Typical credit load per semester for PhD/PsyD programs?

[futureapppsy2]

In the first and second year, my program requires 12-14 hours in the Fall and Spring semesters and 7-9 hours in the summer. After the second year, the requirements are more like 6-9 hours per semester (including the summer), mostly dissertation and practica hours with a few advanced electives as well. Is this typical? High or low? It seems a bit "top heavy," but it would make that an applied program might be structured this way.

Thoughts?

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[deleted176373]

In the first and second year, my program requires 12-14 hours in the Fall and Spring semesters and 7-9 hours in the summer. After the second year, the requirements are more like 6-9 hours per semester (including the summer), mostly dissertation and practica hours with a few advanced electives as well. Is this typical? High or low? It seems a bit "top heavy," but it would make that an applied program might be structured this way.

Thoughts?

This is what my program looked like (I just signed up for summer of year 3.)

Year 1: 69 Quarter Hours (46 Semester Hours)
Fall: 17 QH (11 SH)
Winter: 17 QH (11 SH)
Spring: 23 QH (16 SH)
Summer: 12 QH (8 SH)
*-First Year Paper Due

Year 2: 66 Quarter Hours (44 Semester Hours)
Fall: 19 QH (12 SH)
Winter: 20 QH (14 SH)
Spring: 15 QH (10 SH)
Summer: 12 QH (8 SH)
*-Comprehensive exams
*-Second Year Paper and Masters Due

Year 3: 63 Quarter Hours (42 Semester Hours)
Fall: 17 QH (11 SH)
Winter: 16 QH (11 SH)
Spring: 18 QH (12 SH)
Summer: 12 QH (8 SH)

Year 4: 36 Quarter Hours (24 Semester Hours) *projection
Fall: 12 QH (8 SH)
*-Dissertation Proposal Due
*-Application to Internship Due
Winter: 12 QH (8 SH)
Spring: 12 QH (8 SH)

Total: 232 quarter hours (We're required to have 144 quarter hours to graduate, someone miscounted!)

*-Dissertation
Year 5: Internship
*-Graduate

I'd trade doing 36 semester hours for the 46 semester hours I did my first year! As you can see, the first two years are pretty busy, my third year was busier than I expected. Year 4 is gonna seem downright lazy with only 24 semester hours of work. So, you will be busy, but it could be worse!!!

Mark

 

[Ollie123]

Hard to say. Semester hours are largely unrelated to workload in my experiences. Some classes require a fair bit of work, others just involve reading a few articles a week to discuss. Sometimes you might not be taking any classes, but doing several practicums at once, working on multiple papers, running several studies, etc.

Front-loading classes is probably a good idea. Folks here are generally done by the end of year 3. I'm basically done, but am holding out for one seminar and taking extra stats classes for "fun"....so not really

 

[krisrox]

I agree that light courseload does not necessarily translate into light workload. It makes sense to start out with a lot more classwork because you probably won't get into other non-class work (practicum, thesis work) until after the first year.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I agree that light courseload does not necessarily translate into light workload. It makes sense to start out with a lot more classwork because you probably won't get into other non-class work (practicum, thesis work) until after the first year.

Oh, definitely not! This semester, I'm not taking any actual didactic courses but definitely have a ton of work with thesis, comp exam, manuscript prep, etc.