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The Developmental Science Program at
FIU is unique in its integration of a life-span orientation with an
interdisciplinary focus on both basic and applied developmental science in
an international, multicultural urban context. This Developmental Psychology
Program leads to a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Lifespan
Developmental Science.
To be awarded the Ph.D. degree in psychology
students must complete at least 90 semester hours beyond the Bachelors
degree. For the specialization in lifespan developmental science, sixty-six
credits are needed to fulfill Precandidacy requirements. An
additional twenty-four hours of dissertation credits are required after
advancement to Candidacy. The precandidacy courses may be taken
within the developmental program of the psychology department or in cognate
areas as determined by the student’s research advisory and thesis committee.
Students admitted to the program are expected to maintain full-time status
throughout their four years in the doctoral program and to be actively
involved in research at all times. The natural progression through the
program normally involves initial exposure to research opportunities in the
department followed rapidly by more intense direct “hands on” exposure to
the process of knowledge development under the guidance of a faculty
research mentor and a research advisory committee.
Benchmarks of Progress in Completing the Program
Requirements
A student’s
progress toward the completion of the doctoral requirements is gauged by
the attainment of the benchmarks of program progress as described in
detail in the document, Degree
Requirements for the Doctoral
Program in Developmental
Science Program. During the first phase of the program, the Precandidacy years, the focus of each student’s
activity is on the evolution and articulation of a program of research
consistent with the student’s emerging professional identity. Candidacy,
the final phase of the program, provides the opportunity to bring
together the emerging themes that will serve to launch each program
graduate on a successful self-directed career trajectory, culminates in
the preparation and defense of a doctoral dissertation.
Precandidacy
Year 1. Initial Statement
of a Research Agenda/Initial Course of Study/Preparing a Thesis
Proposal
Year 2. Final Statement of a Research
Agenda/Defending a Thesis/Preparing for Pre-candidacy Qualifying
Examination
Year 3. Completing Final Course
of Study/Pre-candidacy Qualifying Examination/Application for
Candidacy/Select Dissertation Committee
Doctoral
Candidacy
Year 4.
Dissertation Research and Dissertation Defense/Operationalizing a
Research Program
These
benchmarks of progress are intended to promote the development of a
professional identity in students and an increasingly sophisticated
articulation of their plans for contributing to knowledge development in
the lifespan developmental sciences in the particular area of
specialization that is the focus of their professional goals. The program document, Degree
Requirements for the Doctoral
Program in Developmental
Science Program
, provides a
description of the aim of each of
the Benchmarks of
Progress, the due dates that denote the attainment of each benchmark, and a
detailed discussion of expected levels of student research activity and
research program development that characterizes each level. Downloadable and
printable copies of the Forms that have to be
submitted can be obtained by clicking on the link Click
here to view and/or download a (PDF) copy of the
Degree
Requirements for the Doctoral
Program in Developmental
Science Program
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