FAQs: Program of Study
What courses are required?
Graduate Statistics (2 courses), Research Issues and Models, Cognitive Processes, Human Learning and Memory, Human Performance, two additional core courses outside of Cognitive Psychology, and at least four specialty seminars.
How long does it normally take to complete the program?
The Program is designed to take 4-5 years for students who come in with a Bachelor's degree, and 2-3 years for students who come in with a Master’s degree.
What is the typical workload for a student in the program?
During the first three years, students typically take two courses per semester, hold a 20-hour assistantship, and conduct research. After that, the load usually shifts to less coursework and more research.
What are the areas of strength within the Program?
The Program is particularly strong in the areas of human learning and memory and cognitive aging.
What opportunities are available to publish and present research at conferences?
Research involvement and the development of research skills are an integral part of doctoral training in cognitive psychology. Students must be actively involved in research each semester that they are in the Program and are expected to present (at a colloquium or professional conference) and/or submit (to a professional journal) research in addition to that conducted as part of their thesis and dissertation. Students typically author or co-author several publications and presentations by the time they graduate. New students usually begin research under the supervision of their advisor and then become more independent as their development progresses.
What teaching opportunities are available?
The Cognitive Psychology Program is designed so that all students get some direct teaching experience by virtue of the Program's teaching requirement. All students are required to teach at least one semester of two different laboratory courses from our undergraduate offerings in cognitive psychology, physiological psychology, sensation and perception, and social psychology. The student is given primary responsibility for teaching the course and evaluating students, but is supervised and mentored by a faculty member. Though not required, there are also many additional opportunities for developing teaching skills, if desired. Graduate students may be invited to teach lecture-oriented courses during regular semester sessions or condensed summer sessions. The Department of Psychology also administers a Teaching Fellow Program that involves the supervised instruction of General Psychology.
What are the major selling points of the Program?
One selling point of the Program is that we reap the benefits (in terms of facilities, equipment, resources, and interdisciplinary opportunities) of being in a major research university and strong department, but keep the program itself relatively small (in terms of number of graduate students admitted) in order to provide highly individualized graduate education and close collaboration with faculty. Another selling point is that the Program intentionally allows enough flexibility for students to tailor their graduate education to their career goals, with a variety of course options, the option of focusing on basic or applied research, and various opportunities for interdisciplinary experiences. A third selling point is that in addition to providing first-rate training in research, we offer numerous opportunities to gain experience in college teaching, if so desired. Note that these are mentored teaching experiences in which students learn to teach under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member. As such, students can tailor their graduate training to best prepare for the type of position they ultimately seek, whether focused on research, on teaching, or a balance of the two.