University Bulletin (2020-2021)

• Minor
• Major (BA)
• Master of Arts
• Doctor of Philosophy

Undergraduate Major

The main objective of the psychology major is to help students develop a solid background in the scientific method and a strong foundation in the fundamentals of psychology, making them highly competitive candidates for postgraduate study and also preparing them to be thoughtful, analytic, and discerning problem solvers. Our pre-clinical psychology training provides all the necessary courses and credentials for admission to PhD programs in clinical psychology. The features of the undergraduate program also make Brandeis psychology graduates especially attractive to employers in the mental health and business professions. Given the broad training in quantitative and research skills, psychology students are sought after in a wide range of professional areas including marketing and consulting, government and public policy, and social and mental health services. Many of our graduates go on to graduate school in law, business, education, medicine, public health, speech pathology, and social work, as well as psychology. Recent psychology majors have gone on to graduate work in clinical, applied, and scientific research areas of the field. Our faculty conduct research in diverse areas that include cognitive neuroscience, normal and abnormal development, social interaction, spatial orientation, perception, memory, emotion, life-span development, and the effects of brain damage.

MA Program in Psychology

The master's degree program leads to a terminal Master of Arts degree in general psychology. The program provides students with an understanding of the scientific foundations of psychology (social, developmental and cognitive), as well as direct research experience (experimental design, data collection, data analysis and research writing). Recent graduates of our master's program have gone on to pursuits such as doctoral programs, research assistants, clinical research coordinators and project managers.

PhD Program in Psychology

The goal of the PhD program is to develop excellent researchers and teachers who will become leaders in psychological science either in academic or applied research settings. Research activity is emphasized from the start of graduate study. The program has an interdisciplinary focus, and it helps students to develop an area of research specialization while providing opportunities to bring various theoretical and methodological perspectives to work in their chosen area of training. Dissertation supervisors are leaders in the field and pursue research in the following: face perception and nonverbal communication; learning and memory; motor control and spatial orientation; neurophysiology of learning and decision making; personality and cognition in adulthood and old age; social, cultural and affective neuroscience; social relations and health physiology; speech comprehension and memory; taste physiology and psychophysics; and visual perception.

Undergraduate Major

What are the biological mechanisms linking psychological stress to physical health? Does a jury’s verdict vary as a function of whether the defendant looks old or young for her age? When we concentrate harder to listen to someone in a noisy environment, is it then harder to remember what he has said? Do vulnerable children sometimes grow to become both bullies and victims? How can an astronaut’s adaptation to the weightlessness of space help older adults maintain their sense of balance and reduce the frequency of falls? Do we pay attention to different aspects of information that we encounter in the world as a function of our cultural background? Through coursework, research involvement, and applied experience, the Department of Psychology offers students the opportunity to explore questions like these. Students develop a strong scientific and research foundation for pursuing whatever aspects of experience and behavior pique their curiosity, and in the process they become thoughtful and discerning problem solvers. The program examines the most up-to-date psychological research and theory and also provides opportunities for direct involvement in clinical, mental-health, business, and educational applications of psychology.

The focus of the department is on basic scientific research and emphasizes a high level of undergraduate involvement. Our faculty conducts research in diverse areas including cognitive science, normal and abnormal development, social interaction, health and well-being, spatial orientation, sensation, perception, memory, emotion, life-span development and aging, and the effects of brain damage. Students can start to work on projects with psychology faculty as early as sophomore year and can obtain research and/or applied experience via: (1) informal volunteer work in a laboratory or professional setting; (2) registration in a formal course taught by a specific professor; or (3) an independent research project or honors thesis, some of which are funded by department grants. Psychology majors also study varied aspects of both basic and applied areas of the field. The two-semester clinical psychology practicum enables students to obtain supervised experience in actively helping roles as volunteers and assistants in social service, educational, and mental-health programs.

Knowledge

1. Acquire a broad overview of the philosophical origins and historical development of psychology as a science.
2. Understand the basic concepts that characterize psychology as a field of scientific inquiry and appreciate the various subfields of the discipline that range from personality to cognitive neuroscience.
3. Understand the overlap of psychological concepts and methods with diverse academic disciplines and professions spanning the reductionist continuum from the humanities to the physical sciences.
4. Become familiar with the range of methods used to investigate behavior and experience.
5. Develop an understanding and an appreciation of how learning and biology jointly shape behavior and experience.
6. Understand the neural, developmental, social, and environmental bases of diversity among individuals.
7. Develop competence in reading and evaluating original scientific papers.
8. Become familiar with the basic concepts of statistics and develop skills for evaluating information from a statistical perspective and for using various statistical computer programs (e.g., SPSS, SAS, Excel) to analyze data.
9. Apply behavioral/psychological mechanisms and principles to the understanding of everyday problems.
10. Develop an awareness of the parameters, principles, and importance of ethical conduct in researching behavior and in applying our understanding to everyday problems.

Core Skills

1. Objectively observe and think critically about the world, including the behavior of self and others, the ethical conduct of scientific research, and the application of our understanding to everyday experience.
2. Read and write about research articles accurately, abstract their essential ideas, and understand their implications and limitations.
3. Acquire competence in interpreting graphical data to understand what is being compared/manipulated (independent variables) and what is being measured (dependent variables).
4. Develop skills to critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in the professional literature and in the popular media.
5. Design and conduct empirical research, including critical analysis of relevant literature, formulation of a testable hypothesis, design of valid and reliable data collection methods, application of appropriate statistical analysis and interpretation of findings, and the written and oral communication of findings.
6. Generate applications of theory and empirical research to personal experience and community problem-solving.
7. Achieve decision-making competence by applying the methods and quantitative reasoning of psychology to critical life choices.
8. Through participation in collaborative research projects, acquire effective skills of working with others in joint ventures.

Social Justice / Graduation Goals

1. Translate learning about theoretical, empirical, and applied findings into an appreciation of the everyday experience of self and others.
2. Become familiar with the basic measurement and statistical tools that are essential for applying research to everyday life and for optimizing positive outcomes for both society and the individual.
3. Understand and abide by the ethics of psychology, including the recognition of and respect for socio-cultural complexity and international diversity.
4. Develop realistic ideas about how to pursue careers in psychology and related fields like law, medicine, and business.

Graduate Program in Psychology

Master of Arts in Psychology

1. Understand the basic concepts that characterize psychology as a field of scientific inquiry and appreciate the various subfields of the discipline that range from personality to cognitive neuroscience.
2. Develop an understanding and an appreciation of how learning and biology jointly shape behavior and experience.
3. Sharpen critical thinking skills in the ability to read and evaluate original scientific literature, and to think critically about the range of methods used to investigate behavior and experience.
4. Understand key concepts of hypothesis testing and inferential statistics; learn to conduct and interpret the results from statistical tests run in various statistical computer programs, including R and IBM SPSS (with optional SAS and Matlab).
5. Design and conduct empirical research, including critical analysis of relevant literature, formulation of a testable hypothesis, design of valid and reliable data collection methods, application of appropriate statistical analysis and interpretation of findings, and the written and oral communication of findings.
6. Develop an awareness of the parameters, principles, and importance of ethical conduct in researching behavior, including the recognition of and respect for socio- cultural complexity and international diversity.

Graduate Outcomes

1. Recent graduates of our master's program have gone on to pursuits such as doctoral programs, research assistants, clinical research coordinators and project managers.
2. Develop realistic ideas and plans about how to pursue careers in psychology and related fields like law, medicine, and business.

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

1. Understand the basic concepts that characterize psychology as a field of scientific inquiry and appreciate the various subfields of the discipline that range from personality to cognitive neuroscience.
2. Sharpen critical thinking skills in the ability to read and evaluate original scientific literature, and to think critically about the range of methods used to investigate behavior and experience.
3. Understand key concepts of hypothesis testing and inferential statistics; learn to conduct and interpret the results from statistical tests run in various statistical computer programs (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS, Matlab).
4. Design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate a significant body of original empirical research that advances a specific field of study in the psychological sciences. This includes conveying research ideas and findings in both written (e.g., manuscripts, grant proposals) and oral (e.g., talks, posters) presentations.
5. Be able to teach and promote ideas in the field of psychological sciences.
6. Develop an awareness of the parameters, principles, and importance of ethical conduct in researching behavior, including the recognition of and respect for socio- cultural complexity and international diversity.

Graduate Outcomes

1. Dissertation and Job Placements
2. Develop realistic ideas and plans about how to pursue diverse careers in psychology and related fields like law, medicine, and business

Students can declare their major at any time, but most do so in their sophomore year. Special programs are held by the department and UDRs each fall to provide information for potential majors. Students ready to declare should review the Requirements for the Undergraduate Major and consult with the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Head. Each declared psychology major is assigned a faculty adviser from whom detailed advice about courses or career plans can be obtained.

Students are encouraged to start the major by taking PSYC 10a (Introduction to Psychology), no later than the sophomore year, because this is a prerequisite for most other courses. We strongly encourage majors to take PSYC 51a (Statistics) and PSYC 52a (Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology) in their sophomore year and no later than their junior year, because many of the advanced seminars require these two courses as prerequisites. PSYC 52a requires advance registration with the department approximately a week prior to the university’s early registration period. The advance registration period and procedure are announced to majors and in Psychology classes.

A seniors honors thesis (PSYC 99d) or another independent research course (e.g., PSYC 93a) is strongly recommended for those interested in pursuing graduate training in clinical psychology. We encourage students who wish to do senior honors research to get involved in a faculty laboratory as early as possible. More information about the honors program is available on the psychology department’s website.

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as specified in an earlier section of this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to this area of study.

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, previous research experience, and results of the Graduate Record Examination (general test required, psychology test recommended). Applicants are encouraged to make contact with faculty members of interest before applying to the program.

The Department of Psychology's doctoral program leads to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Training for all PhD students focuses on Brain, Body, and Behavior Across the Lifespan. Students may apply for appointment to a departmental Brain, Body and Behavior training grant that provides an augmented biomedical perspective on their chosen area of psychology. Selection for the training grant is competitive, but even those not appointed have the option for the augmented Brain, Body and Behavior training.

Individuals who are members of historically under-represented groups and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Brandeis University is committed to non-discrimination. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences admission website is accessible to users with screen readers and other assistive devices. Graduate student support policies and resources are posted on this website www.brandeis.edu/acserv/disabilities/graduatestudents.html.

Donald Katz, Chair
Neural dynamics of gustatory perception and learning.

Joseph Cunningham, Undergraduate Advising Head 
Emotional development and nonverbal communication. Clinical psychology.

Paul DiZio
Human spatial orientation and motor control.

Angela Gutchess
Aging. Culture. Memory.

Jennifer Gutsell
Social and affective neuroscience.

Shantanu Jadhav
Neurophysiology of learning and decision making.

Raymond Knight
Clinical psychology. Experimental and developmental psychopathology.

Margie Lachman
Life-span development and aging. Adult personality and cognition.

James Lackner
Spatial orientation. Human movement control. Adaptation to unusual force environments.

Xiaodong Liu
Multivariate statistics. Educational evaluation and measurement.

Robert Sekuler
Visual perception. Cognitive processes.

Hannah R. Snyder
Cognitive control processes; adolescent development; developmental psychopathology.

Arthur Wingfield
Human memory.

Ellen J. Wright, Undergraduate Advising Head (on leave spring 2021)
Gender and developmental differences in and risks and protective factors for depression and anxiety; emotion regulation, self-focused attention, rumination and reflection; coping, and development.

Jutta Wolf
Health psychology. Psychoneuroimmunology.

Leslie Zebrowitz
Social psychology. Person perception and aging.

Affiliated Faculty (contributing to the curriculum, advising and administration of the department or program)
Richard Alterman (Computer Science)
Susan Birren (Biology)
Jerry Samet (Philosophy)

Five semester courses are required, including the following:

1. PSYC 10a (Introduction to Psychology)

2. PSYC 51a (Statistics), or an equivalent course, as listed under item C. of Requirements for the Undergraduate Major

3. PSYC 52a (Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology)

4. Two elective courses. These electives may be any combination of Group I or Group II courses, or advanced seminars, as listed under sections B. and E. respectively of Requirements for the Undergraduate Major

5. All courses must be passed with a grade of C- or better, and no course taken pass/fail may be applied towards the minor.

Only one course taken outside of the Brandeis Department of Psychology may be applied toward the minor, including PSYC 51a equivalent courses. Permissible extra-departmental options include one Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) course credit, one transfer credit from another university (with prior approval) or one Brandeis cross-listed course.

1. PSYC 10a (Introduction to Psychology).
2. Four content courses: two from Group I and two from Group II:
   
   Group I:  Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience
   NPSY 11b (Behavioral Neuroscience), NPSY 12a (Perception), PSYC 15a (Biological Bases of Motivation), NPSY 16a (Motor Control), NPSY 17a (Hand and Brain), NPSY 22b (Cognitive Neuroscience), NPSY 28a (Learning and Memory), NBIO 45a (The Cognitive and Neurobiological Basis of Memory), NBIO 140b (Principles of Neuroscience), or NPSY 199a (Human Neuropsychology).
   
   Group II: Social and Developmental
   PSYC 31a (Personality), PSYC 32a (Abnormal Psychology), PSYC 33a (Developmental Psychology), PSYC 34b (Social Psychology), PSYC 36b (Adolescence and Transition to Maturity), PSYC 37a (Adult Development and Aging), or PSYC 38a (Health Psychology).
3. One Quantitative Course, PSYC 51a (Statistics), MATH 36b (Mathematical Statistics), ECON 83a (Statistics for Economic Analysis), or BIOL 51a (Biostatistics) may be taken in place of PSYC 51a.
4. Two Research Science Courses. All students must take PSYC 52a (Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology). The second course may be selected from any of the following advanced research courses in the Psychology department (cross-listed courses do not apply): PSYC 93a (Independent Research in Psychological Sciences), PSYC 99d (Senior Research in Psychology), or by double-counting one of the following research intensive advanced seminars toward both this Research Science Requirement (D) and the Advanced Seminar Requirement (E). Students may alternately apply a basic science course toward this requirement: CHEM 11a, 11b, CHEM 15a, 15b; PHYS 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b and 15a, 15b; BIOL 14a, 15b or 16a (the corresponding lab is not required for these chemistry, physics or biology courses). Advanced Seminars that are designated Research Intensive include: NPSY 120b, PSYC 130b, PSYC 136b, NPSY 139a, NPSY 141a, PSYC 142a, NPSY 154a, PSYC 155a, PSYC 157a, PSYC 160b, PSYC 169b, NPSY 174b, NPSY 180a, and NPSY 196b.
5. Two Advanced Seminars from among: NPSY 120b, PSYC 130b, PSYC 135b, NPSY 139a, PSYC 140a, NPSY 141a, PSYC 142a, PSYC 148a, PSYC 150b, NPSY 154a, PSYC 155a, PSYC 160b, PSYC 161a and b (combined), PSYC 169b, NPSY 174b, NPSY 180a, NSPY 182a, PSYC 184a, PSYC 193b, NPSY 196b, NPSY 197a, or one approved cross-listed course. (Note: PSYC 161a and 161b, Clinical Psychology Practicum I and II, count only as one course in meeting this requirement)
6. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Psychology major, students must:
   • Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: PSYC 52a, PSYC 52aj, PSYC 160b.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: PSYC 36b or NPSY 174b.
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing: PSYC 51a.
7. Whatever the complement of courses used to satisfy the requirements, a student must complete at least 7 PSYC or NPSY courses, with a maximum of 5 transfer and/or AP courses applied. All courses that count toward the major must have a grade of C- or better. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.

A maximum of two AP exams with acceptable scores in the following subjects can be used toward the requirements for the psychology major: biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. AP Statistics credit cannot be applied, though a student with a score of 5 may petition to take an advanced statistics course in lieu of PSYC 51a.

The Department of Psychology offers a terminal master of arts degree program in general psychology. The MA program provides students with an understanding of the scientific foundations of psychology, as well as direct experience in research methods. The program provides excellent preparation for further training in clinical and in other areas of psychology to be pursued at other institutions. Students may enroll in the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in one year. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student (additional fees apply after the first academic year). Students desiring to continue their studies toward the PhD must apply for admission to that program. Please note that application to and acceptance into the MA program and application to and acceptance into the PhD program are separate and independent of each other.

Course Requirements

Successful completion of eight courses is required for the degree. Students are required to take two semesters of advanced psychological statistics (PSYC 210a and PSYC 210b), one semester of research methodology (PSYC 211a), and the master's project readings course (PSYC 250b) that culminates in a master’s thesis involving an empirical research project or a comprehensive literature review with a research proposal. In consultation with their advisor, students must choose a second reader for their MA project from within the Psychology Department, and must submit a written thesis proposal. The final written thesis must be completed and submitted to the advisor and second reader one month prior to the Graduate School’s deposit deadline. After final approval, the master’s thesis must be deposited electronically to the Robert D. Farber University Archives at Brandeis. For deposit deadlines, please refer to the academic calendar.

To complete the eight course requirement, students choose four 100-level or higher electives. Students are also strongly encouraged to register for and attend PSYC 316a (Psychology Research Seminar) both semesters. Additionally, Master’s students are expected to complete a Division of Science mini-course and CITI Training, typically offered in January before the start of classes with dates TBD. See our website for a full list of Master's degree requirements.

Interested students must first be admitted to the PhD program.

1. PSYC 210a and b (Advanced Psychological Statistics I and II).

2. PSYC 211a (Graduate Research Methods in Psychology).

3. PSYC 300a and 302a (Proseminar in Brain, Body and Behavior I and II).

4. Two courses numbered from PSYC 220-PSYC 240 series with successful completion of first-year research project, reported in APA manuscript format. This project must be on an issue relevant to women's, gender, and sexuality studies, will be read, and must be accepted by two faculty members from the psychology department, one of whom should be a member of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies core or affiliate faculty. If neither faculty member is associated with Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, then a third faculty member from the women's and gender studies program must be included on the review committee. This paper will serve as the master's research paper.

5. WGS 208a, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Research Seminar or an alternate.

6. One additional course from 100-level courses in psychology.

7. WGS 205a or another designated graduate foundational course in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

8. Two elective courses in women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

Program of Study

There is a three-year minimum residency requirement, though five years of full-time graduate study are usually required for the PhD degree. Students are expected to carry four courses per term during residency, including required research courses and seminar series. In addition, students are required to register for and attend the Psychology Research Seminar (PSYC 316a) until they graduate. Students have the option of customizing their curriculum to meet the requirements of our Brain, Body, and Behavior training track, described below. See our website for full details about the PhD program, including checklists of research, course and teaching requirements.

Research

Each student shall devote one-quarter to one half of their time to research during the first two years and three-quarter time to research during the third year. For all subsequent terms, students shall devote full time to research.

Research Reports

First year research project

First year students will work on a first year research project under the supervision of their primary advisor. The first year research proposal is due to the advisor and an outside reader on the last day of the first semester final exam period, and the signed form indicating proposal acceptance is due January 31st of the first year; a final report on this research in journal form is due by August 31st of the second year, and the signed acceptance form is due September 30th. Satisfactory completion of the research project is required for continuation in the program. Students who have satisfactorily completed the research requirements will be permitted to continue their work toward the doctorate degree with no formal requirement of a master's degree.

Second year lab rotation report

Second year students will complete a laboratory rotation, normally for the fall semester. Detailed guidelines about the purpose and requirements of the rotation are provided under the Lab Rotation Guidelines link of the Psychology Department web page for PhD requirements. Students initiate the process by submitting their proposed rotation lab and goals with the other progress/planning materials they provide for the spring graduate review meeting (usually during spring finals week). Students doing fall rotations must submit a report for approval to their primary advisor and their rotation advisor by January 15th of the second year. (In some cases, the second year rotation may be postponed until the second semester, in which case the statement of goals will be due by January 15th of the second year and the final report on the first day of classes in the third year.

National Research Service Award (NRSA) Proposal

Second year students will prepare an NRSA proposal that builds on their first year research project and their second year lab rotation to develop a proposed program of research and training. The proposal must be submitted for approval to their primary advisor and their lab rotation advisor by the last day of finals in their 4th semester with the goal of submitting a final proposal by the August National Institutes of Health deadline. For more information about the NRSA, see grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2012/nihgps_ch11.htm.

Course Requirements

Entering PhD students will take Advanced Psychological Statistics I (PSYC 210a), Graduate Research Methods (PSYC 211a) and one elective course in the first term of residence. In the second term, first-year students will take Advanced Psychological Statistics II (PSYC 210b), a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior (PSYC 300a or 302a), and complete an ethics mini-course and online training (CITI). This non-credit course on ethics must be repeated in the 5th year for students on NIH fellowships. In the second year, students will take two elective courses in the first term and one elective plus the other Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior (PSYC 300a or 302a) and PSYC 250a for their NRSA proposal preparation in the second term. One elective course is required each term in the third year. One of the aforementioned six elective courses must be an advanced methods course or a third statistics course (in addition to PSYC 210a and PSYC 210b). These six graduate-level elective seminars must not be independent readings or research courses. Only those 100-level courses that have been approved by the psychology program will count. Students should select seminars from the approved list in consultation with their advisor. Graduate-level courses in other departments or universities may satisfy Psychology requirements if selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.

Students are required to register for and attend the Psychology Research Seminar (PSYC 316a) until their dissertation is defended. However, although they are strongly encouraged to attend as many as they are able, once their dissertation proposal is defended students are only required to attend ten (10) seminars throughout the academic year. Students are required to make a presentation of their research once per year until they graduate, with the exception that students do not have to present in the semester they are scheduled to defend their dissertation. Exceptions can also be made for advanced students with permission of the head of the graduate program.

In addition to the courses described in the preceding paragraphs, students are required to take one research course each semester from the PSYC 200a-245a series taught by their primary advisor until their dissertation proposal has been approved, after which they must register for PSYC 400d. In the first semester of year 2, students should additionally register for an independent research course using the course number assigned to their lab rotation advisor.

Brain, Body, and Behavior Training in Psychology

Students have the option to follow this curriculum, described below, which provides an emphasis on the interface of psychology and biomedical sciences. The BBB track is supported, in part, by a training grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32-GM084907-09). Students who apply successfully for appointment to the Brain, Body, and Behavior training grant must follow the curriculum, but all students are welcome to follow it. Each student will be required to follow all program requirements described above, and, within these constraints, must complete an augmented interdisciplinary, biomedical curriculum that encompasses coursework and research:

Brain, Body, and Behavior Research Requirement

The requirement can be satisfied in one of three ways: 1) conduct one of the required PhD research projects with dual research mentors in a biomedical laboratory as well as in a psychological laboratory or 2) with a single mentor whose work inherently integrates the two disciplines, or 3) complete a rotation (required for all PhD students) in a biomedical laboratory. The student's plan must be approved by the Director of the Brain, Body and Behavior training program and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Brain, Body, and Behavior Course Requirement

The Brain, Body and Behavior course requirements are two content courses that satisfy the biomedical breadth requirements (the list of approved courses is updated annually). Courses taken to satisfy the biomedical breadth requirement can double count for the advanced elective core PhD requirements. Brain, Body and Behavior students may attend an approved biomedical seminar, colloquium or journal club in place of one of the biomedical elective courses. Detailed information about approved BBB courses and colloquia is available on the Department of Psychology website.

Breadth Requirement

All PhD students must demonstrate breadth in the field of psychology. This breadth requirement is fulfilled by demonstrating competence in at least six of the nine areas listed below. The requirements may be satisfied in any of three ways:

1. By having completed an undergraduate or graduate course in that area (equivalent to Brandeis 100-level or above).

2. By completing an undergraduate or graduate course offered in that area at Brandeis (100-level or above).

3. By successfully passing the equivalent of any undergraduate final examination for that course.

Of the six courses, a minimum of two must be taken from areas in Group A, a minimum of two from areas in Group B and, for BBB students, a minimum of two from areas in Group C.

Group A

1. Physiological/Sensory Processes

2. Perception

3. Learning/Comparative

4. Cognition/Memory

5. Cognitive Science/Linguistics

Group B

1. Developmental

2. Social

3. Personality

4. Abnormal

Group C (BBB Students)

1. Brain Imaging

2. Behavioral Genomics

3. Computational Modeling

4. Biomechanics

5. System Control Theory

6. Principles of Neuroscience

7. Non-linear Dynamics

8. Genetics: Cellular & Molecular

9. Developmental Biology

10. Genetics & Human Heredity

11. Human Disease

12. Other Approved Topic

Current Brandeis graduate level courses that satisfy this BBB breadth requirement are listed on the Department of Psychology website.

All students must complete the Breadth Requirement From before submitting their dissertation proposal, usually in the third year. The form can be found on the Psychology Department’s Forms for Current Students page.

Teaching Fellow Requirement

As an integral part of the graduate training program, all students are normally required to serve as teaching fellows six (6) times according to the following schedule: once during the second semester of year 1; once during both semesters of years 2 and 3; and once during year 4. Students who are on the BBB grant for two years are eligible for two teaching waivers, one during year two and one during year 3. There is some flexibility if situations arise, and students should consult with their advisors and department head in this regard. All teaching fellows work closely with course instructors and receive guidance in all aspects of course preparation, teaching, and grading. Through exposure to different professors' styles, varied course formats, and presentations on teaching skills throughout their graduate training, teaching fellows come away with a wide range of experiences, providing them with invaluable preparation for academic positions. The workload varies according to the course and the time of the semester, but will average no more than 10 hours per week.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement.

Dissertation and Defense

Overview. Following the completion of the required pre-doctoral research reports, the student will prepare a prospectus of the proposed dissertation study including the student’s preliminary research and a review of relevant research in consultation with a faculty dissertation advisor, as well as a research proposal that includes a detailed description of methods and a brief description of planned analyses.

Dissertation Proposal Defense. The Dissertation Proposal must be submitted by January 15th of the student’s third year. An oral examination of the Dissertation Proposal must be successfully completed by May 31st of the third year, at the latest. The written Dissertation Proposal and its oral defense must be approved by a committee of three Brandeis Psychology faculty members selected in advance by the student in consultation with his/her research mentor(s) and formally appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies. An additional committee member from outside the department or university will also be appointed either to participate at this stage of proposal approval or later in the process, as deemed appropriate by the Brandeis committee members. The dissertation advisor will serve as chair of the committee and will be responsible for advising the student throughout the performance of his or her work, in consultation with the remaining members of the committee, and annually reviewing progress of the work and reporting to the program faculty. The proposed dissertation should provide evidence of originality, scholarship, and research ability. It should be a contribution to knowledge, ordinarily an experimental investigation, but not necessarily so.

Dissertation Committee Meeting. Students must meet with their dissertation committees during year four in anticipation of defending in year five. This will be formally required for students starting in the fall 2020.

Statistics Defense. The student must submit a written version of the Introduction, Methods and Results at least two weeks prior to a scheduled Statistics Defense meeting with the committee. At that meeting, the committee will discuss with the student the adequacy of the student's data analysis and/or modeling. The committee member from outside the department does not typically participate at this meeting, but may do so if his or her statistical or modeling expertise is deemed critical. After the Statistics Defense, the student will complete a summary of any additional analyses and edits to the Results section deemed necessary. Committee members will indicate their approval of this summary by signing a document indicating that the student has successfully completed the Statistics Defense. This document can be found on the Psychology Department’s Forms for Current Students page. After the mentor has verified that the agreed-upon edits to the Results section have been incorporated into the final version of the dissertation, the final defense may be scheduled.

Dissertation Defense. The final dissertation must be submitted to the committee, including the outside member, at least one month in advance of the scheduled Dissertation Defense unless the committee members all agree to a shorter lead time. The committee members must all approve the dissertation as eligible for a defense at least two weeks before the scheduled defense, at which time the dissertation must be deposited in the program office, where it will be available for inspection by all interested members of the faculty for at least two weeks prior to the final oral examination. After the Dissertation Defense, signatures of approval by all members of the dissertation committee, attesting both an acceptable written dissertation and a successful oral defense of the dissertation must be provided to the Department Chair together with a copy of the dissertation. The Chair will then recommended to the Faculty Council of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences award of the Ph.D. degree to the student.

Students in the PhD program may petition for a nonterminal master’s degree upon completion of the following requirements: (1) one-year minimum residency, (2) acceptable master’s thesis (an acceptable first-year research report for social developmental students or an acceptable third report for cognitive neuroscience students will count as a master’s thesis), and (3) completed breadth requirements.

NPSY 11b Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.
Data and theories regarding current conceptions of brain-behavior relationships. Begins with an introduction to neural systems as classically defined (sensory, association, motor, autonomic), and moves on to examination of the biological underpinnings of various behaviors, from those relating to basic drives (reproduction, feeding) to those with a cognitive flavor. Throughout, the accent is on interactions between organisms and environment (learning). Usually offered every year.
Donald Katz

NPSY 12a Perception: Human, Animal, and Machine
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.
Examines the human senses, emphasizing sight and hearing, studied from standpoints of anatomy, physiology, and psychophysics. Insights from the study of special observers, including developmentally immature humans, members of nonhuman species, and people with abnormal sensory systems. Usually offered every year.
Robert Sekuler

NPSY 16a Motor Control
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or equivalents, and at least sophomore standing, or permission of the instructor.
Surveys control of vertebrate posture and movement from various perspectives including muscle properties, reflex organization, central pattern generation, spatial representations, learning, and development. Emphasizes research in physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and computational theory. Usually offered every second year.
Paul DiZio

NPSY 17a Hand and Brain
[ sn ss ]
Enrollment limited to neuroscience and psychology majors with a minimum of 3.3. GPA, or with permission of the instructor.
The specialized developments of the human hand and the parallel developments of the brain, tool use, sign language, and language acquisition are discussed. The control of voluntary movements is a key focus. Includes laboratory demonstrations. Usually offered every year.
James Lackner

NPSY 22b Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.
This course explores how the human brain makes the human mind. It covers neural and behavioral dimensions of attention, memory and learning, perception, motor control, plasticity and planning. Experimental approaches and neuroimaging are emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Robert Sekuler

NPSY 28a Learning and Memory
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a or permission of the instructor.
Introduces the study of learning and memory. The course will survey various types of memory (e.g., explicit memory, implicit memory, conditioning, short-term/working memory), including strategies, mechanisms, and brain systems. It will encompass disorders and applied aspects of memory. Usually offered every second year.
Angela Gutchess

NPSY 64a Reactivity and Resilience: Links between Stress and Internalizing Disorders
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 52a, BIOL 51a, or BIOL 107a, or permission of the instructor.
Stress is a strong predictor of depression and anxiety symptoms. This research-intensive course investigates their cognitive and neurobiological links through reading and discussion of peer-reviewed articles. Clinical intervention and public health perspectives will be discussed. Special one-time offering, fall 2020.
Alyssa Fassett-Carman

PSYC 2a Psychological and Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Health
[ ss ]
Does not meet the requirements for the major in psychology.
Surveys topics in psychology, sociology, and anthropology, with the aims of offering pre-health and pre-clinical psychology students topical knowledge and analytic competencies required for broad, liberal arts problem-solving, modern medical school and clinical psychology curricula and entrance exams. Usually offered every semester.
Ellen Wright

PSYC 10a Introduction to Psychology
[ ss ]
Formerly offered as PSYC 1a. PSYC 10a is the introductory course for Psychology majors and is a prerequisite for most other courses in the major. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 1a in prior years.
A survey of contemporary psychology. Topics include brain and behavior, perception, memory, learning, cognitive processes, plasticity, intelligence, child and adult development, personality, social behavior, and the relationship between normal and abnormal behavior. Usually offered every semester.
Angela Gutchess and Ellen Wright

PSYC 15a Biological Bases of Motivation
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a.
Topics include hunger, thirst, migration, and sexual behavior. Evidence from biology, neurophysiology, and endocrinology is evaluated. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 31a Personality
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
Covers major personality theories and related research. Emphasis will be on application of theory, issues in personality assessment, and personality development across the life span. Usually offered every second year.
Margie Lachman and Ellen Wright

PSYC 32a Abnormal Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
A general introduction to psychopathology. Various theoretical models will be discussed. The techniques and findings of research, clinical, and experimental will be emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Raymond Knight and Ellen Wright

PSYC 33a Developmental Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
An examination of normal child development from conception through adolescence. Course will focus on theoretical issues and processes of development with an emphasis on how biological and environmental influences interact. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 34b Social Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
An introduction to theory and research on the psychological processes that relate the individual to the larger social world in terms of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Topics include attitudes, social perception, prejudice and discrimination, attraction, behavior in groups, and the role of culture. Usually offered every year.
Jennifer Gutsell

PSYC 36b Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity
[ oc ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
Examines the core issues (identity, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, etc.) that define development during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. Heavy emphasis is placed on integrating research and theory in understanding adolescence and young adulthood. Usually offered every year.
Ellen Wright

PSYC 37a The Psychology of Adult Development and Aging
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
Describes the sensory, cognitive, personality, health, and social changes that occur during early, middle, and later adulthood. Emphasis is on pathways to successful development and healthy aging in the context of a shifting balance of gains and losses in psychological and physical functioning. Usually offered every year.
Margie Lachman

PSYC 38a Health Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
An examination of the social and psychological factors important for well-being, physical health, and effective medical care. Psychological perspectives are applied to such topics as health promotion and compromise, the stress-illness relationship, social relations, chronic illness, death and dying, and health care provider and patient interactions. Usually offered every year.
Jutta Wolf

PSYC 51a Statistics
[ dl qr ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or the permission of the instructor. This course normally should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
Covers the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics. Techniques useful in the behavioral sciences will be emphasized. Students learn the theory of statistical decisions, practical application of statistical software, and how to analyze journal articles. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

PSYC 51aj Statistics
[ qr ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or the permission of the instructor.
Covers the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics. Techniques useful in the behavioral sciences will be emphasized. Students learn the theory of statistical decisions, practical application of statistical software, and how to analyze journal articles. Offered as part of JBS program.
Staff

PSYC 52a Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
[ qr ss wi ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a. In order to pre-enroll in this course, students must consult with the department one semester before anticipated enrollment. This course normally should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Usually offered every semester.
Ellen Wright and Staff

PSYC 52aj Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
[ qr ss wi ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a. Corequisite: PSYC 51aj.
The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Offered as part of JBS program.
Staff

PSYC 78b The Psychology of Prejudice
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or permission of the instructor.
Prejudice is everywhere. This class is intended to help you understand why. We will be reading decades of psychological literature illuminating the roots of prejudice, its many forms and how it may be stopped. Moreover, we will learn to use scientific evidence to inform our understanding of human interaction, create experiments of our own, and even study ourselves in a class-wide research project. Usually offered every second year.
Jennifer Gutsell

PSYC 80a Exploring Sleep: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 52a.
Takes an interdisciplinary approach to understand sleep, examining scientific research that explores different theories about why humans sleep, what happens to the body and brain during sleep, and ways that sleep can be improved. Special one-time offering, fall 2019.
Alycia Bisson

PSYC 92a Internship and Analysis in Psychology
Provides an opportunity for the student to supplement an off-campus internship experience with a related academic project. The specific requirements of the research component are negotiated by the student and the sponsoring faculty member. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 93a Independent Research in Psychological Sciences
Supervised research experience in a psychology laboratory environment, culminating in a research proposal or report. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 98a Readings in Psychological Literature
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 98b Readings in Psychological Literature
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 99d Senior Research
Usually offered every year.
Staff

NPSY 120b Human Space Flight: Physics, Physiology, and Behavior
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PHYS 10a.
Topics include how orbital flight is achieved, spacecraft life support systems, circulatory dynamics, sensory-motor control and vestibular function in free fall, the physiological and psychological adaptations necessary in space flight, and how astronauts must readapt on return to Earth. Usually offered every year.
James Lackner

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, NPSY 28a, or NBIO 140b.
Explores the nature and organization of memory in the brain. Readings from primary literature will give a deeper understanding of how the brain orchestrates memory, and the role of memory in learning, behavior and cognition. Usually offered every third year.
Shantanu Jadhav

NPSY 141a Stress, Physiology, and Health
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NBIO 146a, PSYC 38a, or NPSY 199a.
About a third of all diseases in western society are related to stress. The study of psychosocial determinants of health is a growing field, in which biological and psychological research is combined to understand pathways between CNS processes and health. We will study these processes in this course. Usually offered every year.
Staff

NPSY 154a Human Memory
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or NBIO 140b, or permission of the instructor.
Presents a systematic analysis of memory research and theory. The seminar will emphasize current research employing cognitive neuroscience methods, such as fMRI. Usually offered every second year.
Angela Gutchess

NPSY 174b Visual Cognition
[ oc sn ss ]
Explores complex processes of visual perception. Topics include art and visual perception, visual perception by machines, visual imagery in everyday life, visual basis of reading, visual search, perceptual learning, computational models of visual perception, and face recognition. Usually offered every second year.
Robert Sekuler

NPSY 180a Social Neuroscience and Culture
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 51a, and 52a, or NBIO 140a, or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 213a in prior years. Formerly offered as PSYC 180a.
Introduces empirical research on a breadth of social neuroscience topics-- including the self, stereotyping, and moral reasoning--with a more focused coverage of culture. Emphasis will be placed on literature comparing Eastern and Western cultures. Usually offered every second year.
Angela Gutchess

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a or NPSY 11b and either PSYC 33a or NPSY 22b or permission of the instructor.
Current research and methods in developmental cognitive neuroscience are surveyed through analysis of journal articles on language, memory, attention, executive functions, and social cognition. Infancy through adolescence are covered in both typically and atypically (Autism, ADHD, etc.) developing populations. Usually offered every second year.
Hannah Snyder

NPSY 196b Advanced Topics in Cognition
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 52a, NBIO 140b, or NPSY 199a.
This seminar covers current issues and research in memory, speech perception, and language comprehension. Emphasis will be placed on the current literature in the field. Usually offered every second year.
Angela Gutchess

NPSY 197a Advanced Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisites: NPSY 11b and NBIO 140b or permission of the instructor.
Covers current research and issues pertaining to the neurobiology of perception (focusing mainly but not exclusively on perception of chemosensory signals) as well as the neurobiology of simple learning. Usually offered every year.
Donald Katz

NPSY 199a Human Neuropsychology
[ sn ss ]
Prerequisite: Psych 10a or Math 10a and at least sophomore standing.
Designed as an introduction to human neuropsychology. Topics include cerebral dominance, neuroanatomical mapping, and localization of function, with special reference to language, memory, and related cognitive function. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 126a Pathways and Mechanisms Linking Emotions to Mental and Physical Health
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
Emotions are associated with mental and physical healthy and disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cardiovascular disease. This course surveys concepts of emotion and the physiological processes linking emotions to health, emphasizing stress as a mediator. Usually offered every fourth year.
Sarah Lupis

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, PSYC 51a, and PSYC 52a, plus one of the following: PSYC 31a, PSYC 33a, PSYC 36b or PSYC 37a, or permission of the instructor.
Seminar on advanced topics in life span developmental theory and methodology. Substantive emphasis will be on cognitive, personality, social, and physical changes that occur in early adulthood and midlife. Usually offered every second year.
Margie Lachman

PSYC 136b Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 33a and 52a and permission of the instructor. Juniors and seniors have priority for enrollment. Although topics vary from year to year, the course may NOT be repeated for credit.
Provides students with detailed information about theories and special topics of research in developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.
Joseph Cunningham

PSYC 140a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Applications
[ qr ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 51a. Some introductory statistics experience will be helpful but not required. No prior SAS experience is required.
Designed for those who are interested in learning to use SAS. By using actual examples (data), students will have a hands-on experience using SAS for data management, data report, descriptive statistics, graphics, and some inferential statistics. Usually offered every year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 148a Applied Statistical Computing in R
[ qr ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 51a or equivalent.
Designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates who like to learn the R statistical programming package, further their understanding of statistical modeling and its application in applied and academic research, use R to make the connection between statistical concepts, modeling, and their implementation, and use R to document their research process and enhance its reproducibility. Usually offered every second year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 150b Organizational Behavior
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, PSYC 51a, and PSYC 52a. May not be taken for credit by student who take BUS 120a. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Covers the fundamentals of industrial/organizational psychology, including the topics of leadership, work motivation, organizational culture, organizational structure, group dynamics, perception, decision making, and cross-cultural interaction. Assignments include group project analysis of real organizational dilemma using concepts covered in class. Usually offered every year.
Andrew Molinsky

PSYC 155a Interpersonal Sensitivity
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 51a and PSYC 52a or the equivalent.
Discusses social psychological and neuroscience research on how we understand, share and respond to the inner states of others. Implications for prosocial behavior and morality will be addressed. The focus is on interactive discussions and critical thinking about research findings. Usually offered every year.
Jennifer Gutsell

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ ss wi ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, 51a, 52a or permission of the instructor.
Considers research evidence bearing on sex differences in the cognitive domain and in the social domain, evaluating this evidence in light of biological, cultural, and social-cognitive theories as well as methodological issues. Usually offered every year.
Ellen Wright

PSYC 161a Clinical Psychology Practicum I
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 31a or 32a, and permission of the instructor. Students must enroll in this course in order to enroll in PSYC 161b and should enroll in this course only if they intend to enroll in PSYC 161b in the spring semester.
In conjunction with PSYC 161b, provides intensive supervised experience in mental health intervention. Students serve in helping roles as volunteers for eight hours a week in social service and mental health programs. They relate their experience to empirical and literary readings within the context of group supervision in weekly seminars. Usually offered every year.
Joseph Cunningham

PSYC 161b Clinical Psychology Practicum II
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Students may enroll in the course only if they have completed PSYC 161a in the previous semester.
In conjunction with PSYC 161a, provides intensive supervised experience in mental health intervention. Students serve in helping roles as volunteers for eight hours a week in social service and mental health programs. They relate their experience to empirical and literary readings within the context of group supervision in weekly seminars. Usually offered every year.
Joseph Cunningham

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 33a, and permission of the instructor. Seniors and juniors have priority for admission.
Issues of theory, research, and practice in the areas of child and family psychopathology and treatment are reviewed in the context of normal developmental processes. Usually offered every semester.
Joseph Cunningham

PSYC 177a School Bullying and Psychology: Issues in Methods, Morality and Intervention
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a.
Explores the psychological and developmental perspectives in the current issues of bullying behaviors, with the objective of helping students to understand the reasons behind bullying behaviors and intervention approaches as solutions from the perspective of morality and justice. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

PSYC 193b Tests and Measurements
[ ss ]
Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a.
Covers test theory, types of measurement, the theory and measurement of reliability and validity, and test construction. The measurement of intelligence, achievement, and personality are considered. Usually offered every second year.
Raymond

PSYC 210a Advanced Psychological Statistics I
In conjunction with PSYC 210b, this course teaches students how to do independent data analysis in psychology at a PhD-level. Topics include methods for describing data, exploratory data analysis, elementary probability theory, null hypothesis significance testing and alternatives, the binomial distribution, contingency table analysis, one-way and factorial analysis of variance, and repeated measures analysis. Students receive extensive instruction in the use of the Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Usually offered every year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 210b Advanced Psychological Statistics II
Prerequisite: PSYC 210a.
This course is a continuation of PSYC 210a. Topics include statistical power analysis, simple correlation and regression, multiple regression, nonparametric statistics, an introduction of logistic regression, and a brief introduction to multivariate procedures. Students learn to use multiple regression as a general data analytic system. More advanced instruction in SPSS is also provided. Usually offered every year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 211a Graduate Research Methods in Psychology
A required course for all master's degree students, first-year doctoral students, and selected undergraduate students by permission of the instructor. Students who are interested in this course must consult with the department one semester before anticipated enrollment.
The lecture offers supervised practice in research design, including experimental and correlational designs, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of research results. Usually offered every year in the fall semester.
Xiaodong Liu and Staff

PSYC 215a Multivariate Statistics I: Applied Structural Equation Modeling
Prerequisites: PSYC 210a and b or equivalents.
Covers theory, methods, and applications of structural equation modeling (SEM) using LISREL. Introduces the conceptual and procedural principles underlying SEM, enables students to analyze data by using SEM methods, and exposes students to SEM techniques used in the literature. Usually offered every second year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 216a Multivariate Statistics II: Applied Hierarchical Linear Models
Prerequisite: PSYC 210a and b, or equivalent.
Acquaints students with the basic theory, methods, and most importantly, applications of hierarchical linear models (HLM). This course is designed to introduce the conceptual and procedural principles underlying HLM; enable students to analyze data by using the HLM methods; and expose students to the literature in which HLM techniques have been used. Usually offered every second year.
Xiaodong Liu

PSYC 220a Research in Spatial Orientation
Open to PhD students only.
James Lackner

PSYC 221a Research in Cognitive Development and Psychopathology
Open to PhD students only.
Hannah Snyder

PSYC 222a Research in Stress, Aging, and Health
Open to PhD students only.
Nicolas Rohleder

PSYC 223a Research in Behavioral Neuroscience
Open to PhD students only.
Donald Katz

PSYC 224a Research in Speech Perception and Cognitive Processes
Open to PhD students only.
Arthur Wingfield

PSYC 226a Research in Cognitive Processes and Psychopathology
Open to PhD students only.
Raymond Knight

PSYC 228a Research in Adolescent Health Psychology
Open to PhD students only.
Jutta Wolf

PSYC 229a Research in Person Perception
Open to PhD students only.
Leslie Zebrowitz

PSYC 232a Research in Developmental Psychopathology
Open to PhD students only.
Joseph Cunningham

PSYC 233a Research in Visual Cognition
Open to PhD students only.
Robert Sekuler

PSYC 234a Research in Life-Span Development
Open to PhD students only.
Margie Lachman

PSYC 235a Research in Organizational Psychology
Open to PhD students only.
Andrew Molinsky

PSYC 237b Research in Perceptual Development
Open to PhD students only.
Teresa Mitchell

PSYC 239a Research in Human Motor Control
Open to PhD students only.
Paul DiZio

PSYC 240b Research in Neurochemistry and Cognition
Open to PhD students only.
Anne Berry

PSYC 241a Research in Aging, Culture, and Cognition
Open to PhD students only.
Angela Gutchess

PSYC 242a Research in Forensics
Open to PhD students only.
Raymond Knight

PSYC 245a Research in Social Neuroscience
Open to PhD students only.
Jennifer Gutsell

PSYC 250a Advanced Research Project
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 250b Master's Project Readings
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 280a Advanced Readings
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 298a Independent Study
Staff

PSYC 300a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior I
Open only to Psychology PhD students or with permission of the instructor.
Offers an in-depth review of primary sources in several major topic areas of social and developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

PSYC 302a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior II
Open only to Psychology PhD students or with permission of the instructor.
An in-depth review of primary sources in several major topic areas of social and developmental psychology. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

PSYC 313a Psychology Lab Rotations
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 313b Psychology Lab Rotations
Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 316a Psychology Research Seminar
Required of all social developmental program graduate students. Usually offered every year.
Staff

PSYC 400d Dissertation Research
Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff

ANTH 154a Culture and Mental Illness
[ ss ]
Without underestimating the importance of biological causes and treatments, this course challenges the hegemony of bio-medical models in psychiatry by seeking to conceptualize emotional problems and mental illness as historically situated and culturally constructed. Examines how factors related to political circumstances, social institutions, religious belief systems, socio-economic status, and ethnic background participate in shaping forms of distress and the ways they are dealt with in various socio-cultural settings. The course will also consider alternative therapies such as art therapy, community-based treatments, and culturally specific approaches to emotional healing and accommodation. Usually offered every third year.
Ellen Schattschneider

ANTH 155b Psychological Anthropology
[ ss ]
An examination of the relationship between sociocultural systems and individual psychological processes with a critical evaluation of selected theories and studies bearing on this problem. Usually offered every second year.
Janet McIntosh

BUS 120a Organizational Behavior in Business
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: BUS 6a and BUS 10a. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have taken PSYC 150b.
Covers the fundamentals of organizational behavior, including topics like leadership, work motivation, organizational culture, organizational structure, group dynamics, perception, and decision-making in a global environment. Assignments include individual and group project analyses focused on topical business issues using course concepts. Usually offered every semester.
Sandra Cha and Andrew Molinsky

COSI 111a Topics in Computational Cognitive Science
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: COSI 101a or 125a, or permission of the instructor.
Focuses on cognitive and social theories of activity that underlie human computer interaction and computer mediated collaboration. Topics include problem solving and skill acquisition, planning and situated activity, distributed cognition, activity theory, collaboration, communication, discourse, and interaction analysis. The laboratory work is designed to give the student practice with the ideas and techniques under discussion. The content and work of the course are specifically designed for an interdisciplinary class of students from computer science and the social sciences. Usually offered every second year.
Richard Alterman

COSI 118a Computer-Supported Cooperation
[ sn ]
Covers basic theory and concepts of computer-supported collaborative work and learning. Laboratory work enables the student to practice a set of basic techniques as they apply to the development of computer-mediated collaboration. The content and work of the course are specifically designed for an interdisciplinary class of students from computer science and the social sciences. Usually offered every second year.
Richard Alterman

COSI 125a Human-Computer Interaction
[ sn ]
Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
Covers the basic theory and concepts of human-computer interaction. Topics include methodology for designing and testing user interfaces, interaction styles and techniques, design guidelines, and adaptive systems. The laboratory work is designed to give the student practice in a set of basic techniques used in the area of human-computer interaction. Usually offered every second year.
Richard Alterman

ED 163b Creativity and Caring
[ ss ]
Explores "creativity" and "caring," significant human capacities, and their relationship. Drawing on developmental and social psychology, we ask: How do they develop? What affects our being creative and caring? How can educators promote these? Usually offered every year.
Joseph Reimer

ED 173b The Psychology of Love: Education for Close Relationships
[ ss ]
Students will be selected after the submission of a sample of writing on adult loving relationships.
What is love? How does it develop? How do psychologists study how people think, feel and behave in close relationships? These questions will guide our inquiry and inform our guiding question: how can we educate young people to better care for their friends, lovers and intimates? Usually offered every year.
Joseph Reimer

HSSP 115b Perspectives on Behavioral Health: Alcohol, Drugs, and Mental Health
[ ss ]
A survey course which focuses on the science and biological basis of substance use and mental disorders, and linkages between behavioral health and general health. Consequences of behavioral health on society are discussed. Policy responses and the treatment system are assessed for their effectiveness. Usually offered every year.
Sharon Reif

LGLS 142b Law and Psychology
[ ss ]
Examines a psychological perspective on the behavior of key players in the legal system, focusing on the trial process--both criminal and civil (personal injury). Explores the tension between human behavior and legal ideals of objectivity, based on current research, emphasizing biases leading to miscarriages of justice. Includes video analysis of jury behavior and courtroom advocacy. Usually offered every second year.
Rosalind Kabrhel

LING 197a Language Acquisition and Development
[ dl oc ss ]
Open to all students.
The central problem of language acquisition is to explain what makes this formidable task possible. Theories of language acquisition are studied, and conclusions are based on recent research in the development of syntax, semantics, and phonology. The overall goal is to arrive at a coherent picture of the language learning process. Usually offered every second year.
Sophia Malamud or Keith Plaster

NBIO 140b Principles of Neuroscience
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, BIOL 15b, one additional BIOL, BCHM, NBIO or NPSY course and one of the following: One year of college-level chemistry with lab, one year of college-level physics with lab, or any math course above 10a,b. AP scores are not accepted to meet the prerequisite. Junior standing recommended.
Examines the fundamental principles of neuroscience. Topics include resting potentials, action potentials, synaptic transmission, sensory systems, motor systems, learning, neural circuits underlying behavior, neurological diseases, and mental illness. Usually offered every year.
Eve Marder

NPHY 115a Dynamical Systems
[ sn ]
Prerequisites: MATH 10b and MATH 15a or PHYS 20a or equivalent.
Covers analytic, computational and graphical methods for solving systems of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We study bifurcations, limit cycles, coupled oscillators and noise, with examples from physics, chemistry, population biology and many models of neurons. Usually offered every third year.
Irving Epstein

PHIL 123b Neuroethics
[ dl hum wi ]
Focuses on the philosophical and ethical implications that arise from advances in neuroscience. We will investigate questions like: What are the evolutionary origins of moral judgement? Does evolutionary theory shed light on morality? Do our moral motivations derive from reason or pre-reflective intuition? Do psychopaths have moral responsibility? Do we have free will? Is there an obligation to enhance ourselves? Should drugs be used to enhance mental functioning? Is it moral to grow human organs in animals for purposes of transplantation? Usually offered every third year.
Staff

POL 123a Seminar: Political Psychology
[ dl ss wi ]
Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
Explores public opinion, political socialization, and political behavior through the lens of psychology. Applying psychological theory to traditional topics in political science is emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Jill Greenlee

POL 137b Seminar: Psychology of Political Violence
[ dl ss ]
Why do people become terrorists? Social scientists argue that organizations use terrorism because it is a rational means for obtaining their objectives. But why do individuals sacrifice themselves for a cause? Drawing on behavioral economics and criminal psychology in addition to political sociology, the course will review new approaches to the study of extreme political violence. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen