The Department of Psychology is offering a new Graduate Certificate in Advanced Quantitative Methods in Psychology in response to a growing need from the job market for a STEM-educated work force and the emerging guidelines from the American Psychological Association that emphasize the scientific nature of behavioral studies.
The ideal candidate for the Graduate Certificate in the Advanced Quantitative Methods in Psychology would be a student already enrolled in a graduate program who is interested in strengthening their knowledge in advanced statistics, modern data analytic techniques, and quantitative methodology in the social sciences. Most students enrolled in this certificate program will be graduate students enrolled in other psychology programs, but the Certificate program welcomes graduate students in other departments who wish to improve their quantitative skills and career prospects as well.
The objective of this Graduate Certificate is to train individuals in the interpretation, application, and design of advanced statistical methods and their applications in the behavioral and social sciences. Four learning objectives will enable students to:
- Demonstrate a depth of knowledge in quantitative research methods and advanced statistical techniques.
- Competently plan research projects and perform empirical data analysis.
- Gain training in data science and programming languages that are in high demand in the labor market (e.g., R, Python).
- Write and present original research reports based on data-analytic findings OR teach statistical material to undergraduate students.
The demand for quantitative methods and data-analytic skills are evident in private industry by the proliferation of jobs in these areas over the past decade. According to LinkedIn, there was 650% job growth in data science and statistics jobs from 2012 to 2017. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a further 11.5 million new jobs by 2026. Trained behavioral graduate students who have skills in both research methodology as well as quantitative techniques are particularly qualified for research and data science positions.
Advanced training in quantitative methodology in psychology is in high demand in academia as well. Advanced quantitative methods training often signals that a scholar is equipped to carry out a research program that is cutting edge and advancing scientific theory and knowledge, which increases the probability of securing external funding. Furthermore, literacy in advanced quantitative methods increases the attractiveness of a CV/resume because it means that job candidates can handle teaching advanced statistical courses. Taken together, our graduate students will have stronger job applications and will be able to further distinguish themselves from other job applicants with an accompanying graduate certificate in advanced quantitative methods in psychology.
For additional information about the program, the curriculum, and application process, please review the Graduate School. The 15-credit certificate will entail completing quantitative courses and participating in a capstone experience that can be either teaching an undergraduate statistics class or performing data-analytic research. Students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on the completed certificate courses in order to graduate.
Contact
For more information on the Advanced Quantitative Methods in Psychology (Certificate), please email the program coordinator, Dr. Michael T. Bixter
Email: bixterm@montclair.edu