Graduate Study
The Department of Psychology at Brandeis University offers both a Ph.D. and a Master's Program. The Ph.D. Program leads to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. There are three general areas of training within the Ph.D. program: (1) cognitive neuroscience (2) social developmental psychology and (3) brain, body & behavior. The goal of the Ph.D. Program is to develop excellent researchers and teachers who will become leaders in psychological science. From the start of graduate study, research activity is emphasized. The program helps students develop an area of research specialization and gives them opportunities to work in their chosen area of training: social/developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and brain, body & behavior. In all areas, dissertation supervisors are leaders in the following areas: motor control, visual perception, taste physiology and psychophysics, memory, learning, aggression, emotion, personality and cognition in adulthood and old age, social relations and health, stereotypes, and nonverbal communication.
Currently there are 19 faculty members and 27 graduate students in the Ph.D. degree program. This favorable faculty to student ratio permits graduate training through an apprenticeship system in which students work in close collaboration with one or more faculty members.
Full tuition and a ten month stipend, which is competitive with those offered by other graduate programs, is available and may be renewed for up to five years. Supplemental summer research support, is also available to a limited number of students from faculty research grants.
In addition to the Ph.D. program, Brandeis offers a terminal Master's Program in General Psychology. The M.A. program provides students with an understanding of the scientific foundations of psychology (social, developmental, and cognitive), as well as direct experience in research methods (data collection, data analysis, inferential statistics and experimental design). A limited number of paid research assistantships may be available to qualified candidates in the Master's program. Also, up to 25 percent of tuition costs may be waived, contingent on need. Students may enroll in the Master's Program on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in one year. Students desiring to continue their studies toward the Ph.D. must apply for admission to that program.
The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School apply to candidates for admission to the Ph.D. program. An undergraduate major in psychology is not required. Students with inadequate preparation may make up their deficiencies during their first year but without residence credit. Students are admitted on a competitive basis, which includes evaluation of previous academic records, recommendations, and results of the Graduate Record Examination (Aptitude and Psychology Achievement Tests). All graduate program applications are processed through the Graduate School of Arts and Science.
Please be sure to visit the Faculty & Staff page to see the research interests of individual faculty members and the research areas represented in the department.
Please note that Brandeis does not offer graduate programs in Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology or Linguistics.
Joint Psychology / Women's Studies MA
The Joint Master of Arts in Psychology and Women’s Studies is available to students accepted into the Psychology doctoral program only. The Program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore the study of women and gender from a psychological perspective. The curriculum includes required and elective courses from the Psychology Department’s regular graduate offerings and from a multidisciplinary list of courses included in the Women’s Studies Program. Courses offered as part of the Graduate Consortium in Women’s studies at Radcliffe College are also available to Brandeis students. All graduate students in the various joint Masters programs (i.e. Anthropology, History, etc.) meet together for the Graduate Colloquium Series, a year-long set of lectures, seminars, performances, and exhibitions.
Details about course requirements and other information can be found at the Women's Studies' web site at http://www.brandeis.edu/wgs/gradProgram.html