Doctoral Degrees in Psychoanalysis

DOCTOR OF PSYCHOANALYSIS IN THE

STUDY OF VIOLENCE

Program description
The 72 credit post-master’s interdisciplinary doctor of psychoanalysis in the study of violence (Psya.D.) provides a solid foundation in psychoanalytic and sociocultural studies and research methods as well as basic knowledge of neurobiology in order to prepare students to develop an integrated approach to researching and understanding violence and other sociocultural phenomena. The aim of the program is to develop interdisciplinary thinkers and researchers who can use their knowledge to generate new research, disseminate research based knowledge about violence and develop and administer violence prevention and intervention strategies and programs. Psychoanalysis is integrated with other perspectives in these pursuits.

Degree requirements
Students begin their studies at the post-master’s level. Coursework takes three years beginning with foundations and methods courses and progressing to special topics, advanced methods, and capstone courses. Field placement related to the dissertation topic is started in the fourth semester for two semesters, the qualifying exam is completed between the fourth and fifth semesters, and the dissertation research is typically started in the fifth semester. Time to completion of degree depends on the time it takes to execute the doctoral research, typically a fourth year or longer depending on the project and the student’s time commitment to it.

Requirements include:
• 18 credits of foundations courses in three disciplines: psychoanalysis, sociocultural studies and neurobiology as well as an interdisciplinary theories course;
• 15 credits of coursework in research methods;
• 15 credits of special topics courses such as family violence, terrorism, genocide;
• two capstone courses (6 credits total),
• a fieldwork placement integral to the dissertation research (6 credits)
• successful completion of the qualifying exam
• a doctoral dissertation (12 credits)

Fieldwork Externship
The fieldwork placement is selected by the student in consultation with the fieldwork coordinator based on their interests and training needs. The placement serves as a setting in which to study particular forms or aspects of violence or programs addressing violence through intervention with individuals or groups or policy making. Examples of placements include court clinics, hospitals, police departments, correctional facilities, research centers, or special intervention programs. For most students, the dissertation will develop based on observations in the fieldwork experience, or the fieldwork may be a setting for pilot observations and testing. Students visit the fieldwork site regularly for two semesters, engaging in 270 hours of field observation. Documentation of the experience is submitted to the Fieldwork Coordinator.

Research
The research curriculum includes three formal research courses in both qualitative and quantitative methods and two project focused research seminars. In addition, research methods within each discipline are emphasized in the foundations courses. Students are encouraged to meet with a Research Advisor and begin to formulate an area of research interest in the third semester and to select a field placement where they can pursue this interest through observations and pilot testing in the fourth semester. Students meet with the research advisor as they engage in the field placement in order to refine their question and develop a proposal for the dissertation. The dissertation research is an original project on a topic conceptualized from an interdisciplinary perspective offering a contribution to the understanding of violence or factors related to violence. The dissertation demonstrates a thorough and critical understanding of existing literature from multiple disciplines, sound research design and analysis of data, leading to valid conclusions. Students usually engage in the research seminar until the project is completed, presenting their work to faculty and peers.

Completed and current projects include a study of female Rwandan refugees coping strategies, Israelis’ conscious and unconscious ideas about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, subjective experience of Brazilian prostitutes, a meta-analysis of the literature on second generation transmission of Holocaust trauma, foster families biological children’s adaptation to foster children.

Research Projects
Abstracts of Doctoral Research dissertations

Bulletin
Official ISV bulletin.pdf

Location
Boston