First-year students work closely with a faculty adviser to plan and conduct research. They normally take the proseminar, Psychology 500, 501, 502, which covers several basic areas of psychology, and PSY591a, which covers ethical issues in scientific research. Students must also demonstrate a basic competence in quantitative methods by successfully completing Psychology 503, Quantitative Analysis in Psychological Research. Additional quantitative training should be planned in consultation with the student's adviser. Lastly, first-year students must submit a brief report on their first year of progress in the Ph.D. program.

Second-year students take advanced seminars and conduct and prepare a written report of a research investigation. They may also begin teaching duties.

The third, fourth and fifth years are devoted to continuing study in the student's area of specialization by means of completing the general examination, submitting a thesis proposal, doing independent reading and research, and taking advanced seminars. Normally, the doctoral dissertation is completed near the end of the fifth year.

A program leading to the degree of doctor of philosophy in psychology and neuroscience is also offered. The program is oriented toward the study of the role of the central nervous system in behavior. See the description of the Program in Neuroscience.

The Department is also closely affiliated with the Center for the Study of Brain, Mind and Behavior (CSBMB), which fosters research on the neural underpinnings of psychological function.  The CSBMB houses state of the art facilities for the study of brain function, including a research dedicated high field FMRI scanner, high density scalp electrical recorders and high performance computing facilities for data analysis and computational modeling.

Examinations
The general examination is normally taken during the fall of the third year. It deals at an advanced level with selected topics within a student's own area of specialization in psychology. The final public oral examination for the doctorate is based upon the problems, methods, and results of the dissertation and the relation of its findings to major trends and current problems in psychological research.
 

Equipment and Facilities
Facilities and specialized equipment needed for thorough training in modern psychology are available in the departmental laboratories in Green Hall. Laboratory units are organized around the research programs of the faculty, ranging from animal motivation and conditioning processes to decision-making in human social groups, from neurophysiological mechanisms controlling basic drives to attributional processes in judging other individuals, from the sensory and perceptual roots of human cognition to concept formation and problem-solving behavior in the child and adult, from the mathematical and computer techniques employed in research to the mechanisms of attitude formation and change. The Psychology Library is also located in Green Hall. It comprises an extensive collection of more than 33,000 volumes, including about 460 of the principal journals in the various areas of psychology as well as standard reference works, texts, and monographs. A computer terminal in the Psychology Library provides on-line access to psychological and related bibliographic data bases.
 

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