The PhD Program in Psychology and Social Intervention prepares action scientists to work in a variety of settings in order to understand, transform, and improve the contexts and systems in which humans develop across the life span. The program places a strong emphasis on understanding and assessing social settings, systems, and policies; creating/improving, implementing and evaluating prevention and intervention programs; and understanding various forms of diversity and structural inequality among individuals, institutions, communities, and societies. This is a research-intensive program with a strong quantitative training component.
Program faculty study a wide range of ecologies (e.g., families, schools, neighborhoods, policy contexts, programs) and preventive and policy interventions (e.g., psychological, social, educational and health programs), locally, nationally, and internationally. Faculty also conduct research on how cultural factors and identities influence and interact with experiences of these ecologies and interventions, and collaborate with other social, behavioral, health and policy scientists at NYU, other universities, and service, community, and policy organizations. Students work collaboratively with faculty mentors on a range of activities in these research areas, including study design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparations, conference presentations, policy briefs, and evaluation activities.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
Program Requirements
Students with a Master’s degree will complete a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 66 credits, based on their primary mentor’s advice, while students with a Bachelor’s degree must complete a total of 66 credits.
Advanced Seminar in Psychology and Social Intervention
Total Credits
66
Additional Program Requirements
Research Experience
Students are required to participate on the research team of a PSI faculty member (or another Applied Psychology faculty, by program approval), beginning the first semester of their first year. Students are expected to allocate at least half of their time (20 hours per week) to this activity. By year 3, in line with our training expectations to be exposed to more than one project, students should spend a minimum of 5 hours (of the 20 hours per week) working with another research mentor (within or outside of the program by approval of primary research mentor). Students are free to transition onto new research teams throughout their doctoral training.
Milestones
Second Year Paper
All students in the program are required to complete an empirical paper at the end of the 2nd year of their doctoral training as their first milestone in the program.
Comprehensive Exam
The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to demonstrate students’ abilities to engage in the depth, breadth, and creativity of thought necessary for social scientists in psychology and social intervention. The comprehensive examination consists of two parts:
Empirical research critique:The purpose of the Empirical Research Critique is for PSI faculty to certify that Ph.D. candidates have developed the ability to a) critically evaluate specific aspects of the conceptualization and methodology of selected articles and b) make recommendations for redesign and improvement. It is expected that Ph.D. students will develop both knowledge of content and advanced quantitative and qualitative methods in order to critically assess research during the Empirical Research Critique.
Specialty area paper:The objective of Specialty Area Paper is to produce a critical and integrative review of the theoretical and empirical knowledge base regarding research question(s) that are relevant to psychology and social intervention
Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Defense
The doctoral dissertation represents the culmination of your doctoral training in the form of an independent piece of scholarship. The dissertation should represent a unique, valuable, and rigorous contribution to research in the area of Psychology and Social Intervention. A breadth of methodologies may be used to fulfill the dissertation requirement. You can choose between submitting a chapter-based dissertation and submitting a dissertation that includes a minimum of two empirical papers alongside an overarching introduction and conclusion that ties them together. The doctoral dissertation has two phases: the doctoral dissertation proposal and doctoral dissertation defense.
Practicum in Intervention-Research of Policy-Research II
3
Credits
9
Total Credits
66
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GE 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
Build context knowledge base to understand and improve human development in social context.
Develop methodological skills that enable analysis of change over time and within and across levels of human ecology.
Acquire abilities to apply psychological and social sciences principles to the understanding of social settings, social/cultural contexts, and social and policy interventions.
Develop the ethical, interpersonal, organizational and technical capacities to undertake high-quality, professional work in psychology and social intervention.
Develop abilities to conceptualize, interpret, evaluate, and disseminate research that might inform social policies.
Policies
Program Policies
Specialty Area: Students will declare a substantive area of specialization during their course of study (e.g., feminist studies, school-based/educational issues, women’s health, and criminal justice). The area is based on student interest, is flexible, but the course must create a coherent area of specialization and must be approved by the advisor. Students must complete three doctoral-level courses worth nine credits total that enhance their expertise in their chosen area of specialization. These courses may be taken in any program/school at NYU or via the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.
Research Seminar: Students enroll in APSY-GE 2839 Project Research Seminar: PSI
for three credits one semester per year for each of their first and second years, in preparation for their 2nd-year paper.
PSI Program Seminar: All students are required to attend APSY-GE 2830 Advanced Seminar in Psychology and Social Intervention
each semester and present their own work annually.
STEM OPT Benefits for International Students
If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible to apply for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in this program may also be eligible to apply for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.