Psychological and Brain Sciences - Graduate

Chair: P. Tse, Professor

Professors S. Beilock, A. Clark, D. Coch, B. Duchaine, R. Granger, J. Haxby, J. Taube, P. Tse, T. Wager, T. Wheatley; Associate Professors L. Chang, D. Kraemer, J. Manning, J. Murray, C. Robertson, K. Smith, A. Soltani, M. van der Meer; Assistant Professors E. Finn, K. Nautiyal, P. O’Neill, K. Sanchez, A. Stolk, V. Störmer, M. Thornton, S. Warlow; Senior Lecturer M. Herman; Lecturers J. Bharucha, K. R. Clark, A. Corbin, G. Greenough, J. Jordan, J. Stott, L.Veillette, S. Winter, S. Wray; Adjunct Professor J. Sargent; Adjunct Associate Professor M. Funnell; Adjunct Assistant Professor M. Detzer;  Research Professors P. Cavanagh, Y. Halchenko; Research Assistant Professor W. Hudenko. Affiliated Faculty: S. Frankland, Assistant Professor, Program in Cognitive Science, J. Phillips, Assistant Professor, Program in Cognitive Science.

To view Psychological and Brain Sciences Graduate courses, click here.

To view Psychological and Brain Sciences Undergraduate requirements, click here.

To view Psychological and Brain Sciences Undergraduate courses, click here.

Requirements for the Doctor’s Degree (Ph.D.)

The Department offers graduate training leading to the Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences or Cognitive Neuroscience. The program emphasizes acquaintance with the basic psychological and neural processes that form the core of contemporary psychological science. Students are encouraged in their research to address problems of broad significance and to be knowledgeable about the theory that makes breadth coherent.

The course requirements for the Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences are as follows:

1. Proseminar (PSYC 100)

2. Graduate Student Ethics (PSYC 700)

3. Measurement and Statistics I and II (PSYC 110 and PSYC 111)
4. Five additional graduate courses, including at least two Core Courses (PSYC 120-129, PSYC 126/IND 102) and at least one Content Seminar (PSYC 170-179).  The remaining two courses may be Methods Seminars (PSYC 160-169), Core Courses, or Content Seminars. 

The course requirements for the Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience are as follows:

1. Proseminar (PSYC 100)
2. Graduate Student Ethics (PSYC 700)
3. Measurement and Statistics I and II (PSYC 110 and PSYC 111)
4. Two core courses: Systems Neuroscience (PSYC 126/IND 102) and Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYC 128)
5. Three electives from the following list (non-exhaustive)
   1. Programming: Computer Programming for Brain Scientists (PSYC 161), Machine Learning & Statistical Analysis (COSC 174)
   2. Neuroimaging and Data Analysis: Principles of Human Brain Mapping (PSYC 60), Imaging Methods (PSYC 160), Computational Methods/Analysis of Neural Data (PSYC 164)
   3. The Neural Code: Seminar in Special Topics (PSYC 179) for topics relevant to cognitive neuroscience

Both programs require the following:

1. Completion of the teaching apprenticeship program.
2. A passing grade in a Specialist Examination, typically by the end of the winter term during the second year.
3. Completion of a written MS thesis, and defense with a thesis committee typically in the spring term during the second year.
4. Fulfillment of the two-year-residence requirement.
5. Completion of independent research and a dissertation; a defense of the dissertation; and presentation of the dissertation research in a public oral colloquium.
6. For more specific details regarding the program see the ‘Guide to PBS Graduate Program.’

Psychological and Brain Sciences Department Website

Please check the department website at
http://pbs.dartmouth.edu/graduate-program-psychological-and-brain-sciences for further information.