Coursework: Formal requirements for the doctorate in Cognition and Perception include the satisfactory completion of 72 points (at least 32 in residence at New York University). All students must complete the program requirements with a grade of ‘B’ or better.
Quantitative Methods Requirement
Math Tools I: Cognitive Science and Neuroscience, PSYCH-GA 2211 (4 points)
Or Intermediate Statistics, PSYCH-GA 2228 (3 points)
Plus a second course with an emphasis on quantitative methods (3 points)
Core Content Areas Requirement (9 points, see below)
Doctoral Psychology First Project, PSYCH-GA 3100 (3 points)
Doctoral Psychology Second Project, PSYCH-GA 3200 (3 points)
Doctoral Research Laboratory, PSYCH-GA 3000 (24 points, taken eight times)
Cognition and Perception Advanced Electives (9 points)
General Electives (17-18 points)
The second course in Quantitative Methods may be satisfied with courses within Psychology, the Center for Data Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Economics, the PR/ISM Program in the Steinhardt School or other departments, as approved by the Program Coordinator.
To satisfy the core content areas requirement, students must take one course (3 points each) from three of the four core content areas of the program:
PERCEPTION
Perception, PSYCH-GA 2223
DEVELOPMENT
Cognitive Development, PSYCH-GA 2209
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, PSYCH-GA 2220
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, PSYCH-GA 2220
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, PSYCH-GA 2221
COGNITION
Categories and Concepts, PSYCH-GA 2207
Neuroeconomics and Decision Making, PSYCH-GA 2212
Learning and Memory, PSYCH-GA 2225
Psycholinguistics, PSYCH-GA 2226
Neurolinguistics, PSYCH-GA 2710
Or other courses as approved by the Program Coordinator. Note that Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, PSYCH-GA 2220 may count as a course in Development or in Cognitive Neuroscience, but may not count for both for satisfying the core content requirements.
In Doctoral Psychology First Project, PSYCH-GA 3100, and Doctoral Psychology Second Project, PSYCH-GA 3200, students present their research in both oral form (a short research presentation of about 15 minutes) and written form (a paper of approximately 20 pages). For further progress in the program, these presentations must be deemed acceptable by a committee consisting of the student's research advisor plus two other faculty, constituting the Advisory Committee. The composition of the Advisory Committee must be approved by the Program Coordinator. Students are required to enroll in the Doctoral Psychology First Project, PSYCH-GA 3100 in the spring semester of their first year, and Doctoral Psychology Second Project, PSYCH-GA 3200, in the spring semester of their second year.
Successful progression through the doctoral program requires regular laboratory participation, consistent contact with the Faculty Advisor, and attendance at weekly meetings. Students are therefore required to enroll in Doctoral Research Laboratory, PSYCH-GA 3000, each semester (spring/Fall) in year one, two, three, and four of the program for a total of 24 points.
The Cognition and Perception Advanced Electives constitute three advanced elective courses in Psychology or in other departments as approved by student's advisor
Advisor: Students are required to have a faculty Advisor, or co-Advisors, at all times while in the program. Although students typically enter the program with an Advisor at the point of Admission, some students may be required to choose an Advisor within the first two weeks of the first semester. Advisors take primary responsibility for the research activities of their students, and advise them on other matters pertinent to their graduate degrees and may also serve as their primary dissertation sponsor. The role of the Advisor may include: course selection, when it is appropriate to teach, when and whether to do an internship, and post degree-completion career plans. The Advisor, and co-Advisor (if applicable), are responsible for tracking student progress and recommending final grades for Doctoral Research Laboratory, PSYCH-GA 3000, in each term the student is enrolled in that course. Students have the option of changing their Advisor, but must always have an Advisor.
Dissertation Proposal: By the end of the spring semester of year four, students should formulate and defend their dissertation proposal to their three-member Faculty committee (see ‘Dissertation Committee Composition’) and receive signed approval of their proposal before continuing research toward their final dissertation.
Dissertation and Oral Defense: By the end of the Spring semester of year five, students should complete the oral defense of their dissertation before their primary Faculty committee and two additional Readers, as chosen by the student in consultation with their committee members. Prior to giving the oral defense, students must gain authorization of the primary committee members, and the Program Coordinator, to defend. This approval must be received by the department prior to scheduling the oral defense. All students should plan to complete a final dissertation in five years. The composition of the five-person dissertation committee (Advisor/sponsor, two primary members, two readers) must include a minimum of three full-time Department of Psychology Faculty members, and must include one member from outside of the program (i.e. from another Program in the Department of Psychology, from another Department within New York University, or from outside of New York University). Any committee member from outside the Faculty of Arts and Science must receive approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.
CONCENTRATIONS
The Department of Psychology offers two unique concentration options that students may choose to pursue in their studies. Students may select only one concentration. These concentrations are:
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Students engage in advanced-level seminars and research with faculty affiliated with both developmental psychology and their chosen field of interest. The fact that the concentration cuts across different areas of psychology assures that students receive broad exposure to theories of development and methods of studying developmental change across a range of content areas. Students pursue a specific course of study in developmental psychology within the required curriculum of their core psychology program. They attend and present their research at weekly lab meetings. Nationally renowned developmental scholars are invited to present their research to the program, and students have the opportunity to discuss their work with them.
Courses: Five (5) courses are required for the Developmental Psychology, two (2) of which may have been taken to satisfy core requirements and can also count toward the concentration, reducing the total courses required to three (3).
Cognitive Development, PSYCH-GA 2209 (3 points)
Four other developmental electives (12 points)
The elective courses should be chosen in consultation with a developmental Faculty Advisor. These five courses (15 points) may overlap with the Core Content and Advanced Elective Ph.D. requirements, counting for both.
Students in the developmental concentration are required to write their dissertation on a developmental topic with the supervision of a Developmental Faculty Advisor.
QUANTITATIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Students may also concentrate in quantitative psychology, which involves mathematical representations of behavioral data, using statistical analysis and mathematical models of psychological phenomena. All areas of psychology can be approached from a quantitative perspective, so it is possible to pursue a quantitative concentration from either of the doctoral specialty programs. Students take elective courses in advanced statistical and/or mathematical topics and demonstrate an ability to communicate mathematical approaches clearly.
Courses: Students must take and pass six (6) quantitative courses with a grade of ‘B+’ or better. Two (2) of these are the two courses taken to satisfy the Quantitative Methods requirement. Three (3) of these courses replace the 9 points required in the Advanced Electives requirement. The final course replaces 3 points in the General Electives requirement. These courses may be chosen from those offered by the Department of Psychology or other departments, as approved by the Quantitative Concentration Mentor
Mentor: All students pursuing the quantitative concentration must secure a mentor from among the provided mentor list. The mentor serves as a guide to taking appropriate courses for the concentration, for choices of quantitative courses to teach or serve as a Class Assistant for, and for advice on the quantitative components (i.e., data analysis or modeling) of their research papers. Students admitted to the concentration will usually have received an ‘A’ or an ‘A-‘ in the first quantitative courses in the program (e.g., Math Tools or Intermediate Statistics).
Teaching: Experience in teaching quantitative psychology, either as a teaching assistant of a quantitative course, or as an instructor of a college level course on quantitative methods, or through equivalent experience. The student's quantitative mentor must certify that the student satisfactorily prepared and presented lab sessions or course lectures.
Written Report: Demonstration of ability to communicate advanced quantitative material. The student must submit a written report to their Mentor that demonstrates competence in writing about quantitative psychology. This report might be a senior-authored empirical research paper that requires sophisticated quantitative methods, or it might be a review of quantitative models or methods. In certain cases it may constitute one of the chapters of the dissertation.