FAQs
Listed below are some of the most frequently asked questions about our program. (Also included at the bottom of this page are some of the frequently UN-asked questions that people often have.)
If you have additional questions, please be sure to contact the program director, Dr. Barb Yutrzenka.
What is the application deadline and what information is required?
All application materials need to be received by January 5. See our admissions web site for a list of application materials required. Please note that our program requires the GRE Subject (Psychology) test in addition to the General GREs.
How many students do you admit each year?
Six to seven students are admitted each year. For more information about numbers of applicants and characteristics of our incoming classes, go to our student summary page.
Do you require face-to-face interviews?
After the admissions committee has completed their first round of reviews of completed applications, approximately 25-30 applicants will be invited to attend one of two program visit/interview days in late February or early March. If an invited applicant is unable to attend one of these two sessions, a phone interview will be required. Please note, however, any applicant interested in talking with a clinical faculty member or graduate student, or in visiting the campus, is welcome to do so prior to submitting their completed application.
Do you offer a terminal master's degree?
No. Ours is a doctoral program in which students earn a master's degree enroute to their doctoral degree. We do not admit students who only plan to complete a master's degree. Thus, we judge an applicant's credentials based on their interest, commitment, and ability to complete doctoral level training.
Does your program permit part-time students or must they attend full-time?
Ours is a full-time program, requiring a minimum of four years in residence and one year of a full time internship at an approved site.
What if I have taken graduate courses elsewhere or earned a master's degree in another program at another university? Will any of these graduate credits or this degree transfer to your program?
The USD Graduate School regulations permit a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit to be transferred towards the M.A. or Ph.D. degree in our program. Graduate work used in fulfillment of requirements for a completed master's degree cannot be used towards the doctoral degree. However, if a student is required to complete a master's degree at USD, nine credits from the previous master's degree may be applied to the USD master's program of study. These credits must have been completed in a regionally accredited institution, must have grades of A or B, and must have been taken within seven years prior to the time you receive your USD degree. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.
If a student enters the program with a master's degree in psychology or closely related field that included completion of an empirical (research) thesis, it is likely that this student will not have to repeat another master's degree in our program. If the master's degree and thesis are approved by the clinical faculty, then the master's degree credits are also accepted (in essence, they all transfer). If prior psychology graduate courses duplicate required courses in our program, student may petition the faculty to waive the USD course. (See the Clinical Program Graduate Handbook for details about these policies: see section on "Coursework" and "Time in Program".)
How are major advisors selected or assigned?
A major advisor is the faculty person who direct your thesis or dissertation research, is your primary mentor and advisor, and provides evaluation feedback to you each year. Under our mentor model of admissions, clinical faculty are actively involved in the selection of the incoming students who will become members of their research team. Therefore, all new students begin the program with a designated research mentor and advisor.
What kind of financial support (assistantships, fellowships, tuition reductions) are available to incoming graduate students in your program?
All incoming grad students are guaranteed funding. In the past few years the stipend has ranged from $6,000 to $7,000 per academic year. With this stipend, all students qualify for in-state student status, and more importantly, qualify to receive a 2/3 in-state tuition reduction. This means that rather than paying the full out of state or in state credit hour cost, students only pay 1/3 of the in-state tuition costs. For 2009-2010, the out-of-state tuition per credit is $294.25; the in-state tuition per credit is $139.00; and the 1/3 in-state tuition (for students on assistantships) is $46.30. That's quite a savings! For up-to-date information on graduate school tuition and fees, refer to our Business Office.
What about continued funding for students beyond their first year in the program?
While we cannot guarantee funding for the full time you are in the program, our track record for over the past 20 years is that we have been able to fund students for at least four years while they are in residence. We have also been able to assist students who have chosen to extend their time in the program, though this is a lower priority. Students in their second year in the program are often funded as research assistants, assessment teaching assistants, or instructors of record for undergraduate psychology courses. In their final two years of training, graduate students are placed at clinical training sites, for two days a week of on-site supervised clinical work. Typical assistantship stipends for these experiences range from $9,000 to $15,000 per year.
What about financial aid?
Nearly all of our graduate students pay for the additional expenses in grad school through financial aid/loans. For more info on graduate student financial aid, you may want to contact our financial aid office.
What about part-time jobs to supplement assistantships?
A few students do some part time work on weekends or evenings, though this is very difficult to do in the first year of the program. Students must continue as full-time students and any part time work outside of the program must first be approved by the major advisor and cannot interfere with a student's progress in the program.
What about computer facilities accessible to students in your program?
There are computer labs on campus that are readily accessible to students. There are computers and printers located in our training clinic (the Psychological Services Center) for students to use to complete clinical paperwork. We have a few computers accessible to all grad students that are linked to the internet and contain word processing and stats packages. There is a copy machine in the building that students may use at a cost of 10 cents per page copied.
What about office space for students?
All students have assigned office space if they want it, nothing fancy, but not too bad. Office spaces range from individual offices to offices with a max of four students. All have internet access.
What about housing?
USD has single and married student housing that is very reasonably priced, in a great location, but typically pretty small/cozy. There are lots of apartments and houses in the area. USD has an off-campus housing office to assist with housing searches/information. You can also check with any of the several local realty offices for more information. Our current students are also good resources for housing recommendations.
What about health insurance?
Health insurance is available (recommended, but not required) for students and their families. All international students must have health insurance.
What is the average length of time to degree completion?
On the average, it takes between 5-6 years to complete your Ph.D. in our program. For more specific info, check out our admissions and graduation information described on our program's student summary data page.
How successful have your students been with the internship match process?
Our students typically do very well in the internship match process. Over the past few years we have had students who didn't receive a match on "match day", but these students were successful finding an internship site within a few days of match utilizing the Clearinghouse process.
What can you tell me about the Vermillion community and surrounding area?
Vermillion is a rural university community with a population of about 10,000. We are about one hour south of South Dakota's largest city (Sioux Falls; about 150,000 people) and about 45 minutes north of Sioux City, Iowa (about 80,000 people). Both of these cities have shopping centers and cultural events and varied restaurants. We are about 20 minutes east of Yankton South Dakota (about 15,000) people which has a beautiful lake/resort area for biking, fishing, swimming, hiking, and boating. Check out the Vermillion web site for more information.
What about cultural diversity-is there any?
Though perhaps less diversity then might be represented in urban areas, there is indeed cultural diversity represented in our program, the USD campus, and the Vermillion community. Our program infuses diversity throughout our coursework, research, clinical, and service activities. The diversity represented among our program's students, faculty, and staff includes differences in ethnicity, gender, age, geographic origins (e.g., where you were born, lived, etc), sexual orientation, disability and religious/spiritual practices. The program has been recognized regionally and nationally for our commitment to diversity.
Frequently "Un-Asked" Questions
(Questions people have, but often don't ask because they don't want to be impolite or seem uninformed.)
Can I survive a winter in South Dakota?
Yes, people can easily survive the winters in South Dakota. Vermillion is actually near the southernmost tip of our state, so we tend to have milder, less snow-filled winters than most of the other parts of the state. If you've lived any place more northern than Vermillion, our winters will seem mild If you have only lived in placed with mild winters, than our winters will seem cold and long. Realistically, it can snow as early as early October and as late as mid-May, but in between those extremes can be some pretty mild/warm weather. A rural saying that applies to our area is "If you don't like the weather today, it's likely to change tomorrow..." Mid-December through January is probably our coldest/snowiest time of the season, where temperatures can dip to the -20s or lower with the wind chill. South Dakotans either find indoors activities or dress appropriately to enjoy the winter weather. It usually only takes one or two winters before you find yourself saying in February or March, "gee, it's above freezing, I think it's time to bring out my shorts!"
Does South Dakota have the same modern conveniences as the community I come from?
Yes, we do. Though South Dakota is a rural state and Vermillion is a small University community, we have all the modern conveniences you would find almost anywhere in the country. We may just have fewer selections of cable stations, restaurants, or stores, but just about anything you would want/need is either in town or within a 45 minutes drive.
What is there to do in or around Vermillion besides study?
Depending on your interests, there are lots of options. We have the DakotaDome, which provides indoor athletic facilities for just about anything athletic you would want to do (swimming, running, weight training, volleyball, etc.) or want to watch (intercollegiate football, basketball, indoor track, swimming). There are beautiful recreational areas along the Missouri River for swimming, boating, fishing, camping, bird watching--all within 5-35 minutes away. Our College of Fine Arts has outstanding theatre and music productions, and art exhibits on a regular basis during the academic year. There are opportunities to attend/participate in various ethnic/cultural events in and around our community, especially those offered through our Native American communities. Then of course, there are the eateries and bars that come along with a university community.
What if I have other questions? Who can I contact?
You are welcome to contact us! Contact Dr. Barb Yutrzenka, Director of Clinical Training, by phone at 605-677-5353 or by e-mail. You are also welcome to contact the program secretary, Pam Jurgensen, at the same number or by e-mail.