Psychological & Brain Sciences

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences teaches graduate students who are interested in becoming the next generation of academic researchers and educators in psychological and brain sciences. Graduate study may be undertaken in the following general areas: Behavior, Brain & Cognition; Clinical Science; Aging & Development; and Social & Personality Psychology. The traditions of Washington University and the department encourage interdisciplinary graduate study, both between the subfields of psychological and brain sciences and across other disciplines. Therefore, although students must affiliate with at least one of the areas within psychological and brain sciences, they are frequently affiliated with multiple areas within the field. In addition, many graduate students in the department also engage in interdisciplinary learning, scholarship, and research. For example, cross-disciplinary opportunities and research are available in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (e.g., neuroscience, genetics); in the programs of Linguistics and of Cognitive, Computational, and Systems Neuroscience; in African-American Studies; and in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology as well as in several departments in the School of Medicine and McKelvey School of Engineering.

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences admits students for full-time study toward the PhD and does not offer a standalone master's degree. However, students are required to complete a master's degree with a thesis as part of the requirements for a PhD. In addition, the PhD includes required courses (including statistics, research methods, ethics, and several core content areas), a subject matter exam, at least three semesters of a teaching experience to fulfill the doctoral teaching requirement, and consistently high-quality research productivity that results in publishable findings.

The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences also offers the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Data Analysis, which is open to graduate students of various disciplines. Advanced skills and knowledge in quantitative analysis, methods, and interpretation are critical assets for scholars in a wide range of disciplines within the social sciences. In addition, many of the important practical, analytical, and conceptual skills are shared across disciplines. Many of the graduate programs in the social sciences include basic quantitative analysis skills within the core required curriculum of their department, but many students would benefit from advanced preparation in this domain. The certificate program provides an organized means for students to achieve an advanced level of knowledge and skill in quantitative social science data analysis, interpretation, and visualization that can be applied and shared in a variety of occupational domains.

The Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Data Analysis requires students to master both an introductory level and a more advanced level of quantitative skills and knowledge. Some of the introductory-level courses may overlap with courses that are already required within a student's individual PhD program curriculum, but the advanced level will require students to go beyond the basic expectations of their graduate program to achieve a greater depth and breadth of their knowledge and abilities.

Students interested in the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Data Analysis should first apply for admission to the Washington University department in which they wish to obtain a graduate degree. After being admitted, students should notify their department advisor and the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Data Analysis program director (currently dbarch@wustl.edu) of their plans to obtain the certificate. In addition, students should submit an Application for Admission to Certificate Program form to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, and send a copy to the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Data Analysis office.

Contact Info

Phone:314-935-6520
Website:https://psych.wustl.edu/graduate-program