Psychology
Overview
Graduate work within the Department of Psychology emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in psychology, with specialization in the following broad areas: cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, language, learning and memory, perception and cognition, the psychology of inequality, social neuroscience, social psychology, and systems neuroscience. The program is designed to prepare students for attaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and a career of productive scholarship in psychology.
First-year students work closely with a faculty adviser to plan and conduct research, as well as begin their coursework. Second-year students conduct research, prepare a written report of a research project, and prepare a theoretical overview of research in their field. Students sometimes take relevant seminars and courses across departments. The third year begins with the general exam and is then devoted to conducting research and to continuing study in the student’s area of specialization by means of courses, independent reading, and advanced seminars. During the fourth and fifth years, students are expected to dedicate their time to mastering methods and techniques in the relevant area of study, discussing a dissertation proposal with their committee, completing dissertation-related research, and writing the thesis. Students are expected to write up and submit their research for publication on an ongoing basis throughout their graduate career.
The final public oral examination for the doctoral degree is based on the research questions, methods, and results of the dissertation and the relation of its findings to current problems in psychological research.
Applying
Optional: Applicants may submit a statement with their application, briefly describing how their academic interests, background, or life experiences would advance Princeton’s commitment to diversity within the Graduate School and to training individuals in an increasingly diverse society. Please submit a succinct statement of no more than 500 words.
Ph.D.
During the first year of their Ph.D., all students will complete the following courses:
- Proseminar in Basic Problems in Psychology: Cognitive Psychology (PSY 501)
- Proseminar: Social Psychology (PSY 500)
- Foundations of Statistical Methods for Psychological Science (PSY 503)
- Advanced Statistical Methods for Psychological Science (PSY 504)
Also required:
- Responsible Conduct of Research course (PSY 591A/NEU 591A), normally taken during the second year
- Each semester starting in the first year, students will enroll in either a Research Seminar in Cognitive Psychology or Design and Interpretation of Social Psychological Research (PSY 543/PSY 551)
Additional coursework:
- Students are encouraged to enroll in Current Issues in Statistical Methods and Research Practices for Psychological Science (PSY 505), which is offered regularly and offers an opportunity to stay up-to-date on new trends in statistics
In subsequent semesters it is expected that students will enroll in seminars in the psychology department and/or other departments at Princeton as they (and their advisors) see fit. Interdisciplinary courses are encouraged, and students in a joint degree program may have additional course requirements
Colloquia and Seminars
Psychology colloquia are held at regular intervals throughout the year and are attended by faculty, research staff, and graduate students. A series of research seminars are also held throughout the year. At these seminars students in various research areas interchange ideas with one another and with the faculty.
Pre-generals Research Project
Students are required to work with a faculty member on a research project related to their area of interest. Students must prepare a written report on their pre-generals research project prior to the general examination.
Students can take the general examination beginning in the fourth semester of enrollment, and nearly all students complete the general exam by early September of the third year. All students are expected to have successfully completed the general examination by the end of the third year of enrollment. No student will be admitted to a fourth year without completing the general examination. All components of the examination must be passed before a graduate student can advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
A decision as to whether the student has passed the general examination is made by the student’s committee. The basic criterion for passing the examination is the faculty's conviction that the student is prepared to begin work on the doctoral dissertation.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after successfully passing all parts of the general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that the following requirements are met: passing the proseminar, passing coursework in graduate statistics and ethics, successfully completing the pre-generals research project, and passing the general examination.
Teaching experience is an important and meaningful part of graduate education in the Department of Psychology, and students are encouraged to reason about their roles as teachers by engaging with pedagogy-related talks and workshops both in the department and at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. Ph.D. candidates in psychology do not teach during the first year, but every Ph.D. candidate is required to teach a minimum of nine hours during their graduate career, which usually corresponds to three semesters of teaching. Students may teach more over their graduate careers if they do not have a fellowship or advisor funding to cover their tuition and stipend Each semester of teaching provides support towards the student’s tuition and stipend.
The Ph.D. is awarded after the candidate’s doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the final public oral examination sustained.
Faculty
Chair
- Kenneth A. Norman
- Elizabeth L. Paluck (acting)
Associate Chair
- Adele E. Goldberg
Director of Graduate Studies
- Casey Lew-Williams
Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Michael S. Graziano
Professor
- Jonathan D. Cohen
- Joel Cooper
- Nathaniel D. Daw
- Susan T. Fiske
- Asif A. Ghazanfar
- Adele E. Goldberg
- Elizabeth Gould
- Michael S. Graziano
- Tom Griffiths
- Uri Hasson
- Sabine Kastner
- Casey Lew-Williams
- Tania Lombrozo
- Yael Niv
- Kenneth A. Norman
- Kristina R. Olson
- Elizabeth L. Paluck
- Jonathan W. Pillow
- Deborah A. Prentice
- Eldar Shafir
- J. Nicole Shelton
- Stacey A. Sinclair
- Susan L. Sugarman
- Elke U. Weber
- Ilana B. Witten
Associate Professor
- Alin I. Coman
- Emily Pronin
- Diana I. Tamir
- Jordan A. Taylor
Assistant Professor
- Timothy J. Buschman
- Rebecca M. Carey
Associated Faculty
- Jesse Gomez, Princeton Neuroscience Inst
- Elizabeth H. Margulis, Music
Senior Lecturer
- Justin A. Junge
Lecturer
- Rebecca G. Boswell
- Andreea M. DiLorenzo
- Robin P. Gomila
- Heather Jennings
- Shahar B. Shirtz
- Shirley S. Wang
Visiting Associate Professor
- Megan Spokas
Visiting Lecturer
- Mark Glat
Courses
Permanent Courses
Courses listed below are graduate-level courses that have been approved by the program’s faculty as well as the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School as permanent course offerings. Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are undergraduate courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students.