psychology phd columbia university

The Department of Psychology offers courses in the science of psychology, experimental psychology, the brain and behavior, cognition, decision making, drugs and behavior, personality development, social cognition, evolution and behavior, psychopathology, consciousness, cognitive neuroscience, relationships, statistics for behavioral scientists, perception, animal behavior, abnormal behavior, child development. The department also offers seminars and individualized research.

For questions about specific courses, contact the department.

Psychology Certificate

Students interested in preparing for graduate school in psychology should consider the certificate program.

Departmental Advisor for Students in the Postbaccalaureate Studies Certificate Program:  Prof. Patricia Lindemann, 354A Schermerhorn Extension 212-854-8285 pgl2 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (pgl2[at]columbia[dot]edu) Office Hours: By appointment

Guide to Course Numbers

Course numbers reflect the structure of the psychology curriculum. The 1000 level contains introductions to psychology, introductory laboratory courses, and statistics. The 2000 level contains lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychology; most require PSYC W1001 or W1010 as a prerequisite. The 3000 level contains more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses, most of which are given in a seminar format and require instructor permission. The 3900s are the courses providing research opportunities for undergraduates. The 4000 level contains advanced seminars suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Subcategories within the 2000, 3000, and 4000 levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate psychology majors and students completing the Certification of Professional Achievement in Psychology: (1) perception and cognition (2200s, 3200s, and 4200s), (2) psychobiology and neuroscience (2400s, 3400s, and 4400s), and (3) social, personality, and abnormal (2600s, 3600s, and 4600s).

Current psychology department course listings

Requirements for Admission to Graduate Programs in Psychology

Students interested in applying for graduate programs in psychology, including those in clinical psychology, should complete a variety of undergraduate courses, including the Science of Psychology (Psychology W1001), a laboratory course in experimental psychology (Psychology W1420, W1440, W1460, W1480, or W1490), and a course in statistics (Psychology W1610 or Statistics W1001, W1111, or W1211).

Students should also take a variety of more advanced undergraduate courses and seminars, and participate in supervised research (Psychology W3950). Students interested in clinical psychology should obtain experience working in a community service program, in addition to supervised research experience.

More information on applying to graduate school

THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY PSYC1001W001 3 pts

Prerequisites: BLOCKED CLASS. EVERYONE MUST JOIN WAITLIST TO BE ADMITTED Broad survey of psychological science including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, intelligence, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and illness, and social behavior. Discusses relations between the brain, behavior, and experience. Emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results. PSYC UN1001 serves as a prerequisite for further psychology courses and should be completed by the sophomore year.

Course Number

Times/location, section/call number, the science of psychology psyc1001w002 3 pts, the science of psychology psyc1001w003 3 pts, introduction to psychology psyc1001x001 3 pts.

This course is a prerequisite for the Psychology Major, as well as for most other Barnard PSYC courses (be sure to check all course information before enrolling in a course).

The following Columbia University courses are considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: UN1001 The Science of Psychology; and UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations/Applications.

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY PSYC1001X002 3 pts

Introduction to psychology psyc1001x003 3 pts, introduction to psychology psyc1001x004 3 pts, intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x001 3 pts.

Corequisites: PSYC BC1001, or its equivalent, must be completed prior to or concurrently with BC1010. This lab course is intended for students who have not previously been enrolled in a psychology lab course; and a majority of seats are reserved for First Year and Sophomore students. A laboratory-based introduction to experimental methods used in psychological research. Upon successful completion of this course, students will know how to review the primary literature and formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment, analyze data using statistical methods, communicate the results of a scientific study through oral presentation and written manuscript, and carry out research studies under ethical guidelines. Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge in all disciplines of Psychology and will be prepared to engage in advance research in fields including, but not limited to, Cognition, Learning, Perception, Behavioral Neuroscience, Development, Personality, and Social Psychology. 

INTRO LAB EXPERIMENTAL PSYCH PSYC1010X002 3 pts

Intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x003 3 pts, intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x004 3 pts, intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x005 3 pts, intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x006 3 pts, intro lab experimental psych psyc1010x007 3 pts, behavioral research methods and analysis psyc1020x001 3 pts.

This course is a prerequisite for all 2000-level PSYC lab courses, and a requirement for the Psychology Major. PSYC BC1001, or its equivalent, must be completed prior to or concurrently with this course. This class will introduce students to the fundamental scientific principles, experimental methods, and analytical approaches involved in the study of human behavior. The initial major topics to be covered include how basic scientific approach can be gainfully and ethically used to study human behavior. The following topics in the course will cover the most prevalent manners of collecting data in behavioral research and the most common types of statistical analyses and tests such data is subjected to. The latter topics in the course will introduce some of the more advanced experimental designs and statistical approaches that are more specific to the social sciences.

BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH METHODS AND ANALYSIS PSYC1020X002 3 pts

Science and scientists psyc1099x001 1 pts.

Weekly meetings with researchers from Barnard, Columbia, and other guests to discuss the nature of scientific inquiry in psychology; and intellectual, professional, and personal issues in the work of scientists.

STATISTICS LECTURE AND RECITATION PSYC1101X001 4 pts

Prerequisite (or co-requisite): PSYC BC1001. Lecture course and associated recitation section introducing students to statistics and its applications to psychological research. The course covers basic theory, conceptual underpinnings, and common statistics. The following Columbia University courses are considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: STAT UN1001 Introduction to Statistical Reasoning; STAT UN1101 Introduction to Statistics; STAT UN1201 Introduction to Statistics.

STATISTICS LECTURE AND RECITATION PSYC1101X002 4 pts

Research methods - human behavior psyc1420w001 4 pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and a statistics course (PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1421 Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data.

RESEARCH METHODS-HUM BEHAV LAB PSYC1421W001 0 pts

Corequisites:  PSYC UN1420

RESEARCH METHODS-HUM BEHAV LAB PSYC1421W002 0 pts

Research methods - social cognition & emotion psyc1450w001 4 pts.

An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports. 

RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION & EMOTION - LAB PSYC1451W001 0 pts

Research methods - social cognition & emotion - lab psyc1451w002 0 pts, research methods - social cognition & emotion - lab psyc1451w003 0 pts, statistcs-behaviorl scientists psyc1610w001 4 pts, statistcs-behav scientists-lab psyc1611w001 0 pts, statistcs-behav scientists-lab psyc1611w002 0 pts, statistcs-behav scientists-lab psyc1611w003 0 pts, psych of learning - lab psyc2106x001 3 pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001, BC1020, BC1101. Corequisite: PSYC BC2107 Psychology of Learning Lecture. Students conduct experiments analyzing learning and memory in rats and humans. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN1440 Experimental Psychology: Learning and Motivation (which includes PSYC UN1441 Learning and Motivation Lab).

PSYCH OF LEARNING - LAB PSYC2106X002 3 pts

Psychology of learning - lec psyc2107x001 3 pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001 Introduction to Psychology or COGS UN1001 Introduction to Cognitive Science or permission of the instructor. Lecture course covering the basic methods, results, and theory in the study of how experience affects behavior. The roles of early exposure, habitation, sensitization, conditioning, imitation, and memory in the acquisition and performance of behavior are studied.

The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN1440 Experimental: Learning and Motivation.

PERCEPTION - LAB PSYC2109X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001, BC1020, BC1101. Corequisites: BC2110 Perception Lecture. Laboratory course to accompany BC2110. Students conduct experiments of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling, and learn to report their findings. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN1480 Perception and Attention (which includes PSYC UN1481 Perception and Attention Lab); and UN2230  Perception and Sensory Processes.

PERCEPTION-LECTURE PSYC2110X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001 Introduction to Psychology or COGS UN1001 Introduction to Cognitive Science or permission of the instructor. Lecture course covering an introduction to problems, methods, and research in perception. Discussion of psychological studies of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling. Note that this lecture can be taken without its affiliated lab, PSYC BC2109, however, if a student completes this lecture, she cannot enroll in the lab in a later semester. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN1480 Perception and Attention; and PSYC UN2230 Perception and Sensory Processes.

PSYCH OF PERSONALITY - LAB PSYC2124X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001, BC1020, BC1101. Corequisites: PSYC BC2125 Psychology of Personality Lecture. Laboratory consists of experiments related to the principal approaches to personality and their implications for personality development, psychological adjustment, and everyday behavior. Students will participate in all stages of personality research: conceptualizing a personality construct, designing and administering tests, identifying individual differences, and carrying out a study.

PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONALITY-LEC PSYC2125X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. Lecture course covering the principal approaches to personality and their implications for personality development, psychological adjustment, and everyday behavior. Note that this lecture can be taken without its affiliated lab, PSYC BC2124, however, if a student completes this lecture, she cannot enroll in the lab in a later semester. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN2610 Introduction to Personality; and PSYC UN2680 Social and Personality Development.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCH - LAB PSYC2128X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001, BC1020, BC1101. Corequisites: PSYC BC2129 Developmental Psychology Lecture. Laboratory course involving experiments related to cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, motor, social, affective, and personality development from infancy to adolescence. The course offers an opportunity for direct observation of children; major areas of research at each level of development are covered.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCH - LAB PSYC2128X002 3 pts

Developmental psychology-lec psyc2129x001 3 pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001 Introduction to Psychology or COGS UN1001 Introduction to Cognitive Science or permission of the instructor. Lecture course covering cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, motor, social, affective, and personality development from infancy to adolescence. Note that this lecture can be taken without its affiliated lab, PSYC BC2128, however, if a student completes this lecture, she cannot enroll in the lab in a later semester. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN2280 Introduction to Developmental Psychology. 

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY - LAB PSYC2137X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: BC1001, BC1020, BC1101. Corequisites: BC2138 Social Psychology Lecture. Laboratory course covering contemporary theory and research on social thought and behavior. Issues such as person perception, attitudes, attraction, aggression, stereotyping, group dynamics, and social exchange will be explored. The application of theory and research to addressing social problems will be discussed.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY-LEC PSYC2138X001 4 pts

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. Lecture course covering contemporary theory and research on social thought and behavior. Issues such as person perception, attitudes, attraction, aggression, stereotyping, group dynamics, and social exchange will be explored. The application of theory and research to addressing social problems will be discussed. Note that this lecture can be taken without its affiliated lab, PSYC BC2137, however, if a student completes this lecture, she cannot enroll in the lab in a later semester. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN2630 Social Psychology.

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY PSYC2141X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: BC1001. An introduction to the study of abnormal behavior and various psychological disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders. The course broadly reviews scientific and cultural perspectives on abnormal behavior with an emphasis on clinical descriptions and diagnosis, etiology, treatment, and research methods. The following Columbia University course is considered overlapping and a student cannot receive credit for both the BC course and the equivalent CU course: PSYC UN2620 Abnormal Behavior.

PSYCHOLOGY OF DRUG USE & ABUSE PSYC2177X001 3 pts

Prerequisites: BC1001 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 75 students. Examines the biological, psychological, and social factors that lead to drug use and abuse. A biopsychosocial model will be used to examine the behavioral effects of prescription, over the counter, and street drugs. Treatments, therapies, and theories of addictive behaviors will be explored.

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY PSYC2178X001 3 pts

Every day there are thousands of individuals interacting with the legal system. Are they mentally competent to stand trial? How can a judge decide if it is in the best interests of a child to live with one, or both (or neither) parent(s)? What is the risk of a violent offender repating the offense? What kinds of information influence juries? Does mediation work to solve disputes? Forensic psychologists apply their knowledge of psychology specifically in legal matters. This semester will focus on the broad area of forensic psychology, exploring important legal cases relevant to forensic psychology, police psychology, what constitutes expert testimony, how assessments are conducted, and working as a psychologist in the correctional system.

COGNITION: MEMORY AND STRESS PSYC2220W001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructors permission. Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition.

Developmental Psychology PSYC2280W001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent. Introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on psychobiological processes underlying perceptual, cognitive, and emotional development.

COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE PSYC2430W001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory course in Psychology This course provides an in-depth survey of data and models of a wide variety of human cognitive functions. Drawing on behavioral, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging research, the course explores the neural mechanisms underlying complex cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and decision making. Importantly, the course examines the logic and assumptions that permit us to interpret brain activity in psychological terms.

Social Neuroscience PSYC2435W001 3 pts

This course will provide a broad overview of the field of social neuroscience. We will consider how social processes are implemented at the neural level, but also how neural mechanisms help give rise to social phenomena and cultural experiences. Many believe that the large expansion of the human brain evolved due to the complex demands of dealing with social others—competing or cooperating with them, deceiving or empathizing with them, understanding or misjudging them. What kind of “social brain” has this evolutionary past left us with? In this course, we will review core principles, theories, and methods guiding social neuroscience, as well as research examining the brain basis of processes such as theory of mind, emotion, stereotyping, social group identity, empathy, judging faces and bodies, morality, decision-making, the impact of culture and development, among others. Overall, this course will introduce students to the field of social neuroscience and its multi-level approach to understanding the brain in its social context. 

DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR PSYC2460W001 3 pts

Introduction to personality psyc2610w001 3 pts, abnormal behavior psyc2620w001 3 pts, social psychology psyc2630w001 3 pts, political psychology psyc3156x001 4 pts, the social self psyc3165x001 4 pts.

Review of the classic and contemporary empirical research pertaining to the self, with an emphasis on the self as a socially-based construct. Focus on the social basis of identity, self-concept, and self-regulation.

ANXIETY, OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, AND RELAT PSYC3362X001 4 pts

Language development psyc3369x001 4 pts.

Prerequisites: PSYC BC1001 and one of the following: PSYC W2240, PSYC BC1129, or LING UN1101. Enrollment limited to 15 students. Examines the acquisition of a first language by children, from babbling and first words to complex sentence structure and wider communicative competence. Signed and spoken languages, cross-linguistic variation and universalities, language genesis and change, and acquisition by atypical populations will be discussed.

PSYCH OF STEREOTYPING/PREJUDIC PSYC3379X001 4 pts

Canine cognition psyc3390x001 4 pts, metacognition psyc3394x001 4 pts, sem in clinical psych: psychotic disorders and bipolar disorders psyc3406x001 4 pts.

This seminar will focus on the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and bipolar disorders.  Topics include historical perspectives, diagnoses and symptoms, neural changes associated with the disorders, and research on effective treatments.  Emphasis will be places on the impact of serious mental illness on families and communities as well as cultural differences in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.

Evolution of Intelligence, Animal Communication, & Language PSYC3450W001 3 pts

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001, and the instructors permission.

A systematic review of the evolution language covering the theory of evolution, conditioning theory, animal communication, ape language experiments, infant cognition, preverbal antecedents of language and contemporary theories of language.  

Neurobiology of Working Memory PSYC3455W001 4 pts

Working memory is our ability to retain information in mind in the absence of sensory stimuli. In this course we will gain a more thorough understanding of what working memory is and how the brain supports it.

Music and Cognitive Neuroscience PSYC3461W001 3 pts

This seminar will provide a broad survey of how principles of cognition are represented in music and the ways music has been used to study those principles in the psychology and neuroscience literature.

Field Work & Research Seminar: Toddler Center PSYC3465X001 4 pts

PSYC BC1129/2129 (with or without lab) as well as permission of the instructor.

The Barnard Toddler Center provides the focus for this seminar and research in applied developmental psychology, an amalgam of developmental, educational, and clinical psychology. The seminar integrates theory and research and for AY 20-21 will use daily recordings of the toddler sessions as the centerpiece for understanding early development. The unique context of Covid19 will be used to understand risks in development, especially for vulnerable children and families. Second term students will also conduct research on parenting during the pandemic.

Gene-Environment Interactions & Epigenetics PSYC3495W001 4 pts

The aim of this course is to examine the biological bases of individual differences in behavior. We will start by examining how individual differences in behavior and health are shaped by gene-environment interactions. We will complement these studies with the endophenotype approach and discuss its role in our contemporary views of complex disorders. We will then introduce behavioral epigenetics studies that are suggested to mediate the effects of gene-environment interactions at different levels of analysis. We will continue by discussing how these topics shape and are shaped by developmental programming. We will end the semester by discussing the major debates around these topics as well as their implications in real life and public policies. By covering these topics, students are expected to gain a better understanding of how our behavior is i) formed and shaped by gene-environment interactions over time, ii) influenced by the underlying physiological and epigenetic mechanisms, and iii) changed by developmental processes. With this information, the students are expected to view individual differences in behavior in a perspective that is highly interdisciplinary and dynamic.

INDEPENDENT STUDY PSYC3606X001 4 pts

Independent study psyc3606x002 4 pts.

This course can be worth 1 to 4 credits (each credit is equivalent to approximately three hours of work per week), and requires a Barnard faculty as a mentor. The course will be taken for a letter grade, regardless of whether the student chooses 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. The expectations for each of these options are as follows: 1 credit, 3h/week commitment, 5-10 page "Research Report" at the end of the term; 2 credits, 6h/week commitment, 5-10 page "Research Report" at the end of the term; 3 credits, 9h/week commitment, 15-20 page "Research Report" at the end of the term; 4 credits, 12h/week commitment, 15-20 page "Research Report" at the end of the term. "Research Report" is a document submitted to the person grading the student, the instructor of record for the section in which the student has enrolled. If a student is working off-site, then input from the off-site research mentor will inform the grading. The "Research Report" can take a variety of forms: progress reports on data collected, training received, papers read, skills learned, etc.; or organized notes for lab notebooks, lab meetings, etc.; or manuscript-like papers with Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion; or some combination thereof, depending on the maturity of the project.  Ultimately, this will take different forms for different students/labs.  

INDEPENDENT STUDY PSYC3606X004 4 pts

Independent study psyc3606x005 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x006 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x007 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x009 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x010 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x011 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x012 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x013 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x015 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x016 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x017 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x018 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x019 4 pts, independent study psyc3606x022 4 pts, children at risk psyc3615w001 4 pts, senior research thesis psyc3617x001 1 pts.

Discussions of the student's Independent Research project during the fall and spring terms that culminate in a written and oral senior thesis. Each project must be supervised by a scientist working at Barnard or at another local institution. 

SEM-DEVELOPMNTL PSYCHOPATHOLGY PSYC3620W001 4 pts

Topics in clinical psychology psyc3623w001 4 pts.

Prerequisites: (PSYC UN1001) Instructor permission required. A seminar for advanced undergraduate students exploring different areas of clinical psychology. This course will provide you with a broad overview of the endeavors of clinical psychology, as well as discussion of its current social context, goals, and limitations.

TOPICS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY PSYC3623W002 4 pts

Adolescent mental health: causes, correlates, consequences psyc3624w001 4 pts, science of well-being & human potential psyc3820w001 4 pts.

What does it mean to reach your full potential? Can science inform how you can live  your own  best life? The main mission of this seminar is to provide an up-to-date understanding of theoretical, empirical, and applied advances in the science of well-being and human potential. Consideration will be given to conflicting viewpoints and their respective empirical support. The course is grounded in the core principles of humanistic psychology, and will cover essential human needs, including security, growth, mindfulness, connection, self-esteem, love, creativity, character, resiliency, purpose, flow, gratitude, awe, and other forms of transcendence. We will also cover the latest science of human performance, including the development of intelligence, talent, and creativity. Throughout this seminar you will engage in experiential learning and practical exercises to further help you nurture what’s best within you— and become a  whole person — which will inform our theoretical and empirical understanding of the latest scientific findings. My hope is that in addition to enhancing your appreciation of how the scientific method can increase your understanding of human potential more generally, the exercises and readings in this course will also help you in your own personal journey to realize your greatest strengths and become more fully human— accepting and becoming flexible with the totality of who you are, so that you can become the person you most want to become.

Psychology and the Internet PSYC3830W001 4 pts

Increasingly, human behavior takes place online. In this course, we will approach the intersection of psychology and the internet from two perspectives: the tools we use and the questions we ask. Each week of the course will focus on a different subset of psychology research about the internet. The first half of the course will focus on new tools to probe classic psychological phenomena, and the second half of the course will focus on new research questions native to online environments.  This is a discussion seminar for advanced undergraduates. Instructional methods include readings, in-person discussions, personal reflections, and two projects. The emphasis will be on psychology literature and psychological principles, but students from related disciplines, including neuroscience, computer science, data science, and information science, among others, are welcome in the course.

Psychology/Neuroscience Senior Thesis Advanced Research Seminar PSYC3930W001 3 pts

The seminar component of the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program. Students admitted to the research program should plan to take this seminar in the spring of their junior year and in the fall and spring semesters of their senior year. Students are expected to be working in a lab as part of their participation in this program. In addition to supporting students throughout their independent research project, this seminar will introduce students to some of the big questions in the field through its connection with the Psychology Department Colloquium and will train students in reading and evaluating scientific research and communicating their own research findings. 

SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PSYC3950W001 4 pts

1-4 points. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920. No more than 8 points ofPSYC UN3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.

SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PSYC3950W002 4 pts

Supervised individual research psyc3950w003 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w004 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w005 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w006 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w007 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w008 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w009 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w010 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w011 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w012 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w013 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w014 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w015 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w016 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w017 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w018 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w019 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w020 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w021 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w022 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w023 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w024 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w025 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w026 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w027 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w028 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w029 4 pts, supervised individual research psyc3950w030 4 pts, theories of change in human development psyc4202w001 4 pts.

What are the agents of developmental change in human childhood? How has the scientific community graduated from nature versus nurture, to nature and nurture? This course offers students an in-depth analysis of the fundamental theories in the study of cognitive and social development.

Mentalizing: How we read people PSYC4241W001 4 pts

Success in a social world requires understanding other people’s thoughts and feelings, a process typically referred to as mentalizing . Yet, other people’s mental states are not directly observable: you cannot see a thought or touch a feeling. Nonetheless, humans are quite proficient in inferring these invisible states of mind. How do we accomplish these mentalizing feats? In this course, we will answer this question from multiple angles, relying heavily on neuroscience and psychology research. The seminar will discuss recent and classic studies that reveal how humans effectively interpret the people around them, as well as when and why they make mistakes. 

Mentalizing: How we read people PSYC4241W002 4 pts

Language and mind psyc4244w001 4 pts, psych & neuropsych of language psyc4470g001 4 pts, neural plasticity psyc4482w001 4 pts.

This seminar provides an overview of the mechanisms and behaviors associated with neural plasticity. Students will obtain a basic working knowledge of the different types of neural plasticity, and how these affect cognition and behaviors.

The Parental Brain PSYC4491G001 4 pts

This course will provide an overview of the field of parental and social biology, with an emphasis on changes in the adult rodent brain surrounding childbirth and caretaking behavior. We will explore how the experience of parenthood prepares the brain for survival of offspring. We will also discuss the dynamic between caregivers and parents in order to provide the structure necessary to rear young. This course will illustrate the fortitude of molecular, behavioral and circuit level investigations in concert to unveil mechanisms of social learning.

BEHAVIORAL EPIGENETICS PSYC4498G001 4 pts

Psychology of religion psyc4625w001 4 pts.

Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on research methods and/or statistics, and permission of the instructor. Review of theories and empirical research related to religious cognition and behavior. Topics include the foundations of religious belief and practice, people's concepts of religious ideas, and the lack of religious belief/identity (e.g., atheism), among others.

CULTR,MOTIVATN,PROSOCIAL BEHAV PSYC4645G001 4 pts

Faqs about life:appl of psyc rsch to eve psyc4682w001 4 pts, machine intelligence psyc4836g001 4 pts.

This seminar will survey historical and modern developments in machine intelligence from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, and from approaches such as cybernetics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, connectionism, neural networks, and deep learning. The emphasis is on the conceptual understanding of topics. The course does not include, nor require a background in, computer programming and statistics. The overall goal is for students to become informed consumers of applications of artificial intelligence.

PSYCHOPHYSIOLGCL METH/ANALYSIS PSYC6050G001 4 pts

Human brain imaging for cognitive neuroscience: data acquisition, analysis, and sharing psyc6060g001 4 pts.

This course provides an introduction to the most widely used methods for measuring and analyzing human brain activity and their application in cognitive neuroscience, complemented by weekly hands-on interactive labs to deepen understanding, experience measurements, and explore analyses.

PRACTICUM IN TEACHING OF PSYCH PSYC6200G001 3 pts

Practical and theoretical issues relating to the teaching of psychology and the psychology of teaching.

SUPERVISED TEACHING ASSISTANCE PSYC6500G001 3 pts

Supervised individual research psyc6600g001 4 pts, research seminar in psychology psyc9998g001 0 pts.

Monday seminars are open to the public and take place in Schermerhorn Hall on alternate Mondays in room 200B Schermerhorn from 12:10-1:30pm. The seminar series semester schedule can be found here . 

DEPARTMENTAL COLLOQUIUM PSYC9999G001 0 pts

• Prospective
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• Transfer Students
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Departmental Office: 406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-3608 https://psychology.columbia.edu/

Directors of Undergraduate Studies:

Psychology Major and Concentration : Prof. Patricia Lindemann, 358E Schermerhorn Extension;  [email protected]  (Students with last names beginning A-J) Prof. Katherine Fox-Glassman, 314 Schermerhorn;  [email protected]  (Students with last names beginning K-S) Prof. Chris Baldassano, 370 Schermerhorn Extension;  cab2304 @columbia.edu  (Students with last names beginning T-Z)

Neuroscience and Behavior Major :

Psychology : Prof. Alfredo Spagna, 315 Schermerhorn; [email protected] (Students with last names beginning A-Z) Biology (CC) : Prof. Stuart Firestein, [email protected] Biology (GS) : Prof. Deborah Mowshowitz, 744 Mudd; [email protected]

Director of Instruction and Academic Affairs :

Prof. Caroline Marvin, 317 Schermerhorn;  [email protected]

Directors of Senior Thesis Research Intensive: Prof. Lila Davachi, 402 Schermerhorn; [email protected]

Prof. Nim Tottenham, 419E Schermerhorn; [email protected]

Preclinical Adviser: Prof. E'mett McCaskill, 415O Milbank; [email protected]

Administrative Manager: Joanna Borchert-Kopczuk, 406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-3940; [email protected]

Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant:  406 Schermerhorn; 212-854-8859; [email protected]

The  Department of Psychology  offers students a comprehensive curriculum in psychological science, including research methods, cognition, neuroscience, developmental, social, and clinical areas. The curriculum prepares majors for graduate education in these fields and also provides a relevant background for social work, education, medicine, law, and business. Psychology course offerings are designed to meet the varying needs and interests of students, from those wishing to explore a few topics in psychology or to fulfill the science requirement, to those interested in majoring in Psychology or in Neuroscience and Behavior .

Program Goals

The department's program goals start with the development of a solid knowledge base in psychological science. Consistent with the value psychology places on empirical evidence, courses at every level of the curriculum nurture the development of skills in research methods, quantitative literacy, and critical thinking, and foster respect for the ethical values that undergird the science of psychology.

Most of these program goals are introduced in  PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY , the recommended first psychology course required for all majors that satisfies the prerequisite for most 2000 -level courses. These goals are extended and reinforced in our statistics ( 1600 -level) and research methods ( 1400- level) research methods courses, as well as in the 2000 -level lecture courses and 3000 - and 4000 -level seminars. Each of the 2000 -level lecture courses enables students to study systematically, and in greater depth, one of the content areas introduced in PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY . These lecture courses are the principal means by which psychology majors satisfy the distribution requirements, ensuring not only depth but also breadth of coverage across three central areas of psychology: (1) perception and cognition, courses in the 2200s, (2) psychobiology and neuroscience, courses in the 2400s, and (3) social, personality, and abnormal psychology, courses in the 2600s. To complete the major, students take one or more advanced seminars and are encouraged to participate in supervised research courses, where they have the opportunity to explore research questions in depth and further develop their written and oral communication skills.

Research Participation

All qualified students are welcome to apply to join a research lab and contribute to ongoing projects. Students may volunteer to work in a lab, register for supervised individual research ( PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research), or participate in the department’s Senior Thesis Advanced Research (STAR) Program . Information on faculty research is available on the departmental website. Students are advised to read about research laboratories on faculty lab sites and visit the professor’s office hours to discuss opportunities. At the beginning of the fall term, the department also hosts a Lab-Preview event for students to learn about research opportunities for the upcoming semester.

Program Planning

Majors and concentrators in psychology and majors in neuroscience and behavior should begin planning a program of study as early as possible. All necessary forms and information are available in Program Planning Tips . All majors and concentrators in Psychology and majors in Neuroscience and Behavior should complete a Major Requirement Checklist  before consulting a program adviser to discuss program plans. At minimum, all students must submit a Major Requirement Checklist  prior to the start of their final semester, so that graduation eligibility can be certified.  Once the MRC is submitted, the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant and the DUS's will review your curriculum plans and advise if changes need to be made.

The Department of Psychology offers a variety of advising resources to provide prospective and current undergraduate majors and concentrators with the information and support needed to successfully plan their programs. An overview of these resources is provided on the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Resources website .

Students are encouraged to consult with Peer, Faculty, and Program Advisers as they plan their course of study in Psychology or Neuroscience and Behavior. Faculty and Peer Advisers are important contacts for general advice on class choices, research opportunities, and post-graduation plans. For definitive answers to questions regarding major requirements and other aspects of your degree, including transfer credit, current and prospective majors should consult their Program Adviser (Director of Undergraduate Studies) or the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant in the departmental office. Program Adviser assignments and contact information are provided on the departmental website. For additional information about program, faculty, peer, and pre-clinical advising, please see the Psychology Undergraduate Advising Resources website .

Email Communication

The department maintains an e-mail distribution list with the UNIs of all declared majors and concentrators. Students are held responsible for information sent to their Columbia e-mail addresses. Students should read these messages from the department regularly and carefully. They are intended to keep students informed about deadlines, requirements, events, and opportunities. Prospective majors or concentrators who would like to be added to the e-mail distribution list should contact the Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant in the departmental office.

Guide to Course Numbers

Course numbers reflect the structure of the Psychology curriculum:

• The 1000 -level comprises introductions to psychology, introductory research methods courses, and statistics. PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  is an introductory course with no prerequisites, which can  serve as the prerequisite for most of the 2000 -level courses.  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications is an alternative version of PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY and fulfills the same requirements.  The  1400 s contain the research methods laboratory courses, and the  1600 s contain statistics courses; these two course types are designed to prepare students to be able to understand, critique, and conduct the types of research found in many psychology and neuroscience labs.
• The 2000 -level comprises lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychology; most require PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  as a prerequisite.
• The 3000 -level comprises more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses; most are given in a seminar format and require instructor permission.
• The 3900 s are the courses providing research opportunities for undergraduates.
• The 4000 -level comprises advanced seminars suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students,  and require instructor permission . 

Subcategories within the 2000 -, 3000 -, and 4000 -levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate Psychology majors:

• Perception and cognition ( 2200 s, 3200 s, and 4200 s),
• Psychobiology and neuroscience ( 2400 s, 3400 s, and 4400 s), and
• Social, personality, and abnormal psychology ( 2600 s, 3600 s, and 4600 s).

Additionally, we designate Integrative and Applied courses using x800s (e.g., GU4880) and Advanced Topics in Psychology Research using the x900s (e.g., UN1910, UN1920, UN1930, UN1990, GU4930)

Note that Barnard psychology courses do not follow the same numbering scheme.

Senior Thesis Advanced Research

Starting in Fall 2021, we restructured the Honors program to become the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research (STAR) program. This change is intended to expand the number of Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavior students we can accept into this rigorous training program. (Note that this change goes into effect for all new applicants; policies for students that have already been enrolled in ‘Honors’ will remain as they were prior to this change.)

Students with strong interests in psychological/neuroscientific research are encouraged to apply for admission to the Psychology Department's Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program in the fall of their junior year or the equivalent, such that they will be able to participate in the three consecutive semesters (spring - fall - spring) that are required in the program. 

Important: Students will need to confirm that a professor has agreed to mentor them before being admitted into the program. Therefore, interested applicants should reach out to potential mentors to find a lab placement before applying. Tip: The best way to ensure finding a mentor is to get involved in that mentor’s research before asking if they can provide mentoring/supervision on your thesis. Please read through all the information below  before  submitting your application.

Students interested in engaging in a Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis: 

The series includes: 

• Enrolling in a 3-semester Senior Thesis Advanced Research series, which includes a weekly seminar and research commitment, that must occur consecutively in your Junior year spring semester and Senior year (fall & spring), or equivalent [NOTE: this research course includes performing intensive, independent research with a lab mentor, writing a final thesis, and giving an oral presentation of the thesis at the end of the 3rd semester]
• Enrolling in a one-semester methods course (PSYC UN1920, UN1420/21, UN1450/51, UN1455/56, UN1490/91) in any semester during undergrad (i.e., before or during the series). Students are strongly encouraged to complete this methods training during or before the spring of their junior year (or equivalent).

Students interested   in engaging in a Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis and aspiring to be eligible for Academic Honors in Psychology or Neuroscience and Behavior: 

All students aspiring to graduate with Academic Honors must enroll in the series described above. However, acceptance to and participation in this program does not automatically result in earning academic honors (see requirements for academic honors below).

Note the students majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior may earn academic honors through the Department of Biological Sciences instead. (Please check their website for more details on that process.)

Honors Requirements: 

The Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program is open to students majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience & Behavior and includes the following: 

Senior Thesis Advanced Research Seminar ( UN3930 ): This is a two-hour, 1-4 credit course that meets biweekly, during which students present and discuss their ongoing research. Students in the course also attend the  Psychology Department's Colloquium Series , which features researchers from outside the Department speaking on a variety of topics in Psychology/Neuroscience. The seminar and colloquia always take place on Wednesdays from 4:10 - 6:00 p.m. Students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program enroll in this course during the spring of their junior year and during the fall and spring of their senior years, or the equivalent.

Senior Thesis Research: Starting in the spring of their junior year and continuing through senior year, all students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program conduct research under the supervision of a Psychology Department faculty member or a faculty member/principal investigator in a psychology- or neuroscience-focused lab outside the department, including at Barnard College, the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia Business School, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and other research institutions in the area.

Research Methods Course: To fulfill this requirement, students should complete a methods course (PSYC UN1920 The How-To's of Research; PSYC UN1420/21 Research Methods: Human Behavior; PSYC UN1450/51 Research Methods: Social Cognition & Emotion; PSYC UN1455/56 Research Methods: Social & Personality Psychology; PSYC UN1490/91 Research Methods: Cognition & Decision-making).

Senior Thesis: Students in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program complete an original research project under the supervision of their faculty advisor. Senior students present their research orally at the last colloquium of the Spring term, and also submit a written senior thesis.

Eligibility for Academic Honors:  Students participating in the Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research program are also eligible to receive academic honors when they graduate, provided they 1) complete all components of the program, 2) earn a GPA in the major of 3.6 or higher at the time of graduation, and 3) are recommended by the Psychology department faculty. Please note that academic honors can be awarded to no more than 10% of the graduating class each year, so while only students who have participated in this senior thesis research intensive are eligible to receive academic honors, not everyone in the Senior Thesis Advanced Research program will receive academic honors. 

How to Apply: 

The application is due in mid fall, and decisions are communicated in time for admitted students to register to begin Psych/Neuro Senior Thesis Advanced Research-related classes in the spring. 

The application process comprises the following steps: 

• Identifying a lab sponsor: If you think you might be interested in applying, you should start reaching out to labs that you’re interested in well in advance of the application deadline to see if they might have openings for research assistants and if they’d be willing to mentor you in your research. Keep in mind that mentoring a student is a significant commitment on the part of a professor, and so it may be difficult to identify a professor who can provide mentorship. Successful applicants typically demonstrate how their own research interests fall in line with those of their proposed sponsor and attest that their faculty member/PI has agreed to sponsor them. Once you have secured a position in a lab, you and your mentor will need to fill out the  mentor agreement form .   
• Complete the online application: The application will be made available on our psychology department website , and comprises a few relatively short questions asking students to describe their previous coursework and research-related experiences and to write about their intended research interests.  

Requirements for Admission to Graduate Programs in Psychology

Most graduate programs in psychology, including those in clinical psychology, require:

Students should also take a variety of more advanced undergraduate courses and seminars. Students interested in PhD programs in any area of psychology are strongly encouraged to participate in a research lab and may wish to enroll in PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research. Students are also encouraged to apply for the Senior Thesis Advanced Research program  in the early fall of their junior year. 

Students interested in clinical psychology should obtain experience working in a community service program in addition to supervised individual research experience. Students should consult the department's pre-clinical adviser, Prof. E'mett McCaskill , and attend the department's pre-clinical advising events for more information. Additional resources to help prepare students for graduate study in psychology, and for careers in clinical psychology, are available on the Department of Psychology’s website . Students may also sign-up for the preclinical advising listserv  to receive emails about events and relevant information.  

Online Information

The Department of Psychology  website  provides access to a wide variety of information for majors and prospective majors. Among other useful resources, students will find syllabi posted for most lecture and lab courses and for many advanced seminars. Students should read the on-line course syllabi prior to registering for psychology courses. For assistance in finding all necessary resources, students should contact the undergraduate curriculum assistant ( [email protected] ).

Science Requirement

PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY ,  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications ,  PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered), and any PSYC course in the 2200 - or 2400 -level may be used to fulfill the science requirement.

2600 -level and some other psychology courses, including  PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY  and other Barnard psychology courses, may not be used to fulfill the science requirement.

All  3- and 4-point courses numbered in th e 32 xx, 34xx, 42xx, and 44xx can  partially fulfill the science requirement .  With prior departmental approval, some additional courses may also be used to partially fulfill the science requirement.  For more detailed information regarding psychology courses that may be applied toward the science requirement, see the Core Curriculum section in this bulletin.

With prior departmental approval, 3- and 4-point courses numbered in the 32xx, 34xx, 42xx, and 44xx, and some additional courses, may partially fulfill the science requirement. For more detailed information regarding psychology courses that may be applied toward the science requirement, see  Core Requirements  in the General Studies bulletin.

Evening and Columbia Summer Courses

The department normally offers at least one lab course in the late afternoon with evening labs. A number of other courses are occasionally offered in late afternoon and evening hours. No more than one quarter of the courses required for the major are normally available in the evening. Working students may find early morning (8:40 a.m.) classes, as well as Summer Session offerings, helpful in completing degree requirements.

Any course offered by the Psychology Department during the Summer Session is applicable toward the same major requirement(s) as the corresponding course of that same number offered during the academic year. For instance, PSYC S1001D The Science of Psychology  meets the same major requirements as does PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY .

See Academic Regulations—Study Outside Columbia College  in this Bulletin for additional information.

See Summer Courses for policies governing Summer Session courses.

• Niall Bolger
• Lila Davachi
• Geraldine Downey
• William Fifer (Psychiatry, Pediatrics)
• Norma Graham
• Tory Higgins
• Donald C. Hood
• Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
• Janet Metcalfe
• Kevin Ochsner (Chair)
• Rae Silver (Barnard)
• Daphna Shohamy
• Herbert Terrace
• Nim Tottenham
• Sarah M.N. Woolley 

Associate Professors

• Jon Freeman
• Valerie Purdie-Greenaway
• Randy Auerbach (Psychiatry)

Assistant Professors ​

• Christopher Baldassano 
• Larisa Heiphetz Bianca Marlin
• Sarah Canetta (Psychiatry)
• Yunglin Gazes (Neurology)

Lecturers in Discipline

• Katherine Fox-Glassman
• Patricia Lindemann
• Caroline Marvin
• Alfredo Spagna

Adjunct Faculty

• Usha Barahmand
• Jennifer Blaze
• Jeffrey Cohen
• Irit Felsen
• David Friedman
• Hannah Hoch
• Nora Isacoff
• Trenton Jerde
• Svetlana Komissarouk
• E'mett McCaskill
• Michele Miozzo
• Michael Naft
• Jenna Reinen
• Svetlana Rosis
• Ayanna Sorett

Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors

Double majors/concentrations.

All students attempting to complete double majors, double concentrations, or a combination of a major and a concentration should consult the college rules for double counting of courses . 

Overlapping Courses

Students cannot receive credit for two courses—one completed at Columbia and one at another institution (including Barnard)—if those courses have largely overlapping content. For example,   PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  is similar in content to introductory psychology courses offered at many other institutions, including Barnard; only one such course will receive credit. Similarly,  PSYC UN2630 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY  and  PSYC BC1138 Social Psychology  have overlapping content; only one will receive credit. Please refer to the table of Overlapping Courses  for a partial list of courses at Columbia and Barnard that are known to overlap.

Grade Requirements for the Major

A grade of C- or higher must be earned and revealed on the transcript in any Columbia or Barnard course, including the first, that is used to satisfy the major requirements. The grade of P is not accepted for credit towards the Psychology major , Psychology concentration , or Neuroscience and Behavior major . Courses taken on a Pass/D/Fail basis may not be used to satisfy the major or concentration requirements unless the grade of P is uncovered by the Registrar's deadline. Students may petition to have their P/D/F grades uncovered after the registrar's deadline for the following three courses only:  PSYC UN1001 Science of Psychology, PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain, & Behavior (no longer offered), and PSYC UN1610 Introductory Statistics for Behavioral Scientists. Courses taken for a P grade may not be used to satisfy the major or concentration requirements, except for P grades earned in the Spring 2020 semester.

Major Requirement Checklist 

Prior to the start of their final semester, all seniors must submit a Major Requirement Checklist showing all major courses they have taken and those they plan to take. The Psychology department evaluates each checklist to determine whether or not the course plan completes the major requirements and then notifies the student accordingly. If the student's course plan changes, or if it does not satisfy the major requirements, a revised checklist must be submitted. Departmental approval of an accurate and up-to-date checklist will help ensure completion of all major requirements on time for graduation. 

Major in Psychology

Please read Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors above.

The Psychology Major requirements changed in 2020. Students entering an undergraduate degree program at Columbia in Fall 2020 or later must complete the new major requirements. Students who entered Columbia prior to Fall 2020 may choose to complete either the new major requirements or the old ones.

New Major Requirements (for students entering Columbia Fall 2020 or later) 

Students must complete 11 courses in Psychology or an approved cognate discipline. To count toward the major, a course must be taken for 3 or more points. At least 6 of the 11 courses must be in the Columbia Psychology Department.

These 11 courses must include:

• Introductory Psychology Course
• One Statistics course
• One Research Methods course
• One Group I Course
• One Group II Course
• One Group III Course
• One course meeting the Seminar requirement
• One course meeting the integrative/applied Special Elective requirement
• Enough PSYC electives to complete 11 courses

Each course may fulfill only one of these major requirements. See below for details on each of these requirements.

Old Major Requirements (for students entering Columbia prior to Fall 2020) 

Students must complete 30 or more points to complete the Psychology Major. Those 30 points must include:

• Enough PSYC electives to complete 30 points

 See below for details on each of these requirements. Note that no course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the major requirements. 

The Introductory Psychology Course

• PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

A Statistics Course

Select one of the following:

• PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS
• PSYC UN1660 Advanced Statistical Inference
• STAT UN1001 INTRO TO STATISTICAL REASONING
• STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS  (formerly STAT W1111 )
• STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS  (formerly STAT W1211 )

A Research Methods Course

• PSYC UN1420 RESEARCH METHODS - HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION
• PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY
• PSYC UN1490 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION MAKING

Majors are strongly advised to complete the statistics and research methods requirements, in that order, by the fall term of their junior year. Students are advised to verify the specific prerequisites for research methods courses, most of which require prior completion of a statistics course.

Distribution Requirement

One course (3 points or more) must be taken from each of the following three groups (in addition to the introductory, statistics, and research methods courses described above):

Group I—Perception and cognition: courses numbered in the 2200s, 3200s, or 4200s.  

Group II—Psychobiology and neuroscience: courses numbered in the 2400s, 3400s, or 4400s. Also PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered).

Group III—Social, personality, and abnormal: courses numbered in the 2600s, 3600s, or 4600s .   

As of Fall 2019, Research Methods courses no longer fulfill any of the Group distribution requirements.   

Seminar Requirement

In addition, students must complete one course meeting the Seminar requirement. A seminar course must be taken for 3 or more points.

All courses offered through the Columbia Psychology Department and numbered in the 3200s, 3400s, 3600s, 4200s, 4400s, and 4600s count toward the seminar requirement. Not all Barnard courses taught in a seminar format fulfill this requirement—see Barnard Courses, below, for more information.

Seminars are usually taken in the junior and senior year as a culmination of the major program , but any students who have met the prerequisites and gain the instructor’s permission to join the course may enroll . Enrollment in all seminar courses requires the instructor's permission; students are advised to contact instructors at least one month prior to registration to request seminar admission. Note that honors, senior thesis research intensive, and supervised individual research courses ( PSYC UN3910 HONORS SEMINAR ,  PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH , PSYC UN3930 Senior Thesis Advanced Research Seminar, and PSYC UN3950 Supervised Individual Research) will not meet the seminar requirement.

For those completing the new major requirements, no course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the above major requirements: separate courses must be taken to fulfill the seminar requirement and each distribution group.

Special Elective (for the New Major requirements)

For students entering Columbia in Fall 2020 or later, one course must be taken to fulfill the integrative/applied Special Elective.

The Special Elective encompasses a wide range of courses: those that cut across and connect different sub-disciplines within psychology; those that integrate psychology with other disciplines; those that apply psychology to real-world problems; those that dig deeper into advanced statistics and methods topics; and those that offer hands-on experience with psychology research.

The following courses are pre-approved to count toward the Special Elective requirement. If you would like to count a course that does not appear on this list, please contact your  Program Advisor   prior to enrolling.

• PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH or PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH (taken for 3 or 4 points) or PSYC UN3930 Senior Thesis Research Intensive Seminar
• PSYC UN1910 Research Ethics in Psychology  
• PSYC UN1930 Behavioral Data Science  
• PSYC UN1990 Global Behavioral Science  
• PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture)
• PSYC GU4612 Frontiers of Justice
• PSYC GU4930 Fundamentals of Human Brain Imaging: from theory to practice
• STAT UN2102 Applied Statistical Computing
• STAT GU4243 APPLIED DATA SCIENCE
• PSYC BC1088 THE SCIENCE OF LIVING WELL
• PSYC BC2175 Addictive Behaviors (overlaps with PSYC 2460 Drugs & Behavior)
• PSYC BC3155 Psychology and Law
• PSYC BC3465 Field Work ＆ Research Seminar: Toddler Center
• PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER
• PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM
• PHIL V2400 Psychology and Philosophy of Human Experience
• NSBV BC3387 TOPICS IN NEUROETHICS

Additional psychology courses ("electives") must be taken for a total of 30 points (or 11 courses for the new major requirements). 

Once a student has met the specific requirements of the major, any other psychology or approved cognate courses they take to complete the 30-point (or, for students entering Columbia in Fall 2020 or later, the 11-course) minimum constitute electives.

As described below, these may include a limited number of research courses, transfer courses, and Barnard psychology courses not approved for specific requirements.

No course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the above major requirements.

Research Credits

No more than 4 points of  PSYC UN3950  Supervised Individual Research or PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH  may be taken in any one term, and no more than 8 points total of research and field work courses ( PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH , PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER , PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM , PSYC BC3592 Senior Research Seminar and PSYC BC3599 Individual Projects ) may be applied toward the major. See below for further restrictions on applying Barnard courses toward the psychology major. Under the new 11-course major, research courses must be taken for 3 or 4 points in order to count toward the major; a maximum of 2 such courses may be applied towards the major. (See below for further restrictions on applying Barnard courses toward the psychology major).

Barnard Courses

For students completing the 30-point major: No more than 9 credits in Barnard courses (or a combination of transfer and Barnard credits)  may be applied toward the major.

For students completing the 11-course major: A maximum of 5 courses counted toward the major may be from outside Columbia ("outside Columbia" includes both Barnard and transfer courses).

The table of approved Barnard psychology courses  indicates which courses have been approved for specific requirements of the psychology major. Courses not on the approved list may only be applied toward a specific requirement with prior written approval from one of the directors of undergraduate studies . Psychology courses not on the approved list for a specific requirement may be applied as elective credit toward the 30 points for the major (or towards the 11 courses needed for the new major requirements).

As of Fall 2019, Barnard Lab courses do not count towards the Research Methods requirement of the Psychology Major or Concentration.

Non-Psychology Courses

For students completing the 11-course major: Some courses offered outside of Psychology departments can count toward major requirements (e.g., courses taken in the Statistics Department; cognate courses offered through Philosophy, Business, Law, etc.). A maximum of 2 such non-PSYC courses may be applied toward the major. Courses offered in the Barnard Psychology or Neuroscience departments do not count toward this limit.

Transfer Credits

For students completing the 30-point major: No more than 9 transfer credits (or a combination of transfer and Barnard credits) will be accepted toward the psychology major.

For students completing the 11-course major: No more than 3 transfer courses can be applied toward the psychology major. Any transfer courses thus applied count toward the limit of 5 courses from outside Columbia.

Approval of transfer credits on a student’s Entrance Credit Report toward general requirements for the B.A. degree does not grant approval of these credits toward the psychology major. Students must apply for written approval of transfer credit towards the major by submitting the  Major Requirement Substitution Form . This form, along with additional information about transfer credits can be found on the Transfer Credit page of our website . To be approved for the major, a course taken at another institution should be substantially similar to one offered by the department, the grade received must be a B- or better, and the course must have been taken within the past 8 years. As noted above, if two courses overlap in content, only one will be applied towards the major. With the exception of approved Barnard courses, students should consult with one of the directors of undergraduate studies before registering for psychology courses offered outside the department.

Students who have completed an introductory psychology course at another institution prior to declaring a psychology major should submit a Major Requirement Substitution Form to verify whether or not this course meets departmental standards for major transfer credit. If transfer credit toward the major is not approved, the student must enroll in PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  or  PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY to complete this major requirement.

AP Psychology Transfer Credit

As of Fall 2019, the Psychology Department will accept a score of 5 on the AP Psychology exam, or a score of 7 on the Higher Level IB Psychology exam, to meet the Science of Psychology requirement. The AP/IB Psychology exam does not count as a course or toward a student’s points total for their program; students placing out of the Science of Psychology requirement in this way will need to take an additional course to fulfill the required number of courses or points for their program.

The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) statistics scores do not satisfy the statistics requirement.  Students who have completed AP statistics may opt to take a more advanced statistics course to fulfill this requirement with the approval of one of the directors of undergraduate studies .

Major in Neuroscience and Behavior

Please read  Guidelines for all Psychology Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors  above.

The department cosponsors an interdepartmental major in neuroscience and behavior with the Department of Biological Sciences. For assistance in planning the psychology portion of the neuroscience and behavior major, refer to the Program Planning Tips website and use the appropriate major requirement checklist .

No course may be counted twice in fulfillment of the biology or psychology requirements described below. Many graduate programs in neuroscience also require one year of calculus, one year of physics, and chemistry through organic.

Required Courses

In addition to one year of college general chemistry, eleven courses are required to complete the major—six from the Department of Biological Sciences and five from the Department of Psychology. For the definitive list of biology requirements, see the Department of Biological Sciences website .

*NOTE: For students entering in Fall 2024 or later, two biology elective courses will be required. For students entering prior to Fall 2024, one biology elective course will be required. 

Required Chemistry Courses

One year of college chemistry is required prior to taking Introductory Biology.

Required Biology Courses

• BIOL UN2005 INTRO BIO I: BIOCHEM,GEN,MOLEC
• BIOL UN2006 INTRO BIO II:CELL BIO,DEV/PHYS
• BIOL UN3004 NEUROBIO I:CELLULAR ＆ MOLECULR
• BIOL UN3005 NEUROBIO II: DEVPT ＆ SYSTEMS
• Two additional 3000 - or 4000 -level biology course from a  list approved by the biology adviser  to the program. *NOTE: For students entering in Fall 2024 or later, two biology elective courses will be required. For students entering prior to Fall 2024, one biology elective course will be required.*
• BIOL UN3006 PHYSIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3019 Brain Evolution
• BIOL UN3022 DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3025 NEUROGENETICS
• BIOL UN3031 GENETICS
• BIOL UN3799 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER
• BIOL UN3041 CELL BIOLOGY
• BIOL UN3073 CELLULAR/MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
• BIOL UN3193 STEM CELL BIOL ＆ APPLICATIONS
• BIOC UN3300 BIOCHEMISTRY
• BIOL UN3404 The Global Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance
• BIOL GU4034 BIOTECHNOLOGY
• BIOL GU4035 SEMINAR IN EPIGENETICS
• BIOL GU4075 BIOLOGY AT PHYSICAL EXTREMES
• BIOL GU4080 ANCIENT AND MODERN RNA WORLDS
• BIOL GU4082 Theoretical Foundations and Applications of Biophysical Methods
• BIOL GU4260 PROTEOMICS LABORATORY
• BIOL GU4290 BIOLOGICAL MICROSCOPY
• BIOL GU4300 DRUGS AND DISEASE
• BIOL GU4305  Seminar in Biotechnology
• BIOC GU4323 Biophysical Chemistry I
• BIOC GU4324 Biophysical Chemistry II
• BCHM GU4501 BIOCHEM I-STRUCTURE/METABOLISM
• BIOC GU4512 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
• BIOL GU4510 Genomics of Gene Regulation
• BIOL GU4560 EVOL IN THE AGE OF GENOMICS  

Required Psychology Courses  

• PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  
• PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE or PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE  or  PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
• Students who have previously taken PSYC UN1010 Mind, Brain and Behavior  (no longer offered) may use that course to fulfill this requirement.  

    3. One statistics or research methods course from the following:

• ​ PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY
• STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS  (formerly  STAT W1111)
• STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS  (formerly  STAT W1211)
• Please note, STAT UN1001 does not count towards the Neuroscience & Behavior major.  

    4. One additional 2000 - or 3000 -level psychology lecture course from a list* approved by the psychology adviser   to the program: 

• PSYC S2210Q Cognition: Basic Processes
• PSYC UN2215 Cognition and the Brain  or  PSYC S2215D Cognition and the Brain
• PSYC UN2220 COGNITION: MEMORY AND STRESS
• PSYC W2225 Attention and Perception
• PSYC W2230 Perception and Sensory Processes
• PSYC UN2235 THINKING AND DECISION MAKING  or  PSYC S2235Q Thinking and Decision Making
• PSYC UN2250 Evolution of Cognition
• PSYC UN2280 Developmental Psychology
• PSYC UN2420 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC UN2440 Language and the Brain
• PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE  or  PSYC S2450Q Behavioral Neuroscience
• PSYC UN2460 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR
• PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology
• PSYC UN2480 The Developing Brain
• PSYC UN2481 Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
• PSYC S2490D Evolutionary Psychology
• PSYC UN2620 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR  or  PSYC S2620Q Abnormal Behavior
• PSYC UN2690 Frontiers of Justice * Please make careful note of this list, as courses not listed here will not count towards the P4 requirement.  

    5. One advanced psychology seminar from a list approved by the psychology adviser  to the program:​​

• PSYC W3265 Auditory Perception (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3270 COMPUT APPROACHES-HUMAN VISION
• PSYC UN3280 Seminar In Infant Development  or  PSYC S3280D Seminar in Infant Development
• PSYC S3285D The Psychology of Disaster Preparedness
• PSYC UN3290 Self: A Cognitive Exploration (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4202 Theories of Change in Human Development
• PSYC GU4222 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4223 MEMORY ＆ EXEC FUNCT:LIFESPAN
• PSYC GU4224 Consciousness and Cognitive Science
• PSYC GU4225 CONSCIOUSNESS ＆ ATTENTION
• PSYC GU4229 ATTENTION AND PERCEPTION (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4232 Production and Perception of Language
• PSYC GU4235 SPECIAL TOPICS IN VISION
• PSYC GU4236 Machine Intelligence
• PSYC GU4239 COG NEURO NARRATIVE FILM
• PSYC GU4242 Evolution of Language (seminar)
• PSYC GU4244 LANGUAGE AND MIND
• PSYC GU4250 Evolution of Intelligence, Cognition, and Language (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4265 AUDITORY PERCEPTION
• PSYC GU4270 COGNITIVE PROCESSES
• PSYC G4272 Advanced Seminar in Language Development
• PSYC GU4280 CORE KNOWLEDGE
• PSYC GU4281 The Psychology of Curiosity
• PSYC GU4282 The Neurobiology and Psychology of Play
• PSYC G4285 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Human Decision Making (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4287 DECISION ARCHITECTURE
• PSYC GU4289 THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:PSYCH OF STRAT DEC
• PSYC S3410Q Seminar in Emotion
• PSYC W3435 Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3445 THE BRAIN AND MEMORY
• PSYC UN3450 Evolution of Intelligence, Animal Communication, ＆ Language /  PSYC G4450 The Evolution of Intelligence & Consciousness (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3481 CRITICAL PERIODS IN BRAIN
• PSYC W3484 Life Span Development: Theory and Methods
• PSYC UN3496 NEUROSCIENCE AND SOCIETY  or  PSYC S3496Q Neuroscience and Society
• PSYC W4415 Methods and Issues in Cognitive Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4420 Animal Cognition (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4430 Learning and the Brain (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4435 NON-MNEMONIC FUNC OF MEMORY SYSTEMS
• PSYC GU4440 TOPICS-NEUROBIOLOGY ＆ BEHAVIOR  or  PSYC S4440Q Topics in Neurobiology and Behavior
• PSYC G4460 Cognitive Neuroscience and the Media (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4470 PSYCH ＆ NEUROPSYCH OF LANGUAGE
• PSYC GU4480 PSYCHOBIOLOGY OF INFANT DEVPT
• PSYC GU4482 Neural Plasticity
• PSYC G4485 Affective Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4486 Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4490 Inheritance (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4491 The Parental Brain
• PSYC G4492 Psychobiology of Stress
• PSYC GU4493 Stress and the Brain
• PSYC G4495 Ethics, Genetics, and the Brain
• PSYC GU4496 Behavioral Neuroimmunology
• PSYC GU4498 BEHAVIORAL EPIGENETICS
• PSYC S3610D The Psychology of Stereotyping & Prejudice
• PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture) (Seminar)
• PSYC UN3620 SEM-DEVELOPMNTL PSYCHOPATHOLGY
• PSYC UN3623 TOPICS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
• PSYC UN3624 Adolescent Mental Health: Causes, Correlates, Consequences
• PSYC UN3625 CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC S3625D Clinical Neuropsychology Seminar
• PSYC UN3655 Field Experimentation Methods for Social Psychology
• PSYC UN3661 Happiness Studies Seminar
• PSYC UN3671 Motivation Science
• PSYC UN3680 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE /  PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC UN3691 Interpersonal Cognition Seminar: Close Relationships, Identity, and Memory
• PSYC UN3693 Stress in an Interpersonal Context
• PSYC GU4615 PSYCH OF CULTURE & DIVERS
• PSYC GU4627 Seminar in Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders
• PSYC GU4630 ADV SEM CURRENT PERS THRY
• PSYC GU4635 The Unconscious Mind (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4645 CULTR,MOTIVATN,PROSOCIAL BEHAV
• PSYC GU4646 Socio-Ecological Psychology
• PSYC GU4670 THRY-SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCH
• PSYC GU4672 MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
• PSYC GU4673 Political Psychology
• PSYC GU4682 FAQS ABOUT LIFE:APPL OF PSYC RSCH TO EVE
• PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
• PSYC GU4686 Barriers and Levers for Behavior Change
• PSYC GU4690 SOCIAL FACTORS ＆ PSYCHOPATHLGY
• PSYC GU4695 Psychology of Close Relationships (Seminar)
• PSYC GU4880 In Service of Equity: Examining Developmental Science through the Lens of Policy

Note:   Students wishing to use a seminar course not listed above to meet the P5 seminar requirement must contact their psychology adviser before enrolling to request permission for an exception. Generally speaking, permission for such exceptions is only granted when there is a compelling case related to the student’s research or area of study. Students requesting permission to use a course not on this list must ensure that their substantive coursework in the seminar (generally their final paper) is on a neuroscience-focused topic.  

Transfer Credit for Psychology Courses Taken Elsewhere  

Students should consult a psychology adviser before registering for psychology courses offered outside the department. With the adviser's approval, one, and only one, course from another institution, including Barnard, may be applied toward the psychology portion of the Neuroscience and Behavior major. Students who wish to obtain credit for a course taken at Barnard or at another institution should complete the Major Requirement Substitution Form . To be approved for the major, the course should be substantially similar to one offered by this department and approved for this major, and the grade received must be a C- or better if from Barnard, or B- or better if from another institution.  As of  Fall 2019, the Psychology department accepts a score of 5 on the AP Psychology exam, or a score of 7 on the Higher Level IB Psychology exam, to meet  the PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY requirement. The AP/IB Psychology exam does not count as a course or toward a student’s points total for their program; students placing out of the Science of Psychology requirement in this way will need to take an additional course -- approved by the Psychology adviser --  to fulfill the required number of courses for their program.

Exceptions to Biology Requirements  

Any exceptions must be approved in advance by a biology adviser and students must receive an email notification of that approval. Students may substitute Barnard College courses only with prior permission from a Biology Department adviser.

Concentration in Psychology

The Psychology Concentration requirements changed in 2020. Students entering an undergraduate degree program at Columbia in Fall 2020 or later must complete the new concentration requirements. Students who entered Columbia prior to Fall 2020 may choose to complete either the new concentration requirements or the old ones.  

New Concentration Requirements (for students entering Columbia Fall 2020 or later) 

Students must complete 7 courses in Psychology or an approved cognate discipline. To count toward the concentration, a course must be taken for 3 or more points. The following requirements must be met: 

1. PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or  PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications

2. A Statistics or Research Methods course ( PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS , STAT UN1001 INTRO TO STATISTICAL REASONING , STAT UN1101 INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS , STAT UN1201 CALC-BASED INTRO TO STATISTICS , or a Research Methods course in the PSYC 14xx's)

3. E ither  3 courses in one group,  or  1 course in each of the 3 groups: Group I - Cognition & Perception; Group II - Psychobiology & Neuroscience; Group III - Social, Personality, & Abnormal

4. Additional elective courses in psychology to complete the 7-course requirement   

Restrictions on research credits, Barnard credits, non-psychology courses, and transfer credits are modified from those of the psychology major as follows:

• No more than 2 transfer courses from other institutions can be applied toward the concentration.
• No more than 3 total courses from outside Columbia (Barnard and/or transfer) can be applied to the concentration.
• A maximum of 1 non-PSYC course can count toward concentration requirements (e.g., courses taken in the Statistics Department; cognate courses offered through Philosophy, Business, Law, etc.).
• No more than 1 semester of   PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH or other supervised research course (taken for 3 or 4 points) can count towards the concentration. 

Except as noted above, other regulations outlined in the  Psychology Major section  regarding grades, transfer credits, and overlapping courses also apply toward the Psychology Concentration  

Old Concentration Requirements (for students entering Columbia prior to Fall 2020)

A concentration in psychology requires a minimum of 18 points, including PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY  or PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications  and courses in at least two of the three groups listed under “Distribution Requirement” for the psychology major.

Restrictions on research credits, Barnard credits, and transfer credits are modified from those of the psychology major as follows:

• Only 4 points total may be applied toward the concentration from research or field-work courses, including:  PSYC UN3950  Supervised Individual Research, PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH   PSYC BC3466 FIELD WORK ＆ RESEARCH SEMINAR: TODDLER CENTER , PSYC BC3473 CLINICAL FIELD PRACTICUM , PSYC BC3592 Senior Research Seminar , and PSYC BC3599 Individual Projects ;
• Only 5 points from Barnard (including PSYC BC1001 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY ) may be applied toward the concentration.
• Only 5 points total (including any Barnard points) from approved psychology courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the concentration.

Except as noted above, other regulations outlined in the  Psychology Major section  regarding grades, transfer credits, and overlapping courses also apply toward the Psychology Concentration

PSYC UN1001 THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two class periods is mandatory.

Prerequisites: BLOCKED CLASS. EVERYONE MUST JOIN WAITLIST TO BE ADMITTED Prerequisites: BLOCKED CLASS. EVERYONE MUST JOIN WAITLIST TO BE ADMITTED Broad survey of psychological science including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, intelligence, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and illness, and social behavior. Discusses relations between the brain, behavior, and experience. Emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results. PSYC UN1001 serves as a prerequisite for further psychology courses and should be completed by the sophomore year

PSYC UN1021 Science of Psychology: Explorations and Applications. 3.00 points .

UN1021 offers a broad introductory survey of psychological science, discussing relations between the brain, behavior, and experience, with regard to topics including: sensation and perception; learning, memory, language, and cognition; emotions and motivation; development, personality, health and well-being, and social behavior. The course emphasizes science as a process of discovering both new ideas and new empirical results -- and the ways in which psychological research can be used to address real-world challenges

PSYC UN1420 RESEARCH METHODS - HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 4.00 points .

Attendance at the first class is mandatory. Fee: $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , and a statistics course ( PSYC W1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1421 Introduction to the techniques of research employed in the study of human behavior. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including design of simple experiments, observation and measurement techniques, and the analysis of behavioral data

PSYC UN1421 RESEARCH METHODS-HUM BEHAV LAB. 0.00 points .

Limited enrollment in each section.

Corequisites: PSYC UN1420 Corequisites: PSYC UN1420

PSYC UN1450 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION. 4.00 points .

Attendance at the first class is essential. Priority given to psychology majors. Fee: $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1451 An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports

PSYC UN1451 RESEARCH METHODS - SOCIAL COGNITION ＆ EMOTION - LAB. 0.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1450 An introduction to research methods employed in the study of human social cognition and emotion. Students gain experience in the design and conduct of research, including ethical issues, observation and measurement techniques, interpretation of data, and preparation of written and oral reports

PSYC UN1455 RESEARCH METHODS: SOCIAL/PERSONALITY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructor's permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1456 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 and a statistics course ( PSYC UN1610 or the equivalent), or the instructors permission. Corequisites: PSYC UN1456 Methodology and procedures of personality and social psychological research and exercises in data analysis and research design. Ethical issues in psychological research. Statistical concepts such as parameter estimation and testing, measurement reliability and validity, merits and limitations of correlational and experimental research designs, and empirical evaluation of theories

PSYC UN1456 RESEARCH METHODS:SOCIAL/PERSONALITY. 0.00 points .

Corequisite: PSYC UN1455

PSYC UN1490 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION MAKING. 4.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1491 Corequisites: PSYC UN1491 Prerequisites: Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001) or Mind, Brain, - Behavior (PSYC 1010) or equivalent intro psych course, plus an introductory statistics course. Introduces research methods employed in the study of the cognitive and social determinants of thinking and decision making. Students gain experience in the conduct of research, including: design of simple experiments; observation and preference elicitation techniques; the analysis of behavioral data, considerations of validity, reliability, and research ethics; and preparation of written and oral reports. Note: Fee: $70. Attendance at the first class is essential

PSYC UN1491 RESEARCH METHODS - COGNITION/DECISION LAB. 0.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and ( PSYC UN1610 or STAT UN1001 or STAT UN1101 or STAT UN1201 ) Or equivalent introductory psychology and statistics courses. Corequisites: PSYC UN1490 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and ( PSYC UN1610 or STAT UN1001 or STAT UN1101 or STAT UN1201 ) Or equivalent introductory psychology and statistics courses. Corequisites: PSYC UN1490 Required lab for PSYC UN1490

PSYC UN1610 STATISTCS-BEHAVIORL SCIENTISTS. 4.00 points .

Lecture and lab. Priority given to psychology majors. Fee $70.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Corequisites: PSYC UN1611 Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 Recommended preparation: one course in behavioral science and knowledge of high school algebra. Corequisites: PSYC UN1611 Introduction to statistics that concentrates on problems from the behavioral sciences

PSYC UN1611 STATISTCS-BEHAV SCIENTISTS-LAB. 0.00 points .

Corequisites: PSYC UN1610 Corequisites: PSYC UN1610 Required lab section for PSYC UN1610

PSYC UN1910 Research Ethics in Psychology. 4 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) or equivalent introductory course in psychology.

This course explores the ethical theory, principles, codes and standards applicable to research in psychology and the complexities inherent in ethical research practice. 

PSYC UN1930 Behavioral Data Science. 4 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

This course covers the basic skills and knowledge needed to address psychological research questions using data science methods. Topics cover the full scope of a behavioral data science research project including data acquisition, data processing, and data analysis.

PSYC UN1990 Global Behavioral Science. 4.00 points .

This course builds on fundamentals of psychological and behavioral science by exploring reproducibility and replication on a global level. Students will learn from a wide range of studies and their real-world implications

PSYC UN2215 Cognition and the Brain. 3 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 (recommended) or the instructor's permission.

How mental activities -- particularly human cognitive processes -- are implemented in the brain, with some emphasis on methods and findings of neuroscience. Topics include long term and working memory, attention and executive processes, concepts and categorization, decision making, and language.

PSYC UN2220 COGNITION: MEMORY AND STRESS. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Attendance at the first class is mandatory.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructors permission. Memory, attention, and stress in human cognition

PSYC UN2235 THINKING AND DECISION MAKING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology. Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology. Models of judgment and decision making in both certain and uncertain or risky situations, illustrating the interplay of top-down (theory-driven) and bottom-up (data-driven) processes in creating knowledge. Focuses on how individuals do and should make decisions, with some extensions to group decision making and social dilemmas

PSYC UN2250 Evolution of Cognition. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission.

A systematic review of different forms of cognition as viewed in the context of the theory of evolution. Specific topics include the application of the theory of evolution to behavior, associative learning, biological constraints on learning, methods for studying the cognitive abilities of animals, levels of representation, ecological influences on cognition, and evidence of consciousness in animals.

PSYC UN2280 Developmental Psychology. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Enrollment may be limited. Attendance at the first two classes is mandatory.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent. Introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on psychobiological processes underlying perceptual, cognitive, and emotional development

PSYC UN2420 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or a college-level biology course, or the instructor's permission.

Introduction to behavioral systems, evolution of behavioral traits, and analysis of behavior. Topics include reproductive and social behavior, mating systems, competition, cooperation, communication, learning, development and the interplay of genes and environment.

PSYC UN2430 COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory course in Psychology Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory course in Psychology This course provides an in-depth survey of data and models of a wide variety of human cognitive functions. Drawing on behavioral, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging research, the course explores the neural mechanisms underlying complex cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and decision making. Importantly, the course examines the logic and assumptions that permit us to interpret brain activity in psychological terms

PSYC UN2440 Language and the Brain. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the instructor's permission.

Introduction to psychological research on human language and communication and to brain mechanisms supporting language processing. Topics include comprehension and production of speech sounds, words and sentences; reading and writing; bilingualism; communication behavior.

PSYC UN2450 BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the instructors permission. Examines the principles governing neuronal activity, the role of neurotransmitter systems in memory and motivational processes, the presumed brain dysfunctions that give rise to schizophrenia and depression, and philosophical issues regarding the relationship between brain activity and subjective experience

PSYC UN2460 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , or the equivalent. Prerequisites: PSYC W1001 or PSYC W1010 , or the equivalent. The effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and behavior

PSYC UN2470 Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology. 3.00 points .

Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology is an intermediate-level lecture course, which explores how the analysis of lesion patterns extended across brain networks has offered invaluable insights on the relationship between brain and behavior and deepened our understanding of the causal relationships between brain lesions and their clinical consequences

PSYC UN2480 The Developing Brain. 3 points .

Brain development across the life span, with emphasis on fetal and postnatal periods. How the environment shapes brain development and hence adult patterns of behavior.

PSYC UN2610 INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory psychology course.

A survey of the important methods, findings, and theories in the field of personality research.

PSYC UN2620 ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: An introductory psychology course. Examines definitions, theories, and treatments of abnormal behavior

PSYC UN2630 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Surveys important methods, findings, and theories in the study of social influences on behavior. Emphasizes different perspectives on the relation between individuals and society.

PSYC UN2640 INTRO TO SOCIAL COGNITION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in psychology or the instructor's permission. Prerequisite: An introductory psychology course. An introduction to basic concepts in social cognition, an approach to understanding social judgment and behavior by investigating the underlying mental processes. Topics include attitudes, identity, and prejudice, among others

PSYC UN2650 INTRO TO CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: none; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.

A comprehensive examination of how culture and diversity shape psychological processes. The class will explore psychological and political underpinnings of culture and diversity, emphasizing social psychological approaches. Topics include culture and social cognition, group and identity formation, psychology of multiculturalism, stereotyping, prejudice, and gender. Applications to real-world phenomena discussed.

PSYC UN2670 Social Development. 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent.

This lecture course introduces students to the study of typical human social development with a particular focus on genetic, familial and peer influences on the development of social behaviors during early childhood.

PSYC UN2690 Frontiers of Justice. 4.00 points .

Frontiers of Justice is designed to encourage students and equip them with the skills to become active and effective “Change Agents” within their academic institutions and larger communities. Oriented by the question, What does justice look like?, this course aims to raise political and social awareness and engagement with the challenges facing New York City and strengthen ties between Columbia University, disadvantaged communities, and city government agencies and community organizations. Through sharing ideas about how to make structural and systemic change in ways that integrate science, law, politics, history, narrative and community engagement, the course is intended to support students in working to break down racial and ethnic barriers and toward a more fair and just society

PSYC UN3270 COMPUT APPROACHES-HUMAN VISION. 3.00 points .

This course will be offered in Fall 2016.

Prerequisites: some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g., PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2230, PSYC UN2450 ; BIOL UN3004 or BIOL UN3005 ) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g., calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. Prerequisites: some background in psychology and/or neurophysiology (e.g. PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2230, PSYC UN2450 ; BIOL UN3004 or BIOL UN3005 ) is desirable. See instructor if you have questions about your background. Some background in mathematics and computer science (e.g. calculus or linear algebra, a programming language) is highly recommended. Study of human vision--both behavioral and physiological data--within a framework of computational and mathematical descriptions. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ([email protected]) if you are interested in this course

PSYC UN3280 Seminar In Infant Development. 3 points .

Prerequisites: a course in perception, cognition or developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission.

Analysis of human development during the first year of life, with an emphasis on infant perceptual and cognitive development.

PSYC UN3290 Self: A Cognitive Exploration (Seminar). 4 points .

Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent, plus the instructor's permission.

What does it mean to have a sense of self? Is it uniquely human? Taking a cognitive perspective, we will discuss these questions as well as self-reflective and self-monitoring abilities, brain structures relevant to self-processing, and disorders of self. We will also consider the self from evolutionary, developmental, neuroscience, and psychopathological perspectives.

PSYC UN3445 THE BRAIN AND MEMORY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology and the instructor's permission Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology and the instructors permission This seminar will give a comprehensive overview of episodic memory research: what neuroimaging studies, patient studies, and animal models have taught us about how the brain creates, stores, and retrieves memories

PSYC UN3450 Evolution of Intelligence, Animal Communication, ＆ Language. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 , and the instructors permission. A systematic review of the evolution language covering the theory of evolution, conditioning theory, animal communication, ape language experiments, infant cognition, preverbal antecedents of language and contemporary theories of language

PSYC UN3481 CRITICAL PERIODS IN BRAIN. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or equivalent course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology.

The majority of our mental capacities—ranging from basic sensory functions to more advanced social, emotional and cognitive capabilities—take many years to develop and are highly influenced by environmental signals encountered during particular developmental ‘critical periods’. In this seminar we will explore examples of these periods across diverse brain systems and behaviors, ranging from vision and audition to social, emotional and cognitive development, by considering each example in the context of human brain function and behavior as well as at the level of more detailed neurobiological mechanisms underlying these changes elucidated by studies using non-human animal systems.

PSYC UN3496 NEUROSCIENCE AND SOCIETY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Science of Psychology (PSYC 1001) or Mind, Brain, ＆ Behavior (PSYC 1010), or equivalent introductory psychology course. Students who have not taken one of these courses may also be admitted with instructor permission. This course investigates the ways in which research in human neuroscience both reflects and informs societal issues. Topics include how neuroscience research is interpreted and applied in areas such as healthcare, education, law, consumer behavior, and public policy

PSYC UN3615 Children at Risk (Lecture). 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2280 , PSYC UN2620 , or PSYC UN2680, and the instructor's permission.

Considers contemporary risk factors in children's lives. The immediate and enduring biological and behavioral impact of risk factors.

PSYC UN3620 SEM-DEVELOPMNTL PSYCHOPATHOLGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: ( UN1001, UN1010, UN2280, UN2620, UN2680, UN3280 ) and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: (UN1001, UN1010, UN2280, UN2620, UN2680, UN3280) and the instructor's permission. Developmental psychopathology posits that it is development itself that has gone awry when there is psychopathology. As such, it seeks to understand the early and multiple factors contributing to psychopathology emerging in childhood and later in life. We will use several models (e.g. ones dominated by biological, genetic, and psychological foci) to understand the roots of mental illness

PSYC UN3621 Creativity and the Good Life. 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course

Is it possible to make sense of something as elusive as creativity? Yes, it is. This seminar will review the latest science of creativity, and how creativity is relevant to everyday life, society, and the good life. A wide variety of perspectives within the field will be highlighted, including different theories of the creative process and ways of assessing creativity.

PSYC UN3623 TOPICS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) Instructor permission required. Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 ) Instructor permission required. A seminar for advanced undergraduate students exploring different areas of clinical psychology. This course will provide you with a broad overview of the endeavors of clinical psychology, as well as discussion of its current social context, goals, and limitations

PSYC UN3624 Adolescent Mental Health: Causes, Correlates, Consequences. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Prior coursework in Abnormal Psychology and Research Methods strongly preferred. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Prior coursework in Abnormal Psychology and Research Methods strongly preferred. Adolescence is a peak period for the onset of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors. The seminar is designed to enhance understanding of topics including, prevalence, etiology, risk factors, mechanisms, prevention and treatment approaches, and ethical considerations related to clinical research

PSYC UN3625 CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory course in neuroscience, like PSYC UN1010 or PSYC UN2450 , and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: an introductory course in neuroscience, like PSYC UN1010 or PSYC UN2450 , and the instructor's permission. Analysis of the assessment of physical and psychiatric diseases impacting the central nervous system, with emphasis on the relationship between neuropathology and cognitive and behavioral deficits

PSYC UN3661 Happiness Studies Seminar. 3 points .

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the field of happiness studies.  Drawing on research from the field of psychology, systems thinking, psychology, neuroscience, and other disciplines, the course explores key components of personal, interpersonal, and societal happiness.

PSYC UN3680 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: at least two of the following courses: PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2630 , PSYC UN3410, PSYC UN3480, PSYC UN3485; and the instructor's permission. Social cognitive neuroscience seeks to integrate the theories and methods of its parent disciplines, social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. As such, it seeks to explain social and emotional behavior at three levels of analysis: The social level, which includes descriptions of experience, behavior, and context; the cognitive level, which specifies information processing (i.e. psychological) mechanisms; and the neural level, which specifies neural systems that instantiate these processes. The course begins with foundational concepts (multilevel analyses of behavior, converging evidence, the evolution of the human brain), which students use to analyze findings in number of core content domains (including emotional appraisal, emotion regulation, person perception, social affiliation and rejection, individual differences). Prerequisites: Course equivalents of at least two of the following courses (W1001, W1010, W2630, W3410, W3480, W3485) and/or the instructor's permission

PSYC UN3690 The Self in Social Context (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or UN1010 , or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission.

This course centers on understanding the self embedded in the social context. We will integrate knowledge from various areas of psychology (developmental, cognitive, social cognition) with a main focus in social psychology. This course will provide the opportunity to gain an understanding of research in the following areas: the development of self in a social context, the relationship between the self and the broader socio-cultural context, the impact of self-involvement on social/cognitive processes, and contemporary research on individual differences.

PSYC UN3691 Interpersonal Cognition Seminar: Close Relationships, Identity, and Memory. 4 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN2630 or PSYC UN2640 Instructor permission.1 course in research methods

What makes people ‘click’? How does interpersonal closeness develop? How do close relationships influence our thought processes, behaviors, and identities? How do our conversations with relationship partners change our memories of events and our perceptions of reality? And finally, what are the implicit and explicit cognitive mechanisms underlying these processes?

The primary objective of this course will be to provide you with the relevant literature, theoretical background, methodological proficiency, and critical thinking and communication skills to articulate your own answers to these questions, and to propose future studies in the field. 

PSYC UN3910 HONORS SEMINAR. 1.00 point .

Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Discussion of a variety of topics in psychology, with particular emphasis on recent developments and methodological problems. Students propose and discuss special research topics

PSYC UN3920 HONORS RESEARCH. 1.00-4.00 points .

May be repeated for additional credit.

Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Prerequisites: open to students in the honors program only. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920 . No more than 12 points of PSYC UN3920 may be applied toward the honors program in psychology. Special research topics arranged with the instructors of the department leading toward a senior honors paper

PSYC UN3950 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. 0.00-4.00 points .

1-4 points. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920 . No more than 8 points ofPSYC UN3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory

PSYC GU4202 Theories of Change in Human Development. 4.00 points .

What are the agents of developmental change in human childhood? How has the scientific community graduated from nature versus nurture, to nature and nurture? This course offers students an in-depth analysis of the fundamental theories in the study of cognitive and social development

PSYC GU4222 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in introductory psychology and cognitive psychology; and the instructor's permission.

Comprehensive overview of various conceptual and methodologic approaches to studying the cognitive neuroscience of aging. The course will emphasize the importance of combining information from cognitive experimental designs, epidemiologic studies, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychological approaches to understand individual differences in both healthy and pathological aging.

PSYC GU4223 MEMORY ＆ EXEC FUNCT:LIFESPAN. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission, plus PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent. Optimal preparation will include some background in experimental design and statistics. Prerequisites: the instructors permission, plus PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 , or the equivalent. Optimal preparation will include some background in experimental design and statistics. Memory and executive processing are critical cognitive functions required for successfully navigating everyday life. In lifespan studies, both exhibit relatively long developmental trajectories followed by stasis and then relative decline in old age. Yet, neither memory nor executive function is a unitary construct. Rather, each is comprised of separable components that may show different developmental trajectories and declines or maintenance at older ages. Moreover, memory is malleable and is a reconstruction of past experience, not an exact reproduction. We will discuss a range of topics related to the development, maintenance and potential decline in memory and executive function from infancy through old age

PSYC GU4224 Consciousness and Cognitive Science. 4.00 points .

Our human experience is rich: the thrill of falling in love, the spark of a new idea, the zing of table salt, the sharpness of pain. For thousands of years, philosophers, artists, and religious scholars have tried to explain our subjective experience. More recently, neuroscientists and artificial intelligence experts have contributed to this discussion, weighing in on whether we are “more than meat” (as Descartes famously put it), and whether computers can ever be sentient. In this class, we will begin with the big questions and an interdisciplinary overview of consciousness, then delve into psychology’s role. Using literature from perception, memory, emotion, metacognition, attention, and symbolic development, among other areas of psychology, we will see what empirical evidence can tell us about who we are, what we are able to know, and why we even have an experience of the world at all

PSYC GU4225 CONSCIOUSNESS ＆ ATTENTION. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of cognitive science and neuroanatomy is desirable, but not necessary. Modern theories attempt to characterize the human mind in terms of information processing. But machines that process information do not seem to feel anything; a computer may for instance receive inputs from a video camera, yet it would be hard to imagine that it sees or experiences the vividness of colors like we do. Nobody has yet provided a convincing theory as to how to explain the subjective nature of our mental lives in objective physical terms. This is called the problem of consciousness, and is generally considered to be one of the last unsolved puzzles in science. Philosophers even debate whether there could be a solution to this problem at all. Students in this course may be recruited for participation in a voluntary research study. Students who choose not to participate in the study will complete the same course requirements as those who do, and an individual's choice will not affect their grade or status as a student in the course

PSYC GU4229 ATTENTION AND PERCEPTION. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology This seminar aims to provide an in-depth overview of neuroscientific knowledge regarding two critical cognitive functions: attention and perception. For each topic, results from behavioral studies are combined with those from recent neurocognitive approaches – primarily neuropsychological and functional brain imaging studies – that reveal the underlying neural networks and brain mechanisms

PSYC GU4232 Production and Perception of Language. 4 points .

Prerequisites: two courses in Psychology and the instructor's permission.

Topics include phonetic expression, motoric and perceptual organization, speech codes and memory codes, spoken word recognition, phrase formation, and the effects of context in perception and production.

PSYC G4230 Sensation and Perception (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some background in perception is required.

Topics on the perception of space. Discussions, reviews, and recent literature.

PSYC GU4235 SPECIAL TOPICS IN VISION. 3.00 points .

This course will be offered in Fall 2016. May be repeated for additional credit.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ( [email protected] ) if you are interested in this course. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Please contact Prof. Graham by e-mail ([email protected]) if you are interested in this course

PSYC GU4236 Machine Intelligence. 4.00 points .

This course will survey historical and modern developments in machine intelligence from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, and from intellectual movements such as cybernetics, artificial intelligence, neural networks, connectionism, machine learning, and deep learning. The emphasis is on the conceptual understanding of topics. The course does not include, nor require background in, computer programming and statistics. A crucial aspect of the seminar is for students to become informed consumers of applications of artificial intelligence

PSYC GU4239 COG NEURO NARRATIVE FILM. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 or Equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology This seminar will provide a broad survey of how narrative stories, films, and performances have been used as tools to study cognition in psychology and neuroscience

PSYC GU4242 Evolution of Language (seminar). 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or

This seminar will consider the evolution of language at the levels of the word and grammar, in each instance, phylogenetically and ontogenetically. Since humans are the only species that use language, attention will be paid to how language differs from animal communication.

PSYC GU4244 LANGUAGE AND MIND. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Preferably, an additional course in psychology, focusing on cognition, development, or research methods. Instructor permission required. Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 and Preferably, an additional course in psychology, focusing on cognition, development, or research methods. Instructor permission required. This seminar explores the relationship between language and thought by investigating how language is mentally represented and processed; how various aspects of language interact with each other; and how language interacts with other aspects of cognition including perception, concepts, world knowledge, and memory. Students will examine how empirical data at the linguistic, psychological, and neuroscientific levels can bear on some of the biggest questions in the philosophy of mind and language and in psychology

PSYC GU4250 Evolution of Intelligence, Cognition, and Language (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 or the equivalent, based on instructor assessment, plus one of the instructors' permission.

How did language evolve and why are human beings the only species to use language? How did the evolution of social intelligence, in particular, cooperation, set the stage for the origin of language and consciousness? We will explore how psychologists, philosophers, neuroscientists, anthropologists, biologists and computational scientists, among others, have collaborated during recent years to produce important insights in the evolution of intelligence, consciousness and language.

PSYC GU4265 AUDITORY PERCEPTION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 PSYC UN1010 or equivalent; background in statistics/research methods recommended Prerequisites: PSYC UN1010 PSYC UN1010 or equivalent; background in statistics/research methods recommended How does the human brain make sense of the acoustic world? What aspects of auditory perception do humans share with other animals? How does the brain perform the computations necessary for skills such as soundlocalization? How do we focus our auditory attention on one voice in a crowd? What acoustic cues are important for speech perception? How is music perceived? These are the types of questions we will address by studyingthe basics of auditory perception from textbook readings and reviews, and reading classic and current literatureto understand scientific progress in the field today

PSYC GU4270 COGNITIVE PROCESSES. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: one course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: For undergraduates: one course in cognitive psychology or cognitive neuroscience, or the equivalent, and the instructors permission. Metacognition and control processes in human cognition. Basic issues include the cognitive mechanisms that enable people to monitor what they know and predict what they will know, the errors and biases involved in self-monitoring, and the implications of metacognitive ability for peoples self-determined learning, behavior, and their understanding of self

PSYC GU4280 CORE KNOWLEDGE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: courses in introductory psychology, cognitive or developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: For undergraduates: courses in introductory psychology, cognitive or developmental psychology, and the instructors permission. Core Knowledge explores the origins and development of knowledge in infants and children, with an additional emphasis on evolutionary cognition. In this course, we will examine evidence from cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, comparative psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics to look at the childs conception of objects, number, space, language, agency, morality and the social world. We will look at which aspects of knowledge are uniquely human, which are shared with other animals, and how this knowledge changes as children develop

PSYC GU4281 The Psychology of Curiosity. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or equivalent introductory psychology course What is curiosity and how do we study it? How does curiosity facilitate learning? This course will explore the various conceptual and methodological approaches to studying curiosity and curiosity-driven learning, including animal and human studies of brain and behavior

PSYC GU4282 The Neurobiology and Psychology of Play. 4 points .

Play is a highly rewarding activity that is considered critical to cognitive, social, and emotional development. How do we define play and how do we study it? How does play help humans and other animals learn about their world and prepare them for adulthood? This course will examine the latest developments in the field of play from various methodological approaches to understand the relationship between play, learning, and normative development.

PSYC GU4287 DECISION ARCHITECTURE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or an equivalent course on judgment and decision making ,AND the instructor's permission Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or an equivalent course on judgment and decision making ,AND the instructors permission This course reviews current research in the domain of decision architecture: the application of research in cognitive and social psychology to real-world situations with the aim of influencing behavior. This seminar will discuss recent and classic studies, both of decision theory and of applied decision research, to explore the effectiveness—as well as the limitations—of a selection of these behavioral “nudges.”

PSYC GU4289 THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:PSYCH OF STRAT DEC. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or equivalent course on judgment and decision-making Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN2235 ) or equivalent course on judgment and decision-making A seminar course exploring strategic decision making (also known as behavioral game theory). This course examines the psychology underlying situations in which outcomes are determined by choices made by multiple decision makers. The prime objective will be to examine the use of experimental games to test psychological theories

PSYC GU4420 Animal Cognition (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: For undergraduates: the instructor's permission.

Seminar concerning a nonverbal animal's use of internal representations of past experience as a basis for action. Topics include how representations are formed, what aspects of experience are encoded, how information is stored, and how it is used later to guide behavior.

PSYC GU4430 Learning and the Brain (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in introductory psychology and/or neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.

What are the neural mechanisms that support learning, memory, and choices? We will review current theories in the cognitive neuroscience of human learning, discuss how learning and decision making interact, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of two influential methods in the study of human brain and behavior--functional imaging and patient studies.

PSYC GU4435 NON-MNEMONIC FUNC OF MEMORY SYSTEMS. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1010 ) or equivalent introductory course in neuroscience or cognitive psychology The past decade has produced an extraordinary amount of evidence that challenges the classic view of a “medial temporal lobe memory system”, namely, the idea that the medial temporal lobe plays a necessary role in long-term memory but not other cognitive functions. This course will introduce these challenges to the traditional perspective by exploring functions of the so-called memory system in domains outside of long-term memory

PSYC GU4440 TOPICS-NEUROBIOLOGY ＆ BEHAVIOR. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Examines current topics in neurobiology and behavior

PSYC GU4470 PSYCH ＆ NEUROPSYCH OF LANGUAGE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. A course in the psychology of language or linguistics is highly recommended.

This seminar surveys current theories of language production. We will examine psycholinguitsic and neuroimaging studies of word and sentence production conducted with monolingual and bilingual speakers, and individuals with acquired language impairments.

PSYC GU4480 PSYCHOBIOLOGY OF INFANT DEVPT. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and a course in developmental psychology, and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and a course in developmental psychology, and the instructors permission. The focus of the seminar is on human development during the fetal period and early infancy. We will examine the effects of environmental factors on perinatal perceptual, cognitive, sensory-­motor, and neurobehavioral capacities, with emphasis on critical conditions involved in both normal and abnormal brain development. Other topics include acute and long term effects of toxic exposures (stress, smoking, and alcohol) during pregnancy, and interaction of genes and the environment in shaping the developing brain of high-risk infants, including premature infants and those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PSYC GU4482 Neural Plasticity. 4.00 points .

This seminar provides an overview of the mechanisms and behaviors associated with neural plasticity. Students will obtain a basic working knowledge of the different types of neural plasticity, and how these affect cognition and behaviors

PSYC GU4486 Developmental and Affective Neuroscience (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: courses in developmental psychology, and either research methods or affective neuroscience, and the instructor's permission.

Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by developmental psychologists in the study of affective neuroscience. Exploration of the developmental brain and behavior relationships in humans and animal models of typical and atypical emotional behavior, with a critical reading of recent research findings in the field.

PSYC GU4490 Inheritance (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of biology and neuroscience recommended; the instructor's permission required.

Explores the concept of inheritance and the mechanisms through which inheritance is mediated. Will focus on the generational transmission of physiology and behavior, but will also consider the inheritance of culture and language.

PSYC GU4491 The Parental Brain. 4.00 points .

This course will provide an overview of the field of parental and social biology, with an emphasis on changes in the adult rodent brain surrounding childbirth and caretaking behavior. We will explore how the experience of parenthood prepares the brain for survival of offspring. We will also discuss the dynamic between caregivers and parents in order to provide the structure necessary to rear young. This course will illustrate the fortitude of molecular, behavioral and circuit level investigations in concert to unveil mechanisms of social learning

PSYC GU4493 Stress and the Brain. 4.00 points .

This course will use clinical studies and experimental research on animals to understand the impact of stress during various periods of development on brain function and behavior. We will address the long- and short-term consequences of stress on cognition, emotion, and ultimately psychopathology through investigating how various stressors can induce neurobiological and behavioral outcomes through genetic, epigenetic, and molecular mechanisms in the brain

PSYC GU4498 BEHAVIORAL EPIGENETICS. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC UN1010 , UN2450 , UN2460 , UN2480 , and GU4499) and the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC UN1010 , UN2450 , UN2460 , UN2480 , and GU4499) and the instructors permission. This course will provide an overview of the field of epigenetics, with an emphasis on epigenetic phenomena related to neurodevelopment, behavior and mental disorders. We will explore how epigenetic mechanisms can be mediators of environmental exposures and, as such, contribute to psychopathology throughout the life course. We will also discuss the implications of behavioral epigenetic research for the development of substantially novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches and preventive measures in psychiatry

PSYC GU4612 Frontiers of Justice. 4.00 points .

Frontiers of Justice is designed to encourage students and equip them with the skills to become active and effective “Change Agents” within their academic institutions and larger communities.. Oriented by the question, What does justice look like?, this course aims to raise political and social awareness and engagement with the challenges facing New York City and strengthen ties between Columbia University, disadvantaged communities, and city government agencies and community organizations. Through sharing ideas about how to make structural and systemic change in ways that integrate science, law, politics, history, narrative and community engagement, the course is intended to support students in working to break down racial and ethnic barriers and toward a more fair and just society

PSYC GU4615 PSYCH OF CULTURE & DIVERS. 4 points .

PSYC GU4627 Seminar in Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: PSYC UN1001 or Equivalent introductory course AND PSYC UN2620 Abnormal Psychology or equivalent course in abnormal psychology strongly preferred. This seminar course will focus on the etiology and phenomenology of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and OCD-related disorders, as well as their evidence-based treatments

PSYC GU4630 ADV SEM CURRENT PERS THRY. 3.00 points .

Open to psychology graduate students and advanced undergraduate psychology majors.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.

Critical review and analysis of basic and enduring issues in personality theory, assessment, and research.

PSYC GU4635 The Unconscious Mind (Seminar). 4 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission; some basic knowledge of social psychology is desirable.

Discussion of the unconscious mind from the perspective of social cognition, with an emphasis on both theoretical and empirical background, as well as current issues in measuring automatic processing. Topics include: implicit memory systems; unconscious attitudes, goals and behavior, emotions, and decision making; the activation and deactivation of knowledge systems; and priming.

PSYC GU4645 CULTR,MOTIVATN,PROSOCIAL BEHAV. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Some knowledge of Research Methods, Statistics, and Social Psychology, plus Instructors Permission. Reviews and integrates current research on three important topics of social psychology: culture, motivation, and prosocial behavior. Discussions and readings will cover theoretical principles, methodological approaches, and the intersection of these three topics. Students will write a personal research proposal based on the theories presented during the seminar

PSYC GU4670 THRY-SOCIAL/PERSONALITY PSYCH. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Comparison of major theoretical perspectives on social behavior. The nature of theory construction and theory testing in psychology generally. Exercises comparing the predictions of different theories for the same study are designed to acquire an appreciation of how to operationalize theories and an understanding of the various features of a good theory

PSYC GU4672 MORAL PSYCHOLOGY. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on research methods and/or statistics, and permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on social and/or developmental psychology, and permission of the instructor. Review of theories and current research on moral cognition and behavior. Topics include definitions of morality, the development of moral cognition, the role that other aspects of human experience (e.g. emotion, intentions) play in moral judgments, and the relationship between moral psychology and other areas of study (e.g. religious cognition, prejudice and stereotyping, the criminal justice system)

PSYC GU4673 Political Psychology. 4 points .

This seminar will explore what psychology (mostly social and cognitive) can tell us about politics. The class aims to provide a broad introduction to ideas and methods in the field of political psychology, as well as a deep understanding of a few specific topics.

PSYC GU4682 FAQS ABOUT LIFE:APPL OF PSYC RSCH TO EVE. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, with at least one focusing on statistics and/or research methods in psychology, and permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, with at least one focusing on statistics and/or research methods in psychology, and permission of the instructor. Review of basic psychological research that is relevant to questions people frequently encounter during the course of everyday life. Potential topics for this seminar include research on decision-making, emotion, and/or interpersonal relationships

PSYC GU4685 SOCIAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: for graduate students, course equivalents of at least two of the following courses: PSYC UN1001 , PSYC UN1010 , PSYC UN2630 , PSYC UN3410, PSYC UN3480, and PSYC UN3485; and/or the instructor's permission.

An introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience, which examines topics traditionally of interest to social psychologists (including control and automaticity, emotion regulation, person perception, social cooperation) using methods traditionally employed by cognitive neuroscientists (functional neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment).

PSYC GU4686 Barriers and Levers for Behavior Change. 4 points .

Prerequisites: ( PSYC UN1001 or PSYC UN1010 ) and prior coursework in research methods/statistics. A prior course related to social, applied, and cultural psychology or decision making will also be helpful.

Seminar course exploring individual, social, and cultural barriers and levers for behavior change, with a focus on social issues, such as motivating pro-environmental action, encouraging positive health behavior change, and promoting charitable giving. 

PSYC GU4690 SOCIAL FACTORS ＆ PSYCHOPATHLGY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Reviews and integrates current research on the role of social factors in psychopathology. The immediate and long-term effects of chronic and traumatic stressors originating outside the family (e.g. natural disasters, chronic poverty) and inside the family (e.g. family violence, divorce, parental psychopathology) on psychopathology

PSYC GU4695 Psychology of Close Relationships (Seminar). 3 points .

Prerequisites: Research Methods, statistics, social psychology, and the instructor's permission.

Introduction to leading theoretical perspectives employed by social psychologists in the study of close romantic relationships. Exploration of relationship-relevant constructs (e.g., love, commitment, intimacy, breakups) through the lenses offered by these different theories, and with a critical reading of recent research findings in this field.

PSYC GU4880 In Service of Equity: Examining Developmental Science through the Lens of Policy. 4.00 points .

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1974) wrote, “We have now come the full circle and returned to our starting point—issues of social policy as points of departure for the identification of significant theoretical and scientific questions concerning the development of the human organism as a function of interaction with its enduring environment-both actual and potential.” This course is designed to examine emotional and cognitive development through the lens of existing financial, social, and educational policies. We will examine the influence- on child development - of inequities in education, household socioeconomic status and poverty, neighborhood socioeconomic status and poverty, access to prenatal care, parental incarceration rates, and systemic racism

PSYC GU4930 Fundamentals of Human Brain Imaging: from theory to practice. 4.00 points .

Fundamentals of human brain imaging is a new advanced course open to undergraduates students from the Psychology, Neuroscience, Engineering, and Statistics Departments, that traces the key steps of the recent “neuroimaging revolution”, and introduces the various methodologies and associated analytic approaches that are now available in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Specifically, the course develops around three main questions, currently under-represented in our undergraduate curriculum: 1) What is the advantage to study human cognition using correlational methodologies (e.g., EEG, MEG, fMRI)? 2) Which is the particular contribution of each method in the understanding of brain/behavior relationship? 3) Which are the most common ways to approach the analyze the neuroimaging data? By promoting an inclusive environment and implementing active learning strategies, this course stimulates critical thinking and fosters collaboration among students from different departments

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The Program in Psychological Counseling is dedicated to the preparation of psychological counselors who facilitate the normal and optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations that is culturally relevant and psychologically appropriate across the lifespan. Our students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environments.

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