PhD in Psychology with Emphasis in Cognition and Neuroscience
The faculty and students in the Cognition and Neuroscience Training Area explore the interactions among mind, brain and behavior from individual and biological levels of analysis. Graduate training provides students with a thorough background in psychology, statistics and scientific methodology, through course work and participation in ongoing research. Students are expected to be actively engaged in faculty-mentored and independent research projects throughout their training.Faculty and students in cognition and neuroscience investigate a variety of topics in human cognition, cognitive neuroscience, learning and memory, and behavioral neuroscience and use human and animal models. Our researchers investigate the structure and function of the nervous system and its impact on behavior in brain imaging, psychophysiology and neuropharmacology experiments. Studies survey human memory, intelligence and sensorimotor function across the lifespan and the impact of physical and psychological disorders on these processes. Animal research examines motivation, learning and the biological basis of human psychopathologies.
Degree Requirements
- 83 total hours of coursework
- Distribution courses from four different content area, including abnormal psychology, biological foundations, cognition and learning, developmental psychology, motivation and personality, and social psychology (12 hours)
- Training area courses (24 hours)
- Statistics (9 hours)
- Ethics and Professional Issues (1 hour)
- Completion of Masters
- Completion of comprehensive examination
- A written doctoral dissertation
- Oral examination on thesis research
Admissions
Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission: the requirements of the PhD in Psychology program and the minimum requirements of the Graduate School. Because requirements vary, you must refer to a degree program’s graduate admission page to learn about specific admission criteria, application deadlines, eligibility and application process. Before official admissions to the University of Missouri, your application materials will be reviewed by both the Graduate School and the degree program to which you’ve applied.