Program Educational Goals:
The general Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is meant for students who are accepted to our program, but whose needs do not strictly conform to the goals of a specific area. This degree is awarded under special conditions. For example, a student who is accepted to work with a Clinical Area advisor, but whose goals do not include clinical work may obtain a PhD in Psychological and Brain Sciences. Upon admission, a customized program of study shall be agreed upon by the student, their potential advisor(s), the Departmental Graduate Committee, and the Director of Graduate Education. The program of study will be designed to accomplish the below goals, in addition to goals that are specific to the student’s program of study.
By the end of the program, graduates will be able to:
1. Demonstrate broad expertise in specific domains of psychological and brain science and their implications for interdisciplinary research through fluent scientific discussion, writing, and presentation.
2. Think critically. Synthesize knowledge into novel scientific insights. Constructively critique scientific theories, hypotheses, experimental procedures and results. Generate theoretically grounded hypotheses and experimental designs.
3. Effectively implement experimental designs. Collect, manage, analyze, and report data. Report outcomes in informal and formal settings that may include conferences, journal articles, invited talks and publications.
4. Learn and apply statistical and quantitative methods in the production and critical review of research. This includes descriptive procedures for summarizing data, statistical procedures for performing inferential tests, and development of appropriate data visualization.
5. Master oral and written communication for a variety of audiences, including experts (e.g. at conferences and in journal publications), undergraduate and graduate students, and the general public.
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