Overview of the program:
The Ph.D. Program in Biopsychology is strongly research-oriented. Graduate students typically enter our program to work with a specific mentor or mentors, and then engage in a course of study focused on either behavioral neuroscience, or the evolution of behavior. In the first year, students take foundational classes and initiate a research project in collaboration with their faculty mentors. During the second year, they continue their research and present the results of their preliminary project to the area. To progress to candidacy, students complete a preliminary examination, typically at the end of their second year. Graduate students in our program are further supported by their mentoring network, including an initial advisory committee at the start of graduate school, and later the dissertation committee after progressing to candidacy. Students are encouraged to engage in relevant training experiences outside their home lab and/or cross-cutting both behavioral neuroscience and evolutionary approaches. This includes collaborative work with secondary mentors in Psychology, or across other units and departments associated with our area.
