Clifford R. O'Donnell, Program Director
(808) 956-6271 phone
cliffo@hawaii.edu e-mail
(808) 956-4700 fax

The Community and Culture Concentration (CCC) is a graduate specialization leading to the Ph.D. in psychology. The importance of multi-disciplinary education is recognized and, therefore, the core CCC curriculum is combined with offerings from other departments at the University of Hawaii. This multidisciplinary curriculum is designed to provide systematic coverage of the major theoretical and empirical work in the field with sufficient, flexibility to meet student interests, enthusiasms, and career goals.

The Concentration's multi-disciplinary curriculum, including a dual-degree option in urban and regional planning (MURP-Ph.D.), is grounded in an empirical orientation applied to professional activity. The CCC is a nucleus for the collaboration of faculty and students with the common scholarly interests. In this endeavor, we are united by three commitments: (1) a scientist-practitioner approach to the creation and application of knowledge, (2) a multi-disciplinary curriculum, and (3) a scholar-apprentice model of education. We believe that the CCC offers education relevant to employment and impact in a wide variety of settings, including academics, research, consultation, social services, advocacy, program planning, evaluation, and community development.

All applicants for admissions to the CCC are automatically considered for financial support. Potential sources include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and tuition waivers. Applicants with an interest in disabilities are encouraged, so they may be considered for research assistantships with the Research and Training Center.

Consistent with the multi-disciplinary character of the CCC, applications are encouraged not only from psychology majors, but also from those who have majored in such disciplines as anthropology, criminology, cultural studies, developmental disabilities, geography, government, history, political science, public health, sociology, and urban and regional planning. And who have at least 18 credits in psychology.

Attention to issues of diversity include the following: 1) Research and Training Center on Disabilities; 2) Faculty Member (Peter Dewrick) with international reputation in disabilities; 3) Faculty Member (Antony Marsella) with international reputation in cultural psychology; 4) Prgram systematically combines community and culture; 5) Principle of Cultural Compatibility Guides research projects and intervention; 6) Diverse intellectual interests are supported; and 7) Setting (Hawaii) - it is culturally diverse.