CHESTER, Pa., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Psychology dominated the list of most popular graduate programs for the third quarter of 2003. Clinical Psychology attracted the most attention from prospective graduate students, while School Psychology came in at #4, Psychology Counseling at #5, and Forensic Psychology at #8. ...

"The demand for mental health practitioners is apparent, which indicates a healthy job market in this area," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc., the parent company of GradSchools.com. "Additionally, the current state of international affairs has raised society's consciousness of mental health needs, as reflected in psychology's prominent position in the GradSchools.com Top 20 Program list."

According to the list, students continue to maintain a substantial interest in traditional fields of study. In comparison to GradSchools.com's 2003 second quarter results, the following changes in program positionings are notable: Art/Fine Arts has moved from #15 to #10, and Creative Writing has moved from #19 to #15.

The 2003 Third Quarter Top 20 list reveals a diverse program list: Electrical Engineering (#2), Social Work (#3), and Business Administration (#7). At a time when world events are shaking our nations, History stands at #6 and International Relations at #9. Computer Science has climbed from #20 to #13.

Programs that didn't make the 2003 second quarter list, but made the third quarter's are: Educational and School Counseling (#14), Applied Psychology (#19), and Anthropology (#20).

Mark Shay continued, "Information disseminated from our Top 20 lists serves not only to enlighten the academic community, but the business and industry sectors also, as they rely on the graduates that schools supply. Each of our quarterly Top 20 lists reveals a trend, which I believe gauges student reactions to the current state of world economies and international affairs."

When asked what the 2003 Third Quarter Top 20 list implies, Shay said, "It is apparent that the education world, in response to international public affairs and ever-evolving digital technologies, is in a pivotal position as top student interest is comprised of a diverse mix, including the social sciences, engineering, humanities and business. The hoopla of the digital world is stabilizing and students are once again recognizing the arts and humanities."