Developmental Program PhD Requirements
Course Requirements
- Statistics: Two terms of advanced statistics or equivalent
- Foundational Courses: The following three courses are required:
- Proseminar in the Foundations of Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Development
- Social Development
- Two courses from among the following:
- Language Development
- Infancy
- Social Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychopathology
- Child Psychopathology
- Family Systems
- Three additional electives from either within or outside of the Department of Psychology: two of these must be advanced seminars.
Major Milestones
- First/Second Year Project: This is a research project typically conducted in collaboration with the student's major advisor. While the master's degree is optional, many students choose to apply for one after completing their first/second year project.
- Specialty Exam: Typically begun at the end of the second year, this is a specialty paper that provides students their first independent opportunity to think and write about an area of scholarship in some depth. Ideally, the paper is completed and orally defended at the end of the third year, and serves as the conceptual basis and literature review for the dissertation.
- Dissertation Proposal: Same as departmental requirement.
General Expectations and Requirements
- Teaching: All students must independently teach at least one course before the PhD degree is awarded.
- Presentations: It is expected that that students will present their first/second year projects to either the Developmental or Clinical Brown Bag Series.
- Research Involvement: Students are expected to become immediately involved in research and to maintain continuous research involvement throughout their graduate career.