Department of Psychology
Graduate Courses
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.
1st 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
2nd & 3rd 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
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Two taken from PSYC 211, 212, 213, 214 in consultation with your faculty advisor. Area Core: PSYC 200A, 200B, 200C Research Hours: PSYC 296 Teaching: PSYC 301 |
3 Further Studies Courses Research Hours: PSYC 296 |
2 Further Studies Courses | PSYC 299 Dissertation Research | PSYC 299 Dissertation Research |
COGNITION AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Proseminar: PSYC 283 Stats Core: PSYC 211, 212, and 201 or 214 Area Core: PSYC 203A, 203B, 203C Research Hours: PSYC 296 Teaching: PSYC 301 |
Proseminar: PSYC 283 Area Core: PSYC 233 3 Further Studies Courses Research Hours: PSYC 296 |
Proseminar: PSYC 283 2 Further Studies Courses |
PSYC 299 Dissertation Research | PSYC 299 Dissertation Research |
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Proseminar: PSYC 284 Stats Core: PSYC 211, 212, 213 or 214 Area Core: PSYC 207A, 207B, 207C Research Hours: PSYC 296 Teaching: PSYC 301 |
Proseminar: PSYC 284 Area Core: PSYC 208 3 Further Studies Courses Research Hours: PSYC 296 |
Proseminar: PSYC 284 2 Further Studies Courses |
PSYC 299 Dissertation Research | PSYC 299 Dissertation Research |
SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Proseminar: PSYC 285 Stats Core: PSYC 211, 212, and 201 or 214 Area Core: PSYC 225, 226, 227 Research Hours: PSYC 296 Teaching: PSYC 301 |
Proseminar: PSYC 285 3 Further Studies Courses Research Hours: PSYC 296 |
Proseminar: PSYC 285 2 Further Studies Courses |
PSYC 299 Dissertation Research | PSYC 299 Dissertation Research |