Additional documention concerning the requirements of the program:
Experimental
Division Regulations
Psychology
Department Guidelines
REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DOCTORATE
In addition to the program's course and research requirements, the requirements for the doctorate include the general exam (usually taken during the third year) and the disseration.
General Exam. The open-book exam, typically consisting of 8-10 questions (each answered in 8 double-spaced pages), is to be completed over a two week period chosen by the advisor and student. Approximately half of the exam addresses knowledge expected of any student in his or her track. The remaining questions are geared towards the student's individual interests. Five faculty members must contribute questions and participate in grading the exam. It is graded on a 4-point scale (4 is excellent; 2 is passing). Even with an overall average of 2.0, a student may have to redo a failed question or repeat a section that the graders consider weak. Both the program's six-course requirement and the breadth requirement must be fulfilled prior to or during the semester in which the exam is taken.
Dissertation proposal. After passing the General exam, the student begins his or her dissertation research. The first step in this process is the dissertation proposal. The proposal is a short (12 page maximum) document that must be approved the Advisory Committee (the student's major and associate advisors) and a Reviewing Committee (two graduate faculty members outside the Language and Cognition program). An oral defense of the proposal is also required. The defense involves a 30-40 minute presentation of the project and questions directed at ensuring a manageable project that will lead to interpretable results. The Advisory Committee may require revisions to address concerns that arose during the presentation. Final approval must precede the Ph.D. defense by 6 months.
Dissertation defense. Upon completion of the doctoral research, the student submits his or her dissertation to the graduate school. The Advisory Committee must approve the written document. In addition, the student must pass a doctoral defense that is evaluated by an Examining Committee that includes at least five members of the graduate faculty (including the advisory committee and at least one faculty member outside of the Language and Cognition program).
Master's degree. Students can earn a Master's degree in the course of earning a doctorate. The requirements are described in the "Policies and rules for graduate study in psychology" brochure.
Click here to download a document listing the program's rules and regulations.