Provisional University Bulletin (2026-2027)

• 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, as well as to careers in marketing, finance, government, tutoring, and law.

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., R, 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. 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, complete the worksheet, and consult with the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Head. A brief meeting is required before the major/minor is official.  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.

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. Completing an internship during the school year, summer, or while studying abroad is also highly recommended for those that are interested in going on to become a therapist.

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.  For information on our program’s specific application requirements, please see the program website.

Anne Berry
Cognitive neuroscience executive function. Neuromodulator systems (dopamine, acetylcholine). Aging.

Hannah M. Clark
Traumatic Stress. Early adversity. Clinical psychology.

Paul DiZio
Human spatial orientation and motor control.

Angela Gutchess, Chair
Aging. Culture. Memory.

Jennifer Gutsell, Director of Graduate Studies
Social and affective neuroscience.

James Howard
Cognitive neuroscience, reward, learning, decision-making, chemosensation.

Shantanu Jadhav
Neurophysiology of learning and decision making.

Donald Katz
Neural dynamics of gustatory perception and learning.

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.

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

Ellen J. Wright, Undergraduate Advising Head
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.

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 140b (Principles of Neuroscience), or NPSY 199a (Human Neuropsychology).
   
   Group II: Social, Developmental, and Clinical
   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, NPSY 121b, PSYC 128b, PSYC 130b, PSYC 132b, PSYC 136b, NPSY 139a, NPSY 141a, NPSY 154a, PSYC 128b, PSYC 153b, PSYC 155a, PSYC 160b, PSYC 169b, NPSY 170a, NPSY 174b, PSYC 178b, NPSY 180a, and NPSY 196b.
5. Two Advanced Seminars from among: NPSY 120b, NPSY 121b, PSYC 123a, PSYC 128b, PSYC 130b, PSYC 136b, NPSY 139a, PSYC 140a, NPSY 141a, PSYC 142a, PSYC 148a, PSYC 153b, NPSY 154a, PSYC 155a, PSYC 160b, PSYC 161a and b (combined), PSYC 169b, NPSY 170a, NPSY 174b, NPSY 176b, PSYC 178b, NPSY 180a, NSPY 182a, 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, NPSY 121b, NPSY 139a, or NPSY 182a.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following: PSYC 36b, PSYC 128b, PSYC 130b, PSYC 132b, PSYC 153b, PSYC 160b, NPSY 28a, NPSY 121b, NPSY 139a, NPSY 170a, NPSY 174b, NPSY 176b, NPSY 180a, or NPSY 182a.
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing: PSYC 51a, BIOL 51a, PSYC 130b, or ECON 83a.

No single course may satisfy all three foundational literacies.

G. 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, which the Undergraduate Advising Head has approved as PSYC or NPSY substitutes for categories A-E above. 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 of in-person residency. 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.

Residency Requirement

The minimum in-person residence requirement is one year.

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 one semester of either the advanced research project course (PSYC 250a) or 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 by the deadline of the semester in which they propose to graduate. 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, students must electronically deposit their thesis to ProQuest ETD. For instructions on how to do this, visit the Thesis and Dissertation Guide. 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.

Program of Study

There is a three-year minimum in-person 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. The graduate program may determine that remedial coursework for students (e.g., background undergraduate level psychology courses, language courses, or programming courses) for the program will not count toward the degree requirements.

Course Requirements

A. Entering PhD students will take, in the first term of residence: 

1. Advanced Psychological Statistics I (PSYC 210a)
2. Graduate Research Methods (PSYC 211a) 
3. one elective course 

B. In the second term, first-year students will take:

1. Advanced Psychological Statistics II (PSYC 210b)
2. a Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior (PSYC 300a or 302a)
3. 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. 

C. In the second year, students will take:

1. two elective courses in the first term 
2. In the second term:

• one elective 
• the other Proseminar in Brain, Body, and Behavior (PSYC 300a or 302a)
• PSYC 250a for their NRSA proposal preparation

D. One elective course is required each term in the third year. 

E. 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:

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

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

C. 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.

Undergraduate courses taken while an undergraduate elsewhere can be allowed to fulfill the breadth requirement under the following conditions:  a) courses were not used toward meeting the number of credits or number of courses needed to earn a bachelor's degree;  b) courses were not needed toward meeting major requirements;  and c) courses were not needed toward meeting a statistics minor.  Furthermore, the student must submit a written statement from the outside university, duly signed by the Registrar and Academic Chair of the major department, which affirms that all of the above-cited conditions were met.

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 Form 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.

Residency Requirement

The minimum in-person residence requirement is three years.

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 are responsible for initiating rotation planning with their dissertation advisor and potential rotation advisor during the spring semester of Year 1. The goals and expectations for the rotation are then documented in a brief rotation proposal (one paragraph or an outline). This proposal together with the lab rotation proposal form signed by the student’s dissertation advisor, rotation advisor, and the BBB director (if applicable) are due by September 1st of Year 2. . 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 Year 2 and the final report by the end of the same semester, by the end of final exams in Year 2.)

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.

Teaching Assistant Requirement

All PhD students are required to participate in undergraduate teaching during the course of their studies. Every graduate teaching assistant (TA) is supervised by a member of the faculty, who serves as a mentor to improve the quality of the TA's teaching. Please see the GSAS section on Teaching Requirements and the program handbook for more details.

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 to the student's dissertation advisor no later than January 15th of Year 3. The final version of the written Dissertation Proposal is due to the rest of the dissertation committee at least three weeks before the scheduled oral defense. 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 is formally required for students who started in fall 2020 or later.

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 their 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 submitted to the registrar.

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 accepted first-year research report will count as a master’s thesis), and (3) completed breadth requirements.

Every student, whether or not currently in residence, must register at the beginning of each term. All graduate students will be evaluated by the program each spring. At this evaluation the records of all graduate students will be carefully reviewed with reference to the timely completion of coursework and non-course degree requirements, the quality of the work and research in progress and the student’s overall academic performance in the program. 

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.

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.

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.

NPSY 17a Hand and Brain
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: 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.

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.

NPSY 28a Learning and Memory
[ oc 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.

PSYC 10a Introduction to Psychology
[ sn ss ]

PSYC 10a is the introductory course for Psychology majors and is a prerequisite for most other courses in the major.

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.

PSYC 15a Biological Bases of Motivation
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a. Note that for HSSP candidates, this course fulfills the Focal Area A requirement for the BA degree, but not for the BS degree.

Topics include hunger, thirst, migration, and sexual behavior. Evidence from biology, neurophysiology, and endocrinology is evaluated. Usually offered every year.

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.

PSYC 32a Psychopathology: Disease, Risk, and Resilience
[ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PSYC 51a Statistics
[ dl qr sn 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.

PSYC 52a Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
[ qr sn ss wi ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a.

The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 91g Introduction to Research Practice

Prerequisite: Student must complete online safety training relevant to the research group. Yields quarter-course credit. Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. May be repeated for credit. Does not meet the requirements for the major or minor in Psychology.

Students engage in Psychology research by working in the laboratory of a faculty member for a minimum of 3 hours per week for one semester. Students who have declared a Psychology major must receive permission from the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Head as well as the faculty sponsor to enroll in PSYC 91g. Usually offered every year.

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.

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.

PSYC 98a Readings in Psychological Literature

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 98b Readings in Psychological Literature

Yields half-course credit. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 99d Senior Research

Usually offered every year.

NPSY 120b Human Space Flight: Physics, Physiology, and Behavior
[ sn ss ]

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.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
[ oc sn wi ]

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NPSY 11b, or permission of the instructor.

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 second year.

NPSY 141a Stress, Physiology, and Health
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: one of 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.

NPSY 170a Decision Neuroscience
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a or NPSY 11b and NPSY 22b, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of how animal and human nervous systems generate decisions, with a particular focus on decisions for rewards. We will cover a broad array of topics, including: basic methods for measuring decisions and decision-related neural activity; how predictions about rewards are learned through error-driven processes; the dual systems hypothesis of behavioral control; computation of values for simple choices; the effect of emotion on choices; social decision making; temporal discounting; and deficits in decision-making in human clinical populations. Usually offered every year.

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.

NPSY 176b Constructing Reality
[ oc ss ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NPSY 12a, NPSY 16a, NPSY 17a, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a and junior or senior standing.

How do our brains and minds construct our reality? For answers, the course will draw on insights from scientific psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, particularly how damage to the nervous system can disorder our sense of reality. Special consideration will be given to the nature of perception, evaluation of evidence, and decision making. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 180a Social Neuroscience and Culture
[ djw oc sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 51a, and 52a, or NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a, 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.

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 22b or PSYC 33a, 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.

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, aging, speech perception, and language comprehension. Emphasis will be placed on the current literature in the field. Usually offered every second year.

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.

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.

PSYC 123a Applied Bayesian Modeling
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 51a or equivalent.

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology or related field who are interested in learning the method of Bayesian modeling and the ways to implement Bayesian modeling in applied research. In particular, the course is aimed to (1) introduce the basic principle of Bayesian modeling; (2) demonstrate how to do Bayesian analyses using the tools available in R and JAGS; and (3) elaborate how to evaluate and present the results. The ultimate goal of this course is to expand students’ analytic skills. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 128b The Psychology of Deafness and Blindness
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and either NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a. Instructor permission required.

Considers the developmental consequences of congenital deafness and blindness. We will first discuss how the senses interact in typical development, then consider the implications of deafness and blindness for brain and behavioral development. We will cover topics including sensory, motor, spatial, language, and social development. We will discuss cross-modal plasticity and compensatory plasticity as mechanisms of developmental change across the lifespan. Finally, we will discuss how blindness and deafness affect cultural affiliations and how those affiliations impact decisions about education, rehabilitation and equity. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc sn 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.

PSYC 132b How People and Contexts Interact: To Be or Not To Be Yourself
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, PSYC 31a, PSYC 34b, PSYC 51a, or PSYC 52a.

Why are some people better at lying than others? Why does one person experience sadness, whereas another feels anxious after viewing the same film? Why do certain individuals make better leaders, and in what situations might having “leadership” traits make people worse off? In this course, we will explore the wonders of context effects -- the powers of situations to change how individuals behave -- from the lens of modern personality psychology. Specific situations covered will include deception, emotion regulation, power, deindividuation, and relationships (both romantic and friendship). Through readings, activities, and discussions, we will grapple with conceptual explanations for how and why the situations we find ourselves in can dramatically shape the way we behave and make decisions in the short term, and the longer-term lasting effects that prolonged exposure to these situations can have. Special one-time offering, spring 2025.

PSYC 136b Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and PSYC 33a, PSYC 36b, or PSYC 37a. 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.

PSYC 140a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Applications
[ qr sn 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.

PSYC 142a Sport Psychology: A Health Psychology Perspective
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b, NPSY 11b, NPSY 199a, or PSYC 38a, and permission of the instructor.

Applies health psychology to topics central to sport psychology and relevant to athletes, athletes' performance, such as optimal arousal levels, team cohesion, injury rehabilitation, imagery, burnout, and goal setting. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 148a Applied Statistical Computing in R
[ qr sn 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.

PSYC 153b Psychology of Trauma and Adversity
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 31a or PSYC 32a.

Explores theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding trauma and adversity as a psychologist, as well as current advances in the evidence-based treatment of traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 155a Interpersonal Sensitivity
[ sn 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.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ oc sn 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.

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. Interested students should contact the instructor to schedule an interview before registering for this class.

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.

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.

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 33a or PSYC 36b. 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.

PSYC 178b The Psychology of Prejudice
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 78a in prior years.

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.

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, one-way and factorial analysis of variance, and repeated measures analysis. Students receive extensive instruction in the use of R (with options for students to use SPSS, MATLAB, or other computing platforms in the class). Usually offered every year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PSYC 220a Research in Spatial Orientation

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 221a Research in Cognitive Development and Psychopathology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 223a Research in Behavioral Neuroscience

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 224a Research in Speech Perception and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 225a Research in Reward, Learning, and Decision Making

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 226a Research in Cognitive Processes and Psychopathology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 228a Research in Adolescent Health Psychology

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 233a Research in Visual Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 234a Research in Life-Span Development

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 237b Research in Perceptual Development

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 239a Research in Human Motor Control

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 240b Research in Neurochemistry and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 241a Research in Aging, Culture, and Cognition

Open to PhD students only.
 

PSYC 242a Research in Forensics

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 245a Research in Social Neuroscience

Open to PhD students only.

PSYC 250a Advanced Research Project

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 250b Master's Project Readings

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 280a Advanced Readings

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 298a Independent Study

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.

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.

PSYC 313a Psychology Lab Rotations

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 313b Psychology Lab Rotations

Usually offered every year.

PSYC 316a Psychology Research Seminar

Required of all PhD students. Strongly encouraged for MA students. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 400d Dissertation Research

Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.

ANTH 111a Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective
[ djw nw ss wi ]

Examines the meanings and social arrangements given to aging in a diversity of societies, including the U.S., India, Japan and China. Key themes include: the diverse ways people envision and organize the life course, scholarly and popular models of successful aging, the medicalization of aging in the U.S., cultural perspectives on dementia, and the ways national aging policies and laws are profoundly influenced by particular cultural models. Usually offered every second year.

ANTH 154a Culture and Mental Illness
[ ss wi ]

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.

ANTH 155b Psychological Anthropology
[ djw 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.

ANTH 165b Anthropology of Death and Dying
[ djw nw ss wi ]

Explores how different societies, including our own, conceptualize death and dying. Topics include the cultural construction of death, the effects of death on the social fabric, mourning and bereavement, and medical issues relating to the end of life. Usually offered every second year.

BUS 109a Human Psychology and Financial Decision Making
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: ECON 2a or 10a, in addition to BUS 71a, Fin 103a, or ECON 171a.

Behavioral Economics and Finance applies insights from psychology to understand the observed behavior of people and markets. It is traditional in economics and finance to assume that economic agents are 'perfectly rational,' meaning they make decisions in accordance with logic and statistics textbooks, they see the world accurately, they have perfect recall, and they are perfectly selfish. This approach has provided insights of great practical value and explains a lot of what we know about financial markets and corporate decisions, but it leaves much of the real world unexplained. Why do stock prices, house prices, and exchange rates sometimes go through bubbles, rising far higher than justified by fundamentals and then crashing? Why do retail investors trade too much, and why don't they diversify enough? Why don't people save enough for retirement? Usually offered every other year.

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.

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.

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.

LGLS 142b Law and Psychology
[ deis-us ss ]

Examines a psychological perspective on the behavior of key players in the legal system, focusing on the trial process. Explores the tension between human behavior and legal ideals of objectivity, based on current research, emphasizing biases leading to miscarriages of justice. Examines areas for reform, including current debates, review of new and proposed legislation, pending cases, and emerging issues in psychological research. Usually offered every year.

LING 173a Psycholinguistics
[ ss ]

An introduction to modern psycholinguistics, with an emphasis on sentence comprehension and production. Questions concerning species-specificity and the neurological organization of language are included for consideration. Usually offered every second year.

LING 197a Language Acquisition and Development
[ dl oc ss ]

Open to all students.

The central problem of first language acquisition is to explain what makes this formidable task possible. Students will learn about the acquisition and development of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics in child language.  Additional topics to be covered include the brain and language development, experimental methods for evaluating the linguistic knowledge of children, second-language acquisition, bilingualism, and heritage language and heritage speakers. The overall goal is to arrive at a coherent picture of the language learning process. Usually offered every second year.


NBIO 136b Computational Neuroscience
[ dl sn ]

Prerequisites: MATH 10a or higher and one of the following: NBIO 140b/240b, PHYS 10b/11b/15b, BIOL 107a, or any COSI course.

An introduction to concepts and methods in computer modeling and analysis of neural systems. Topics include single and multicompartmental models of neurons, information representation and processing by populations of neurons, synaptic plasticity and models of learning, working memory, decision making and neural oscillations. The course will be based on in-class computer tutorials, assuming limited prior coding experience, with reading assignments and preparation as homework. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 142b Circadian Rhythms and Sleep
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b, NBIO 240a, or BIOL 105b.

Explores via some lecturing, but predominantly discussion of papers from the primary literature, what we know about circadian rhythms and sleep in different organisms. We will discuss the molecular, cellular and circuitry control of rhythms and sleep as well as their behavioral and physiological consequences. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 143b Developmental Neurobiology
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: BIOL 14a, BIOL 15b, and either BIOL 12a or BIOL 18b, or permission of the instructor.

Discusses the molecular mechanisms used in the development of the nervous system in both invertebrate and vertebrate experimental systems. Topics include determination of neuronal cell fates, axon growth and guidance, plasticity during development, and mechanisms responsible for generation of connectivity in the nervous system. This course emphasizes reading of original scientific research papers and class discussion and oral presentations. If oversubscribed, preference from the waitlist will be given based on seniority. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 145b Circuits and Systems
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NBIO 240a.

Explores fundamental questions in circuit-and systems-level neuroscience. We will take a systems-level perspective to explore how the brain supports behavior and cognition. The course emphasizes reading and presenting original papers, and writing summaries of original papers. Students will read and discuss seminal and current findings to understand how the brain represents and perceives the external environment, adapts and learns, executes control, and uses internal representations to make decisions and drive behavior. The focus will be on underlying circuits, neural representations and neurophysiological mechanisms. The course will follow an arc that covers sensory systems, perception and behavior, neural coding, cognition, and motor control. Emphasis will be on bridging across these levels, and on critical analysis and synthesis. Usually offered every year.

NBIO 146a The Neurobiology of Human Disease
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: Any of the following BIOL 100b, BIOL103b, BIOL 105b, BIOL 122a, BIOL 128a, NBIO 140b, or NBIO 143b.

A lecture- and literature-based examination of the molecular, cellular, and circuit level mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric diseases. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 147a Genetics of Behavior
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: BIOL 14a, NBIO 140b, and either BIOL 12a or BIOL 18a.

Topics include function of genes, genetic pathways and neurons in the generation of behavior. The use of genetics and genetic manipulations in the study of behavior in a range of experimental organisms will be emphasized. Course will be based on reading  primary research articles. A solid understanding of the fundamentals of genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience is essential for this course. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 148b Cellular and Circuit Mechanisms of Experience Dependent Plasticity
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or 240a. Graduate students may take this course concurrently with either NBIO 140b or NBIO 240a.

Brain microcircuits are able to extract and process information, and to change in response to experience to enable flexible behavior. We will explore the cellular and circuit mechanisms that confer both flexibility and stability to brain circuits. Students will examine classic experiments on cellular and circuit plasticity,  as well as the contemporary literature on our evolving understanding of learning-related plasticity, especially in the context of ethological behaviors. The course emphasizes reading from original papers and extensive class discussion. Usually offered every year.

NPHY 115a Dynamical Systems
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: MATH 10a, b or equivalent; MATH 15a and/or some coding experience would be helpful.

An introduction to the theory of nonlinear dynamical systems, including bifurcations, limit cycles, chaos, and coupled oscillators. Covers analytical, computational, and graphical methods of solving sets of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, as well as mathematical modeling of natural phenomena. Examples will be drawn from physics, chemistry, population biology, and neuroscience. Usually offered every third year.

PHIL 123b Neuroethics
[ hum ]

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 judgment? 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.

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.

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.

NBIO 140b Principles of Neuroscience
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, BIOL 15b, and one additional BIOL, BCHM, NBIO, or NPSY course. Students will also be required to demonstrate mastery of precalculus math, the physics of simple electrical circuits, and selected concepts from introductory chemistry in order to progress in the course.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NPSY 17a Hand and Brain
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: 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.

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.

NPSY 28a Learning and Memory
[ oc 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.

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.

PSYC 15a Biological Bases of Motivation
[ ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a or MATH 10a. Note that for HSSP candidates, this course fulfills the Focal Area A requirement for the BA degree, but not for the BS degree.

Topics include hunger, thirst, migration, and sexual behavior. Evidence from biology, neurophysiology, and endocrinology is evaluated. Usually offered every year.

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.

PSYC 32a Psychopathology: Disease, Risk, and Resilience
[ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PSYC 51a Statistics
[ dl qr sn 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.

PSYC 52a Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
[ qr sn ss wi ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a.

The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 140a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Applications
[ qr sn 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.

PSYC 148a Applied Statistical Computing in R
[ qr sn 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.

BIOL 14a Genetics and Genomics
[ qr sn ]

Studies fundamentals of genetics, molecular biology and genomics through analytical thinking and problem-solving. Topics include heredity, meiosis, molecular basis of phenotypic variations, and an introduction to tools and techniques used by past and current researchers in genetics and molecular biology. Usually offered every semester.

BIOL 15b Cells and Organisms
[ sn ]

Introduces contemporary biology with an emphasis on cells, organs, and organ systems. Topics include the forms and functions of macromolecules, organelles, and cells, the integration of cells into tissues, and the physiology of fundamental life processes. The course is intended to prepare students to understand the biology of everyday life, and to provide a strong foundation for those who continue to study the life sciences. Usually offered every semester.

BIOL 16a Evolution and Biodiversity
[ qr sn ]

"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution," the geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky said famously. Evolution is the unifying theory of biology because it explains both the unity and diversity of life. This course examines processes and patterns of evolution. Specific topics include the history of Earth and life, evolution and its mechanisms, phylogenetic trees, and the diversity of life. We will take time to read Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and end with a discussion of human evolution and the impact we are having on the planet. Usually offered every fall.

CHEM 11a General Chemistry I
[ qr sn ]

This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15a in previous years. Four class hours and one sixty-minute structured study group session per week. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18a.

Covers a wide array of topics, embracing aspects of descriptive, as well as quantitative, chemistry. No prior study of chemistry is assumed, as the course begins by looking at the atomic foundation of matter, the elements, and the organization of the periodic table, working its way up to studying how atoms are bonded together to form larger units of matter. Students who complete this course will have an understanding of the three major phases of matter--solids, liquids, and gasses--and how they behave, as well as a knowledge of the major types of chemical reactions and how to represent them. A strong focus is put on learning methods of creative problem-solving, using the material as a way to develop creative approaches to solving unfamiliar problems--a skill that carries students far beyond the confines of the classroom. Usually offered every year.

CHEM 11b General Chemistry II
[ qr sn ]

Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 11a or an approved equivalent. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15b in previous years. Four class hours and one sixty-minute structured study group session per week. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18b.

Picks up where Chemistry 11a left off, advancing students' understanding of bonding models and molecular structure and exploring the basics of coordination chemistry. Three major quantitative topics are covered in the second half of General Chemistry'chemical equilibrium (including acid-base chemistry, solubility, and complex-ion formation), chemical kinetics, and thermodynamics. Other topics explored are electrochemistry and nuclear chemistry. Usually offered every year.

CHEM 15a Intensive General Chemistry I
[ qr sn ]

This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 11a in previous years. Three class hours and one recitation per week. The corresponding laboratory is CHEM 19a.

An advanced version of general chemistry for students with good preparation in math and chemistry in high school. Topics include chemical stoichiometry, chemical bonding from a classical and quantum mechanical perspective, gasses, thermochemistry, solutions, states of matter, atomic structure and periodic properties. Real world examples are used to demonstrate the concepts. Usually offered every year.

CHEM 15b Intensive General Chemistry II
[ qr sn ]

Prerequisite: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 15a or the equivalent. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 11b in previous years. Three class hours and one recitation per week. The corresponding laboratory is CHEM 19b.

A continuation of CHEM 15a. Topics include an introduction to thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, including acid-base and solubility equilibria, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, nuclear chemistry, and special topics. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 10a Introduction to Physical Laws and Phenomena I
[ qr sn ]

Usually taken with PHYS 18a.

Provides students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics. Using algebra-based analytical techniques, students will begin with the question of how objects move by studying kinematics in one and two dimensions. Next, students will ask the question of why objects move by studying Newton’s laws of motion. Through careful manipulation of Newton’s second law, students will explore the concepts of work, energy, and energy conservation as well as the principles of momentum and collisions. Finally, students will apply the principles they have learned to statics and rotational dynamics and real-world problems.

This introduction to the fundamental concepts of velocity, acceleration, force, momentum, and energy provides a basis for understanding all other topics in physics. Students will also learn how physics, as a discipline, asks questions about the natural world. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 10b Introduction to Physical Laws and Phenomena II
[ qr sn ]

Usually taken with PHYS 18b.
 

Provides students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of waves, optics, and electricity and magnetism. Using algebraic techniques, students will begin with an application of Newtonian mechanics called periodic motion. The concept of periodic motion will be expanded into the more general concept of wave mechanics. Wave mechanics will be used to study optics and the empirical nature of light. In the second half of the semester, students will study the classical theory of electricity and magnetism. The concept of electric and magnetic fields will be developed and shown to be the preferred conceptual tool for understanding the motion of charged objects. With the theory of electric and magnetic fields students will be able to understand real world systems such as electric circuits and gain a deeper understanding of light as an electromagnetic wave.

 

Students will learn how to apply these concepts to solve problems. Because waves, optics, and electricity and magnetism are classical theories, students will apply the fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics in order to understand these new concepts. Students will also learn how physics, as a discipline, asks questions about the natural world. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 11a Introductory Physics I
[ qr sn ]

Corequisite: MATH 10a or the equivalent. Usually taken with PHYS 19a.

An introduction to Newtonian mechanics with applications to several topics. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 11b Introductory Physics II
[ qr sn ]

Corequisite: MATH 10b or the equivalent. Usually taken with PHYS 19b. Prerequisite: PHYS 11a or equivalent.

An introduction to electricity and magnetism and the special theory of relativity. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 15a Advanced Introductory Physics I
[ qr sn ]

Corequisite: MATH 10b or the equivalent. Usually taken with PHYS 19a.

An advanced version of PHYS 11a for students with advanced preparation in physics and mathematics. An introduction to Newtonian mechanics with special applications to several topics. Usually offered every year.

PHYS 15b Advanced Introductory Physics II
[ qr sn ]

Prerequisite: PHYS 11a or PHYS 15a or the equivalent, and MATH 10b or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Usually taken with PHYS 19b.

An advanced version of PHYS 11b for students with good preparation in physics and mathematics. An introduction to electricity and magnetism and the special theory of relativity for students with advanced preparation. Usually offered every year.

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.

PSYC 99d Senior Research

Usually offered every year.

NPSY 120b Human Space Flight: Physics, Physiology, and Behavior
[ sn ss ]

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.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
[ oc sn wi ]

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 170a Decision Neuroscience
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a or NPSY 11b and NPSY 22b, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of how animal and human nervous systems generate decisions, with a particular focus on decisions for rewards. We will cover a broad array of topics, including: basic methods for measuring decisions and decision-related neural activity; how predictions about rewards are learned through error-driven processes; the dual systems hypothesis of behavioral control; computation of values for simple choices; the effect of emotion on choices; social decision making; temporal discounting; and deficits in decision-making in human clinical populations. Usually offered every year.

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.

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, aging, speech perception, and language comprehension. Emphasis will be placed on the current literature in the field. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 128b The Psychology of Deafness and Blindness
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and either NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a. Instructor permission required.

Considers the developmental consequences of congenital deafness and blindness. We will first discuss how the senses interact in typical development, then consider the implications of deafness and blindness for brain and behavioral development. We will cover topics including sensory, motor, spatial, language, and social development. We will discuss cross-modal plasticity and compensatory plasticity as mechanisms of developmental change across the lifespan. Finally, we will discuss how blindness and deafness affect cultural affiliations and how those affiliations impact decisions about education, rehabilitation and equity. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc sn 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.

PSYC 132b How People and Contexts Interact: To Be or Not To Be Yourself
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, PSYC 31a, PSYC 34b, PSYC 51a, or PSYC 52a.

Why are some people better at lying than others? Why does one person experience sadness, whereas another feels anxious after viewing the same film? Why do certain individuals make better leaders, and in what situations might having “leadership” traits make people worse off? In this course, we will explore the wonders of context effects -- the powers of situations to change how individuals behave -- from the lens of modern personality psychology. Specific situations covered will include deception, emotion regulation, power, deindividuation, and relationships (both romantic and friendship). Through readings, activities, and discussions, we will grapple with conceptual explanations for how and why the situations we find ourselves in can dramatically shape the way we behave and make decisions in the short term, and the longer-term lasting effects that prolonged exposure to these situations can have. Special one-time offering, spring 2025.

PSYC 136b Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and PSYC 33a, PSYC 36b, or PSYC 37a. 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.

PSYC 153b Psychology of Trauma and Adversity
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 31a or PSYC 32a.

Explores theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding trauma and adversity as a psychologist, as well as current advances in the evidence-based treatment of traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 155a Interpersonal Sensitivity
[ sn 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.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ oc sn 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.

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 33a or PSYC 36b. 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.

PSYC 178b The Psychology of Prejudice
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 78a in prior years.

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.

BUS 109a Human Psychology and Financial Decision Making
[ ss ]

Prerequisites: ECON 2a or 10a, in addition to BUS 71a, Fin 103a, or ECON 171a.

Behavioral Economics and Finance applies insights from psychology to understand the observed behavior of people and markets. It is traditional in economics and finance to assume that economic agents are 'perfectly rational,' meaning they make decisions in accordance with logic and statistics textbooks, they see the world accurately, they have perfect recall, and they are perfectly selfish. This approach has provided insights of great practical value and explains a lot of what we know about financial markets and corporate decisions, but it leaves much of the real world unexplained. Why do stock prices, house prices, and exchange rates sometimes go through bubbles, rising far higher than justified by fundamentals and then crashing? Why do retail investors trade too much, and why don't they diversify enough? Why don't people save enough for retirement? Usually offered every other year.

NBIO 136b Computational Neuroscience
[ dl sn ]

Prerequisites: MATH 10a or higher and one of the following: NBIO 140b/240b, PHYS 10b/11b/15b, BIOL 107a, or any COSI course.

An introduction to concepts and methods in computer modeling and analysis of neural systems. Topics include single and multicompartmental models of neurons, information representation and processing by populations of neurons, synaptic plasticity and models of learning, working memory, decision making and neural oscillations. The course will be based on in-class computer tutorials, assuming limited prior coding experience, with reading assignments and preparation as homework. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 142b Circadian Rhythms and Sleep
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b, NBIO 240a, or BIOL 105b.

Explores via some lecturing, but predominantly discussion of papers from the primary literature, what we know about circadian rhythms and sleep in different organisms. We will discuss the molecular, cellular and circuitry control of rhythms and sleep as well as their behavioral and physiological consequences. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 143b Developmental Neurobiology
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: BIOL 14a, BIOL 15b, and either BIOL 12a or BIOL 18b, or permission of the instructor.

Discusses the molecular mechanisms used in the development of the nervous system in both invertebrate and vertebrate experimental systems. Topics include determination of neuronal cell fates, axon growth and guidance, plasticity during development, and mechanisms responsible for generation of connectivity in the nervous system. This course emphasizes reading of original scientific research papers and class discussion and oral presentations. If oversubscribed, preference from the waitlist will be given based on seniority. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 145b Circuits and Systems
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NBIO 240a.

Explores fundamental questions in circuit-and systems-level neuroscience. We will take a systems-level perspective to explore how the brain supports behavior and cognition. The course emphasizes reading and presenting original papers, and writing summaries of original papers. Students will read and discuss seminal and current findings to understand how the brain represents and perceives the external environment, adapts and learns, executes control, and uses internal representations to make decisions and drive behavior. The focus will be on underlying circuits, neural representations and neurophysiological mechanisms. The course will follow an arc that covers sensory systems, perception and behavior, neural coding, cognition, and motor control. Emphasis will be on bridging across these levels, and on critical analysis and synthesis. Usually offered every year.

NBIO 146a The Neurobiology of Human Disease
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: Any of the following BIOL 100b, BIOL103b, BIOL 105b, BIOL 122a, BIOL 128a, NBIO 140b, or NBIO 143b.

A lecture- and literature-based examination of the molecular, cellular, and circuit level mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric diseases. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 147a Genetics of Behavior
[ sn ]

Prerequisites: BIOL 14a, NBIO 140b, and either BIOL 12a or BIOL 18a.

Topics include function of genes, genetic pathways and neurons in the generation of behavior. The use of genetics and genetic manipulations in the study of behavior in a range of experimental organisms will be emphasized. Course will be based on reading  primary research articles. A solid understanding of the fundamentals of genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience is essential for this course. Usually offered every second year.

NBIO 148b Cellular and Circuit Mechanisms of Experience Dependent Plasticity
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or 240a. Graduate students may take this course concurrently with either NBIO 140b or NBIO 240a.

Brain microcircuits are able to extract and process information, and to change in response to experience to enable flexible behavior. We will explore the cellular and circuit mechanisms that confer both flexibility and stability to brain circuits. Students will examine classic experiments on cellular and circuit plasticity,  as well as the contemporary literature on our evolving understanding of learning-related plasticity, especially in the context of ethological behaviors. The course emphasizes reading from original papers and extensive class discussion. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 120b Human Space Flight: Physics, Physiology, and Behavior
[ sn ss ]

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.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
[ oc sn wi ]

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NPSY 11b, or permission of the instructor.

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 second year.

NPSY 141a Stress, Physiology, and Health
[ sn ss ]

Prerequisites: one of 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.

NPSY 170a Decision Neuroscience
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a or NPSY 11b and NPSY 22b, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of how animal and human nervous systems generate decisions, with a particular focus on decisions for rewards. We will cover a broad array of topics, including: basic methods for measuring decisions and decision-related neural activity; how predictions about rewards are learned through error-driven processes; the dual systems hypothesis of behavioral control; computation of values for simple choices; the effect of emotion on choices; social decision making; temporal discounting; and deficits in decision-making in human clinical populations. Usually offered every year.

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.

NPSY 176b Constructing Reality
[ oc ss ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NPSY 12a, NPSY 16a, NPSY 17a, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a and junior or senior standing.

How do our brains and minds construct our reality? For answers, the course will draw on insights from scientific psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, particularly how damage to the nervous system can disorder our sense of reality. Special consideration will be given to the nature of perception, evaluation of evidence, and decision making. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 180a Social Neuroscience and Culture
[ djw oc sn ss ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 51a, and 52a, or NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a, 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.

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 22b or PSYC 33a, 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.

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, aging, speech perception, and language comprehension. Emphasis will be placed on the current literature in the field. Usually offered every second year.

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.

PSYC 123a Applied Bayesian Modeling
[ sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 51a or equivalent.

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology or related field who are interested in learning the method of Bayesian modeling and the ways to implement Bayesian modeling in applied research. In particular, the course is aimed to (1) introduce the basic principle of Bayesian modeling; (2) demonstrate how to do Bayesian analyses using the tools available in R and JAGS; and (3) elaborate how to evaluate and present the results. The ultimate goal of this course is to expand students’ analytic skills. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 128b The Psychology of Deafness and Blindness
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Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and either NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a. Instructor permission required.

Considers the developmental consequences of congenital deafness and blindness. We will first discuss how the senses interact in typical development, then consider the implications of deafness and blindness for brain and behavioral development. We will cover topics including sensory, motor, spatial, language, and social development. We will discuss cross-modal plasticity and compensatory plasticity as mechanisms of developmental change across the lifespan. Finally, we will discuss how blindness and deafness affect cultural affiliations and how those affiliations impact decisions about education, rehabilitation and equity. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc sn 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.

PSYC 132b How People and Contexts Interact: To Be or Not To Be Yourself
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, PSYC 31a, PSYC 34b, PSYC 51a, or PSYC 52a.

Why are some people better at lying than others? Why does one person experience sadness, whereas another feels anxious after viewing the same film? Why do certain individuals make better leaders, and in what situations might having “leadership” traits make people worse off? In this course, we will explore the wonders of context effects -- the powers of situations to change how individuals behave -- from the lens of modern personality psychology. Specific situations covered will include deception, emotion regulation, power, deindividuation, and relationships (both romantic and friendship). Through readings, activities, and discussions, we will grapple with conceptual explanations for how and why the situations we find ourselves in can dramatically shape the way we behave and make decisions in the short term, and the longer-term lasting effects that prolonged exposure to these situations can have. Special one-time offering, spring 2025.

PSYC 136b Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology
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Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and PSYC 33a, PSYC 36b, or PSYC 37a. 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.

PSYC 140a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Applications
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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.

PSYC 142a Sport Psychology: A Health Psychology Perspective
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b, NPSY 11b, NPSY 199a, or PSYC 38a, and permission of the instructor.

Applies health psychology to topics central to sport psychology and relevant to athletes, athletes' performance, such as optimal arousal levels, team cohesion, injury rehabilitation, imagery, burnout, and goal setting. Usually offered every second year.

PSYC 148a Applied Statistical Computing in R
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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.

PSYC 153b Psychology of Trauma and Adversity
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Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 31a or PSYC 32a.

Explores theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding trauma and adversity as a psychologist, as well as current advances in the evidence-based treatment of traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 155a Interpersonal Sensitivity
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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.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
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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.

PSYC 161b Clinical Psychology Practicum II
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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.

PSYC 169b Disorders of Childhood
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Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 33a or PSYC 36b. 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.

PSYC 178b The Psychology of Prejudice
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Prerequisite: PSYC 52a or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took PSYC 78a in prior years.

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.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
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Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
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Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NPSY 11b, or permission of the instructor.

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 second year.

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
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Prerequisites: NPSY 22b or PSYC 33a, 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.

PSYC 52a Research Methods and Laboratory in Psychology
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Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and 51a.

The laboratory/lecture offers supervised practice in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and formal presentation of experimental results. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ oc sn 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.

NPSY 28a Learning and Memory
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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.

NPSY 121b Alzheimer's Disease Resilience and Risk Factors
[ oc sn wi ]

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Open to majors in one of the following programs: psychology, neuroscience, or HSSP. Also open to graduate students in psychology and neuroscience.

Provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, and the factors that may accelerate disease progression and those factors that may be protective. We will cover a broad array of topics including: neuroimaging and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease in humans; aging versus preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; modern definitions of Alzheimer’s resilience, reserve and brain maintenance; role of stress and psychopathology as risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease; relationships between Alzheimer’s pathology and cognitive function. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 139a Memory and the Brain
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisite: NBIO 140b or NPSY 11b, or permission of the instructor.

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 second year.

NPSY 170a Decision Neuroscience
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Prerequisites: NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a or NPSY 11b and NPSY 22b, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of how animal and human nervous systems generate decisions, with a particular focus on decisions for rewards. We will cover a broad array of topics, including: basic methods for measuring decisions and decision-related neural activity; how predictions about rewards are learned through error-driven processes; the dual systems hypothesis of behavioral control; computation of values for simple choices; the effect of emotion on choices; social decision making; temporal discounting; and deficits in decision-making in human clinical populations. Usually offered every year.

NPSY 174b Visual Cognition
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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.

NPSY 176b Constructing Reality
[ oc ss ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 11b, NPSY 12a, NPSY 16a, NPSY 17a, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a and junior or senior standing.

How do our brains and minds construct our reality? For answers, the course will draw on insights from scientific psychology, neuroscience, and medicine, particularly how damage to the nervous system can disorder our sense of reality. Special consideration will be given to the nature of perception, evaluation of evidence, and decision making. Usually offered every second year.

NPSY 180a Social Neuroscience and Culture
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Prerequisites: PSYC 10a, 51a, and 52a, or NBIO 140b/NBIO 240a, 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.

NPSY 182a Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Infancy through Adolescence
[ oc sn ss wi ]

Prerequisites: NPSY 22b or PSYC 33a, 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.

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.

PSYC 128b The Psychology of Deafness and Blindness
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 52a and either NPSY 11b, NPSY 22b, or NPSY 199a. Instructor permission required.

Considers the developmental consequences of congenital deafness and blindness. We will first discuss how the senses interact in typical development, then consider the implications of deafness and blindness for brain and behavioral development. We will cover topics including sensory, motor, spatial, language, and social development. We will discuss cross-modal plasticity and compensatory plasticity as mechanisms of developmental change across the lifespan. Finally, we will discuss how blindness and deafness affect cultural affiliations and how those affiliations impact decisions about education, rehabilitation and equity. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc sn 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.

PSYC 132b How People and Contexts Interact: To Be or Not To Be Yourself
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisite: PSYC 10a, PSYC 31a, PSYC 34b, PSYC 51a, or PSYC 52a.

Why are some people better at lying than others? Why does one person experience sadness, whereas another feels anxious after viewing the same film? Why do certain individuals make better leaders, and in what situations might having “leadership” traits make people worse off? In this course, we will explore the wonders of context effects -- the powers of situations to change how individuals behave -- from the lens of modern personality psychology. Specific situations covered will include deception, emotion regulation, power, deindividuation, and relationships (both romantic and friendship). Through readings, activities, and discussions, we will grapple with conceptual explanations for how and why the situations we find ourselves in can dramatically shape the way we behave and make decisions in the short term, and the longer-term lasting effects that prolonged exposure to these situations can have. Special one-time offering, spring 2025.

PSYC 153b Psychology of Trauma and Adversity
[ oc sn ]

Prerequisites: PSYC 10a and either PSYC 31a or PSYC 32a.

Explores theoretical and empirical foundations for understanding trauma and adversity as a psychologist, as well as current advances in the evidence-based treatment of traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions. Usually offered every year.

PSYC 160b Seminar on Sex Differences
[ oc sn 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.

BIOL 51a Biostatistics
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Prerequisites: BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b.

An introductory level biostatistics class providing an overview to statistical methods used in biological and medical research. Topics include descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, commonly observed distributions, basic concepts of statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression, as well as analysis of variance. Basic statistical analysis using the R software package will be introduced. Usually offered every year.

ECON 83a Statistics for Economic Analysis
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Prerequisite: ECON 2a or ECON 10a. Students must earn a C- or higher in MATH 10a, or otherwise satisfy the calculus requirement, to enroll in this course. May not be taken concurrently with ECON 184b or repeated by students after the successful completion of ECON 184b.

A first course in statistical inference. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, normal and binomial distributions, sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, properties of estimators, hypothesis testing, regression, and analysis of variance. Usually offered every semester.

PSYC 51a Statistics
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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.

PSYC 130b Life Span Development: Early and Middle Adulthood
[ dl oc sn 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.