Graduate Field
Psychological Sciences and Human Development
Program Description
Each program within the field of Psychological Sciences and Human Development shares four broadly defined areas of special interest:
- development
- cognition
- neuroscience
- social and personality psychology
Research facilities include: special rooms for research in problems of perception and cognition; a social-psychology laboratory equipped for experimental and observational studies; electrophysiological, histological, and chemical laboratories; surgery facilities; facilities for the maintenance and behavioral study of vertebrate and invertebrate laboratory animals; darkrooms and shops; an audiovisual studio equipped for the study of teaching; laboratory computers and interacting terminals with the capacity to control equipment in experiments and to do online processing and complex data analyses; and other specialized facilities, both on campus and at various off-campus locations.
Students develop an independent program of study in consultation with their Special Committee. The three primary members of the Special Committee must be chosen by the end of the first year; students are encouraged to select at least one member (not the chairperson) from a field other than psychology. The Director of Graduate Studies appoints a fourth member, whose function is to ensure that the student obtains adequate breadth of training.
The Special Committee oversees requirements that are established by the field. Current requirements include a first-year review and annual meetings of the Special Committee to review the student's progress; a research paper completed by the end of the first year and an oral report of the research presented to a meeting of students and faculty members; a one-year course in statistics and experimental design; at least ten hours a week of supervised teaching experience for at least two semesters; the Admission to Candidacy examination, which should be taken by the end of the third year (a Graduate School requirement); a written dissertation proposal, which must be accepted at a meeting of the Special Committee called for that purpose; and the doctoral dissertation itself with a final examination on the dissertation (Graduate School requirements).
Concentrations
- Behavioral and evolutionary neuroscience
- Perception cognition and development
- Social and personality psychology
Program Information
- Instruction Mode: In Person
- Location: Ithaca, NY
- Minimum Credits for Degree: 120
Program Requirements
- Minimum Semesters for Degree: 8
Graduate School Milestones
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training: Required
- Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID): Required
- Student Progress Reviews (SPR) begin: Second Year
- Examination for admission to candidacy (A Exam): Third year
- Defense of Dissertation (B Exam): Fifth year
Field Specific Milestones
- Field progress review conducted every year
- Two semesters of teaching assistantship required
Course Requirements
Additional course requirements may be set by the student’s Special Committee. Program specific requirements that apply to all students are included below.
Year 1 (Fall)
Year 1 (Spring)
Other Courses
- PSYCH 9000 Doctoral Thesis Research in Biopsychology
- PSYCH 9100 Doctoral Thesis Research in Human Experimental Psychology
- PSYCH 9200 Doctoral Thesis Research in Social Psychology and Personality
- HD 9990 Doctoral Thesis and Research
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Learning Outcomes
A candidate for a Ph.D. in Psychology is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge across the field of Psychology, and to contribute significant, original research to our understanding of behavior within his/her sub-discipline. In so doing, the candidate shall demonstrate the ability to:
- Critically evaluate the state of his/her field by analyzing available scientific literature
- Synthesize current knowledge and identify novel research questions in his/her chosen field
- Master appropriate research techniques and collect original data
- Analyze results using appropriate technological and statistical methods
- Place and interpret results into a scholarly context and identify their importance
- Master communication skills including the publication of scientific papers, the presentation of scientific talks and the delivery of pedagogically sound lectures
- Stay abreast of the current state of his/her chosen field
- Support and disseminate knowledge through collaboration, teaching and mentoring
- Uphold standards for scientific rigor and ethical behavior, including standards for ethical use of human or animal subjects in research.
