In consultation and collaboration with their faculty mentor, all students are expected to actively conduct research throughout their graduate training, starting as soon as they arrive at UCR. In addition to research activities, students must complete a series of courses to earn their Ph.D.

1^st Year Coursework

Statistical Core

211 – Statistical Inference
212 – Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis
213 – Experimental Design and Analysis of Variance OR
214 – Latent Variable Analysis
Note: Behavioral Neuroscience students may not be required to take the statistical core.

Core Area Coursework

Behavioral Neuroscience

PSYC 200A – Fundamentals of Neuroscience: molecular and cellular mechanisms
PSYC 200B – Fundamentals of Neuroscience: neural circuits and systems
PSYC 200C – Fundamentals of Neuroscience: neural control of behavior

Cognitive and Cognitive Neuroscience

203A – Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience: Perception, Attention, and/or Action.
Addresses cognitive theories and cognitive neuroscience approaches to the study of perception, attention, and/or action.

203B – Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience: Attention, Memory, and/or Learning.
Addresses cognitive theories and cognitive neuroscience approaches to the study of attention, memory, and/or learning.

203C – Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience: Memory, Learning, Language, and/or Decision Making.
Addresses cognitive theories and cognitive neuroscience approaches to the study of memory, learning, language, and/or decision-making.

233 – Research Methods in Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Develops skills in various research methodologies currently available to cognitive scientists, including programming languages, computational approaches, and neuroimaging methods (EEG, MRI, TMS). Emphasizes learning to implement the method. Includes critically examining assumptions of the method and how it is being used to address theoretical and empirical questions.

Developmental

207A – Theories in Developmental Psychology
207B – Social Development
207C – Processes of Cognitive Development
208 – Research Methods in Development

Social/Personality

225 – Theories and Concepts of Social Psychology
226 – Theories and Concepts of Personality Psychology
227 – Research Methods in Social and Personality Psychology

2^nd & 3^rd Year Coursework

During the second year of graduate study, students complete any remaining core courses and satisfy the department’s 5-course “further study” requirement before completing the qualifying examination and advancing to PhD candidacy. These courses or seminars are selected in consultation between the student and advisor to provide further study beyond the area core course requirements. Courses must be 3- or 4-unit courses or seminars, and at least one must be a departmental core course (listed in 2, above) outside the student’s area of specialization. The five courses may be used to obtain breadth and/or depth in the student’s program of study.

The student’s advisor and the department graduate advisor must approve the list of courses used to satisfy the further study requirement.

Note: Students who have completed graduate-level coursework before entering the UCR PhD program may request that specific courses be accepted toward the satisfaction of the further study requirement.

SAMPLE COURSES OF STUDY

BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE

COGNITION AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY