columbia university counseling psychology phd

• Counseling Psychology

Become a Licensed Mental Health or School Counselor

Our Ed.M. graduates are caring, ethical, effective practitioners who receive first-rate practitioner preparation from some of the top researchers in the counseling profession.

Welcome to the Counseling Psychology program

The Program in Psychological Counseling is dedicated to the preparation of psychological counselors who facilitate the normal and optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations that is culturally relevant and psychologically appropriate across the lifespan. Our students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environments.

Our Degrees

Master of education.

The Master of Education (Ed.M.) offers two tracks — Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling — and a Bilingual Latina/o Mental Health concentration for students to gain professional education and work toward professional licensure and/or certification.

Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology

The Ph.D. offers doctoral training in health service psychology within a multicultural context. Our training model is premised upon the belief that academic scholarship and research are inseparable from professional practice. At Teachers College you will study with faculty whose work has shaped the counseling profession.

The Ph.D. also offers a Bilingual Latinx Mental Health Concentration .

Advanced Certificates

• College Advising

The Advanced Certificate in College Advising equips dedicated counselors, educators, and other stakeholders to demystify the college admissions process.

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Admissions Information

Application requirements.

• College Advising - Online
• Sexuality, Women and Gender in Psychology and Education
• Psychological Counseling: Bilingual Latina/o Mental Health NY State Licensure: Mental Health Counseling
• Psychological Counseling: Mental Health Counseling NY State Licensure: Mental Health Counseling
• Psychological Counseling: School Counselor NY State Initial: School Counselor
• Psychological Counseling: School Counselor (Online) NY State Initial: School Counselor

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Teachers College, Columbia University 428 Horace Mann

Contact Person: Jacob Holober

Phone: (212) 678-3397 Fax: (212) 678-3397

Email: jsh2239@tc.columbia.edu Admissions Inquiries: CCPadmission@tc.columbia.edu

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The so-called “helping professions,” Psychology, Counseling, and Social Work are grounded in empathy, care, and transformation. Professionals in these fields work in clinical, industry, education, or community service settings. Working with individuals, groups, families or organizations, they:

• advocate for clients
• connect people with social services   
• promote wellness
• treat substance abuse
• address family violence 
• manage individual cases
• educate patients  
• develop treatment plans   
• provide support for emotional distress

For some roles, graduate school, specialized credentials or clinical training is necessary. 

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Check out the latest  Vault  guide to  Social Services  and  other related industries .

SAMPLE EMPLOYERS IN LIONSHARE

• AHRC New York City
• Center For Family Services
• Harlem Children’s Zone
• Heartshare Human Services
• Nathan Kline Institute
• New Alternatives for Children
• NYC Department for the Aging
• Phoenix House
• The Fresh Air Fund
• WellLife Network

Focus Areas in Psychology, Counseling, or Social Work

People interested in psychology may choose to begin their careers in an array of fields including marketing/advertising, communications, social services, education, research, healthcare, advocacy, case management, human resources, law, consulting or other business administration roles. Check our Majors page to see where recent Psychology and Neuroscience and Bevavior grads started out.

Here is a sample list of applied areas in this industry:

This range of professions include career counselors, genetic counselors, mental health counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and substance abuse counselors, among others. Counseling usually requires a master’s degree.  According to the American Counseling Association , Counselors empower diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists work with clients with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities to promote their functional skills, often in collaboration with doctors and other specialists. Working with clients one-on-one or in group settings, OTs address not only the physical, but also the psychological and social dimensions of their clients’ disabilities.

Psychiatrists complete medical training and specialize in mental health. The  American Psychiatric Association  describes psychiatry’s focus as “the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, including substance use disorders.” Psychiatrists can assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

Types of psychologists include clinical psychologists, developmental psychologists, experimental psychologists, organizational psychologists, school psychologists, and more. Psychologists typically hold a Ph.D., E.D.  or Psy.D. and may work with clients, groups, or organizations in teaching, counseling, research, or administrative capacities.

School Counseling

School counselors help students in grades K-12 to achieve academic success, college and career readiness and social/emotional development. Usually trained in school counseling, counselor education or counseling psychology, School Counselors must also be certified by the state in which they work. See the Education page for information on schools. 

Social Work

Social workers help individuals in need and communities to address social problems and challenge systemic social injustice. Social workers in direct practice counsel and advocate for clients as well as connect them with resources. Social workers in indirect practice develop, analyze, or administer policies or programs. Learn more about the Social Work profession from the National Association of Social Workers. 

Columbia University Resources

• Join student organizations like the Barnard/Columbia Rape Crisis Anti-Violence Support Center  or  The Student Wellness Project .
• Check out courses and research opportunities through Columbia  Psychology Department .
• Learn about graduate programs and research at other Columbia schools, such as  Counseling & Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College  or  Columbia University School of Social Work .
• Read about  Leah Samuels’ (CC’18) internship experience  at the Washington Heights Corner Project, where she learned about applying a human rights approach to working with drug users.

Job and Internship Search Resources

Job, internship and research links, associations, additional resources.

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Departmental Office: 406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-3608 https://psychology.columbia.edu/

Directors of Undergraduate Studies:

Psychology Major and Concentration : Prof. Patricia Lindemann, 358E Schermerhorn Extension;  [email protected]  (Students with last names beginning A-J) Prof. Katherine Fox-Glassman, 314 Schermerhorn;  [email protected]  (Students with last names beginning K-S) Prof. Chris Baldassano, 370 Schermerhorn Extension;  cab2304 @columbia.edu  (Students with last names beginning T-Z)

Neuroscience and Behavior Major :

Psychology : Prof. Alfredo Spagna, 315 Schermerhorn; [email protected] (Students with last names beginning A-Z) Biology (CC) : Prof. Stuart Firestein, [email protected] Biology (GS) : Prof. Deborah Mowshowitz, 744 Mudd; [email protected]

Director of Instruction and Academic Affairs :

Prof. Caroline Marvin, 317 Schermerhorn;  [email protected]

Directors of Senior Thesis Research Intensive: Prof. Lila Davachi, 402 Schermerhorn; [email protected]

Prof. Nim Tottenham, 419E Schermerhorn; [email protected]

Preclinical Adviser: Prof. E'mett McCaskill, 415O Milbank; [email protected]

Administrative Manager: Joanna Borchert-Kopczuk, 406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-3940; [email protected]

Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant:  406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-8859; [email protected]

The  Department of Psychology  offers students a comprehensive curriculum in psychological science, including research methods, cognition, neuroscience, developmental, social, and clinical areas. The curriculum prepares majors for graduate education in these fields and also provides a relevant background for social work, education, medicine, law, and business. Psychology course offerings are designed to meet the varying needs and interests of students, from those wishing to explore a few topics in psychology or to fulfill the science requirement, to those interested in majoring in Psychology or in Neuroscience and Behavior .

Program Goals

The department's program goals start with the development of a solid knowledge base in psychological science. Consistent with the value psychology places on empirical evidence, courses at every level of the curriculum nurture the development of skills in research methods, quantitative literacy, and critical thinking, and foster respect for the ethical values that undergird the science of psychology.

Most of these program goals are introduced in  PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY , the recommended first psychology course required for all majors that satisfies the prerequisite for most 2000 -level courses. These goals are extended and reinforced in our statistics ( 1600 -level) and research methods ( 1400- level) research methods courses, as well as in the 2000 -level lecture courses and 3000 - and 4000 -level seminars. Each of the 2000 -level lecture courses enables students to study systematically, and in greater depth, one of the content areas introduced in PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY . These lecture courses are the principal means by which psychology majors satisfy the distribution requirements, ensuring not only depth but also breadth of coverage across three central areas of psychology: (1) perception and cognition, courses in the 2200s, (2) psychobiology and neuroscience, courses in the 2400s, and (3) social, personality, and abnormal psychology, courses in the 2600s. To complete the major, students take one or more advanced seminars and are encouraged to participate in supervised research courses, where they have the opportunity to explore research questions in depth and further develop their written and oral communication skills.

Research Participation

All qualified students are welcome to apply to join a research lab and contribute to ongoing projects. Students may volunteer to work in a lab, register for supervised individual research ( PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research), or participate in the department’s Senior Thesis Advanced Research (STAR) Program . Information on faculty research is available on the departmental website. Students are advised to read about research laboratories on faculty lab sites and visit the professor’s office hours to discuss opportunities. At the beginning of the fall term, the department also hosts a Lab-Preview event for students to learn about research opportunities for the upcoming semester.

Program Planning

Majors and concentrators in psychology and majors in neuroscience and behavior should begin planning a program of study as early as possible. All necessary forms and information are available in Program Planning Tips . All majors and concentrators in Psychology and majors in Neuroscience and Behavior should complete a Major Requirement Checklist  before consulting a program adviser to discuss program plans. At minimum, all students must submit a Major Requirement Checklist  prior to the start of their final semester, so that graduation eligibility can be certified.  Once the MRC is submitted, the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant and the DUS's will review your curriculum plans and advise if changes need to be made.

The Department of Psychology offers a variety of advising resources to provide prospective and current undergraduate majors and concentrators with the information and support needed to successfully plan their programs. An overview of these resources is provided on the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Resources website .

Students are encouraged to consult with Peer, Faculty, and Program Advisers as they plan their course of study in Psychology or Neuroscience and Behavior. Faculty and Peer Advisers are important contacts for general advice on class choices, research opportunities, and post-graduation plans. For definitive answers to questions regarding major requirements and other aspects of your degree, including transfer credit, current and prospective majors should consult their Program Adviser (Director of Undergraduate Studies) or the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant in the departmental office. Program Adviser assignments and contact information are provided on the departmental website. For additional information about program, faculty, peer, and pre-clinical advising, please see the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Resources website .

Email Communication

The department maintains an e-mail distribution list with the UNIs of all declared majors and concentrators. Students are held responsible for information sent to their Columbia e-mail addresses. Students should read these messages from the department regularly and carefully. They are intended to keep students informed about deadlines, requirements, events, and opportunities. Prospective majors or concentrators who would like to be added to the e-mail distribution list should contact the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant in the departmental office.

Guide to Course Numbers

Course numbers reflect the structure of the Psychology curriculum:

• The 1000 -level comprises introductions to psychology, introductory research methods courses, and statistics. PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  is an introductory course with no prerequisites, which can  serve as the prerequisite for most of the 2000 -level courses.  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications is an alternative version of PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY and fulfills the same requirements.  The  1400 s contain the research methods laboratory courses, and the  1600 s contain statistics courses; these two course types are designed to prepare students to be able to understand, critique, and conduct the types of research found in many psychology and neuroscience labs.
• The 2000 -level comprises lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychology; most require PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  as a prerequisite.
• The 3000 -level comprises more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses; most are given in a seminar format and require instructor permission.
• The 3900 s are the courses providing research opportunities for undergraduates.
• The 4000 -level comprises advanced seminars suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students,  and require instructor permission . 

Subcategories within the 2000 -, 3000 -, and 4000 -levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate Psychology majors:

• Perception and cognition ( 2200 s, 3200 s, and 4200 s),
• Psychobiology and neuroscience ( 2400 s, 3400 s, and 4400 s), and
• Social, personality, and abnormal psychology ( 2600 s, 3600 s, and 4600 s).

Additionally, we designate Integrative and Applied courses using x800s (e.g., GU4880) and Advanced Topics in Psychology Research using the x900s (e.g., UN1910, UN1920, UN1930, UN1990, GU4930)

Note that Barnard psychology courses do not follow the same numbering scheme.

Senior Thesis Advanced Research

Starting in Fall 2021, we restructured the Honors program to become the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research (STAR) program. This change is intended to expand the number of Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavior students we can accept into this rigorous training program. (Note that this change goes into effect for all new applicants; policies for students that have already been enrolled in ‘Honors’ will remain as they were prior to this change.)

Students with strong interests in psychological/neuroscientific research are encouraged to apply for admission to the Psychology Department's Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program in the fall of their junior year or the equivalent, such that they will be able to participate in the three consecutive semesters (spring - fall - spring) that are required in the program. 

Important: Students will need to confirm that a professor has agreed to mentor them before being admitted into the program. Therefore, interested applicants should reach out to potential mentors to find a lab placement before applying. Tip: The best way to ensure finding a mentor is to get involved in that mentor’s research before asking if they can provide mentoring/supervision on your thesis. Please read through all the information below  before  submitting your application.

Students interested in engaging in a Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis: 

The series includes: 

• Enrolling in a 3-semester Senior Thesis Advanced Research series, which includes a weekly seminar and research commitment, that must occur consecutively in your Junior year spring semester and Senior year (fall & spring), or equivalent [NOTE: this research course includes performing intensive, independent research with a lab mentor, writing a final thesis, and giving an oral presentation of the thesis at the end of the 3rd semester]
• Enrolling in a one-semester methods course (PSYC UN1920, UN1420/21, UN1450/51, UN1455/56, UN1490/91) in any semester during undergrad (i.e., before or during the series). Students are strongly encouraged to complete this methods training during or before the spring of their junior year (or equivalent).

Students interested   in engaging in a Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis and aspiring to be eligible for Academic Honors in Psychology or Neuroscience and Behavior: 

All students aspiring to graduate with Academic Honors must enroll in the series described above. However, acceptance to and participation in this program does not automatically result in earning academic honors (see requirements for academic honors below).

Note the students majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior may earn academic honors through the Department of Biological Sciences instead. (Please check their website for more details on that process.)

Honors Requirements: 

The Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program is open to students majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience & Behavior and includes the following: 

Senior Thesis Advanced Research Seminar ( UN3930 ): This is a two-hour, 1-4 credit course that meets biweekly, during which students present and discuss their ongoing research. Students in the course also attend the  Psychology Department's Colloquium Series , which features researchers from outside the Department speaking on a variety of topics in Psychology/Neuroscience. The seminar and colloquia always take place on Wednesdays from 4:10 - 6:00 p.m. Students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program enroll in this course during the spring of their junior year and during the fall and spring of their senior years, or the equivalent.

Senior Thesis Research: Starting in the spring of their junior year and continuing through senior year, all students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program conduct research under the supervision of a Psychology Department faculty member or a faculty member/principal investigator in a psychology- or neuroscience-focused lab outside the department, including at Barnard College, the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia Business School, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and other research institutions in the area.

Research Methods Course: To fulfill this requirement, students should complete a methods course (PSYC UN1920 The How-To's of Research; PSYC UN1420/21 Research Methods: Human Behavior; PSYC UN1450/51 Research Methods: Social Cognition & Emotion; PSYC UN1455/56 Research Methods: Social & Personality Psychology; PSYC UN1490/91 Research Methods: Cognition & Decision-making).

Senior Thesis: Students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program complete an original research project under the supervision of their faculty advisor. Senior students present their research orally at the last colloquium of the Spring term, and also submit a written senior thesis.

Eligibility for Academic Honors:  Students participating in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program are also eligible to receive academic honors when they graduate, provided they 1) complete all components of the program, 2) earn a GPA in the major of 3.6 or higher at the time of graduation, and 3) are recommended by the Psychology department faculty. Please note that academic honors can be awarded to no more than 10% of the graduating class each year, so while only students who have participated in this senior thesis research intensive are eligible to receive academic honors, not everyone in the Senior Thesis Advanced Research program will receive academic honors. 

How to Apply: 

The application is due in mid fall, and decisions are communicated in time for admitted students to register to begin Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research-related classes in the spring. 

The application process comprises the following steps: 

• Identifying a lab sponsor: If you think you might be interested in applying, you should start reaching out to labs that you’re interested in well in advance of the application deadline to see if they might have openings for research assistants and if they’d be willing to mentor you in your research. Keep in mind that mentoring a student is a significant commitment on the part of a professor, and so it may be difficult to identify a professor who can provide mentorship. Successful applicants typically demonstrate how their own research interests fall in line with those of their proposed sponsor and attest that their faculty member/PI has agreed to sponsor them. Once you have secured a position in a lab, you and your mentor will need to fill out the  mentor agreement form .   
• Complete the online application: The application will be made available on our psychology department website , and comprises a few relatively short questions asking students to describe their previous coursework and research-related experiences and to write about their intended research interests.  

Requirements for Admission to Graduate Programs in Psychology

Most graduate programs in psychology, including those in clinical psychology, require:

Students should also take a variety of more advanced undergraduate courses and seminars. Students interested in PhD programs in any area of psychology are strongly encouraged to participate in a research lab and may wish to enroll in PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research. Students are also encouraged to apply for the Senior Thesis Advanced Research program  in the early fall of their junior year. 

Students interested in clinical psychology should obtain experience working in a community service program in addition to supervised individual research experience. Students should consult the department's pre-clinical adviser, Prof. E'mett McCaskill , and attend the department's pre-clinical advising events for more information. Additional resources to help prepare students for graduate study in psychology, and for careers in clinical psychology, are available on the Department of Psychology’s website . Students may also sign-up for the preclinical advising listserv  to receive emails about events and relevant information.  

Online Information

The Department of Psychology  website  provides access to a wide variety of information for majors and prospective majors. Among other useful resources, students will find syllabi posted for most lecture and lab courses and for many advanced seminars. Students should read the on-line course syllabi prior to registering for psychology courses. For assistance in finding all necessary resources, students should contact the undergraduate curriculum assistant ( [email protected] ).

Science Requirement

PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY ,  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications ,  PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered), and any PSYC course in the 2200 - or 2400 -level may be used to fulfill the science requirement.

2600 -level and some other psychology courses, including  PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY  and other Barnard psychology courses, may not be used to fulfill the science requirement.

All  3- and 4-point courses numbered in th e 32 xx, 34xx, 42xx, and 44xx can  partially fulfill the science requirement .  With prior departmental approval, some additional courses may also be used to partially fulfill the science requirement.  For more detailed information regarding psychology courses that may be applied toward the science requirement, see the Core Curriculum section in this bulletin.

With prior departmental approval, 3- and 4-point courses numbered in the 32xx, 34xx, 42xx, and 44xx, and some additional courses, may partially fulfill the science requirement. For more detailed information regarding psychology courses that may be applied toward the science requirement, see  Core Requirements  in the General Studies bulletin.

Evening and Columbia Summer Courses

The department normally offers at least one lab course in the late afternoon with evening labs. A number of other courses are occasionally offered in late afternoon and evening hours. No more than one quarter of the courses required for the major are normally available in the evening. Working students may find early morning (8:40 a.m.) classes, as well as Summer Session offerings, helpful in completing degree requirements.

Any course offered by the Psychology Department during the Summer Session is applicable toward the same major requirement(s) as the corresponding course of that same number offered during the academic year. For instance, PSYC S1001D The Science of Psychology  meets the same major requirements as does PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY .

See Academic Regulations—Study Outside Columbia College  in this Bulletin for additional information.

See Summer Courses for policies governing Summer Session courses.

• Niall Bolger
• Lila Davachi
• Geraldine Downey
• William Fifer (Psychiatry, Pediatrics)
• Norma Graham
• Tory Higgins
• Donald C. Hood
• Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
• Janet Metcalfe
• Kevin Ochsner (Chair)
• Rae Silver (Barnard)
• Daphna Shohamy
• Herbert Terrace
• Nim Tottenham
• Sarah M.N. Woolley 

Associate Professors

• Jon Freeman
• Valerie Purdie-Greenaway
• Randy Auerbach (Psychiatry)

Assistant Professors ​

• Christopher Baldassano 
• Larisa Heiphetz Bianca Marlin
• Sarah Canetta (Psychiatry)
• Yunglin Gazes (Neurology)

Lecturers in Discipline

• Katherine Fox-Glassman
• Patricia Lindemann
• Caroline Marvin
• Alfredo Spagna

Adjunct Faculty

• Usha Barahmand
• Jennifer Blaze
• Jeffrey Cohen
• Irit Felsen
• David Friedman
• Hannah Hoch
• Nora Isacoff
• Trenton Jerde
• Svetlana Komissarouk
• E'mett McCaskill
• Michele Miozzo
• Michael Naft
• Jenna Reinen
• Svetlana Rosis
• Ayanna Sorett

Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors

Double majors/concentrations.

All students attempting to complete double majors, double concentrations, or a combination of a major and a concentration should consult the college rules for double counting of courses . 

Overlapping Courses

Students cannot receive credit for two courses—one completed at Columbia and one at another institution (including Barnard)—if those courses have largely overlapping content. For example,   PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  is similar in content to introductory psychology courses offered at many other institutions, including Barnard; only one such course will receive credit. Similarly,  PSYC UN2630 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY  and  PSYC BC1138 Social Psychology  have overlapping content; only one will receive credit. Please refer to the table of Overlapping Courses  for a partial list of courses at Columbia and Barnard that are known to overlap.

Grade Requirements for the Major

A grade of C- or higher must be earned and revealed on the transcript in any Columbia or Barnard course, including the first, that is used to satisfy the major requirements. The grade of P is not accepted for credit towards the Psychology major , Psychology concentration , or Neuroscience and Behavior major . Courses taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis may not be used to satisfy the major or concentration requirements unless the grade of P is uncovered by the Registrar's deadline. Students may petition to have their P/D/F grades uncovered after the registrar's deadline for the following three courses only:  PSYC UN1001 Science of Psychology, PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain, & Behavior (no longer offered), and PSYC UN1610 Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists. Courses taken for a P grade may not be used to satisfy the major or concentration requirements, except for P grades earned in the Spring 2020 semester.

Major Requirement Checklist 

Prior to the start of their final semester, all seniors must submit a Major Requirement Checklist showing all major courses they have taken and those they plan to take. The Psychology department evaluates each checklist to determine whether or not the course plan completes the major requirements and then notifies the student accordingly. If the student's course plan changes, or if it does not satisfy the major requirements, a revised checklist must be submitted. Departmental approval of an accurate and up-to-date checklist will help ensure completion of all major requirements on time for graduation. 

Major in Psychology

Please read Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above.

The Psychology Major requirements changed in 2020. Students entering an undergraduate degree program at Columbia in Fall 2020 or later must complete the new major requirements. Students who entered Columbia prior to Fall 2020 may choose to complete either the new major requirements or the old ones.

New Major Requirements (for students entering Columbia Fall 2020 or later) 

Students must complete 11 courses in Psychology or an approved cognate discipline. To count toward the major, a course must be taken for 3 or more points. At least 6 of the 11 courses must be in the Columbia Psychology Department.

These 11 courses must include:

• Introductory Psychology Course
• One Statistics course
• One Research Methods course
• One Group I Course
• One Group II Course
• One Group III Course
• One course meeting the Seminar requirement
• One course meeting the integrative/applied Special Elective requirement
• Enough PSYC electives to complete 11 courses

Each course may fulfill only one of these major requirements. See below for details on each of these requirements.

Old Major Requirements (for students entering Columbia prior to Fall 2020) 

Students must complete 30 or more points to complete the Psychology Major. Those 30 points must include:

• Enough PSYC electives to complete 30 points

 See below for details on each of these requirements. Note that no course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the major requirements. 

The Introductory Psychology Course

• PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

A Statistics Course

Select one of the following:

• PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS
• PSYC UN1660 Advanced Statistical Inference
• STAT UN1001 INTRO TO STATISTICAL REASONING
• STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS  (formerly STAT W1111 )
• STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS  (formerly STAT W1211 )

A Research Methods Course

• PSYC UN1420 RESEARCH METHODS - HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION
• PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY
• PSYC UN1490 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION MAKING

Majors are strongly advised to complete the statistics and research methods requirements, in that order, by the fall term of their junior year. Students are advised to verify the specific prerequisites for research methods courses, most of which require prior completion of a statistics course.

Distribution Requirement

One course (3 points or more) must be taken from each of the following three groups (in addition to the introductory, statistics, and research methods courses described above):

Group I—Perception and cognition: courses numbered in the 2200s, 3200s, or 4200s.  

Group II—Psychobiology and neuroscience: courses numbered in the 2400s, 3400s, or 4400s. Also PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered).

Group III—Social, personality, and abnormal: courses numbered in the 2600s, 3600s, or 4600s .   

As of Fall 2019, Research Methods courses no longer fulfill any of the Group distribution requirements.   

Seminar Requirement

In addition, students must complete one course meeting the Seminar requirement. A seminar course must be taken for 3 or more points.

All courses offered through the Columbia Psychology Department and numbered in the 3200s, 3400s, 3600s, 4200s, 4400s, and 4600s count toward the seminar requirement. Not all Barnard courses taught in a seminar format fulfill this requirement—see Barnard Courses, below, for more information.

Seminars are usually taken in the junior and senior year as a culmination of the major program , but any students who have met the prerequisites and gain the instructor’s permission to join the course may enroll . Enrollment in all seminar courses requires the instructor's permission; students are advised to contact instructors at least one month prior to registration to request seminar admission. Note that honors, senior thesis research intensive, and supervised individual research courses ( PSYC UN3910 HONORS SEMINAR ,  PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH , PSYC UN3930 Senior Thesis Advanced Research Seminar, and PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research) will not meet the seminar requirement.

For those completing the new major requirements, no course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the above major requirements: separate courses must be taken to fulfill the seminar requirement and each distribution group.

Special Elective (for the New Major requirements)

For students entering Columbia in Fall 2020 or later, one course must be taken to fulfill the integrative/applied Special Elective.

The Special Elective encompasses a wide range of courses: those that cut across and connect different sub-disciplines within psychology; those that integrate psychology with other disciplines; those that apply psychology to real-world problems; those that dig deeper into advanced statistics and methods topics; and those that offer hands-on experience with psychology research.

The following courses are pre-approved to count toward the Special Elective requirement. If you would like to count a course that does not appear on this list, please contact your  Program Advisor   prior to enrolling.

• PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH or PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH (taken for 3 or 4 points) or PSYC UN3930 Senior Thesis Research Intensive Seminar
• PSYC UN1910 Research Ethics in Psychology  
• PSYC UN1930 Behavioral Data Science  
• PSYC UN1990 Global Behavioral Science  
• PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture)
• PSYC GU4612 Frontiers of Justice
• PSYC GU4930 Fundamentals of Human Brain Imaging: from theory to practice
• STAT UN2102 Applied Statistical Computing
• STAT GU4243 APPLIED DATA SCIENCE
• PSYC BC1088 THE SCIENCE OF LIVING WELL
• PSYC BC2175 Addictive Behaviors (overlaps with PSYC 2460 Drugs & Behavior)
• PSYC BC3155 Psychology and Law
• PSYC BC3465 Field Work ＆ Research Seminar: Toddler Center
• PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER
• PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM
• PHIL V2400 Psychology and Philosophy of Human Experience
• NSBV BC3387 TOPICS IN NEUROETHICS

Additional psychology courses ("electives") must be taken for a total of 30 points (or 11 courses for the new major requirements). 

Once a student has met the specific requirements of the major, any other psychology or approved cognate courses they take to complete the 30-point (or, for students entering Columbia in Fall 2020 or later, the 11-course) minimum constitute electives.

As described below, these may include a limited number of research courses, transfer courses, and Barnard psychology courses not approved for specific requirements.

No course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the above major requirements.

Research Credits

No more than 4 points of  PSYC UN3950  Supervised Individual Research or PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH  may be taken in any one term, and no more than 8 points total of research and field work courses ( PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH , PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER , PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM , PSYC BC3592 Senior Research Seminar and PSYC BC3599 Individual Projects ) may be applied toward the major. See below for further restrictions on applying Barnard courses toward the psychology major. Under the new 11-course major, research courses must be taken for 3 or 4 points in order to count toward the major; a maximum of 2 such courses may be applied towards the major. (See below for further restrictions on applying Barnard courses toward the psychology major).

Barnard Courses

For students completing the 30-point major: No more than 9 credits in Barnard courses (or a combination of transfer and Barnard credits)  may be applied toward the major.

For students completing the 11-course major: A maximum of 5 courses counted toward the major may be from outside Columbia ("outside Columbia" includes both Barnard and transfer courses).

The table of approved Barnard psychology courses  indicates which courses have been approved for specific requirements of the psychology major. Courses not on the approved list may only be applied toward a specific requirement with prior written approval from one of the directors of undergraduate studies . Psychology courses not on the approved list for a specific requirement may be applied as elective credit toward the 30 points for the major (or towards the 11 courses needed for the new major requirements).

As of Fall 2019, Barnard Lab courses do not count towards the Research Methods requirement of the Psychology Major or Concentration.

Non-Psychology Courses

For students completing the 11-course major: Some courses offered outside of Psychology departments can count toward major requirements (e.g., courses taken in the Statistics Department; cognate courses offered through Philosophy, Business, Law, etc.). A maximum of 2 such non-PSYC courses may be applied toward the major. Courses offered in the Barnard Psychology or Neuroscience departments do not count toward this limit.

Transfer Credits

For students completing the 30-point major: No more than 9 transfer credits (or a combination of transfer and Barnard credits) will be accepted toward the psychology major.

For students completing the 11-course major: No more than 3 transfer courses can be applied toward the psychology major. Any transfer courses thus applied count toward the limit of 5 courses from outside Columbia.

Approval of transfer credits on a student’s Entrance Credit Report toward general requirements for the B.A. degree does not grant approval of these credits toward the psychology major. Students must apply for written approval of transfer credit towards the major by submitting the  Major Requirement Substitution Form . This form, along with additional information about transfer credits can be found on the Transfer Credit page of our website . To be approved for the major, a course taken at another institution should be substantially similar to one offered by the department, the grade received must be a B- or better, and the course must have been taken within the past 8 years. As noted above, if two courses overlap in content, only one will be applied towards the major. With the exception of approved Barnard courses, students should consult with one of the directors of undergraduate studies before registering for psychology courses offered outside the department.

Students who have completed an introductory psychology course at another institution prior to declaring a psychology major should submit a Major Requirement Substitution Form to verify whether or not this course meets departmental standards for major transfer credit. If transfer credit toward the major is not approved, the student must enroll in PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  or  PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY to complete this major requirement.

AP Psychology Transfer Credit

As of Fall 2019, the Psychology Department will accept a score of 5 on the AP Psychology exam, or a score of 7 on the Higher Level IB Psychology exam, to meet the Science of Psychology requirement. The AP/IB Psychology exam does not count as a course or toward a student’s points total for their program; students placing out of the Science of Psychology requirement in this way will need to take an additional course to fulfill the required number of courses or points for their program.

The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) statistics scores do not satisfy the statistics requirement.  Students who have completed AP statistics may opt to take a more advanced statistics course to fulfill this requirement with the approval of one of the directors of undergraduate studies .

Major in Neuroscience and Behavior

Please read  Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors  above.

The department cosponsors an interdepartmental major in neuroscience and behavior with the Department of Biological Sciences. For assistance in planning the psychology portion of the neuroscience and behavior major, refer to the Program Planning Tips website and use the appropriate major requirement checklist .

No course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the biology or psychology requirements described below. Many graduate programs in neuroscience also require one year of calculus, one year of physics, and chemistry through organic.

Required Courses

In addition to one year of college general chemistry, eleven courses are required to complete the major—six from the Department of Biological Sciences and five from the Department of Psychology. For the definitive list of biology requirements, see the Department of Biological Sciences website .

*NOTE: For students entering in Fall 2024 or later, two biology elective courses will be required. For students entering prior to Fall 2024, one biology elective course will be required. 

Required Chemistry Courses

One year of college chemistry is required prior to taking Introductory Biology.

Required Biology Courses

• BIOL UN2005 INTRO BIO I: BIOCHEM,GEN,MOLEC
• BIOL UN2006 INTRO BIO II:CELL BIO,DEV/PHYS
• BIOL UN3004 NEUROBIO I:CELLULAR ＆ MOLECULR
• BIOL UN3005 NEUROBIO II: DEVPT ＆ SYSTEMS
• Two additional 3000 - or 4000 -level biology course from a  list approved by the biology adviser  to the program. *NOTE: For students entering in Fall 2024 or later, two biology elective courses will be required. For students entering prior to Fall 2024, one biology elective course will be required.*
• BIOL UN3006 PHYSIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3019 Brain Evolution
• BIOL UN3022 DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3025 NEUROGENETICS
• BIOL UN3031 GENETICS
• BIOL UN3799 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER
• BIOL UN3041 CELL BIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3073 CELLULAR/MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
• BIOL UN3193 STEM CELL BIOL ＆ APPLICATIONS
• BIOC UN3300 BIOCHEMISTRY
• BIOL UN3404 The Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance
• BIOL GU4034 BIOTECHNOLOGY
• BIOL GU4035 SEMINAR IN EPIGENETICS
• BIOL GU4075 BIOLOGY AT PHYSICAL EXTREMES
• BIOL GU4080 ANCIENT AND MODERN RNA WORLDS
• BIOL GU4082 Theoretical Foundations and Applications of Biophysical Methods
• BIOL GU4260 PROTEOMICS LABORATORY
• BIOL GU4290 BIOLOGICAL MICROSCOPY
• BIOL GU4300 DRUGS AND DISEASE
• BIOL GU4305  Seminar in Biotechnology
• BIOC GU4323 Biophysical Chemistry I
• BIOC GU4324 Biophysical Chemistry II
• BCHM GU4501 BIOCHEM I-STRUCTURE/METABOLISM
• BIOC GU4512 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
• BIOL GU4510 Genomics of Gene Regulation
• BIOL GU4560 EVOL IN THE AGE OF GENOMICS  

Required Psychology Courses  

• PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  
• PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE or PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE  or  PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
• Students who have previously taken PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered) may use that course to fulfill this requirement.  

    3. One statistics or research methods course from the following:

• ​ PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY
• STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS  (formerly  STAT W1111)
• STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS  (formerly  STAT W1211)
• Please note, STAT UN1001 does not count towards the Neuroscience & Behavior major.  

    4. One additional 2000 - or 3000 -level psychology lecture course from a list* approved by the psychology adviser   to the program: 

• PSYC S2210Q Cognition: Basic Processes
• PSYC UN2215 Cognition and the Brain  or  PSYC S2215D Cognition and the Brain
• PSYC UN2220 COGNITION: MEMORY AND STRESS
• PSYC W2225 Attention and Perception
• PSYC W2230 Perception and Sensory Processes
• PSYC UN2235 THINKING AND DECISION MAKING  or  PSYC S2235Q Thinking and Decision Making
• PSYC UN2250 Evolution of Cognition
• PSYC UN2280 Developmental Psychology
• PSYC UN2420 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC UN2440 Language and the Brain
• PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE  or  PSYC S2450Q Behavioral Neuroscience
• PSYC UN2460 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
• PSYC UN2480 The Developing Brain
• PSYC UN2481 Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
• PSYC S2490D Evolutionary Psychology
• PSYC UN2620 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR  or  PSYC S2620Q Abnormal Behavior
• PSYC UN2690 Frontiers of Justice * Please make careful note of this list, as courses not listed here will not count towards the P4 requirement.  

    5. One advanced psychology seminar from a list approved by the psychology adviser  to the program:​​

• PSYC W3265 Auditory Perception (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3270 COMPUT APPROACHES-HUMAN VISION
• PSYC UN3280 Seminar In Infant Development  or  PSYC S3280D Seminar in Infant Development
• PSYC S3285D The Psychology of Disaster Preparedness
• PSYC UN3290 Self: A Cognitive Exploration (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4202 Theories of Change in Human Development
• PSYC GU4222 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4223 MEMORY ＆ EXEC FUNCT:LIFESPAN
• PSYC GU4224 Consciousness and Cognitive Science
• PSYC GU4225 CONSCIOUSNESS ＆ ATTENTION
• PSYC GU4229 ATTENTION AND PERCEPTION (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4232 Production and Perception of Language
• PSYC GU4235 SPECIAL TOPICS IN VISION
• PSYC GU4236 Machine Intelligence
• PSYC GU4239 COG NEURO NARRATIVE FILM
• PSYC GU4242 Evolution of Language (seminar)
• PSYC GU4244 LANGUAGE AND MIND
• PSYC GU4250 Evolution of Intelligence, Cognition, and Language (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4265 AUDITORY PERCEPTION
• PSYC GU4270 COGNITIVE PROCESSES
• PSYC G4272 Advanced Seminar in Language Development
• PSYC GU4280 CORE KNOWLEDGE
• PSYC GU4281 The Psychology of Curiosity
• PSYC GU4282 The Neurobiology and Psychology of Play
• PSYC G4285 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Human Decision Making (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4287 DECISION ARCHITECTURE
• PSYC GU4289 THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:PSYCH OF STRAT DEC
• PSYC S3410Q Seminar in Emotion
• PSYC W3435 Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3445 THE BRAIN AND MEMORY
• PSYC UN3450 Evolution of Intelligence, Animal Communication, ＆ Language /  PSYC G4450 The Evolution of Intelligence & Consciousness (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3481 CRITICAL PERIODS IN BRAIN
• PSYC W3484 Life Span Development: Theory and Methods
• PSYC UN3496 NEUROSCIENCE AND SOCIETY  or  PSYC S3496Q Neuroscience and Society
• PSYC W4415 Methods and Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4420 Animal Cognition (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4430 Learning and the Brain (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4435 NON-MNEMONIC FUNC OF MEMORY SYSTEMS
• PSYC GU4440 TOPICS-NEUROBIOLOGY ＆ BEHAVIOR  or  PSYC S4440Q Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior
• PSYC G4460 Cognitive Neuroscience and the Media (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4470 PSYCH ＆ NEUROPSYCH OF LANGUAGE
• PSYC GU4480 PSYCHOBIOLOGY OF INFANT DEVPT
• PSYC GU4482 Neural Plasticity
• PSYC G4485 Affective Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4486 Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4490 Inheritance (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4491 The Parental Brain
• PSYC G4492 Psychobiology of Stress
• PSYC GU4493 Stress and the Brain
• PSYC G4495 Ethics, Genetics, and the Brain
• PSYC GU4496 Behavioral Neuroimmunology
• PSYC GU4498 BEHAVIORAL EPIGENETICS
• PSYC S3610D The Psychology of Stereotyping & Prejudice
• PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture) (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3620 SEM-DEVELOPMNTL PSYCHOPATHOLGY
• PSYC UN3623 TOPICS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
• PSYC UN3624 Adolescent Mental Health: Causes, Correlates, Consequences
• PSYC UN3625 CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC S3625D Clinical Neuropsychology Seminar
• PSYC UN3655 Field Experimentation Methods for Social Psychology
• PSYC UN3661 Happiness Studies Seminar
• PSYC UN3671 Motivation Science
• PSYC UN3680 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE /  PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC UN3691 Interpersonal Cognition Seminar: Close Relationships, Identity, and Memory
• PSYC UN3693 Stress in an Interpersonal Context
• PSYC GU4615 PSYCH OF CULTURE & DIVERS
• PSYC GU4627 Seminar in Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders
• PSYC GU4630 ADV SEM CURRENT PERS THRY
• PSYC GU4635 The Unconscious Mind (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4645 CULTR,MOTIVATN,PROSOCIAL BEHAV
• PSYC GU4646 Socio-Ecological Psychology
• PSYC GU4670 THRY-SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCH
• PSYC GU4672 MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
• PSYC GU4673 Political Psychology
• PSYC GU4682 FAQS ABOUT LIFE:APPL OF PSYC RSCH TO EVE
• PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC GU4686 Barriers and Levers for Behavior Change
• PSYC GU4690 SOCIAL FACTORS ＆ PSYCHOPATHLGY
• PSYC GU4695 Psychology of Close Relationships (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4880 In Service of Equity: Examining Developmental Science through the Lens of Policy

Note:   Students wishing to use a seminar course not listed above to meet the P5 seminar requirement must contact their psychology adviser before enrolling to request permission for an exception. Generally speaking, permission for such exceptions is only granted when there is a compelling case related to the student’s research or area of study. Students requesting permission to use a course not on this list must ensure that their substantive coursework in the seminar (generally their final paper) is on a neuroscience-focused topic.  

Transfer Credit for Psychology Courses Taken Elsewhere  

Students should consult a psychology adviser before registering for psychology courses offered outside the department. With the adviser's approval, one, and only one, course from another institution, including Barnard, may be applied toward the psychology portion of the Neuroscience and Behavior major. Students who wish to obtain credit for a course taken at Barnard or at another institution should complete the Major Requirement Substitution Form . To be approved for the major, the course should be substantially similar to one offered by this department and approved for this major, and the grade received must be a C- or better if from Barnard, or B- or better if from another institution.  As of  Fall 2019, the Psychology department accepts a score of 5 on the AP Psychology exam, or a score of 7 on the Higher Level IB Psychology exam, to meet  the PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY requirement. The AP/IB Psychology exam does not count as a course or toward a student’s points total for their program; students placing out of the Science of Psychology requirement in this way will need to take an additional course -- approved by the Psychology adviser --  to fulfill the required number of courses for their program.

Exceptions to Biology Requirements  

Any exceptions must be approved in advance by a biology adviser and students must receive an email notification of that approval. Students may substitute Barnard College courses only with prior permission from a Biology Department adviser.

Concentration in Psychology

The Psychology Concentration requirements changed in 2020. Students entering an undergraduate degree program at Columbia in Fall 2020 or later must complete the new concentration requirements. Students who entered Columbia prior to Fall 2020 may choose to complete either the new concentration requirements or the old ones.  

New Concentration Requirements (for students entering Columbia Fall 2020 or later) 

Students must complete 7 courses in Psychology or an approved cognate discipline. To count toward the concentration, a course must be taken for 3 or more points. The following requirements must be met: 

1. PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications

2. A Statistics or Research Methods course ( PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS , STAT UN1001 INTRO TO STATISTICAL REASONING , STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS , STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS , or a Research Methods course in the PSYC 14xx's)

3. E ither  3 courses in one group,  or  1 course in each of the 3 groups: Group I - Cognition & Perception; Group II - Psychobiology & Neuroscience; Group III - Social, Personality, & Abnormal

4. Additional elective courses in psychology to complete the 7-course requirement   

Restrictions on research credits, Barnard credits, non-psychology courses, and transfer credits are modified from those of the psychology major as follows:

• No more than 2 transfer courses from other institutions can be applied toward the concentration.
• No more than 3 total courses from outside Columbia (Barnard and/or transfer) can be applied to the concentration.
• A maximum of 1 non-PSYC course can count toward concentration requirements (e.g., courses taken in the Statistics Department; cognate courses offered through Philosophy, Business, Law, etc.).
• No more than 1 semester of   PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH or other supervised research course (taken for 3 or 4 points) can count towards the concentration. 

Except as noted above, other regulations outlined in the  Psychology Major section  regarding grades, transfer credits, and overlapping courses also apply toward the Psychology Concentration  

Old Concentration Requirements (for students entering Columbia prior to Fall 2020)

A concentration in psychology requires a minimum of 18 points, including PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  and courses in at least two of the three groups listed under “Distribution Requirement” for the psychology major.

Restrictions on research credits, Barnard credits, and transfer credits are modified from those of the psychology major as follows:

• Only 4 points total may be applied toward the concentration from research or field-work courses, including:  PSYC UN3950  Supervised Individual Research, PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH   PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER , PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM , PSYC BC3592 Senior Research Seminar , and PSYC BC3599 Individual Projects ;
• Only 5 points from Barnard (including PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY ) may be applied toward the concentration.
• Only 5 points total (including any Barnard points) from approved psychology courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the concentration.

Except as noted above, other regulations outlined in the  Psychology Major section  regarding grades, transfer credits, and overlapping courses also apply toward the Psychology Concentration

PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two class periods is mandatory.

Prerequisites: BLOCKED CLASS. EVERYONE MUST JOIN WAITLIST TO BE ADMITTED Prerequisites: BLOCKED CLASS. EVERYONE MUST JOIN WAITLIST TO BE ADMITTED Broad survey of psychological science including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, intelligence, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and illness, and social behavior. Discusses relations between the brain, behavior, and experience. Emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results. PSYC UN1001 serves as a prerequisite for further psychology courses and should be completed by the sophomore year

PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications. 3.00 points .

UN1021 offers a broad introductory survey of psychological science, discussing relations between the brain, behavior, and experience, with regard to topics including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and well-being, and social behavior. The course emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results -- and the ways in which psychological research can be used to address real-world challenges

PSYC UN1420 RESEARCH METHODS - HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 4.00 points .

Attendance at the first class is mandatory. Fee: $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , and a statistics course ( PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1421 Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data

PSYC UN1421 RESEARCH METHODS-HUM BEHAV LAB. 0.00 points .

Limited enrollment in each section.

Corequisites: PSYC UN1420 Corequisites: PSYC UN1420

PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION. 4.00 points .

Attendance at the first class is essential. Priority given to psychology majors. Fee: $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1451 An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports

PSYC UN1451 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION - LAB. 0.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1450 An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports

PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1456 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructors permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1456 Methodology and procedures of personality and social psychological research and exercises in data analysis and research design. Ethical issues in psychological research. Statistical concepts such as parameter estimation and testing, measurement reliability and validity, merits and limitations of correlational and experimental research designs, and empirical evaluation of theories

PSYC UN1456 RESEARCH METHODS:SOCIAL/PERSONALITY. 0.00 points .

Corequisite: PSYC UN1455

PSYC UN1490 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION MAKING. 4.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1491 Corequisites: PSYC UN1491 Prerequisites: Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001) or Mind, Brain, - Behavior (PSYC 1010) or equivalent intro psych course, plus an introductory statistics course. Introduces research methods employed in the study of the cognitive and social determinants of thinking and decision making. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including: design of simple experiments; observation and preference elicitation techniques; the analysis of behavioral data, considerations of validity, reliability, and research ethics; and preparation of written and oral reports. Note: Fee: $70. Attendance at the first class is essential

PSYC UN1491 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION LAB. 0.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and ( PSYC UN1610 or STAT UN1001 or STAT UN1101 or STAT UN1201 ) Or equivalent introductory psychology and statistics courses. Corequisites: PSYC UN1490 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and ( PSYC UN1610 or STAT UN1001 or STAT UN1101 or STAT UN1201 ) Or equivalent introductory psychology and statistics courses. Corequisites: PSYC UN1490 Required lab for PSYC UN1490

PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS. 4.00 points .

Lecture and lab. Priority given to psychology majors. Fee $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Corequisites: PSYC UN1611 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Corequisites: PSYC UN1611 Introduction to statistics that concentrates on problems from the behavioral sciences

PSYC UN1611 STATISTCS-BEHAV SCIENTISTS-LAB. 0.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1610 Corequisites: PSYC UN1610 Required lab section for PSYC UN1610

PSYC UN1910 Research Ethics in Psychology. 4 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) or equivalent introductory course in psychology.

This course explores the ethical theory, principles, codes and standards applicable to research in psychology and the complexities inherent in ethical research practice. 

PSYC UN1930 Behavioral Data Science. 4 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

This course covers the basic skills and knowledge needed to address psychological research questions using data science methods. Topics cover the full scope of a behavioral data science research project including data acquisition, data processing, and data analysis.

PSYC UN1990 Global Behavioral Science. 4.00 points .

This course builds on fundamentals of psychological and behavioral science by exploring reproducibility and replication on a global level. Students will learn from a wide range of studies and their real-world implications

PSYC UN2215 Cognition and the Brain. 3 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 (recommended) or the instructor's permission.

How mental activities -- particularly human cognitive processes -- are implemented in the brain, with some emphasis on methods and findings of neuroscience. Topics include long term and working memory, attention and executive processes, concepts and categorization, decision making, and language.

PSYC UN2220 COGNITION: MEMORY AND STRESS. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Attendance at the first class is mandatory.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructors permission. Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition

PSYC UN2235 THINKING AND DECISION MAKING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology. Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology. Models of judgment and decision making in both certain and uncertain or risky situations, illustrating the interplay of top-down (theory-driven) and bottom-up (data-driven) processes in creating knowledge. Focuses on how individuals do and should make decisions, with some extensions to group decision making and social dilemmas

PSYC UN2250 Evolution of Cognition. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission.

A systematic review of different forms of cognition as viewed in the context of the theory of evolution. Specific topics include the application of the theory of evolution to behavior, associative learning, biological constraints on learning, methods for studying the cognitive abilities of animals, levels of representation, ecological influences on cognition, and evidence of consciousness in animals.

PSYC UN2280 Developmental Psychology. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two classes is mandatory.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent. Introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on psychobiological processes underlying perceptual, cognitive, and emotional development

PSYC UN2420 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or a college-level biology course, or the instructor's permission.

Introduction to behavioral systems, evolution of behavioral traits, and analysis of behavior. Topics include reproductive and social behavior, mating systems, competition, cooperation, communication, learning, development and the interplay of genes and environment.

PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory course in Psychology Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory course in Psychology This course provides an in-depth survey of data and models of a wide variety of human cognitive functions. Drawing on behavioral, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging research, the course explores the neural mechanisms underlying complex cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and decision making. Importantly, the course examines the logic and assumptions that permit us to interpret brain activity in psychological terms

PSYC UN2440 Language and the Brain. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the instructor's permission.

Introduction to psychological research on human language and communication and to brain mechanisms supporting language processing. Topics include comprehension and production of speech sounds, words and sentences; reading and writing; bilingualism; communication behavior.

PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructors permission. Examines the principles governing neuronal activity, the role of neurotransmitter systems in memory and motivational processes, the presumed brain dysfunctions that give rise to schizophrenia and depression, and philosophical issues regarding the relationship between brain activity and subjective experience

PSYC UN2460 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , or the equivalent. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , or the equivalent. The effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and behavior

PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology. 3.00 points .

Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology is an intermediate-level lecture course, which explores how the analysis of lesion patterns extended across brain networks has offered invaluable insights on the relationship between brain and behavior and deepened our understanding of the causal relationships between brain lesions and their clinical consequences

PSYC UN2480 The Developing Brain. 3 points .

Brain development across the life span, with emphasis on fetal and postnatal periods. How the environment shapes brain development and hence adult patterns of behavior.

PSYC UN2610 INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory psychology course.

A survey of the important methods, findings, and theories in the field of personality research.

PSYC UN2620 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: An introductory psychology course. Examines definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior

PSYC UN2630 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Surveys important methods, findings, and theories in the study of social influences on behavior. Emphasizes different perspectives on the relation between individuals and society.

PSYC UN2640 INTRO TO SOCIAL COGNITION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology or the instructor's permission. Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course. An introduction to basic concepts in social cognition, an approach to understanding social judgment and behavior by investigating the underlying mental processes. Topics include attitudes, identity, and prejudice, among others

PSYC UN2650 INTRO TO CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: none; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.

A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and social cognition, group and identity formation, psychology of multiculturalism, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.

PSYC UN2670 Social Development. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent.

This lecture course introduces students to the study of typical human social development with a particular focus on genetic, familial and peer influences on the development of social behaviors during early childhood.

PSYC UN2690 Frontiers of Justice. 4.00 points .

Frontiers of Justice is designed to encourage students and equip them with the skills to become active and effective “Change Agents” within their academic institutions and larger communities. Oriented by the question, What does justice look like?, this course aims to raise political and social awareness and engagement with the challenges facing New York City and strengthen ties between Columbia University, disadvantaged communities, and city government agencies and community organizations. Through sharing ideas about how to make structural and systemic change in ways that integrate science, law, politics, history, narrative and community engagement, the course is intended to support students in working to break down racial and ethnic barriers and toward a more fair and just society

PSYC UN3270 COMPUT APPROACHES-HUMAN VISION. 3.00 points .

This course will be offered in Fall 2016.

Prerequisites: some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g., PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2230, PSYC UN2450 ; BIOL UN3004 or BIOL UN3005 ) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. Prerequisites: some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g. PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2230, PSYC UN2450 ; BIOL UN3004 or BIOL UN3005 ) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g. calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. Study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ([email protected]) if you are interested in this course

PSYC UN3280 Seminar In Infant Development. 3 points .

Prerequisites: a course in perception, cognition or developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission.

Analysis of human development during the first year of life, with an emphasis on infant perceptual and cognitive development.

PSYC UN3290 Self: A Cognitive Exploration (Seminar). 4 points .

Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent, plus the instructor's permission.

What does it mean to have a sense of self? Is it uniquely human? Taking a cognitive perspective, we will discuss these questions as well as self-reflective and self-monitoring abilities, brain structures relevant to self-processing, and disorders of self. We will also consider the self from evolutionary, developmental, neuroscience, and psychopathological perspectives.

PSYC UN3445 THE BRAIN AND MEMORY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology and the instructor's permission Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology and the instructors permission This seminar will give a comprehensive overview of episodic memory research: what neuroimaging studies, patient studies, and animal models have taught us about how the brain creates, stores, and retrieves memories

PSYC UN3450 Evolution of Intelligence, Animal Communication, ＆ Language. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 , and the instructors permission. A systematic review of the evolution language covering the theory of evolution, conditioning theory, animal communication, ape language experiments, infant cognition, preverbal antecedents of language and contemporary theories of language

PSYC UN3481 CRITICAL PERIODS IN BRAIN. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or equivalent course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology.

The majority of our mental capacities—ranging from basic sensory functions to more advanced social, emotional and cognitive capabilities—take many years to develop and are highly influenced by environmental signals encountered during particular developmental ‘critical periods’. In this seminar we will explore examples of these periods across diverse brain systems and behaviors, ranging from vision and audition to social, emotional and cognitive development, by considering each example in the context of human brain function and behavior as well as at the level of more detailed neurobiological mechanisms underlying these changes elucidated by studies using non-human animal systems.

PSYC UN3496 NEUROSCIENCE AND SOCIETY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001) or Mind, Brain, ＆ Behavior (PSYC 1010), or equivalent introductory psychology course. Students who have not taken one of these courses may also be admitted with instructor permission. This course investigates the ways in which research in human neuroscience both reflects and informs societal issues. Topics include how neuroscience research is interpreted and applied in areas such as healthcare, education, law, consumer behavior, and public policy

PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture). 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2280 , PSYC UN2620 , or PSYC UN2680, and the instructor's permission.

Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors.

PSYC UN3620 SEM-DEVELOPMNTL PSYCHOPATHOLGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: ( UN1001, UN1010, UN2280, UN2620, UN2680, UN3280 ) and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: (UN1001, UN1010, UN2280, UN2620, UN2680, UN3280) and the instructor's permission. Developmental psychopathology posits that it is development itself that has gone awry when there is psychopathology. As such, it seeks to understand the early and multiple factors contributing to psychopathology emerging in childhood and later in life. We will use several models (e.g. ones dominated by biological, genetic, and psychological foci) to understand the roots of mental illness

PSYC UN3621 Creativity and the Good Life. 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course

Is it possible to make sense of something as elusive as creativity? Yes, it is. This seminar will review the latest science of creativity, and how creativity is relevant to everyday life, society, and the good life. A wide variety of perspectives within the field will be highlighted, including different theories of the creative process and ways of assessing creativity.

PSYC UN3623 TOPICS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) Instructor permission required. Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) Instructor permission required. A seminar for advanced undergraduate students exploring different areas of clinical psychology. This course will provide you with a broad overview of the endeavors of clinical psychology, as well as discussion of its current social context, goals, and limitations

PSYC UN3624 Adolescent Mental Health: Causes, Correlates, Consequences. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Prior coursework in Abnormal Psychology and Research Methods strongly preferred. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Prior coursework in Abnormal Psychology and Research Methods strongly preferred. Adolescence is a peak period for the onset of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors. The seminar is designed to enhance understanding of topics including, prevalence, etiology, risk factors, mechanisms, prevention and treatment approaches, and ethical considerations related to clinical research

PSYC UN3625 CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in neuroscience, like PSYC UN1010 or PSYC UN2450 , and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: an introductory course in neuroscience, like PSYC UN1010 or PSYC UN2450 , and the instructor's permission. Analysis of the assessment of physical and psychiatric diseases impacting the central nervous system, with emphasis on the relationship between neuropathology and cognitive and behavioral deficits

PSYC UN3661 Happiness Studies Seminar. 3 points .

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the field of happiness studies.  Drawing on research from the field of psychology, systems thinking, psychology, neuroscience, and other disciplines, the course explores key components of personal, interpersonal, and societal happiness.

PSYC UN3680 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2630 , PSYC UN3410, PSYC UN3480, PSYC UN3485; and the instructor's permission. Social cognitive neuroscience seeks to integrate the theories and methods of its parent disciplines, social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. As such, it seeks to explain social and emotional behavior at three levels of analysis: The social level, which includes descriptions of experience, behavior, and context; the cognitive level, which specifies information processing (i.e. psychological) mechanisms; and the neural level, which specifies neural systems that instantiate these processes. The course begins with foundational concepts (multilevel analyses of behavior, converging evidence, the evolution of the human brain), which students use to analyze findings in number of core content domains (including emotional appraisal, emotion regulation, person perception, social affiliation and rejection, individual differences). Prerequisites: Course equivalents of at least two of the following courses (W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485) and/or the instructor's permission

PSYC UN3690 The Self in Social Context (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or UN1010 , or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission.

This course centers on understanding the self embedded in the social context. We will integrate knowledge from various areas of psychology (developmental, cognitive, social cognition) with a main focus in social psychology. This course will provide the opportunity to gain an understanding of research in the following areas: the development of self in a social context, the relationship between the self and the broader socio-cultural context, the impact of self-involvement on social/cognitive processes, and contemporary research on individual differences.

PSYC UN3691 Interpersonal Cognition Seminar: Close Relationships, Identity, and Memory. 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN2630 or PSYC UN2640 Instructor permission.1 course in research methods

What makes people ‘click’? How does interpersonal closeness develop? How do close relationships influence our thought processes, behaviors, and identities? How do our conversations with relationship partners change our memories of events and our perceptions of reality? And finally, what are the implicit and explicit cognitive mechanisms underlying these processes?

The primary objective of this course will be to provide you with the relevant literature, theoretical background, methodological proficiency, and critical thinking and communication skills to articulate your own answers to these questions, and to propose future studies in the field. 

PSYC UN3910 HONORS SEMINAR. 1.00 point .

Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Discussion of a variety of topics in psychology, with particular emphasis on recent developments and methodological problems. Students propose and discuss special research topics

PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH. 1.00-4.00 points .

May be repeated for additional credit.

Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920 . No more than 12 points of PSYC UN3920 may be applied toward the honors program in psychology. Special research topics arranged with the instructors of the department leading toward a senior honors paper

PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. 0.00-4.00 points .

1-4 points. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920 . No more than 8 points ofPSYC UN3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory

PSYC GU4202 Theories of Change in Human Development. 4.00 points .

What are the agents of developmental change in human childhood? How has the scientific community graduated from nature versus nurture, to nature and nurture? This course offers students an in-depth analysis of the fundamental theories in the study of cognitive and social development

PSYC GU4222 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in introductory psychology and cognitive psychology; and the instructor's permission.

Comprehensive overview of various conceptual and methodologic approaches to studying the cognitive neuroscience of aging. The course will emphasize the importance of combining information from cognitive experimental designs, epidemiologic studies, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychological approaches to understand individual differences in both healthy and pathological aging.

PSYC GU4223 MEMORY ＆ EXEC FUNCT:LIFESPAN. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission, plus PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent. Optimal preparation will include some background in experimental design and statistics. Prerequisites: the instructors permission, plus PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent. Optimal preparation will include some background in experimental design and statistics. Memory and executive processing are critical cognitive functions required for successfully navigating everyday life. In lifespan studies, both exhibit relatively long developmental trajectories followed by stasis and then relative decline in old age. Yet, neither memory nor executive function is a unitary construct. Rather, each is comprised of separable components that may show different developmental trajectories and declines or maintenance at older ages. Moreover, memory is malleable and is a reconstruction of past experience, not an exact reproduction. We will discuss a range of topics related to the development, maintenance and potential decline in memory and executive function from infancy through old age

PSYC GU4224 Consciousness and Cognitive Science. 4.00 points .

Our human experience is rich: the thrill of falling in love, the spark of a new idea, the zing of table salt, the sharpness of pain. For thousands of years, philosophers, artists, and religious scholars have tried to explain our subjective experience. More recently, neuroscientists and artificial intelligence experts have contributed to this discussion, weighing in on whether we are “more than meat” (as Descartes famously put it), and whether computers can ever be sentient. In this class, we will begin with the big questions and an interdisciplinary overview of consciousness, then delve into psychology’s role. Using literature from perception, memory, emotion, metacognition, attention, and symbolic development, among other areas of psychology, we will see what empirical evidence can tell us about who we are, what we are able to know, and why we even have an experience of the world at all

PSYC GU4225 CONSCIOUSNESS ＆ ATTENTION. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable, but not necessary. Modern theories attempt to characterize the human mind in terms of information processing. But machines that process information do not seem to feel anything; a computer may for instance receive inputs from a video camera, yet it would be hard to imagine that it sees or experiences the vividness of colors like we do. Nobody has yet provided a convincing theory as to how to explain the subjective nature of our mental lives in objective physical terms. This is called the problem of consciousness, and is generally considered to be one of the last unsolved puzzles in science. Philosophers even debate whether there could be a solution to this problem at all. Students in this course may be recruited for participation in a voluntary research study. Students who choose not to participate in the study will complete the same course requirements as those who do, and an individual's choice will not affect their grade or status as a student in the course

PSYC GU4229 ATTENTION AND PERCEPTION. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology This seminar aims to provide an in-depth overview of neuroscientific knowledge regarding two critical cognitive functions: attention and perception. For each topic, results from behavioral studies are combined with those from recent neurocognitive approaches – primarily neuropsychological and functional brain imaging studies – that reveal the underlying neural networks and brain mechanisms

PSYC GU4232 Production and Perception of Language. 4 points .

Prerequisites: two courses in Psychology and the instructor's permission.

Topics include phonetic expression, motoric and perceptual organization, speech codes and memory codes, spoken word recognition, phrase formation, and the effects of context in perception and production.

PSYC G4230 Sensation and Perception (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some background in perception is required.

Topics on the perception of space. Discussions, reviews, and recent literature.

PSYC GU4235 SPECIAL TOPICS IN VISION. 3.00 points .

This course will be offered in Fall 2016. May be repeated for additional credit.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ( [email protected] ) if you are interested in this course. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ([email protected]) if you are interested in this course

PSYC GU4236 Machine Intelligence. 4.00 points .

This course will survey historical and modern developments in machine intelligence from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, and from intellectual movements such as cybernetics, artificial intelligence, neural networks, connectionism, machine learning, and deep learning. The emphasis is on the conceptual understanding of topics. The course does not include, nor require background in, computer programming and statistics. A crucial aspect of the seminar is for students to become informed consumers of applications of artificial intelligence

PSYC GU4239 COG NEURO NARRATIVE FILM. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology This seminar will provide a broad survey of how narrative stories, films, and performances have been used as tools to study cognition in psychology and neuroscience

PSYC GU4242 Evolution of Language (seminar). 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or

This seminar will consider the evolution of language at the levels of the word and grammar, in each instance, phylogenetically and ontogenetically. Since humans are the only species that use language, attention will be paid to how language differs from animal communication.

PSYC GU4244 LANGUAGE AND MIND. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Preferably, an additional course in psychology, focusing on cognition, development, or research methods. Instructor permission required. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Preferably, an additional course in psychology, focusing on cognition, development, or research methods. Instructor permission required. This seminar explores the relationship between language and thought by investigating how language is mentally represented and processed; how various aspects of language interact with each other; and how language interacts with other aspects of cognition including perception, concepts, world knowledge, and memory. Students will examine how empirical data at the linguistic, psychological, and neuroscientific levels can bear on some of the biggest questions in the philosophy of mind and language and in psychology

PSYC GU4250 Evolution of Intelligence, Cognition, and Language (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent, based on instructor assessment, plus one of the instructors' permission.

How did language evolve and why are human beings the only species to use language? How did the evolution of social intelligence, in particular, cooperation, set the stage for the origin of language and consciousness? We will explore how psychologists, philosophers, neuroscientists, anthropologists, biologists and computational scientists, among others, have collaborated during recent years to produce important insights in the evolution of intelligence, consciousness and language.

PSYC GU4265 AUDITORY PERCEPTION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 PSYC UN1010 or equivalent; background in statistics/research methods recommended Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 PSYC UN1010 or equivalent; background in statistics/research methods recommended How does the human brain make sense of the acoustic world? What aspects of auditory perception do humans share with other animals? How does the brain perform the computations necessary for skills such as soundlocalization? How do we focus our auditory attention on one voice in a crowd? What acoustic cues are important for speech perception? How is music perceived? These are the types of questions we will address by studyingthe basics of auditory perception from textbook readings and reviews, and reading classic and current literatureto understand scientific progress in the field today

PSYC GU4270 COGNITIVE PROCESSES. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: one course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: For undergraduates: one course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Metacognition and control processes in human cognition. Basic issues include the cognitive mechanisms that enable people to monitor what they know and predict what they will know, the errors and biases involved in self-monitoring, and the implications of metacognitive ability for peoples self-determined learning, behavior, and their understanding of self

PSYC GU4280 CORE KNOWLEDGE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: courses in introductory psychology, cognitive or developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: For undergraduates: courses in introductory psychology, cognitive or developmental psychology, and the instructors permission. Core Knowledge explores the origins and development of knowledge in infants and children, with an additional emphasis on evolutionary cognition. In this course, we will examine evidence from cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, comparative psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics to look at the childs conception of objects, number, space, language, agency, morality and the social world. We will look at which aspects of knowledge are uniquely human, which are shared with other animals, and how this knowledge changes as children develop

PSYC GU4281 The Psychology of Curiosity. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course What is curiosity and how do we study it? How does curiosity facilitate learning? This course will explore the various conceptual and methodological approaches to studying curiosity and curiosity-driven learning, including animal and human studies of brain and behavior

PSYC GU4282 The Neurobiology and Psychology of Play. 4 points .

Play is a highly rewarding activity that is considered critical to cognitive, social, and emotional development. How do we define play and how do we study it? How does play help humans and other animals learn about their world and prepare them for adulthood? This course will examine the latest developments in the field of play from various methodological approaches to understand the relationship between play, learning, and normative development.

PSYC GU4287 DECISION ARCHITECTURE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or an equivalent course on judgment and decision making ,AND the instructor's permission Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or an equivalent course on judgment and decision making ,AND the instructors permission This course reviews current research in the domain of decision architecture: the application of research in cognitive and social psychology to real-world situations with the aim of influencing behavior. This seminar will discuss recent and classic studies, both of decision theory and of applied decision research, to explore the effectiveness—as well as the limitations—of a selection of these behavioral “nudges.”

PSYC GU4289 THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:PSYCH OF STRAT DEC. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or equivalent course on judgment and decision-making Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or equivalent course on judgment and decision-making A seminar course exploring strategic decision making (also known as behavioral game theory). This course examines the psychology underlying situations in which outcomes are determined by choices made by multiple decision makers. The prime objective will be to examine the use of experimental games to test psychological theories

PSYC GU4420 Animal Cognition (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: the instructor's permission.

Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.

PSYC GU4430 Learning and the Brain (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in introductory psychology and/or neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.

What are the neural mechanisms that support learning, memory, and choices? We will review current theories in the cognitive neuroscience of human learning, discuss how learning and decision making interact, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of two influential methods in the study of human brain and behavior--functional imaging and patient studies.

PSYC GU4435 NON-MNEMONIC FUNC OF MEMORY SYSTEMS. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology The past decade has produced an extraordinary amount of evidence that challenges the classic view of a “medial temporal lobe memory system”, namely, the idea that the medial temporal lobe plays a necessary role in long-term memory but not other cognitive functions. This course will introduce these challenges to the traditional perspective by exploring functions of the so-called memory system in domains outside of long-term memory

PSYC GU4440 TOPICS-NEUROBIOLOGY ＆ BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Examines current topics in neurobiology and behavior

PSYC GU4470 PSYCH ＆ NEUROPSYCH OF LANGUAGE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. A course in the psychology of language or linguistics is highly recommended.

This seminar surveys current theories of language production. We will examine psycholinguitsic and neuroimaging studies of word and sentence production conducted with monolingual and bilingual speakers, and individuals with acquired language impairments.

PSYC GU4480 PSYCHOBIOLOGY OF INFANT DEVPT. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and a course in developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and a course in developmental psychology, and the instructors permission. The focus of the seminar is on human development during the fetal period and early infancy. We will examine the effects of environmental factors on perinatal perceptual, cognitive, sensory-­motor, and neurobehavioral capacities, with emphasis on critical conditions involved in both normal and abnormal brain development. Other topics include acute and long term effects of toxic exposures (stress, smoking, and alcohol) during pregnancy, and interaction of genes and the environment in shaping the developing brain of high-risk infants, including premature infants and those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PSYC GU4482 Neural Plasticity. 4.00 points .

This seminar provides an overview of the mechanisms and behaviors associated with neural plasticity. Students will obtain a basic working knowledge of the different types of neural plasticity, and how these affect cognition and behaviors

PSYC GU4486 Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in developmental psychology, and either research methods or affective neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.

Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by developmental psychologists in the study of affective neuroscience. Exploration of the developmental brain and behavior relationships in humans and animal models of typical and atypical emotional behavior, with a critical reading of recent research findings in the field.

PSYC GU4490 Inheritance (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience recommended; the instructor's permission required.

Explores the concept of inheritance and the mechanisms through which inheritance is mediated. Will focus on the generational transmission of physiology and behavior, but will also consider the inheritance of culture and language.

PSYC GU4491 The Parental Brain. 4.00 points .

This course will provide an overview of the field of parental and social biology, with an emphasis on changes in the adult rodent brain surrounding childbirth and caretaking behavior. We will explore how the experience of parenthood prepares the brain for survival of offspring. We will also discuss the dynamic between caregivers and parents in order to provide the structure necessary to rear young. This course will illustrate the fortitude of molecular, behavioral and circuit level investigations in concert to unveil mechanisms of social learning

PSYC GU4493 Stress and the Brain. 4.00 points .

This course will use clinical studies and experimental research on animals to understand the impact of stress during various periods of development on brain function and behavior. We will address the long- and short-term consequences of stress on cognition, emotion, and ultimately psychopathology through investigating how various stressors can induce neurobiological and behavioral outcomes through genetic, epigenetic, and molecular mechanisms in the brain

PSYC GU4498 BEHAVIORAL EPIGENETICS. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC UN1010 , UN2450 , UN2460 , UN2480 , and GU4499) and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC UN1010 , UN2450 , UN2460 , UN2480 , and GU4499) and the instructors permission. This course will provide an overview of the field of epigenetics, with an emphasis on epigenetic phenomena related to neurodevelopment, behavior and mental disorders. We will explore how epigenetic mechanisms can be mediators of environmental exposures and, as such, contribute to psychopathology throughout the life course. We will also discuss the implications of behavioral epigenetic research for the development of substantially novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches and preventive measures in psychiatry

PSYC GU4612 Frontiers of Justice. 4.00 points .

Frontiers of Justice is designed to encourage students and equip them with the skills to become active and effective “Change Agents” within their academic institutions and larger communities.. Oriented by the question, What does justice look like?, this course aims to raise political and social awareness and engagement with the challenges facing New York City and strengthen ties between Columbia University, disadvantaged communities, and city government agencies and community organizations. Through sharing ideas about how to make structural and systemic change in ways that integrate science, law, politics, history, narrative and community engagement, the course is intended to support students in working to break down racial and ethnic barriers and toward a more fair and just society

PSYC GU4615 PSYCH OF CULTURE & DIVERS. 4 points .

PSYC GU4627 Seminar in Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or Equivalent introductory course AND PSYC UN2620 Abnormal Psychology or equivalent course in abnormal psychology strongly preferred. This seminar course will focus on the etiology and phenomenology of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and OCD-related disorders, as well as their evidence-based treatments

PSYC GU4630 ADV SEM CURRENT PERS THRY. 3.00 points .

Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.

Critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research.

PSYC GU4635 The Unconscious Mind (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.

Discussion of the unconscious mind from the perspective of social cognition, with an emphasis on both theoretical and empirical background, as well as current issues in measuring automatic processing. Topics include: implicit memory systems; unconscious attitudes, goals and behavior, emotions, and decision making; the activation and deactivation of knowledge systems; and priming.

PSYC GU4645 CULTR,MOTIVATN,PROSOCIAL BEHAV. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Some knowledge of Research Methods, Statistics, and Social Psychology, plus Instructors Permission. Reviews and integrates current research on three important topics of social psychology: culture, motivation, and prosocial behavior. Discussions and readings will cover theoretical principles, methodological approaches, and the intersection of these three topics. Students will write a personal research proposal based on the theories presented during the seminar

PSYC GU4670 THRY-SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCH. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Comparison of major theoretical perspectives on social behavior. The nature of theory construction and theory testing in psychology generally. Exercises comparing the predictions of different theories for the same study are designed to acquire an appreciation of how to operationalize theories and an understanding of the various features of a good theory

PSYC GU4672 MORAL PSYCHOLOGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on research methods and/or statistics, and permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on social and/or developmental psychology, and permission of the instructor. Review of theories and current research on moral cognition and behavior. Topics include definitions of morality, the development of moral cognition, the role that other aspects of human experience (e.g. emotion, intentions) play in moral judgments, and the relationship between moral psychology and other areas of study (e.g. religious cognition, prejudice and stereotyping, the criminal justice system)

PSYC GU4673 Political Psychology. 4 points .

This seminar will explore what psychology (mostly social and cognitive) can tell us about politics. The class aims to provide a broad introduction to ideas and methods in the field of political psychology, as well as a deep understanding of a few specific topics.

PSYC GU4682 FAQS ABOUT LIFE:APPL OF PSYC RSCH TO EVE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, with at least one focusing on statistics and/or research methods in psychology, and permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, with at least one focusing on statistics and/or research methods in psychology, and permission of the instructor. Review of basic psychological research that is relevant to questions people frequently encounter during the course of everyday life. Potential topics for this seminar include research on decision-making, emotion, and/or interpersonal relationships

PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: for graduate students, course equivalents of at least two of the following courses: PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2630 , PSYC UN3410, PSYC UN3480, and PSYC UN3485; and/or the instructor's permission.

An introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience, which examines topics traditionally of interest to social psychologists (including control and automaticity, emotion regulation, person perception, social cooperation) using methods traditionally employed by cognitive neuroscientists (functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment).

PSYC GU4686 Barriers and Levers for Behavior Change. 4 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and prior coursework in research methods/statistics. A prior course related to social, applied, and cultural psychology or decision making will also be helpful.

Seminar course exploring individual, social, and cultural barriers and levers for behavior change, with a focus on social issues, such as motivating pro-environmental action, encouraging positive health behavior change, and promoting charitable giving. 

PSYC GU4690 SOCIAL FACTORS ＆ PSYCHOPATHLGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Reviews and integrates current research on the role of social factors in psychopathology. The immediate and long-term effects of chronic and traumatic stressors originating outside the family (e.g. natural disasters, chronic poverty) and inside the family (e.g. family violence, divorce, parental psychopathology) on psychopathology

PSYC GU4695 Psychology of Close Relationships (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: Research Methods, statistics, social psychology, and the instructor's permission.

Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by social psychologists in the study of close romantic relationships. Exploration of relationship-relevant constructs (e.g., love, commitment, intimacy, breakups) through the lenses offered by these different theories, and with a critical reading of recent research findings in this field.

PSYC GU4880 In Service of Equity: Examining Developmental Science through the Lens of Policy. 4.00 points .

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1974) wrote, “We have now come the full circle and returned to our starting point—issues of social policy as points of departure for the identification of significant theoretical and scientific questions concerning the development of the human organism as a function of interaction with its enduring environment-both actual and potential.” This course is designed to examine emotional and cognitive development through the lens of existing financial, social, and educational policies. We will examine the influence- on child development - of inequities in education, household socioeconomic status and poverty, neighborhood socioeconomic status and poverty, access to prenatal care, parental incarceration rates, and systemic racism

PSYC GU4930 Fundamentals of Human Brain Imaging: from theory to practice. 4.00 points .

Fundamentals of human brain imaging is a new advanced course open to undergraduates students from the Psychology, Neuroscience, Engineering, and Statistics Departments, that traces the key steps of the recent “neuroimaging revolution”, and introduces the various methodologies and associated analytic approaches that are now available in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Specifically, the course develops around three main questions, currently under-represented in our undergraduate curriculum: 1) What is the advantage to study human cognition using correlational methodologies (e.g., EEG, MEG, fMRI)? 2) Which is the particular contribution of each method in the understanding of brain/behavior relationship? 3) Which are the most common ways to approach the analyze the neuroimaging data? By promoting an inclusive environment and implementing active learning strategies, this course stimulates critical thinking and fosters collaboration among students from different departments

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• Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)
• Graduate School
• Prospective Students
• Graduate Degree Programs

Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

The Counselling Psychology Program, in line with the mission of the research-intensive University of British Columbia, creates, advances and critically examines knowledge in counselling psychology, especially with respect to its validity, applicability, limits, and interface with other disciplines. In developing and applying pertinent and innovative research methodologies, the Counselling Psychology Program relies upon and builds qualitative and quantitative evidence to determine effective counselling interventions in educational, community, health, and occupational settings.

Our Doctoral Program is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association and follows the scientist-practitioner model for the education of counselling psychologists: students receive a substantial education as both researchers and professional psychologists.  Designed for those with relevant experience who want to gain doctoral level competence, this program enhances research, counselling theory, and counselling skills.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

Throughout my undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs, I have felt grateful to access a globally recognized university. Beyond being a stunning place, I chose to continue my graduate degree at UBC because of the invaluable friendships and professional relationships that I have built over the years.

Alejandra Botia

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 90

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is required by all applicants.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2025 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Criminal record check, citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 2 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 2 students was $10,800.
• 8 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 8 students was $7,089.
• 1 student received Academic Assistantships valued at $2,700.
• 14 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 14 students was $12,751.
• 9 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 9 students was $25,370.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

52 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 50 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Students will be prepared for careers as researchers, practitioners, and educators in a wide variety of settings including academic, clinical, community, business, private practice, and research. Our graduates hold positions such as staff psychologist, research manager, professor, director, department head, clinical counsellor, vocational rehabilitation consultant, team leader, behavioural consultant, group facilitator, and psychoanalyst.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times, upcoming doctoral exams, wednesday, 12 june 2024 - 9:00am.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Bedi, Robinder (Counselling psychology; Investigating counselling and psychotherapy as Western cultural healing practices; Counselling psychology disciplinary and professional issues in Canada; Heterodox issues in counselling psychology that challenge its dominant narratives and sacred ideas; Counselling/psychotherapy/mental health with Punjabi/Sikh individuals; Neglected topics in the Psychology of Men and Masculinity)
• Borgen, William (Career Counselling, Career/life transitions, Developmental approaches to counselling, Group counselling)
• Buchanan, Marla (Counsellor Stress, Narrative Inquiry, School Counselling, Traumatic Stress)
• Cox, Daniel (Counselling psychology; Motivations and Emotions; Anxiety; depression; Mental Health and Society; stress; Suicide)
• Haverkamp, Beth (Counselling Process Research, Ethics and Professional Issues, Research Design)
• Hubley, Anita (Psychological and health measurement; test development and validation; adult neuropsychological, personality, and mental health topics and assessment; research with general community and vulnerable populations (e.g. elderly, homeless, drug addicted))
• Miller, Kenneth (Mindfulness and its incorporation into mental health interventions in settings of adversity, Development of culturally grounded assessment and evaluation tools, The use of mixed-methods in intervention development and evaluation research)
• Park, CJ (Vocational psychology; Career counseling; diversity and social justice; critical consciousness; international and cross-cultural psychology; interventions)
• Tomfohr-Madsen, Lianne

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• Keep your hands to yourself and use your words : a condescendingly titled exploration of what helps and hinders people with visual impairments while receiving unsolicited help from sighted people
• Coping is a collective responsibility : a narrative inquiry with women veterans on the barriers and facilitators of coping with military sexual trauma
• Health and wellness for Métis youth involved with Métis family services : exploring cultural connection through Métis beadwork using photovoice
• The process of transitioning to a mainstream high school for hard-of-hearing youth
• Positions : possibilities and pleasures in gay, bisexual, and queer men's storytelling
• Operation returning to school (Op RTS) : Canadian veterans’ experiences of transitioning to post-secondary studies
• From disenfranchisement to integration : young women's narratives of embodiment and sexual satisfaction
• The impact of traditional masculinity ideology on veteran mental health and treatment outcome
• Sexual and gender minority youth and their parents : identity-related conversations

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MA)
• Master of Education in Counselling Psychology (MEd)

Same Academic Unit

• Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education (PhD)
• Graduate Certificate in Orientation and Mobility (GCOM)
• Master of Arts in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (MA)
• Master of Arts in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (MA)
• Master of Arts in School and Applied Child Psychology (MA)
• Master of Arts in Special Education (MA)
• Master of Education in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (MEd)
• Master of Education in Measurement, Evaluation and Research Methodology (MEd)
• Master of Education in School and Applied Child Psychology (MEd)
• Master of Education in Special Education (MEd)

Further Information

Specialization.

Programs of research reflect the core values and foci of the discipline of Counselling Psychology: career development, health and wellness, indigenous healing, gender and cultural diversity, disability, and social justice issues. Faculty members are involved in a wide range of research activities including intercultural counselling, First Nations counselling, career development and counselling, stress and coping, sexuality and reproductive health, disabilities, trauma, working with families and children in school settings, prevention of anxiety disorders, and empirically supported approaches utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Sarah Panofsky

My PhD will be my fourth UBC degree and I am confident that the university will provide me with the comprehensiveness, relevance, and rigour that I seek in my studies. Connection to place is also important. Studying at UBC allows me to maintain relationships with the communities in Northwest BC...

Christine Yu

I had a wonderful experience during the Master’s program at UBC and felt a sense of community, with excellent support from my supervisor. Once I was ready to pursue a doctoral degree, I wanted to re-engage in that type of supportive environment while stretching the boundaries of my clinical and...

Katie McCloskey

I decided to study at UBC because the Counselling Psychology program prepares its students to be excellent researchers as well as clinicians. I know that when I graduate I will be able to avail myself of career opportunities in research or practice and that I will be well trained for both.

Considering Vancouver as your next home?

This city won’t disappoint. It has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches and all four seasons, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow.

• Why Grad School at UBC?
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Strategic Priorities

• Strategic Plan 2019-2024
• Improving Student Funding
• Promoting Excellence in Graduate Programs
• Enhancing Graduate Supervision
• Advancing Indigenous Inclusion
• Supporting Student Development and Success
• Reimagining Graduate Education
• Enriching the Student Experience

Initiatives

• Public Scholars Initiative
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• Partnerships

Counseling Psychology (PhD)

YOU ARE BOUVÉ

We’re training the next generation of mental health professionals

The Ph.D. Program in Counseling Psychology offers doctoral education and training in psychology and prepares students for entry-level practice in counseling psychology.

Doctoral-level counseling psychologists conduct research, teach at the university level, supervise students and professionals, consult with community agencies, and provide clinical services to people across the developmental lifespan.

Counseling psychologists also enhance the science of health promotion and health psychology and emphasize community-based interventions.

Unique Program Features

• Translational research related to health promotion of individuals, groups, families, and communities
• Empirically-based practice in urban community centers, agencies, schools, and hospitals
• Merging of science and practice within multicultural and urban contexts
• Development of consultation and leadership skills in researchers and practitioners

Program Emphasis

• Culturally and ethnically diverse faculty
• Ecological model
• Developmental emphasis throughout the lifespan
• Research teams where students gain valuable experience evaluating and conducting research
• Student-centered faculty
• Strong and supportive student cohort groups

Degree type: – Counseling Psychology PhD Study options: – Boston campus – Full-time

Application Deadline: Dec 1, 2023

Note: Official TOEFL or IELTS* required

Counseling Psychology PhD

Our clinical training prepares counseling psychologists to work in various settings with individuals presenting with a variety of psychological and health-related issues. We emphasize an ecological model that encourages the conceptualization of relationships and research across multiple systems: biological, cultural, and relational.

These relationships occur in various social contexts, including families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. At least two years of intensive clinical training is required. This preparation includes advanced fieldwork at various mental health settings in the Boston area. Students are expected to be at their site for 20 hours each week. Approximately half of their time is direct service delivery.

Training goals include advanced skill development in behavioral observations, interviewing, psychological assessment, counseling, and treatment planning and practice, consultation, effective use of supervision, and an understanding of and commitment to the profession’s ethical codes. Students must complete a one-year, full-time pre-doctoral internship that has been approved by the program.

Accreditation and Licensure

The PhD in Counseling Psychology at Northeastern University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association and meets the “Guidelines for Defining ‘Doctoral Degree in Psychology’” as implemented by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project.

Therefore, a graduate of this designated program who decides to apply for licensure as a psychologist typically will meet the jurisdictional educational requirements for licensing. However, individual circumstances vary, and, there may be additional requirements that must be satisfied prior to being licensed as a psychologist, potentially including specific clinical practice supervision requirements at the advanced practicum, internship, and post-doctoral level.

Students should contact the state/provincial/territorial licensing board in the jurisdiction in which they plan to apply for exact information. Additional information including links to jurisdictions is available on the ASP PB’s website. For questions about the PhD in Counseling Psychology as it relates to doctoral psychology licensure, please contact Program Director Christie Rizzo .

Handbooks and Tools

Sample curriculum.

Students will enter the program with a master’s degree. It is anticipated that the time to completion is a minimum of four years.

Total 62 Credits

The curriculum is subject to change so please also check the university catalog .

• Dissertation

CAEP 6390 History and Systems of Psychology

CAEP 6394 Advanced Multicultural Psychology

CAEP 7750 Biological Bases of Behavior

CAEP 7755 Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior

CAEP 775 6 Social Psychology in an Organizational and Ecological Context

Complete 8 semester hours from the following :

CAEP 77 41 Advanced Fieldwork 1

CAEP 77 4 2 Advanced Fieldwork 2

CAEP 77 4 3 Advanced Fieldwork 3

CAEP 77 4 4 Advanced Fieldwork 4

CAEP  6350 Introduction to Cognitive Assessment

CAEP  6352 Personality Assessment

CAEP 6360 Consultation and Program Evaluation

CAEP 7710 Advanced Clinical Assessment

CAEP 7720 Advanced Clinical Interventions

CAEP 7758 Doctoral Seminar in Contemporary Theories of Psychotherapy

Three semester hours can be chosen from any graduate level CAEP course or combination of graduate level CAEP courses outside of the PhD in Counseling Psychology program of study. Other electives may be chosen upon approval of the program director and faculty adviser:

Professional

Complete 6 semester hours from the following:

CAEP 7701 Doctoral Seminar in Counseling Psychology (Repeatable 3 times for 1 credit and 3 times for 0 credits)

CAEP 7732 Legal and Ethical Issues in Community and Educational Settings

CAEP 7711 Measurement: Advanced Psychometric Principles

CAEP 7712 Intermediate Statistical Data Analysis Techniques

CAEP 7716 Advanced Research and Data Analyses 2

Complete 3 semester hours. Prior to beginning internship consult with director, DCT, and/or the Doctoral Internship Seminar instructor.

CAEP 7798 Doctoral Internship

CAEP 9990 Dissertation Term 1

CAEP 9991 Dissertation Term 2

Admissions Requirements

Candidates for admission are expected to meet the following requirements:

Master’s degree in psychology or related field

Strong academic record (3.5 GPA and above preferred)

Demonstrated interest in and commitment to counseling psychology

Official TOEFL or IELTS*

Three letters of reference 

Personal statement. The applicant may wish to highlight:

• Specific research and clinical interests
• Long-term career goals.
• Current and past clinical and research experiences
• Fit with program emphasis

Completed application (due December 1)

Personal interviews with the faculty and current students will be held in February

Got questions?

Christie Rizzo, PhD Program Director 617-373-2486

Or contact our Graduate Enrollment team.

The Counseling Psychology PhD program will not require students to submit GRE (General Test of the Graduate Record Exam) scores for the Fall 2023 admissions cycle. Applicants who have taken or are planning to take the GRE may submit their scores if they choose. Those applicants choosing not to submit GRE scores will not be negatively impacted in the admissions decision process. Applications will be evaluated based on all materials provided. 

Admission is based on evaluation of the above factors, previous relevant experiences, and your fit within our program. The program faculty reviews your credentials to assess the likelihood of your successful completion of the program and your potential for contribution to the field of counseling psychology and the community at large.

Student Admissions Outcomes and Other Data

Program details.

• Minimum of two years of advanced fieldwork
• At least 20 hours per week at an approved fieldwork site with supervision by a licensed psychologist or a licensed psychiatrist for a minimum of 600 hours per year
• Minimum of one hour of individual supervision per week by a licensed doctoral level psychologist
• Minimum of half (50%) of the 20 hours per week are required in direct service

Research Topics

Applied psychology program for eating and appearance research — appear, faculty leaders.

Rachael Rodgers Jessica Edwards George

Dating Violence and Relationship Risk Prevention Team

Faculty leader.

Christie Rizzo

Feminist Therapy and Theory; Feminist Ecological Model

William Sanchez

Intersectionality Lab in Applied Psychology

Tracy Robinson-Wood

Mindfulness for Health Behavior Change

Laura Dudley

Use of Technology and Games for Health Behavior Change

Babatunde Aideyan received a BA in Psychology from Emory University and an MA in Counseling from Northwestern University. Tunde began the Counseling Psychology program in 2018 and is a PhD candidate at Northeastern University. He has several years of work experience in corporate work environments where he developed data analysis and survey research skills.

At Northeastern, Tunde has researched with his advisor, Dr. Jessica Edwards George, the neurocognitive effects of gluten exposure in individuals with celiac disease. While obtaining his master’s degree, Tunde interned at a community mental health agency that supported group home and foster care residents, as well as in a private practice setting.

At the doctoral level, Tunde spent a year at Butler Hospital administering neuropsychological assessments for individuals presenting with memory problems; he is currently co-facilitating resilience training groups at the MGH Resilience and Prevention Program.

Clinically, Tunde is interested in breathwork practices, health psychology, and strength-oriented counseling. His research interests involve using artificial intelligence methods for improving mental health diagnosis and prognosis.

Payton Bruland has been a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Northeastern University since the Fall of 2019. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Gonzaga University.

At Northeastern, Payton works on the SNAP/Social Research team with Dr. Christie Rizzo and the More Fun with Sisters and Brothers (MFWSB) team with Dr. Laurie Kramer. Her research interests align with each of these labs, examining both protective and risk factors among children and adolescence in the areas of emotion regulation and interpersonal relationships.

Payton also has an interest in the ways childhood trauma affects outcomes in adolescence and later life. Clinically, she has worked with children, adolescents, and their families in a variety of settings, including outpatient and inpatient services.

Elizabeth (Libby) Collier enrolled in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Northeastern in the fall of 2021. Prior to her move to Boston, Libby received an M.A. and Ed.M. in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. Libby’s clinical fieldwork placement was at Mount Sinai Hospital where she conducted group therapy and individual therapy sessions involving dual diagnosis patients.

During her master’s program, she also spent time in two research labs affiliated with New York University and Columbia University that focused on youth mental health. These studies focused on interventions for adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis and systems-level interventions concerning youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Libby is in the Adolescent Relationships and Risk Behavior Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Christie Rizzo. She hopes to continue to work alongside youth at-risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system and is interested in mentorship as a facilitator of positive youth development.

Jaylan Abd Elrahman , (She, Her) received her B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College and her M.Ed. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in Child Advocacy.

She is currently a member of the Intersectionality Research Lab and her primary research interests rest at the nexus of adolescent identity development, trauma, culture and social change. She previously served in various research roles at Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, Brookings Institution and Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.

She has been actively involved in facilitating healing justice, youth development and community-based work across the nation for the last nine years, primarily with and for refugee, migrant, and young women of color. She welcomes all connections and can be reached at  [email protected] .

Laura Fischer received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island and an M.S. in Psychology from Drexel University in Philadelphia.

She has held positions across a variety of clinical, research, and community mental health settings, including the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Her primary clinical and research interests include empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders, mindfulness-based interventions, and the implications of intersecting identities for mental and physical health.

Ruthann Hewett has been a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program since the Fall of 2021. She holds a dual BA from Brandeis University in Psychology and Health: Science, Society & Policy (2016), as well as an MS from Northeastern University’s Counseling Psychology master’s program (2020).

She is a member of the Intersectionality Research Team under the supervision of Dr. Tracy Robinson-Wood. She has worked on research projects with the Intersectionality team including a study of the racial socialization experiences of biracial adults.

Prior to beginning her MS, she worked as a research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit. She has also worked as an intern clinician at the Therapeutic After School Program at the Home for Little Wanderers, and as a clinician at the Therapeutic After School Program at the Italian Home for Children.

Her interests include examining oppressive power systems operating within mental health treatment facilities, particularly state funded institutions, and interrogating how these systems can be modified to better serve clients with intersecting marginalized identities.

Katherine Laveway is a Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology and a member of the Applied Psychology Program for Eating and Appearance Research (APPEAR) team since the Fall of 2020. She received her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and her B.A. in English and Music from Wellesley College.

During her master’s training, Katherine gained clinical experience working in inpatient and outpatient settings at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Katherine’s research interests include body image and eating concerns among queer and trans individuals. She is particularly interested in sociocultural constructions of gender, experiences of weight stigma, and the role of social media on the psychological health of young people.

Madeline Manning has been a PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program at Northeastern University since the Fall of 2017. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Communications from Stonehill College (2015) and her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine (2017). She will be completing her pre-doctoral internship at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in the Neuropsychology Track with the goal of pursuing a career in Pediatric Neuropsychology.

Prior to beginning her doctoral training, Madeline worked as a mental health counselor in the adult inpatient psychiatric unit at Tufts Medical Center. She also worked as a clinical research assistant at the Pediatric Anxiety Research Clinic (PARC) at Bradley Hospital and the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital where she helped conduct research on the dissemination of treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/other anxiety related disorders in children and exploring factors which impact adolescent suicidality post-inpatient level of care.

During her graduate training, she completed clinical practicum experiences at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Rhode Island Hospital Pediatric Neuropsychology Program, Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment at Butler Hospital Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, Hasbro Children’s Sleep Disorder Clinic, Hasbro Children’s Partial Hospitalization Program, Boston Children’s at Martha Eliot Health Center (Mental Health Clinic and Early Intervention Program), and Franciscan Children’s Hospital Community Based Acute Treatment (CBAT) Unit.

She is part of the Adolescent Relationships and Risk Behavior Research Lab and the More Fun with Sisters and Brothers Research Lab, and also completed the Early Intervention Certification Program at Northeastern. Madeline’s primary research interests include exploring the protective factors that promote resilience in children and adolescents, as well as integrating community and individual resilience to violence and trauma. Madeline also has interests in the areas of adolescent dating violence prevention, pediatric psychology, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders.

Chantal Muse received an M.A. from Chatham University and a B.A. from Duquesne University. Previously, she worked on a study examining how employment status effects the health and well-being of Sub-Saharan African women. Also, she held a clinical position at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Acute Adult Trauma Unit and the Comprehensive Services and Recovery Unit. Her primary research and clinical interests are working with cancer patients, examining the patient-provider relationship, specifically the relationship between African-American women with breast cancer and white doctors, and health communication.

Briana Paulo previously studied at the University of Rhode Island for a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Thanatology. She later earned a M.A. in Psychology Research from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2017. Briana came to Northeastern University in the Fall of 2020 with clinical experiences in a variety of settings with children and adolescents who experience a range of social, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. She also held a clinical research position at the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC) at Bradley Hospital, where she led outreach and collaboration efforts with schools, pediatric office, and other community partners, conducted semi-structured diagnostic assessments, and facilitated in-home/in-community exposure and response prevention (ERP) sessions with children and adolescents.

Briana currently works with the Dating Violence and Relationship Risk Prevention Team, led by Dr. Christie Rizzo. Her work in this lab involves studies that assess health-related behaviors and interpersonal communication patterns of juvenile-justice involved teens to understand risk and protective factors of dating violence. Briana’s research and clinical interests lie in socioemotional and behavioral issues in children/adolescents of traditionally marginalized populations and increasing awareness of and access to mental health resources.

Lisa Rines-Toth received her Master of Arts and Master of Education degrees in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies at Northeastern, Lisa worked at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City as a clinician in the psychiatric emergency department. Lisa’s primary research and clinical interests are in the general areas of integrated behavioral care, crisis intervention, addiction and mindfulness & yoga. Lisa currently works as a counselor in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Medical Center.

Kaitlyn Schneider received an M.S. from Villanova University and a B.S. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her primary research interests are in the areas of domestic violence, attachment, and trauma. Her previous work has explored the development of a rater-based method to measure secondary attachment strategies enacted within the maternal-fetal attachment relationship. She has also previously worked clinically with clients experiencing domestic violence.

Isabella “Isa” Sereno has been a PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program at Northeastern University since the Fall of 2020. Isa received a BS in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and an MA in Counselor Education, Clinical Mental Health Track, from Virginia Tech. Isa worked as a treatment coordinator at the Latinas y Niño’s Center in Casa Esperanza Inc., a substance abuse residential program for Latinx women in recovery and their children, where she worked closely with monolingual Spanish-speaking women and their families. Isa also worked as a clinical research coordinator II at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cancer Outcome Research and Education program (CORE), helping conduct research in palliative care for patients diagnosed with advanced cancer and their caregivers. She is a part of the APPEAR lab and is working under the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Edwards-George and Dr. Rachel Rodgers. Isa will be completing her advanced fieldwork practicum at Martha Eliot Health Center/Boston Children’s Hospital. She is fluent in Spanish and is interested in understanding racial and ethnic disparities that affect the caregiver experience within health settings, particularly parents of children with complex care needs.

We train multiculturally competent counseling psychologists who are:

• Clinically adept in multiple settings with a variety of psychological and health-related issues
• Able to conceptualize, conduct, and evaluate research across biological, cultural, and relational systems in numerous social contexts, such as families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

(i) Research

• Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
• Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
• Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

(ii) Ethical and legal standards

• the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct;
• Relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and
• Relevant professional standards and guidelines.
• Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
• Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

( iii) Individual and cultural diversity

• An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
• Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.
• The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability to apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
• Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.

(iv) Professional values, attitudes, and behaviors

• Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others
• Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.
• Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
• Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.

(v) Communications and interpersonal skills

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
• Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.

(vi) Assessment

• Demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology.
• Demonstrate understanding of human behavior within its context (e.g., family, social, societal and cultural).
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process.
• Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
• Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.
• Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.

(vii) Intervention

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
• Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
• Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.
• Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking.
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.

(viii) Supervision

• Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.
• Apply supervision knowledge in direct or simulated practice with psychology trainees, or other health professionals. Examples of direct or simulated practice examples of supervision include, but are not limited to, role-played supervision with others, and peer supervision with other trainees.

(ix) Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

• Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
• Demonstrates knowledge of consultation models and practices.

To prepare graduates for the role of professional psychologists, to include advanced skill development in behavioral observations, interviewing, psychological assessment, counseling and treatment planning and practice, consultation, effective use of supervision and an understanding of and commitment to the profession’s ethical codes.

Objective 1A: Students will be exposed to various professional roles including student teaching, participation in research projects where they are mentored by faculty and mentor peers and/or junior colleagues.

• Competency 1A1: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of their roles as clinicians.
• Competency 1A2: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of their roles as educators.
• Competency 1A3: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of their roles as community change agents ethically serving diverse populations and advocating for social justice.
• Competency 1A4: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of their roles as researchers.

To foster understanding and application of the scientific basis of clinical practice in psychotherapy and clinical assessment

• Objective 2A: Students will acquire an understanding of the biological, cognitive and affective, and social aspects of behavior.
• Objective 2B: Students will acquire knowledge of the history and systems of psychology
• Objective 2C: Students will acquire knowledge of empirical research regarding effective clinical practice, assessment, and interventions.
• Objective 2D: Students will acquire knowledge of contemporary theories that explicate human behavior across the lifespan.
• Objective 2E: Students will study current evidenced based practices in psychotherapy, psychological testing, and biological bases of clinical practice.
• Objective 2F: Students will acquire knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based clinical interventions with diverse populations.
• Competency 2A: Students will understand the regulation of biological and emotional functions of the nervous system.
• Competency 2B: Students will understand the contribution of environmental factors to brain development, to the development of the mind, and to their functions.
• Competency 2C: Students will understand theories and research with respect to clinical efficacy.
• Competency 2D: Students will understand contemporary theories of human behavior from a lifespan developmental perspective.
• Competency 2E1: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of current evidence based practices in psychotherapy, psychological testing, and the neuroscientific bases of clinical practice.
• Competency 2E2: Students will develop the ability to select and apply evidence-based interventions and to assess progress and outcomes.
• Competency 2F1: Students will demonstrate that they are familiar with outcome research for various intervention strategies.
• Competency 2F2: Students will develop the ability to implement a wide range of developmental, preventive, remedial, and psychoeducational interventions, including psychotherapy, crisis management, consultation and dealing with emergency psychological/psychiatric situations with people across sources of difference.

To produce graduates who possess advanced and applied research skills within an ecological perspective

• Objective 3A: Students will be involved in course work on advanced and applied research skills.
• Objective 3B: Students will become proficient in reporting research findings.
• Objective 3C: Students will be able to critically evaluate research from an ecological perspective.
• Competency 3A1: Students will demonstrate competency in research design and data analysis related to health and illness using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods models.
• Competency 3A2: Students will be able to develop meaningful research questions, based upon theories and models in the scholarly research literature.
• Competency 3A3: Students will be able to implement appropriate research design, methods, and statistical analyses, consistent with the research questions.
• Competency 3A4: Students will understand advantages and disadvantages of various research designs, modes of inquiry, data collection methods, statistical procedures, and measurement concepts.
• Competency 3B: Students will demonstrate the ability to report their research investigations appropriately, including knowledge of the socio-cultural contexts in the interpretation of the data.
• Competency 3C1: Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate and critically assess the methodology of empirical research and the validity of research conclusions within a multicultural/ecological perspective.
• Competency 3C2: Students will be able to integrate themselves in research projects on research teams that stress a multicultural/ecological perspective.
• Competency 3C3: Students will successfully complete their dissertation proposals grounded within a multicultural/ecological perspective.

To produce graduates who are committed to and demonstrate ethical practice as counseling psychologists.

• Objective 4A: Students will learn through courses, mentoring, and supervision in the ethical codes of the profession.
• Objective 4B: Student will learn through courses and supervised clinical experiences, local, state, and national laws affecting professional psychological practice.
• Competency 4A: Students will become competent in understanding the codes of ethics and professional conduct of APA and develop a competent ethical decision-making process.
• Competency 4B: Students will demonstrate understanding of the legal issues affecting practice and resolution of ethical/legal conflicts that may occur.

To produce graduates who are multiculturally competent across sources of difference, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion/spirituality, disability, and sexual orientation, in both clinical and research settings.

Objective 5A: Students will study, be mentored in, and be exposed to multicultural perspectives that stress the understanding of different worldviews and confronting forms of oppression.

• Competency 5A1: Students will be able to integrate multiple worldviews and important historical and political positions in their clinical and research activities.
• Competency 5A2: Students will be able to understand their own positions of privilege, related to race, gender, social class, ability, and/or sexual orientation and its effect on their work as professional psychologists.
• Competency 5A3: Students will be able to integrate and actively advocate for the elimination of racism, sexism, class oppression, homophobia, ageism, and other forms of oppression.
• Competency 5A4: Students will be able to conceptualize and advocate for social and economic justice as professional psychologists.

To advance the field of counseling psychology using program strengths: (a) an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach to clinical services provision and enhancement of the science of health promotion and health psychology; (b) stress on urban, community-based interventions using an ecological approach.

• Objective 6A: Students will be exposed to interprofessional models of health promotion research within the Bouvé College of Health Sciences.
• Objective 6B: Students will study the strengths and challenges facing urban populations and work within health promotion and prevention.
• Competency 6A1: Students will develop an understanding of how health promotion research is conceptualized and undertaken by an interprofessional team.
• Competency 6B1: Students will understand the unique challenges facing urban populations and work within settings that provide health promotion and prevention efforts with multicultural populations.

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College of Education & Human Development

University of missouri, counseling psychology (phd).

This degree is a Doctorate of Philosophy in the Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Counseling Psychology .

This degree is part of the counseling psychology program , housed in the Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology .

MU’s Counseling Psychology program strives for excellence in the integration of practice, science and diversity. The program aims to prepare counseling psychologists to work in academic and applied settings (a) to think critically and to apply scientific-based practices, (b) to promote social justice, (c) who are ethical and culturally competent, and (d) who continue to become self-aware and mindful of personal power and privilege.

Our Ph.D. program has been continuously accredited by APA since 1953, and we are consistently rated as one of the top training programs in the country. Counseling Psychology at MU continues to be committed to a strong scientist-practitioner model which fosters student growth through professional identification. We are committed to multicultural and cross-cultural competence, social justice, and maintaining our values of mentoring and apprenticeship.

Degree Requirements

A student’s plan of study will vary depending on her/his program track and career goals and should be completed in consultation with her/his academic adviser. Students who are admitted with a master’s degree typically complete the program in 4-5 years, which includes required coursework, comprehensive exams, dissertation, and predoctoral internship. Students who are admitted with a bachelor’s degree typically complete the program in 5-6 years, which includes required coursework, thesis, comprehensive exams, dissertation, and predoctoral internship.

For a sample plan of study and course listing, go to the course catalog . Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a field not related to psychology will be required to complete 15 hours of prerequisite courses in the behavioral sciences (including an introductory statistics course) either prior to or concurrently with course work in the program. This prerequisite course work is over and above that required for the master’s degree itself and is not counted on the program of study for the master’s degree.

Counseling Psychology Doctoral Planner

Clinical Training

Within a scientist-practitioner paradigm, our program requires students to engage early in a variety of supervised counseling practice experiences. These are integrated with scientific aspects of the discipline and graduated in depth and complexity to train students to become independently functioning  professional psychologists. Learning occurs through formal coursework and supervised direct client contact. The Counseling Psychology program maintains relationships with many local practicum sites to meet the training interests of our diverse students. Students typically complete practicum at multiple sites during their tenure at MU. This table shows where students have completed practicum in recent years.

Program Faculty

Faculty members who will be accepting new doctoral advisees for the 2024-2025 school year are noted below.

Joshua Parmenter

Patrick rottinghaus, application, deadlines, and admission.

The application deadline for the doctoral program in Counseling Psychology is December 1 . The admissions process is competitive; the program receives 100-150 applications for 5-8 openings each year, and students are only admitted to begin fall term. We admit applicants with either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. You are welcome to visit the University of Missouri and attend a campus tour , but faculty members are typically not available to meet with prospective applicants because of the large volume of meeting requests. If you want to learn more about faculty members’ research and scholarly interests, please visit their individual web pages . Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission:

• Requirements of the doctor of philosophy in educational, school and counseling psychology program
• Minimum requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies

How to Apply

For Fall 2024 applicants, the department has decided to temporarily suspend the requirement of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Submit the following documents using the MU Office of Graduate Studies application by Dec. 1 for the next fall cohort:

• Three letters of recommendation
• See CV requirements
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 from an accredited institution in psychology, education or a related major
• Statement of purpose addressing the following:Describe (1) your previous experience serving in a helping or counseling role; (2) your interests and experiences working with people from diverse backgrounds (e.g., ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, religious, ability status, sexual orientation). How have these experiences influenced you?; (3) your interests and career objectives; (4) how these interests and career objectives have developed; (5) how these interests match those of specific program faculty; and (6) how being accepted into the Counseling Psychology Program would benefit your career aspirations and implement (or actualize) your beliefs, values, and goals? (1200 word maximum)
• Institution code: 6875

Financial Support

Policy and Procedures for Annual Assistantship

The department’s goal is to provide every full-time ESCP doctoral student with a .25 FTE assistantship in year 1.  Historically, however, almost all doctoral students who have requested funding have received .50 FTE from departmental placements or from sources outside the department.  Beginning in the Fall, 2016, only students receiving 0.5 FTE stipends will be eligible for full tuition waiver.  Students receiving less than 0.5 FTE stipends will be eligible for a 50% tuition waiver. Assistantships from non-academic units will still be required to provide an academic focus for the assistantship and students may not cobble together two non-academic 0.25 FTE assistantships to qualify for a full tuition waiver without very strong justification. Students with 0.25 FTE support from their academic unit, may combine that with a 0.25 FTE from an appropriate non-academic unit to qualify for a full tuition waiver provided there is an academic focus and justification for the second assistantship.Fellowships are not considered in the assignment of departmental placements, and are viewed as additional financial compensation for outstanding academic performance. Fellowship recipients will receive a .25 FTE assistantship which can consist of an additional fellowship, teaching, or research assistantship at the most competitive level in the department. .

College of Education Graduate Scholarship Opportunities

The College of Education offers a variety of scholarships for students enrolled as education majors, both as undergraduates and graduates. Scholarships are a great way to financially support your education and are awarded to individuals on the basis of any number of criteria, including: financial need, academic achievement, choice of program area, public service, nationality or ethnicity.Some scholarships are renewable or may be awarded to the same students in succeeding years; however, these awards are based upon continued eligibility with scholarship criteria; grade point average; the contingency of available funds; and a current, completed application that must be submitted each year.  Please note, should a College of Education scholarship recipient change enrollment to another University or another college within MU, the scholarship will be rescinded.

Applicants without a Masters in Psychology or Related Discipline

Each year, the doctoral program accepts a limited number of applicants with only a bachelor’s degree or a masters degree in a field other than psychology. Over the past three years, 14% of our incoming doctoral students had only a Bachelor’s degree. Thus, we encourage such applicants to indicate if they also want to be considered for our Masters Program. Doing so will not impact your chances for being accepted into the PhD Program; your interest in the Masters Program will only be considered should you not receive acceptance to the PhD Program.

Note: Enrolling in our Masters Program will allow you to further develop the necessary clinical and scientific skills to successfully earn a PhD in a scientifically rigorous program such as ours. Moreover, most PhD programs in Counseling Psychology will allow you to transfer credits from our Masters Program in partial fulfillment of earning a PhD.