AREAS
OF FOCUS
REQUIREMENTS
BCAN
FACULTY & RESEARCH LABORATORIES
FUNDING
MORE
INFORMATION
BCAN
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Copyright
© American University, 1996-2008. All rights reserved.
Maintained by Lefteris Hazapis psychology@american.edu
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REQUIREMENTS for the Ph.D. in Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience (72 Credits
Total)
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| A. Core Courses (18 Credits) |
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Each student must take a minimum of six content courses that provide a foundation
in the area of behavior, cognition, and neuroscience. Below
are the current core courses in our
focus areas for students interested in
pursuing a traditional regimen in one of these areas. Students
wishing to combine two or more of the areas or to formulate their individualized
focus area may take any six of these courses in consultation with their advisors.
Note that other courses (either at AU or any of the consortium universities such
as Georgetown, George Washington, University of Maryland) may be substituted for
one or more of these core courses with the approval of the academic advisor. |
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BEHAVIOR
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COGNITION |
NEUROSCIENCE |
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History and Systems of
Psychology (PSYC-502) |
History and
Systems of Psychology (PSYC-502) |
History and
Systems of Psychology (PSYC-502) |
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Conditioning and Learning (PSYC-530) |
Conditioning
and Learning (PSYC-530) |
Physiological
Psychology (PSYC-501) |
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Advanced Memory and Cognition (PSYC-575) |
Advanced
Memory and Cognition (PSYC-575) |
Neuropharmacology
(PSYC-513) |
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Physiological Psychology (PSYC-501) |
Neuropharmacology
(PSYC-513) |
Advanced Human
Neuropsychology (PSYC-518) |
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Neuropharmacology (PSYC-513) |
Advanced Human
Neuropsychology (PSYC-518) |
Human Neuroanatomy
& Basic Neurology (PSYC-597) |
| Projected
Behavioral Seminars/Courses (PSYC 597) - Contingencies
of Reinforcement and Single Subject Designs
- Behavioral
Economics and Choice
- Stimulus Control
& Incentive Motivation\
- Applied
Behavior Analysis
- Evolution & Behavior
or Evolution of Evolution
- Addiction:
Human & Animal Models of Drug Abuse
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Artificial
Intelligence (CSC-568) |
Introduction
to Neurobiology (BIO-505) |
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Principles of Linguistics (TESL-500) |
Developmental
Biology (BIO-550) |
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Language Acquisition (TESL-522) |
Molecular Biology
(BIO-583) |
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Second Language Acquisition (TESL-523) |
Principles of
Pharmacology (CHEM-670) | |
Artificial Neural
Networks (CSC-589) |
Principles of
Toxicology (CHEM-671) | |
B. Statistics (6 Credits)
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Each
student must take a minimum of two courses in statistics (STAT-515 through STAT-524).
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C. Specialized Seminars (6
Credits)
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Each student must take a minimum of two specialized
seminars (PSYC-598, which can be repeated for credit). The topics of the seminars
will vary from semester to semester but will focus on issues in behavior, cognition,
and neuroscience. Some examples include
courses on “Emerging Plagues”, “Neuropsychological Aspects of Psychiatric Disorders”,
“Intensity Coding in Sensory and Perceptual Systems”, “Bilingualism”, and “Music
Cognition.”
Note that seminars offered in other departments at AU or consortium universities
may be substituted with the approval of the academic advisor.
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D. Laboratory Research (24
Credits) |
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Each student is expected to participate in research every semester, whether he/she
receives academic credit for it or not. In
addition, a minimum of 24 credits must be earned through such research participation
for the degree. Note that credits
from Masters Thesis Seminar, Doctoral
Dissertation Seminar, and laboratory rotations (if done for credit) can be used
to fulfill this requirement. | |
E.
Electives (12 Credits)
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Each student must take a minimum of four elective courses. These courses can be
additional content or laboratory-based courses within the department.
They can also be taken in other departments at AU as well as at consortium
universities if approved by the academic advisor. |
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F. PSYC-796 Master's Thesis
Seminar (3 Credits) |
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G. PSYC-798 Doctoral Dissertation
Seminar (3 Credits)
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H. Additional Requirements: | |
1. Two (2) Lab Rotations |
| In addition to being active
in one’s primary laboratory, each student must engage in research in a minimum
of two other laboratories. These
laboratory rotations may be done in any core BCAN faculty’s laboratory, other
AU laboratories, or any research affiliation approved by the academic advisor
(e.g., Armed Forces Radiation Research Institute, Georgetown University, National
Institutes of Health, Walter Reed.) Students
may elect to sign up for research credit for participating in these rotations.
Note that a contract between the student and the host laboratory director,
which specifies the activities and goals of the rotation, is necessary before
beginning each rotation. |
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2. Two (2) Tools of Research |
| Each student must complete
two tools (See the General Information Section of the Graduate Student Handbook
for details). The tools are expected to be completed in an area relevant
to the student’s research focus. |
| 3. Four
(4) Comprehensive Examinations | |
Each student must complete
four comprehensive examinations: 1)
General Written Comprehensive Examination (Details specified in the General Information
Section of the Graduate
Student Handbook).
2)
Written Area Specialty Comp: Prerequisite:
Masters degree and successful completion of Written Comprehensive Exam 1. Deadline:
At least one semester before the dissertation defense. Suggested time is before
the approval of the dissertation proposal. A
student, with the help of his/her advisor, will choose a topic to fully specialize
in and form a committee of at least 4 faculty members (including the advisor),
at least two of whom are full time psychology faculty at American University.
This committee may or may not later comprise the dissertation committee. A broad-based
research and reading list on this topic will be compiled by the student with input
from every member of the committee. The student will then be given a personalized
written examination on this topic prepared and scored by the committee members.
The format of the examination is up to each advisor and the committee members.
The advisor may also require an oral examination by the committee. If the student
is not successful, he/she will be allowed up to 2 more attempts. The topic and
committee members may remain the same or may change at every attempt. 3) and 4) Two other comprehensive examinations,
one of which must be an oral presentation (please see "other" comprehensive
section under clinical psychology requirements). |
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4. Master's Thesis |
| MA
requirements for students in the BCAN program 33
credits, including
3 credits of Masters Thesis Seminar
3 credits of Directed
Research or Thesis Research
3 credits of Statistics (STAT 515 through 524)
24 credits of graduate electives, which must be approved by the student's advisor Students
must also pass the general written comprehensive examination and complete a masters
thesis. Note that if any
BCAN student applies for a terminal masters degree and wants to switch over to
the non-thesis option, the above no longer applies since an approved (i.e., successfully
defended) thesis is part of the requirements in this setting.
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5. Doctoral Dissertation
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