Pursuing a Graduate Degree Annett Schirmer Department of

Pursuing a Graduate Degree Annett Schirmer Department of Psychology Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Overview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Is Graduate School for You? Applying for Graduate School Career Paths in Research and Teaching NUS Research Graduate Programme Question & Answer

Is graduate school for you? What I think you need: 1. Love for research (i. e. , inquiring mind) 2. Good grades 3. Good experience with undergraduate research projects

Is graduate school for you? • • • Perseverant Intelligent Intellectually curious Creative Self-disciplined Self-motivated Good at time management Not easily intimidated by many hurdles Capacity for delayed gratification Goldsmith et al. (2001) The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career.

Applying for Graduate School Before you apply Get research experience in areas of interest • • Cognitive Developmental Industrial/Organizational Clinical Educational Social Biological Decide on an area

Applying for Graduate School Before you apply Find good programs/researchers in that area • International standing of the university (word of mouth/internet/published rankings) • Productivity of the programs/researchers (program/researcher homepage, web of science) • Number and quality of (recent) publications • Awards • Grants • Number of past/current students and success of these students

Applying for Graduate School Before you apply Famous Wundt Students: Granville Stanley Hall Oswald Kuelpe James Mc. Keen Cattell Hugo Muensterberg Edward Titchener Charles Spearman

Applying for Graduate School What will be considered for your application Research experience in your area Work as a research assistant for one of your professors while you are an undergraduate Do an honors thesis Apply for a research assistant position with a potential supervisor Do a Masters degree

Applying for Graduate School What will be considered for your application Academic Markers CAP Subjects relevant to your Ph. D are most critical GRE Prepare for the test The score will be used to compare you with other applicants English Language Skills (Toefel)

Applying for Graduate School What will be considered for your application Academic Promise • • Relevant research skills (e. g. , EEG) Evidence of work attitude and enthusiasm Your ability to think independently Your ability to write

Applying for Graduate School What will be considered for your application What is typically required for an application? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. CV Academic Transcripts Test Scores (Toefel, GRE) Personal Statement Letters of Recommendation

Applying for Graduate School Personal Statement Basics • • Expected length is about 2 pages Writing • Clear and concise • No typos and grammatical errors • Don’t try to impress by using difficult words and constructions Tone • Not personal but professional • Confident but not pompous Feedback and revisions • Start this several months before submission Bottoms & Nysse (1999) Eye on Psi Chi.

Applying for Graduate School Personal Statement Content • Previous research experience • Describe past projects in detail to demonstrate your understanding • Indicate why you contributed (e. g. , ISM) and what your tasks were • Indicate what skills you’ve learned from the project (e. g. , programming) • Mention products of the work (e. g. , conference presentation, paper) • Mention how the research experience has shaped your interests Bottoms & Nysse (1999) Eye on Psi Chi.

Applying for Graduate School Personal Statement Content • • Previous research experience Current research interests • State 2 or 3 topics within your area. • Be not too broad (“all research in cognitive psychology”) and not too specific (“influence of sleep deprivation on math skills”) • Tailor your content to the faculty you’d like to work with (e. g. , read their publications, contact them for preprints) and mention these faculty explicitly – why would they be a good match for you? • Try to aim for several faculty members to increase your chances of admission Bottoms & Nysse (1999) Eye on Psi Chi.

Applying for Graduate School Personal Statement Content • • • Previous research experience Current research interests Other relevant experience • Courses that you took that made you interested in a particular topic • Courses that you took in which you learned relevant skills Bottoms & Nysse (1999) Eye on Psi Chi.

Applying for Graduate School Personal Statement Content • • Previous research experience Current research interests Other relevant experience Career goals • What do you want to do with your degree? • Most will prefer a student with the intention to pursue research in an academic setting Bottoms & Nysse (1999) Eye on Psi Chi.

Applying for Graduate School Letters of Recommendation • Build a relationship with potential letter writers (they need to know you) • Ask your letter writers at least 2 months in advance. • Ask the letter writer if he/she would feel comfortable writing you a strong letter of recommendation • Provide the writer with critical information • • • CV Transcripts Personal Statement • Send a "gentle reminder" via e-mail a few days before the due date.

Applying for Graduate School Interview When you are shortlisted…. • Phone interview • In-person interview • • • Typically a one or two day event Chance to meet several faculty and current students Likely all will evaluate you – so don’t underestimate student meetings

Applying for Graduate School Interview – Dos and Don’ts Be prepared • Read up on the research of key faculty members • Think of some research related questions to can engage faculty and students Questions to ask • Recent research developments • Research collaborators (e. g. , “I saw you are publishing with X, is X visiting your lab and interacting with students? ) • Expectations to work with several faculties • Other training opportunities (e. g. , grant writing, teaching) • Funding for conferences

Applying for Graduate School Interview – Dos and Don’ts Be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, factual, inquisitive, friendly, open, secure, mature. Don’t be ambivalent, tired, quite, shy, girlish, insecure, over-confident, pompous.

Career paths in research and teaching Potential employers: • Industry (e. g. , automobile companies, drug companies) • Research Institutes (e. g. , A*Star, Max Planck Institute, National Institute of Health) • Governmental agencies, non-profit agencies (e. g. , Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, Police) • Colleges and Universities … with focus on teaching … with focus on research & teaching

NUS Research Graduate Programme Main Areas • • Abnormal Psychology Cognitive Neuroscience Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Health Psychology Social Psychology Quantitative Psychology

NUS Research Graduate Programme Curriculum – MA 4 Modules • 1 Graduate Research Seminar • 1 Core Module • 1 Quantitative Module • 1 Elective Research thesis (overseen by primary supervisor)

NUS Research Graduate Programme Curriculum – Ph. D 7 Modules • 1 Graduate Research Seminar • 2 Core Modules • 2 Quantitative Modules • 1 Empirical Research Project • 1 Elective Research thesis (overseen by primary supervisor and two thesis committee members)

NUS Research Graduate Programme - Resources • Monthly stipends • NUS Research Scholarship ($1500 for MA, $2200 to 2500 for Ph. D) • Lee Kong Chian Graduate Scholarship ($3300 for Ph. D) • President’s Graduate Fellowship ($3000 for Ph. D) • Support for Overseas Fieldwork ($3000 for MA, $6000 for Ph. D) • Conference ($2000 for MA, $3500 for Ph. D) • Claims for research ($400 for MA, $500 for Ph. D)

NUS Research Graduate Programme - Resources • Research resources in our Department • Equipment (e. g. , EEG, eye-tracking, access to f. MRI facilities) • Shared research spaces for observational research and individual testing • Participant pool • Graduate student room equipped with computers • Your supervisor • Research expenses • Salary (e. g. , part-time RA position) • Lab space & research equipment

NUS Research Graduate Programme - Application • Applications are made to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (http: //www. fas. nus. edu. sg/prospective/grad/research /appndeadline. html) • There a few application requirements special to our department (http: //www. fas. nus. edu. sg/psy/_prospective/prospec t_grad. htm) • Personal statement • Communication with potential supervisor • Application deadline: 1. November of every year for intake in August the following year

NUS Research Graduate Programme - Application Increase your chances for a scholarship • CAP: > 4. 0 • Apply for a Ph. D rather than a MA If you are admitted without scholarship • FASS support • Teaching assistant scheme • Tuition fee loan scheme • Carefully consider your financial situation before accepting the offer

NUS Research Graduate Programme - Application Consider other programmes for which our staff may supervise or co-supervise: • NUS Graduate school for integrative sciences and engineering: http: //www. nus. edu. sg/ngs/ • A*Star attachment programme: http: //www. astar. edu. sg/Awards. Scholarships/Scholarships. Attach ments/For. Graduate. Ph. DStudies/ASTARResearch. Atta chment. Programme/tabid/210/Default. aspx • German Academic Exchange (DAAD): http: //ic. daad. de/singapore/scholarships. html

Recent Graduates "The Masters (Psychology by Research) programme was an important first step in my academic endeavor. In these two years, I developed a strong research mentality and critical skills to effectively approach and execute investigations in the field of cognitive neuroscience. I was challenged to push the boundaries of science and experienced the power of combining creativity with cutting-edge techniques to solve multidimensional puzzles of the brain. “ LEE Min Aletheia, NUS/Psychology Masters Current Position: Ph. D student at the University of Oxford

Recent Graduates "The Ph. D. (by Research) programme offered by the NUS Department of Psychology gave me extensive freedom to independently create and develop my very own research focus and direction during my stint as a graduate student. Although this process is accompanied by challenges especially during its initial phase, I am grateful to have finally emerged as an independent researcher with unique skill sets. “ LIM Wee Hun Stephen; NUS/Psychology Ph. D Current Position: Lecturer at the Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore (NUS)

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