The University of Florida Psychology department offers two Ph.D. co-majors with the College of Education. A Ph.D. co-major is a program of study for a single degree in which a student satisfies the requirements in two separate academic disciplines that offer the Ph.D. The purpose is to provide interdisciplinary training to graduate students in both developmental psychology and educational psychology. Students seeking applied careers may benefit from this interdisciplinary training.
Two related but distinct co-majors are available between the Psychology Department and the Department of Educational Psychology. The first available co-major is between Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology. The second comajor is between Developmental Psychology and Research and Evaluation Methodology of the College of Education.
As described below, the format and structure of the programs are similar.
A student must be admitted to both programs independently. This can be done either simultaneously or consecutively. Some students might enter the co-major program concurrent with matriculating into one of the two Ph.D. programs. For students who seek simultaneous admissions, one department will be designated as the primary department. The chair and financial support will come from the primary department. Other students might enter after two or three semesters in either department’s Ph.D. program. Unless otherwise agreed to, the original department will be the primary department.
The student’s supervisory committee consists of a chair and a co-chair (one from each discipline), at least one other graduate faculty member from each of the two disciplines, and an external graduate faculty member from a third discipline. Each department participating in a Ph.D. co-major has its own set of requirements in both disciplines.
In order to facilitate progress in the program, students could complete a master’s thesis in only one discipline, although a thesis relevant to both disciplines is encouraged. The qualifying exam will cover material from both disciplines. The dissertation a student writes should reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the joint program and should contribute to the scholarly literature of both fields.
The Chair of the student’s Ph.D. supervisory committee will come from the primary department that assumes primary responsibility for the student’s financial support including stipend and tuition remission.