Psychology

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STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE: 1533 Mandler Hall
http://psychology.ucsd.edu

The Undergraduate Program

Major Programs

The department offers three degree programs: bachelor of arts (B.A.), bachelor of science (B.S.), and the integrated bachelor of science (B.S.)/master of arts (M.A.). We offer courses in all major areas of experimental psychology, with emphasis in behavior analysis, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology and cognitive neuropsychology, developmental psychology, human information processing, neuroscience and behavior, psychopathology, sensation and perception, and social psychology. The department emphasizes research in the experimental and theoretical analysis of human and animal behavior, and the study of the mind. Students who major in psychology can expect to develop a knowledge of a broad range of content areas, as well as basic skills in experimental and analytic procedures. Once a student has decided upon a major in psychology, he or she is highly encouraged to consult with the Psychology Student Affairs Office.

Majors must have departmental approval for electives taken outside the department. Of the required courses in the area of specialization (three regular upper-division courses and two research experiences), no more than two may be taken outside the department. We recommend consulting the department before enrolling in courses offered by other departments.

Prerequisites for the B.A.

Experimental psychology uses the tools and knowledge of science: calculus, probability theory, computer science, chemistry, biology, physics, and statistics. Accordingly, students in upper-division courses must have an adequate background in these topics. Prerequisites for individual courses are specified in the catalog.

The prerequisites for the bachelor of arts degree in psychology are as follows:

  1. Three lower-division, general-introductory natural science courses from the listing of the approved UC San Diego courses below or their equivalent. (The three courses can be distributed in any manner.)
    • Biology: 1, 2, 3, 10, 20, 24, 26
    • Chemistry: 4, 6A, 6B, 6C, 11, 12, 13
    • Physics: Any of the 1 and 2 series, 10, 11
  2. Three formal skills courses, at least one of which must be calculus. The other two courses may consist of any combination of courses in calculus or logic. Acceptable calculus courses at UCSD include Mathematics 10A-B-C, 20A-B-C. Acceptable logic courses at UCSD include Philosophy 10 and 12.
  3. One introduction to computer programming course. Acceptable courses at UCSD are CSE 3, CSE 5A, CSE 5B, CSE 8A, CSE 8B, CSE 11, CSE 12, MAE 5, MAE 9, MAE 10, or CogSci 18. Other courses will be considered by petition only if they are primarily concerned with programming in a high-level computer language.

    All courses listed under 1–3 may be taken Pass/Not Pass.

  4. One quarter of statistics. Acceptable courses at UCSD are Psychology 60, Economics 120A, Sociology 60, Mathematics 11, 181, or 183, BIEB 100, Cognitive Science 14, or equivalent. Statistics MUST be taken for a letter grade.

Students should complete these prerequisite requirements by the end of the sophomore year.

Major Requirements for the B.A.

A minimum of twelve upper-division courses in psychology is required. Five must be taken from the core courses (Psychology 101–106), and at least seven from the upper-division elective courses. A minimum of six upper-division psychology courses must be taken at UCSD. These courses must be taken for a letter grade; courses taken as Pass/Not Pass prior to declaring psychology as a major cannot be used to satisfy the major requirement. Excluded from credit toward the major are Psychology 199 (Special Studies); however, Psychology 195 (Undergraduate Instructional Apprentice) can be credited once. Majors must obtain departmental approval for electives taken outside the department. A grade-point average of at least 2.0 in the upper-division courses of the major is required for graduation.

Prerequisites for the B.S.

In general, the lower-division courses required for the B.S. degree in psychology overlap with the B.A. major. However, to fulfill the formal skills, we require the mathematics sequence 20A-B-C.

Major Requirements for the B.S.

A minimum of twelve upper-division courses is required. Five of these courses must come from the core courses (Psychology 101–106). The seven elective courses may be chosen from any of the upper-division courses listed for the psychology program at UCSD.

B.S. students must choose an area of concentration (behavior analysis, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, and cognitive neuropsychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience and behavior, sensation and perception, or social psychology), and three courses of the seven electives must be in the chosen area of concentration.

In addition to the twelve upper-division courses, all B.S. degree students must complete course(s) to fulfill the research experience requirement. Research experience courses may comprise either one laboratory course or two Psychology 199 courses (Independent Study). If two Psychology 199 courses are taken to fulfill this requirement, they must be directed by the faculty within the chosen area of concentration and culminate in a research paper approved by the advisor and submitted to the Psychology Student Affairs Office no later than the graduating quarter. The 199 sequence should be taken with the same faculty member.

Upper-Division Course Requirements for the B.S.

Core Courses, of which five have to be taken for any area of concentration

PSYC 101. Intro to Developmental Psychology

PSYC 102. Intro to Sensation and Perception

PSYC 103. Intro to Principles of Behavior

PSYC 104. Intro to Social Psychology

PSYC 105. Intro to Cognitive Psychology

PSYC 106. Intro to Physiological Psychology

Areas of concentration and their associated courses are listed in alphabetical order below. (Subject to change—for additional qualifying courses, see the department’s Student Affairs Office, 1533 Mandler Hall).

Concentration in Behavior Analysis

Behavior analysis is based on the principles of Pavlovian and operant conditioning, and other aspects of contemporary associative learning theory. It also includes the application of reinforcement principles and other behavior modification techniques in applied settings (applied behavior analysis).

Courses

PSYC 109. Lab/Applied Behavior Analysis

PSYC 120.* Learning and Motivation

PSYC 121.* Lab/Operant Psychology

* to be taken concurrently with PSYC 120

PSYC 132. Hormones and Behavior

PSYC 134. Eating Disorders

PSYC 135. Evolutionary Principles/Animal Social Behavior

PSYC 140.* Lab/Human Behavior

* to be taken concurrently with PSYC 120

PSYC 143. Control and Analysis of Human Behavior

PSYC 154. Behavior Modification

PSYC 168. Psychological Disorders of Childhood

PSYC 171. Neurobiology Learning and Memory

PSYC 184. Choice and Self Control

PSYC 188. Impulse Control Disorders

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Concentration in Neuroscience and Behavior

This area studies how the nervous system mediates behavioral effects in the realms of motivation, perception, learning and memory, and attention. It also includes human neurophysiology and aphasia.

Courses

PSYC 107. Lab/Substance Abuse Research

PSYC 114. Lab/Psychophysiological Perspectives on the Social Mind

PSYC 125. Clinical Neuropsychology and Assessment

PSYC 129. Logic of Perception

PSYC 132. Hormones and Behavior

PSYC 133. Circadian Rhythms—Biological Clocks

PSYC 134. Eating Disorders

PSYC 135. Evolutionary Principles/Animal Social Behavior

PSYC 150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision

PSYC 159. Physiological Basis of Perception

PSYC 169. Brain Damage and Mental Function

PSYC 170. Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology

PSYC 171. Neurobiology Learning and Memory

PSYC 179. Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders

PSYC 181. Drugs and Behavior

PSYC 188. Impulse Control Disorders

PSYC 189. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution

PSYC 190. Parenting

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Concentration in Clinical Psychology

This area studies psychological and physiological causes of and treatments for mental illness in children and adults.

Courses

PSYC 107. Lab/Substance Abuse Research

PSYC 109. Lab/Applied Behavior Analysis

PSYC 124. Intro to Clinical Psychology

PSYC 125. Clinical Neuropsychology and Assessment

PSYC 132. Hormones and Behavior

PSYC 133. Circadian Rhythms—Biological Clocks

PSYC 134. Eating Disorders

PSYC 151. Test and Measurement

PSYC 154. Behavior Modification

PSYC 155. Social Psychology and Medicine

PSYC 163. Abnormal Psychology

PSYC 168. Psychological Disorders in Children

PSYC 172. Human Sexuality

PSYC 184. Choice and Self-Control

PSYC 188. Impulse Control Disorders

PSYC 190. Parenting

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Concentration in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuropsychology

  1. The cognitive area studies reasoning, thinking, language, judgment, and decision-making in adults and children (including attention, memory, and visual and auditory information processing).
  2. The cognitive neuropsychology area studies cognitive processes and their implementation in the brain. Cognitive neuroscientists use methods drawn from brain damage, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, functional neuroimaging, and computer modeling.
Courses

PSYC 108. Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience

PSYC 114. Lab/Psychophysiological Perspectives on the Social Mind

PSYC 115. Lab/Cognitive Psychology

PSYC 118. Lab 118A-B/Language Processing

PSYC 119. Lab/Psycholinguistics

PSYC 128. Psychology of Reading

PSYC 129. Logic of Perception

PSYC 137. Social Cognition

PSYC 141. Evolution and Human Nature

PSYC 142. Psychology of Consciousness

PSYC 144. Memory and Amnesia

PSYC 145. Psychology of Language

PSYC 146. Language and Conceptual Development

PSYC 148. Psychology of Judgment and Decision

PSYC 150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision

PSYC 152. Concepts of Intelligence

PSYC 156. Cognitive Development in Infancy

PSYC 161. Introduction to Engineering Psychology

PSYC 170. Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology

PSYC 171. Neurobiology Learning and Memory

PSYC 187. Development of Social Cognition

PSYC 191. Psychology of Sleep

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Concentration in Developmental Psychology

This area studies all aspects of human development with emphasis on social and personality development, perceptual development, and language acquisition. Also includes the study of developmental psychopathology.

Courses

PSYC 109. Lab/Applied Behavior Analysis

PSYC 114. Lab/Psychophysiological Perspectives on the Social Mind

PSYC 133. Circadian Rhythms—Biological Clocks

PSYC 135. Evolutionary Principles/Animal Social Behavior

PSYC 136. Cognitive Development

PSYC 141. Evolution and Human Nature

PSYC 145. Psychology of Language

PSYC 152. Concepts of Intelligence

PSYC 156. Cognitive Development in Infancy

PSYC 158. Interpersonal Relationships

PSYC 168. Psychological Disorder of Childhood

PSYC 172. Human Sexuality

PSYC 180. Adolescence

PSYC 185. Applied Developmental Psychology

PSYC 187. The Development of Social Cognition

PSYC 190. Parenting

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

(For additional qualifying courses, see the department’s Student Affairs Office, 1533 Mandler Hall.)

Concentration in Sensation and Perception

This area studies how our sense organs and brain make it possible for us to construct our consciously experienced representation of the environment. Experiments using stimuli and computer control are used to test models of sensory or perceptual processes. Processes of particular interest include color vision, motion perception, and auditory illusions and paradox.

Courses

PSYC 125. Clinical Neuropsychology and Assessment

PSYC 128. Psychology of Reading

PSYC 129. Logic of Perception

PSYC 138. Sound and Music Perception

PSYC 150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision

PSYC 159. Physiological Basis of Perception

PSYC 169. Brain Damage and Mental Functions

PSYC 182. Allusions and the Brain

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Concentration in Social Psychology

This area studyies human behavior in social situations, with specialization in such topics as emotion, aggression, social cognition, and aesthetics. It also encompasses applied social psychology, including psychology and the law and behavioral medicine.

Courses

PSYC 114. Lab/Psychophysiological Perspectives on the Social Mind

PSYC 127. Applied Social Psychology

PSYC 130. Delay of Gratification

PSYC 135. Evolutionary Principles/Animal Social Behavior

PSYC 137. Social Cognition

PSYC 139. Social Psychology of Sports

PSYC 141. Evolution and Human Nature

PSYC 149. Social Psychology of Theater

PSYC 152. Concepts of Intelligence

PSYC 153. Psychology of Emotion

PSYC 155. Social Psychology and Medicine

PSYC 157. Happiness

PSYC 158. Interpersonal Relationships

PSYC 160. Groups

PSYC 162. Psychology and the Law

PSYC 172. Human Sexuality

PSYC 175. Psychology and the Arts

PSYC 178. Industrial Organization Psychology

PSYC 186. Psychology and Social Policy

PSYC 187. Development of Social Cognition

PSYC 190. Parenting

PSYC 199. Independent Study courses in this field must culminate in a research paper to fulfill lab requirement (but do not count as upper-division psychology courses towards the major).

Honors Program

Students are encouraged to participate in the department’s honors program. It is strongly recommended for all students interested in graduate school. A minimum overall GPA of 3.3 (3.5 for transfer students, based on transfer GPA) is a prerequisite. Admission is granted by application in the fall quarter of the junior year (Deadline: October 31). This program is composed of the following courses.

  1. Junior Year:


    2. Winter:

    • Junior Honors Research Seminar (PSYC 110)
    • Advanced Statistics and Research Methods (PSYC 111A)

    Spring:

    • Advanced Statistics and Research Methods (PSYC 111B)
  2. Senior Year: A year-long independent research project (PSYC 194-A-B-C) under the sponsorship of a faculty advisor. This research culminates in an honors thesis.
  3. At least one laboratory course (Psychology 107, 109, 114, 115, 118A, 118B, 119, 120/121, 120/140, 127) or, upon petitioning, two Psychology 199 Independent Study courses culminating in a research paper accepted by the advisor (199s, however, do not count as upper-division credit toward the major).

Successful completion of the Honors Program requires a grade of A- in the Psychology 194 series and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the upper-division courses taken for the major.

Minor Program

The minor in psychology consists of seven four-unit courses from the Department of Psychology course offerings, of which at least twenty units (five four-unit courses) must be upper-division. At least four upper-division courses must be taken at UCSD for a letter grade. PSYC 199 (Independant Study) may count for one upper-division course towards the minor.

If Psychology 60 (Statistics) is chosen as one of the lower-division courses, it, too, has to be taken for a letter grade. The application for a minor can be obtained from your college. A grade-point average of at least 2.0 is required for graduation.

Education Abroad

Students are often able to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) and UCSD’s Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP) while still making progress toward the major. Students considering this option should discuss their plans with the Psychology Student Affairs Office before going abroad, and courses taken abroad must be approved by the department. Students may only receive credit for up to two core courses (PSYC 101-106) from their courses taken abroad. Information on EAP/OAP is detailed in the Education Abroad Program of the UC San Diego General Catalog. Interested students should contact the Program Abroad Office in the International Center.

Transfer Credit

In general, all introductory courses in experimental psychology are accepted for lower-division credit toward a psychology minor. Lower-division courses covering special topics in psychology (e.g., personal adjustment, human sexuality) will be accepted only if: 1) the student had a general introductory course as a prerequisite, and 2) the student had satisfied this prerequisite before taking the special topics course. Upper-division psychology courses will be evaluated for transfer credit on a course by course basis.

Major Requirements for the Integrated B.S./M.A.

An integrated program leading to a bachelor of science degree and a master of arts degree in psychology is offered to those undergraduate students who are enrolled in the bachelor of science major offered in the Department of Psychology at UCSD. Qualified students are able to obtain the M.A. degree within one year following receipt of the B.S. degree. Students interested in applying to this program must consult with the B.S./M.A. advisor in the Psychology Student Affairs Office fall quarter of their junior year.

The program is open only to UCSD undergraduates. The Department of Psychology does not have financial aid available for students enrolled in this program.

Major Requirements for the Integrated B.S./M.A.

An integrated program leading to a bachelor of science degree and a master of arts degree in psychology is offered to those undergraduate students who are enrolled in the bachelor of science major offered in the Department of Psychology at UCSD. Qualified students are able to obtain the M.A. degree within one year following receipt of the B.S. degree. Students interested in applying to this program must consult with the B.S./M.A. advisor in the Psychology Student Affairs Office fall quarter of their junior year.

Eligibility and Enrollment

To be eligible, students must have completed the first two quarters of their junior year in residence at UCSD and must have an overall UCSD GPA of at least 3.0 and students’ major GPA should be at least 3.3. It is the responsibility of the prospective student to select a faculty member who would be willing to serve as the student’s advisor and in whose laboratory the student would complete at least twenty-four units of research over a two-year period. Twelve of the twenty-four units of research Psychology (194A-B-C or 196A-B-C) must be completed during the student’s senior undergraduate year and must be taken in addition to the requirements for the bachelor of science degree. The remaining twelve units of research will be taken in their year of graduate study as part of their M.A.

There are two applications:

  1. In fall quarter of the junior year, students apply to the integrated B.S./M.A. track if they fulfill the above requirements.
  2. In the spring quarter of their senior year, students apply to the M.A. program.

Requirements for the M.A.

For an M.A. in psychology, students must pick a concentration in one of six areas: Behavioral, Cognitive, Developmental, Neuroscience and Behavior, Sensation and Perception, and Social.

Students who have been approved (by both the Department of Psychology and UCSD Office of Graduate Studies) for the program must enroll in their graduate year in

This amounts to forty units of graduate work. All courses must be completed with the grade of B+ or better. All course work is to be approved by the advisors (forms available from the Psychology Student Affairs Office). Students are expected to meet the graduate requirements for the M.A. in one year (three consecutive, contiguous, academic quarters, beginning in the fall after graduation). Any deviation from this plan, such as a break in enrollment for one or more quarters, will cause the student to be dropped from the program.

All forms required for the program must be submitted and approved by the Psychology Student Affairs Office, including the Application for Candidacy. Students must pay fees and be officially enrolled at UCSD during the quarter that the master’s degree is to be awarded. The thesis draft should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for review before the final copy is officially submitted.

See the Psychology Student Affairs Office for further details.

The Graduate Program

The Department of Psychology provides broad training in experimental psychology. Increased specialization and the general burgeoning of knowledge make it impossible to provide training in depth in every aspect of experimental psychology, but most aspects are represented in departmental research.

Preparation

Apart from the general university requirements, the department generally expects adequate undergraduate preparation in psychology. A major in the subject, or at least a strong minor, is normally a prerequisite, but applicants with good backgrounds in such fields as biology and mathematics are also acceptable.

Language Requirements

There is no foreign language requirement.

Graduate Curriculum

Students must fulfill all course requirements (stated below) while registered as graduate students in psychology at UCSD. There may occasionally be exceptions granted to this rule. Requests for exception should be in the form of petitions from students and their advisors to the Committee on Graduate Affairs. It is in the best interest of the student if these petitions are forthcoming at the time of admission to the graduate program. In this way, the committee, the students, and their advisors will all be aware of the course requirements before any of them are taken.

Program of Study

Courses are divided into six areas: behavior analysis (including basic and applied), biopsychology (including neuropychology and neurophysiology), cognitive (including attention, language, and perception), developmental (including language acquisition), sensation and perception (including vision and audition), and social (including health and law). The Graduate Affairs Committee provides an approved list of courses from these areas. In the first year of study, each student must fulfill the following four requirements:

  1. Each student must fulfill a quantitative methods requirement, either by taking two quantitative methods courses approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee (currently 201A and 201B), or by showing a satisfactory knowledge of these courses through an examination.
  2. In addition to the quantitative methods requirement, each student is expected to take four proseminars and four approved courses from the list prepared by the Graduate Affairs Committee. All course work must be completed by the end of the third year.

  3. Each first-year graduate student is required to submit a research paper on the research project (Psychology 270ABC). The paper should be comparable in style, length, and quality to papers published in the normal, refereed journals of the student’s research area. (The publication manual of the American Psychological Association, fourth edition, 1995, gives an acceptable format.)

    The research paper will be read and evaluated by the student’s research advisor and by at least two other readers appointed by the graduate advisor.

    The research paper is presented orally at a research meeting held at the end of the spring quarter. Attendance at this meeting is a requirement for the department’s graduate students and faculty. Typically, each student is allowed ten minutes to present the paper, with a five-minute question period following the presentation.

  4. A teaching requirement must be met. (See below.)

    All students are evaluated by the entire faculty at the end of the academic year. The normal minimum standards for allowing a student to continue beyond the first year are:
    1. Satisfactory completion of the first- year research project (including oral presentation)
    2. At least a B+ in the quantitative methods courses
    3. At least a B+ average in the courses which fulfill the area requirements
    4. Having a faculty advisor in the Department of Psychology

Any student whose needs cannot be reasonably met with courses conforming to these guidelines may petition the Graduate Affairs Committee. The petition should contain a specific list of courses and a statement of justification and must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Advancing to Candidacy

In order to advance to Ph.D. candidacy a student must

  1. Complete all first-year requirements
  2. Complete an additional four elective courses from the list prepared by the Graduate Affairs Committee
  3. Complete the qualifying examination for the Ph.D.

The qualifying examination is divided into two sections to be taken separately by all students. Part I of the qualifying exam consists of a paper written by the student that is modeled after those published in Psychological Bulletin or Psychological Review. Ideally, the paper would consist of a detailed review and theoretical synthesis of a coherent body of research. The paper should demonstrate independent and original thinking on the part of the student, and should either take a theoretical stance or recommend experiments designed to resolve theoretical ambiguities (i.e., the paper should not merely review published research).

Students form a qualifying committee in much the same way that they form a dissertation committee. The same rules apply, except that members from outside the department need not be included (although up to two may be). Once the committee is formed, the student should prepare a brief (e.g., three pages) proposal defining the area of research and the theoretical issues that will be addressed in the paper. A proposal meeting is then arranged (usually in spring quarter of the student’s second year), and committee members may at that time recommend changes in the scope of the paper and define their expectations.

The paper does not have a prescribed length, although low-end and high-end limits of thirty and fifty pages, respectively, seem reasonable. An oral defense of the paper is required (and should be completed by the end of the student’s third year).

Part II of the qualifying examination is the defense of the dissertation proposal. This will normally follow Part I of the qualifying examination and will be an oral examination including outside examiners.

Teaching

In order to acquire adequate teaching experience, all student are required to participate in the teaching activities of the department for at least four years (one quarter for the first year and two quarters the second through the fourth year).

Residency

Each student must complete the requirements for qualification for candidacy for the Ph.D. degree by the end of the third year of residence. Any student failing to qualify by this time will be placed on probation. A student who fails to qualify by the end of the spring quarter of the fourth year of residence will automatically be terminated from the department.

No students may allow more than eight calendar years to elapse between starting the graduate program and completing the requirements for the Ph.D. Degree Students will automatically be terminated from the program at the end of the spring quarter of their eighth calendar year in the department.

Research

In each year of graduate study, students enroll in a research practicum (Psychology 270 in the first year; Psychology 296 in subsequent years). Students are assigned to current research projects in the department and recieve the personal supervision of a member of the staff.

Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit Policies

Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of four years. Total university support cannot exceed eight years. Total registered time at UCSD cannot exceed eight years.