Graduate

Dr. Meca is open to working with any students with interests in the broad area of identity development, but special consideration is given to students interested in how aspects of ethnicity and culture intersect psychopathology and risk-taking behavior.

Dr. Meca is currently accepting graduate students through the Master’s and Doctoral Program offered within the Department of Psychology at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in San Antonio, Texas:

  • Psychology (Ph.D.): The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology is designed for students who have completed a Master’s degree and are interested pursing advanced doctoral training in topics related to health and mental health, statistics, and research methods. For more information on the program, click here to learn more about a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology .
  • Masters of Science in Psychology (M.S.): The Master of Science degree in Psychology is designed to provide students with the statistical and methodological background to continue to a Ph.D. program in traditionally research-oriented areas of Psychology or to obtain M.S.-level jobs in applied research settings. The vast majority of our graduates have either obtained admission to a Ph.D. program or a Psychology-related job, typically in research. Those who go on to doctoral work often attend top name schools in their areas, while those who pursue M.S. level jobs frequently gain employment conducting research for Health Science centers, test and measures companies, or the military. For more information on the program, click here to learn more about a Masters of Science in Psychology.

Dr. Meca’s Mentorship Model

In his role as a mentor, Dr. Meca’s views his primary task as one of encouraging his mentees/padawans to develop the necessary skills and track-record for succeeding in their occupational goals. On his end, this involves actively working with his padawans to identify career goals and aspirations, maximize individual strengths, and help develop the necessary skills to succeed in your career.

Towards this end, Dr. Meca’s approach towards mentorship focuses on exposing his padawans to all aspects of training (i.e., research, teaching, service/advocacy, and clinical work, if appropriate) early on to explore a wide range of career paths. In Dr. Meca’s view, exposure to all aspects of training will not only make his padawans more well-rounded but will serve to expose his students to different career opportunities that may either resonate more with his padawans or solidify/reaffirm existing career goals.

Although the training program at ODU are designed to prepare students for an academic career, Dr. Meca is very well aware that not students will go that route. As your mentor, Dr. Meca is interested in supporting his students in whatever career path they choose, whether it is academic or not.

For more information on Dr. Meca’s mentorship model, please review his Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Statement.