraduates working alongside her on all of her projects. Along with these opportunities are two active student organizations, Psi-Chi and Psychology Club that allow you to network and learn in more informal settings.

 

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