yale psychology phd program

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Kirtland Hall, 203.432.4500 http://psychology.yale.edu M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Chair Jutta Joormann (203.432.4545, [email protected] )

Director of Graduate Studies Melissa Ferguson (203.432.4518, [email protected] )

Professors Woo-kyoung Ahn, John Bargh, Paul Bloom ( Emeritus ), Thomas Brown ( Emeritus ), Tyrone Cannon, Marvin Chun, Margaret Clark, John Dovidio ( Emeritus ), Melissa Ferguson, Edmund Gordon ( Emeritus ), Marcia Johnson ( Emerita ), Jutta Joormann, Alan Kazdin ( Emeritus ), Frank Keil, Joshua Knobe ( Philosophy ), Marianne LaFrance ( Emerita ), Gregory McCarthy, Jennifer Richeson, Peter Salovey, Laurie Santos, Brian Scholl, Nicholas Turk-Browne, Tom Tyler ( Law School ), Karen Wynn ( Emerita )

Associate Professors Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Steve Chang, Yarrow Dunham, Avram Holmes

Assistant Professors Dylan Gee, Maria Gendron, Julian Jara-Ettinger, Julia Leonard, Samuel McDougle, Robert Rutledge, Ilker Yildirim

Lecturers Richard Aslin ( Senior Lecturer ), Stephanie Lazzaro, Kristi Lockhart ( Emerita ), Mary O’Brien, Faith Prelli

Affiliated faculty Alan Anticevic ( Psychiatry ), Amy Arnsten ( Neuroscience ), Christopher Benjamin ( Neurology ), Philip Corlett ( Psychiatry ), Maggie Davis ( Psychiatry ), Ravi Dhar ( School of Management ), Irina Esterlis ( Psychiatry ), Tamar Gendler ( Philosophy ), Phillip Atiba Goff ( African American Studies ), Elizabeth Goldfarb ( Psychiatry ), Carlos Grilo ( Psychiatry ), Ilan Harpaz-Rotem (Psychiatry), Jeannette R. Ickovics ( Public Health ), Robert Kerns ( Veterans Administration Medical Center ), Hedy Kober ( Psychiatry ), Michael Kraus ( School of Management ), John Krystal ( Psychiatry ), Daeyeol Lee ( Neurobiology ), Becca Levy ( Public Health ), Ifat Levy ( Neuroscience ), David Lewkowicz ( Child Study Center ), Linda Mayes ( Child Study Center ), Carolyn Mazure ( Psychiatry ), James McPartland ( Child Study Center ), Nathan Novemsky ( School of Management ), Laurie Paul ( Philosophy ), Christopher Pittenger ( Psychiatry ), Al Powers ( Psychiatry ), Helena Rutherford ( Child Study Center ), Wendy Silverman ( Child Study Center ), Dana Small ( Psychiatry ), Jane Taylor ( Psychiatry ), Tom Tyler ( Law School ), Fred Volkmar ( Child Study Center ), Gideon Yaffe ( Law School )

Fields of Study

Fields include clinical psychology; cognitive psychology; developmental psychology; neuroscience; and social/personality psychology.

Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

In order to allow students to be trained in accordance with their own interests and career goals, the general requirements of the department are kept to a minimum. The formal requirements are: (1) Students must take PSYC 500 , PSYC 501 , PSYC 518 , and then any 500-level course with adviser approval. The basic-level core course requirement must be completed by the end of the second year. Students must attain an Honors grade in at least two term courses by the end of the second year of study. (2) Students are required to assist in teaching four courses by the end of their fourth year. (3) Completion of a First-Year Research Paper ( PSYC 920 ) due by May 1 of the second term. (4) Completion of a predissertation research project ( PSYC 930 and DISR 999 ), to be initiated not later than the second term and completed not later than May 10 of the second year. Certification of this research project as well as performance in course work and other evidence of scholarly work at a level commensurate with doctoral study, as judged by the faculty, are necessary for continuation beyond the second year. (5) Submission of a dissertation prospectus, and a theme essay that demonstrates the candidate’s comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the area of concentration. Certification of the theme essay completes the qualifying examination. (6) Approval of the dissertation by an advisory committee and the passing of an oral examination on the dissertation and its general scientific implications. The theme essay and the dissertation prospectus are completed during the third year. Students are then formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. There are no language requirements.

The faculty considers teaching to be an essential element of the professional preparation of graduate students in Psychology. For this reason participation in the Teaching Fellow Program is a degree requirement for all doctoral students. They are expected to serve as teaching fellows (level 20) for four terms over the course of the second through fourth years in the program. Opportunities for teaching are matched as closely as possible with students’ academic interests.

Clinical Graduate Student Internships

Registered students undertaking their required clinical internships (usually in their sixth year) are typically not eligible for Graduate School stipend funding, since these are paid internships. However, clinical internship stipends for sixth-year students that fall below the current year’s Psychology stipend will be topped up to the current year’s Psychology stipend. Students will be considered to have fulfilled the final requirement for the degree after successfully completing their internship (typically in July) and will be awarded degrees the following December. They will not be registered in the Graduate School during the fall term in which their degrees are conferred.

Combined Ph.D. Programs

Psychology offers a combined Ph.D. degree program with African American Studies. For the combined program with African American Studies, students must apply to the African American Studies department, with Psychology indicated as the secondary department.

Psychology also offers a combined Ph.D. degree program with Philosophy. Students interested in this combined degree can apply to the Philosophy department or the Psychology department. Students must be accepted into one of these departments (the “home department”) through the standard admissions process, and both departments must then agree to accept the student into the combined program. If a student applies to the Philosophy department for the combined degree program, that student should also contact one or more Psychology faculty members with compatible interests so that a suitable adviser in Psychology can be identified prior to an admissions decision. Students enrolled in the combined program complete a series of courses in each discipline as well as an interdisciplinary dissertation that falls at the intersection of the two. On completing these requirements, students are awarded a Ph.D. either in Philosophy and Psychology, or in Psychology and Philosophy.

Questions about the combined degree programs may be directed to the directors of graduate studies in the participating departments prior to application.

Master’s Degrees

M.Phil. The academic requirements for the M.Phil. degree are the same as for the Ph.D. degree except for the submission of a prospectus, and the completion and defense of a dissertation, which define the Ph.D.

M.S. (en route to the Ph.D.) The M.S. degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a first-year research project, a predissertation research project, and the four required core courses. A satisfactory grade must be achieved in the predissertation research project. 

The Department of Psychology does not admit students for a terminal master’s degree. If, however, a student admitted to the Ph.D. program leaves the program prior to completion of the doctoral degree, the student may be eligible to receive a master’s degree upon completion of the academic requirements as stated above.

Program materials are available online at http://psychology.yale.edu .

PSYC 500a, Foundations of Psychology I: Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience   Melissa Ferguson

An introduction to graduate-level cognitive psychology and the biological bases of human behavior for first-year graduate students in psychology. Topics include decision making, learning, memory, perception, and attention. Topics also include neuroanatomy, neuronal signaling, and neuronal encoding. This course serves as the foundation for further study in more advanced graduate courses on specific topics. This course is required for all Psychology PhD students. Th 9:25am-11:15am

PSYC 501b, Foundations of Psychology II: Social, Developmental, and Clinical Psychology   Melissa Ferguson

An introduction to graduate-level social, developmental, affective, and clinical psychology for first-year graduate students in psychology. Topics include theories of cognitive development, development of social cognition, and development of concepts and categories. Topics also include attitudes and persuasion, intergroup relations, stereotypes and prejudice, and cultural variation. Topics also include emotions, emotion regulation, models of psychopathology, and psychology and the law. This course serves as the foundation for further study in more advanced graduate courses on specific topics. This course is required for all Psychology Ph.D. students. HTBA

PSYC 554a / MGMT 754a, Behavioral Decision-Making II: Judgment   Nathan Novemsky and Ravi Dhar

This seminar examines research on the psychology of judgment. We focus on identifying factors that influence various judgments and compare them to which factors individuals want and expect to drive their judgments. Topics of discussion include judgment heuristics and biases, confidence and calibration, issues of well-being including predictions and experiences, regret and counterfactuals. The goal is threefold: to foster a critical appreciation of existing research on individual judgment, to develop the students’ skills in identifying and testing interesting research ideas, and to explore research opportunities for adding to existing knowledge. Students generally enroll from a variety of disciplines, including cognitive and social psychology, behavioral economics, finance, marketing, political science, medicine, and public health. T 4:10pm-7:10pm

PSYC 561a, Algorithms of the Mind   Ilker Yildirim

This course introduces computational theories of psychological processes with a pedagogical focus on perception and high-level cognition. Each week students learn about new computational methods grounded in neurocognitive phenomena. Lectures introduce these topics conceptually; lab sections provide hands-on instruction with programming assignments and review of mathematical concepts. Lectures cover a range of computational methods sampling across the fields of computational statistics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, including probabilistic programming, neural networks, and differentiable programming. Prerequisites: Students must have a programming background, ideally in a high-level programming language such as Python, Julia, or Matlab. Students must also have college-level calculus. The course substantially uses Julia and Python.   0 Course cr TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

PSYC 576b, Social and Cultural Factors in Mental Health and Illness   Jeannette Ickovics

This course provides an introduction to mental health and illness with a focus on the complex interplay between risk and protective factors and social and cultural influences on mental health status. We examine the role of social and cultural factors in the etiology, course, and treatment of substance misuse; depressive, anxiety, and psychotic disorders; and some of the severe behavioral disorders of childhood. The social consequences of mental illness such as stigma, isolation, and barriers to care are explored, and their impact on access to care and recovery considered. The effectiveness of the current system of services and the role of public health and public health professionals in mental health promotion are discussed. T 1pm-2:50pm

PSYC 626a, Topics in Law and Psychology   Arielle Baskin-Sommers

This class is an introduction to topics in law and psychology. Topics include eyewitness identification; confessions; interrogation; jury decision-making; racism/sexism; media violence; and issues of culpability and mental illness. Enrollment limited to twenty. Self-scheduled examination or paper option. Note: This course follows the Law School calendar. W 10:10am-12pm

PSYC 664a, Health and Aging   Becca Levy

This course explores the ways psychosocial and biological factors influence aging health. Topics include interventions to improve mental and physical health; effects of ageism on health; racial and gender health disparities in later life; and how health policy can best adapt to the growing aging population. Students have the opportunity to engage in discussions and to develop a research proposal on a topic of interest. T 5pm-6:50pm

PSYC 684a, Introduction to Psychotherapy: Technique   Mary O'Brien

The focus of the seminar is on formulating and conceptualizing psychological problems from a cognitive-behavioral perspective. Special consideration is paid to individual and cultural diversity in conceptualizing cases and planning treatment. Also discussed are ways in which cognitive-behavioral perspectives can be integrated with other theoretical orientations (e.g., interpersonal theory, experiential therapy). W 9am-10:50am

PSYC 685b, Introduction to Psychotherapy   Mary O'Brien

Open only to doctoral students in clinical psychology. This course is designed to prepare students to conduct therapy as clinical scientists. The class blends theoretical and empirical readings with practical training in applying interventions. Evidence-based therapy processes as well as the development of nonspecific therapeutic techniques (such as communicating empathy and structuring therapy sessions) are emphasized so that these skills can be applied across a wide range of client populations and problem presentations. In this second term of the yearlong course we discuss and practice skills related to dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), psycho-educational family therapy with serious mental illness, and three evidence-based approaches to couple therapy: a cognitive behavioral approach taken by John and Julie Gottman, an acceptance-enhanced CBT approach taken by Christensen and Jacobson, and Emotionally Focused couple work by Sue Johnson. The course includes discussion of multicultural and diversity issues as they apply to these therapeutic approaches. M 9am-10:50am

PSYC 689a, Psychopathology and Diagnostic Assessment   Mary O'Brien

Didactic practicum for first-year clinical students. Main emphasis is initial assessment. Treatment planning and evaluation of progress also covered. Students first observe and then perform initial interviews. Applicable ethics and local laws reviewed. M 9am-10:30am

PSYC 690b, Ethics, Diversity, Supervision, Consultation, and Professional Practice   Mary O'Brien

Introduction to ethical and legal guidelines for clinical practice. In addition, supervision on diagnostic interview using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV is provided. HTBA

PSYC 695a or b, History of Psychology: Racism and Colonial Power   Tariq Khan

This course examines the history of psychology with a focus on racism and colonial power embedded in psychology and the psychological sciences more broadly. Students will grapple with primary and secondary sources which prompt them to think critically about the past and present of psychology and the ways in which systems of race, gender, and class inequality interact with major institutions, systems, and their own research practices. Students will study the historical relationship between the “mind sciences” and the intertwined systems/institutions of white supremacy/racial hierarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, empire, and colonialism from the 17th century to the present. Students will also examine the role some psychologists and related scientists and scholars have played in challenging and resisting those same intertwined systems and institutions. This course is interdisciplinary in that, in addition to studying works by psychologists, students will study, analyze, and critique works in other fields – such as history, anthropology, ethnic studies, and postcolonial studies – which are relevant to understanding the historical development of the psychological sciences. T 9:25am-11:15am

PSYC 702a or b, Current Work in Cognition   Woo-Kyoung Ahn

A weekly seminar in which students, staff, and guests report on their research in cognition and information processing. HTBA

PSYC 704a or b, Current Work in Behavior, Genetics, and Neuroscience   Gregory McCarthy

Examination of the current status of research and scientific knowledge bearing on issues of behavior, genetics, and neuroscience. Weekly speakers present research, which is examined methodologically; recent significant journal articles or technical books are also reviewed. HTBA

PSYC 708a or b, Current Work in Developmental Psychology   Julian Jara-Ettinger

A luncheon meeting of the faculty and graduate students in developmental psychology for reports of current research and discussion on topics of general interest. HTBA

PSYC 710a or b, Current Work in Social Psychology and Personality   Melissa Ferguson

Faculty and students in personality/social psychology meet during lunchtime to hear about and discuss the work of a local or visiting speaker. HTBA

PSYC 719b, History and Systems in Psychology   Arielle Baskin-Sommers

Basic and applied current research on the history and systems in psychology is presented by faculty, visiting scientists, and graduate students and examined in terms of theory, methodology, and ethical and professional implications. Students cannot simultaneously enroll in PSYC 720 . Open to clinical psychology graduate students only. Th 11:35am-12:50pm

PSYC 720a or b, Current Work in Clinical Psychology   Mary O'Brien

Basic and applied current research in clinical psychology that focuses on the cognitive, affective, social, biological, and developmental aspects of psychopathology and its treatment is presented by faculty, visiting scientists, and graduate students. This research is examined in terms of theory, methodology, and ethical and professional implications. Students cannot simultaneously enroll in PSYC 718 or 719 . HTBA

PSYC 724a or b, Research Topics in Cognition, Emotion, and Psychopathology   Jutta Joormann

This weekly seminar focuses on the role of cognition and emotion in psychopathology. We discuss recent research on basic mechanisms that underlie risk for psychopathology such as cognitive biases, cognitive control, and biological aspects of psychological disorders. The seminar also focuses on the interaction of cognition and emotion, on the construct of emotion regulation, and on implications for psychopathology. HTBA

PSYC 725a or b, Research Topics in Human Neuroscience   Gregory McCarthy

Discussion of current and advanced topics in the analysis and interpretation of human neuroimaging and neurophysiology. HTBA

PSYC 727a or b, Research Topics in Clinical Neuroscience   Tyrone Cannon

Current research into the biological bases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, including topics related to etiology, treatment, and prevention. HTBA

PSYC 728a / AFAM 778a, Research Topics in Racial Justice in Public Safety   Phillip Atiba Goff

In this seminar, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows have a chance to present their research, and undergraduate research assistants learn about how to conduct interdisciplinary quantitative social science research on racial justice in public safety. The course consists of weekly presentations by members and occasional discussions of readings that are handed out in advance. The course is designed to be entirely synchronous . Presenters may request a video recording if they can benefit from seeing themselves present (e.g., for a practice talk). This course is intended for graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates interested in conducting original quantitative social science research about race and public safety. Permission of the instructor is required. HTBA

PSYC 731a, Research Topics in Cognition and Development   Frank Keil

A weekly seminar discussing research topics concerning cognition and development. Primary focus on high-level cognition, including such issues as the nature of intuitive or folk theories, conceptual change, relations between word meaning and conceptual structure, understandings of divisions of cognitive labor, and reasoning about causal patterns. HTBA

PSYC 733a or b, Research Topics in Social Cognitive Development   Yarrow Dunham

Investigation of various topics in developmental social cognition. Particular focus on the development of representations of self and other, social groups, and attitudes and stereotypes. HTBA

PSYC 735a or b, Research Topics in Thinking and Reasoning   Woo-Kyoung Ahn

In this lab students explore how people learn and represent concepts. Weekly discussions include proposed and ongoing research projects. Some topics include computational models of concept acquisition, levels of concepts, natural kinds and artifacts, and applications of some of the issues. HTBA

PSYC 737a or b, Research Topics in Clinical and Affective Neuroscience   Avram Holmes

Seminar focusing on ongoing research projects in clinical, cognitive, and translation neuroscience. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. HTBA

PSYC 739a or b, Research Topics in Autism and Related Disorders   Fred Volkmar

Focus on research approaches in the study of autism and related conditions including both psychological and neurobiological processes. The seminar emphasizes the importance of understanding mechanisms in the developmental psychopathology of autism and related conditions. HTBA

PSYC 741a or b, Research Topics in Emotion and Relationships   Margaret Clark

Members of this laboratory read, discuss, and critique current theoretical and empirical articles on relationships and on emotion (especially those relevant to the functions emotions serve within relationships). In addition, ongoing research on these topics is discussed along with designs for future research. HTBA

PSYC 742a or b, Research Topics in Computation and Cognition   Julian Jara-Ettinger

Seminar-style discussion of recently published and unpublished researched in cognitive development and computational models of cognition. HTBA

PSYC 744a or b, Research Topics in Philosophical Psychology   Joshua Knobe

The lab group focuses on topics in the philosophical aspects of psychology. HTBA

PSYC 745a or b, Research Topics in Disinhibitory Psychopathology   Arielle Baskin-Sommers

This laboratory course focuses on the study of cognitive and affective mechanisms contributing to disinhibition. We discuss various forms of disinhibition from trait (e.g., impulsivity, low constraint, externalizing) to disorder (e.g., antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, substance use disorders), diverse methods (e.g., psychophysiology, self-report, neuroimaging, interventions), and multiple levels of analyses (e.g., neural, environmental, social). Members of this laboratory read and critique current articles, discuss ongoing research, and plan future studies. HTBA

PSYC 752a or b, Research Topics in Social Neuroscience   Steve Chang

This weekly seminar discusses recent advances in neuroscience of social behavior. We discuss recent progress in research projects by the lab members as well as go over recently published papers in depth. Primary topics include neural basis of social decision-making, social preference formation, and social information processing. Our lab studies these topics by combining neurophysiological and neuroendocrinological techniques in nonhuman animals. HTBA

PSYC 753a or b, Research Topics in Legal Psychology   Tom Tyler

This seminar is built around student research projects. Students propose, conduct, and analyze empirical research relevant to law and psychology. Grades are based upon final papers. Permission of the instructor required. HTBA

PSYC 754a or b, Research Topics in Clinical Affective Neuroscience and Development   Dylan Gee

This weekly seminar focuses on current research related to the developmental neurobiology of child and adolescent psychopathology. Topics include typical and atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories, the development of fear learning and emotion regulation, effects of early life stress and trauma, environmental and genetic influences associated with risk and resilience, and interventions for anxiety and stress-related disorders in youth. HTBA

PSYC 755a or b, Research Topics in Intergroup Relations   Jennifer Richeson

Students in this laboratory course are introduced to and participate in social-psychological research examining interactions and broader relations between members of socioculturally advantaged and disadvantaged groups. For instance, we examine the phenomena and processes associated with one’s beliefs about members of social groups (stereotypes), attitudes and evaluative responses toward group members (prejudice), and behaviors toward members of a social group based on their group membership (discrimination). We also study how these issues shape the experiences of social group members, especially when they are members of low-status and/or minority groups. We primarily focus on large societal groups that differ on cultural dimensions of identity, with a focus on race, ethnicity, and gender. Notably, we apply the theoretical and empirical work to current events and relevant policy issues. HTBA

PSYC 758a or b, Research Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience   Nick Turk-Browne

Seminar-style discussion of recent research in cognitive neuroscience, covering both recent studies from the literature and ongoing research at Yale. HTBA

PSYC 759a or b, Research Topics in Affective Science and Culture   Maria Gendron

A seminar-style discussion of recent research and theory in affective science and culture. The lab group focuses on the social and cultural shaping of emotions. We also discuss the biological constraints on variation and consistency in emotion as revealed by physiological research on emotion (in both the central and peripheral nervous system). Some discussion of current and planned research in the lab group also takes place. HTBA

PSYC 760a or b, Research Topics in Cognitive and Neural Computation   Ilker Yildirim

Lab meetings of the Cognitive & Neural Computation Laboratory at Yale.  HTBA

PSYC 761a or b, Research Topics in Computational Decision and Affective Neuroscience   Robb Rutledge

Seminar focusing on ongoing research projects in computational approaches to clinical, cognitive, and affective neuroscience. HTBA

PSYC 762a or b, Research Topics in Skill Learning   Samuel McDougle

This weekly seminar covers various themes in human learning, with an emphasis on motor learning, motor memory, reinforcement learning, and decision-making. We discuss recently published and ongoing research on these topics, with special attention to behavioral studies, computational models of learning, and neural correlates. HTBA

PSYC 763a or b, Research Topics in Implicit Social Cognition   Melissa Ferguson

Weekly seminar on contemporary research projects in implicit social cognition, with a special focus on the topics of changing minds, prejudice, and self-control. Permission of the instructor required. HTBA

PSYC 764a or b, Research Topics in Children’s Learning and Motivation   Julia Leonard

This weekly seminar covers cutting-edge research in cognitive science, developmental psychology, and neuroscience on young children’s learning and motivation. We discuss how theoretically and empirically grounded science can be applied to the real world. Permission of the instructor required. HTBA

PSYC 765a or b, Research Topics in Philosophy and Cognitive Science   Laurie Paul

A weekly meeting to discuss relevant philosophical and psychological topics. Permission of the instructor required. HTBA

PSYC 766a or b, Research Topics in Perception and Cognition   Brian Scholl

Seminar-style discussion of recent research in perception and cognition, covering both recent studies from the literature and the ongoing research in the Yale Perception and Cognition Laboratory. HTBA

PSYC 771a or b, Research Topics in Nonconscious Processes   John Bargh

The lab group focuses on nonconscious influences of motivation, attitudes, social power, and social representations (e.g., stereotypes) as they impact on interpersonal behavior, as well as the development and maintenance of close relationships. HTBA

PSYC 775a or b, Research Topics in Animal Cognition   Laurie Santos

Investigation of various topics in animal cognition, including what nonhuman primates know about tools and foods; how nonhuman primates represent objects and number; whether nonhuman primates possess a theory of mind. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. HTBA

PSYC 778a or b, Research Topics in Clinical and Affective Neuropsychology   Hedy Kober

Lab meeting is held once a week throughout the year and is attended by undergraduate and graduate students, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, and other researchers interested in the weekly topics. In a rotating fashion, both internal and external speakers present data and ideas from various research projects, and/or research and methods papers in related areas, including the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging to answer questions in clinical and affective psychology. HTBA

PSYC 801a or b, Clinical Internship (Child)   Mary O'Brien

Advanced training in clinical psychology with children. Adapted to meet individual needs with location at a suitable APA-approved internship setting. HTBA

PSYC 802a or b, Clinical Internship (Adult)   Mary O'Brien

Advanced training in clinical psychology with adults. Adapted to meet individual needs with location at a suitable APA-approved internship setting. HTBA

PSYC 805a or b, Affective and Developmental Bases of Behavior   Mary O'Brien

This course aims to provide a broad survey of the affective and developmental bases of behavior, drawing on key topics in affective science and developmental psychology. Readings include reviews and empirical articles that highlight core issues relevant to the topics, from early theoretical perspectives to recent advances in the field. Topics broadly fall into several domains, including evolutionary, cultural, and developmental perspectives on emotion; neurocognitive and affective development; early experiences, attachment, and sensitive periods; emotional reactivity and regulation; and the role of emotion in illness and well-being. HTBA

PSYC 811a or b, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Practicum   Mary O'Brien

This is a course for graduate students in clinical psychology. Group supervision of therapy provided at the Yale Psychology Department Clinic. HTBA

PSYC 817a or b, Other Clinical Practica   Mary O'Brien

For credit under this course number, clinical students register for practicum experiences other than those listed elsewhere in clinical psychology, so that transcripts reflect accurately the various practicum experiences completed. HTBA

PSYC 920b, First-Year Research   Staff

By arrangement with faculty. HTBA

PSYC 923a or b, Individual Study: Theme Essay   Staff

PSYC 930a or b, Predissertation Research   Staff

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Department of Psychology

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YALE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Yale Graduate School

Yale college.

The department offers a wide range of courses in various traditions of philosophy, with strengths and a well-established reputation in the history of philosophy, ethics, philosophy of law, epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of religion as well as other central topics.

• Programs of Study
• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
• Combined PhD
• Department of Philosophy

Sun-Joo Shin

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Julie Niemeyer

Departmental Registrar

• [email protected]
• 203-432-1682

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is optional. 

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Philosophy offers a combined PhD in conjunction with Classics and Psychology .

Program Advising Guidelines

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

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https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

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Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
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Alumni Insights

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News and Events

Passing the torch: majo orozco fuentes ’24 follows professor’s path to yale phd program.

Psychology and neuroscience double major Majo Orozco Fuentes '24 will be heading to Yale University this fall after being accepted into the PhD program in biological and biomedical sciences. Exactly 15 years prior, her mentor Assistant Professor of Biology Becky Delventhal attended the same program.

Orozco Fuentes was one of Delventhal's first Richter Scholars. Together, they studied the molecular mechanisms of injury-induced neurodegeneration and an National Science Foundation-funded project on the glial-specific function of a protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. The mentor and mentee sat down to ask each other some questions about their experiences, college, and the future.

Orozco Fuentes: What's one thing you think I'll love about Yale?

Delventhal: You're a very engaged student already, and I think you'll find many opportunities to stay involved in activities outside of the research lab at Yale because it's a larger institution. You'll get to connect with what you love about research while exploring new interests, such as science outreach and communication.

Orozco Fuentes: What should I be prepared for with this PhD program?

Delventhal: Be prepared for stuff that you've honestly already experienced in your research here at Lake Forest: lots of failure. Something that will feel different is the time scale it happens over. There is something people refer to as the fourth-year slump in your PhD where you have been working in the lab over three years and being done with your thesis feels miles away. In my experience, that was when I got some unexpected results that made me think everything I had done the last four years was wrong. Know you can finish, you have the capacity and the skillset, and it's normal to feel the ups and downs.

Orozco Fuentes: What is one thing you hope I will always remember from my time at Lake Forest?

Delventhal: I hope that you remember to trust yourself. I feel like that is something that I really try to reinforce with my students. You have a very strong sense of self and confidence in yourself already, and I encourage you not to forget that at a larger institution where there may be new pressures. You can listen to people's ideas and advice, but remember that you are empowered to make your own decisions and know what is best for you.

Delventhal: What's something you learned at Lake Forest that you think you'll carry with you after graduation?

Orozco Fuentes:  Keeping an open mind and being open to learning from others. Lake Forest taught me to be flexible in my communication styles so I can work with a variety of different people and perspectives in and out of the classroom and lab.

Delventhal: You applied to this program while still enrolled at Lake Forest. What was the most challenging part of the application process?

Orozco Fuentes:  I think for me, one of the first challenges was narrowing down what programs I wanted to apply to. Another big challenge was reflecting on four years here and being genuine and professional in my personal statements while tailoring them to each school. I have been in the lab for long enough that I have a history with failure and also a history of success and discovery, so I was able to bring that into my statements. It was interesting figuring out how to explain my research in a way that makes it connect to my life, but in a professional and sophisticated way.

Delventhal: I remember feeling self-conscious that I had gotten into Yale because I didn't want to be too braggy, and you had a different reaction to your acceptance. You have embraced that a little more, which I wish I had been able to do. What does going to Yale mean for you?

Orozco Fuentes:  I am a first-generation student, and I am from Mexico. Research isn't really a career I knew you could do back home. I was set on going to medical school because I thought it was the only thing you could do with science. This is a big deal for my family, and I have been able to take pride in that.

Delventhal: I love that you are proud of that because you should be. Graduate programs like this are much more competitive for international students because there is such a limited number of slots. You are at a higher level and need to be an even more stellar applicant in order to get one of these spots.

Orozco Fuentes:  That's true. For one of the programs I visited, I was the only international visitor being interviewed out of a pool of 200 applicants. It is more competitive than it would be for US citizens because we rely only on private training grants, not federal training grants. It was kind of intimidating because the other international students I met while applying to Yale had very similar profiles and experiences to me whereas normally, I would stand out for all the research I've done. At Yale there is a big international community, which made me feel like it was more like Lake Forest. At Yale I will get more of the specific support I need. Lake Forest College is a very international community, and I was worried about going to a place that wouldn't preserve that feeling.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Doctoral Programs

Doctoral programs in accounting, financial economics, marketing, operations, and organizations and management.

The Doctoral Program gives students unparalleled expertise in management. Candidates work under Yale SOM's distinguished faculty, learning side by side with diverse and accomplished scholars.

Deadline: December 15

The application deadline is December 15 of the year in which admission is sought.

Specializations

Students focus in one of the core disciplines of management, developing in-depth knowledge and pursuing their own research interests: Accounting , Finance , Marketing , Operations , or Organizations and Management .

Application for admission to the Doctoral Program in Management is made through the Yale Graduate School.

Students take foundational PhD-level courses in their areas of specialization, and then choose from a course list that spans the university, drawing from some of the best academic departments in the world.

The program's small size allows senior faculty to take an active role in preparing each student for the job search.

Department of Philosophy

Undergraduate program.

Degree requirements

See the Yale College Programs of Study website . 

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Doctor of Philosophy

The primary mission of the PhD program is to provide scholars with the disciplinary background and skills required to contribute to the development of our understanding of better ways of measuring, maintaining, and improving the public’s health. Examples of research conducted by PhD students includes but is not limited to: cancer epidemiology, clinical trials, cardiovascular disease, molecular epidemiology, vector-borne diseases, parasitology, mental health epidemiology and HIV/AIDS. Students are encouraged to work with faculty throughout the university since much of the work done in EPH is interdisciplinary.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .

Select program: "Public Health" and your Concentration: Biostatistics (PhD or MS), Chronic Disease Epidemiology (PhD or MS), Environmental Health Sciences (PhD), Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (PhD) or Epidemiology Infectious Disease (MS), Health Informatics (MS) Health Policy and Management (PhD) or Social and Behavioral Sciences (PhD).

The GRE and TOEFL code for Yale GSAS is: 3987. A writing sample is not required.

The deadline is December 15th.

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All PhD students are guaranteed five years of 12-month stipend and tuition support in the form of YSPH fellowships, teaching fellowships, traineeships and research assistantships. In addition to support for tuition and living costs, students receive a health award to covers the full cost of single-student Yale Health Plan Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage.

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PhD applicants are not required to secure a faculty mentor prior to applying to the program.

We expect applicants to provide information in their personal statement about the research they hope to conduct if admitted and to state the faculty in our department whose research aligns with their interests.

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The PhD program in Public Health enhances commitment its PhD students who identify as underrepresented minority students, first-generation college graduates and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds by offering research awards to the top candidates admitted to the program. Each year a minimum of two PhD admitted students will be offered $2,000 each for research funds in addition to their financial aid package. Recipients have up to 2 years to spend these funds, which can be used for books, computers, software, conference travel, research travel or research supplies.

This funding is offered upon acceptance into the program. The criteria for the award is:

• Previous involvement in diversity-related initiatives in their community and/or volunteer activities helping underserved populations.
• Research interest in serving an underserved population

External Fellowships

Doctor of philosophy (phd) overview.

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Mentorship and Science

Sarah Liechtenstein, PhD, and Sarah Yip, PhD, collaborate often in the Yale Imaging and Psychopharmacology Lab.

The power of mentorship is clear when you first meet Sarah Yip, PhD, and Sarah Lichenstein, PhD, and hear how their complementary interests and collaborative work have grown and thrived.

As a post-doctoral researcher interested in the effects of substance use on brain health, Dr. Lichenstein sought to work in Dr. Yip’s Yale Imaging and Psychopharmacology Lab, established by Yip in 2017.

For more than seven years, they have collaborated first as post-doctoral student and faculty mentor, and now as two faculty members with a shared goal to better understand the sex-specific impact substances have on the way the brain functions. Today, Yip and Lichenstein are each Women’s Health Research at Yale-funded investigators.

Yip, associate professor of psychiatry, uses neuroimaging and advanced computational techniques to identify sex-specific brain-based predictors of treatment outcomes. Lichenstein, assistant professor of psychiatry, currently focuses on understanding the neural basis of mood and substance use disorders, particularly in adolescents and emerging adults.

“Sex differences in the brain during adolescence are particularly relevant for predicting development trajectories that affect the life course,” says Lichenstein. “By determining those differences between female and male adolescents early on, we can identify and track specific aspects of brain functioning that predict later onset disorders. This provides the foundation for how and when to make early therapeutic interventions.”

As Lichenstein reflects on the development of her career in science, she speaks clearly about the value of Yip as her mentor and the many ways in which they continue to collaborate, whether it is in terms of conducting a study together, sponsoring a project, or unlocking additional funding to fuel research on women’s health.

Helpful Definitions

Sex: A biological classification, generally as male or female, according to the reproductive organs and functions that derive from the chromosomal complement, generally XX for female and XY for male.

Gender: Refers to a person's self-representation influenced by social, cultural, and personal experience.

Cannabis: A flowering plant commonly referred to as marijuana.

Cannabinoids: Naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant.

Cannabidiol: A cannabis compound, commonly known as CBD.

Connectome: The complete set of functional brain networks for a given individual.

Machine Learning: A data analysis approach in which a predictive model is developed using a training dataset, then the accuracy of the model is tested in a new dataset.

Sex-Specific Modeling: Creating predictive models using data from each sex separately. Model accuracy can be compared to that of models generated using data from both sexes combined.

The Legacy of Mentorship

“Sarah was my first postdoctoral trainee and is now my close collaborator.” says Yip. “You always want a post-doc in your lab to have an easier, more successful time than you did, and that was my focus with Sarah. Now, watching someone I’ve mentored become a mentor themselves has been wonderful to witness. She recently started training and mentoring her first post-doctoral trainee, as well as an undergraduate, so the cycle continues.”

Yip adds, “I think it’s really important to be sure that each person has their own trajectory and space to grow. It’s like we’re on the same highway, driving in the same direction. Sometimes we’re together in the carpool lane, and other times, we’re driving in our own dedicated lanes, where we’re each focused on our independent but related research, waving to each other as we go by.”

Shared Interest In Studying Sex and Gender Differences

In the Yale Imaging and Psychopharmacology Lab, understanding sex and gender differences in the development of disorders is always at the forefront.

A Look at Dr. Lichenstein’s Research

Never before has a researcher examined the way cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD and found in a wide array of over-the counter remedies, affects brain function in women.

“We’ve been aware for a long time that a major gap in the research literature is understanding the brain responses to cannabis, cannabinoids, and CBD. The pilot funding from Women’s Health Research at Yale provided the opportunity to conduct the first-ever study on CBD’s impact on women’s brain function. In turn, our hope is to pursue larger funding awards for more comprehensive studies examining sex differences with CBD use,” said Lichenstein.

The vast majority of CBD products are not FDA approved and can be purchased without a prescription. Despite the shallow body of research on their use, they are commonly used and primarily by women, often to deal with feelings of anxiety. Since anxiety disorders are twice as prevalent among women and the CBD market continues to expand, Lichenstein is exploring the neural (brain) response to CBD in female study participants.

Lichenstein and her team recruited healthy females to test reactions to either CBD or placebo when participating in a virtual anxiety-inducing game and an emotional response task. By examining how women’s brains respond to these tasks, researchers can measure the neural responses that underlie the experience of anxiety.

Data collection is complete and preliminary results indicate reduced simultaneous action in patterns of brain activity among subcortical regions of the brain in women following CBD versus placebo administration. This includes regions strongly related to emotional processing and anxiety and suggest that CBD may reduce anxiety by reducing connectivity among these regions.

This is the first evidence to suggest a neural mechanism of CBD’s effects in women. It also provides the foundation for external grants to support research on larger samples of women as well as men to confirm findings and propel the work on sex differences in CBD use and its therapeutic potential in treating anxiety.

Dr. Yip’s Examination of Sex Differences

Yip’s focus is on sex differences in the brain that are related to opioid use disorder (OUD) as well as to pain. A major aspect of her innovative work is the examination of the interface of opioid use and chronic pain.

“There are sex differences in the clinical profile of chronic pain,” says Yip. “There are also sex differences with opioid use disorder. My team is interested in understanding the sex-specific relationship of pain and opioid use so that we can develop effective treatments for both conditions.”

Her most recent Women’s Health Research at Yale-funded project aims to explore the interactions among sex, pain, and brain network dynamics in women and men entering medication-assisted treatment for OUD. She uses neuroimaging and advanced computational techniques to identify brain-based predictors of treatment outcomes and focuses on the brain’s complete set of responses rather than one brain network at a time. This approach to what is happening across brain networks is referred to as studying the “connectome.”

“The funding from Women’s Health Research at Yale was fundamental and enabled us to do a first-of-its kind neuroimaging examination of both women and men with and without chronic pain in treatment for opioid use disorder,” said Yip.

“One big part of our work is collecting sufficient data to do what we call sex-specific modeling,” she continued. “We’re building what is called a ‘machine learning model’ to predict clinical outcomes using neuroimaging data. We do this for females and males combined, and we create separate models for females and males, which enables us to test for sex differences in the brain that relate to treatment outcomes.”

The Golden Thread of Mentorship

Essential to successful research is the capacity for us to teach the next generation as well as learn from one another. The golden thread in this story points to others, which as Yip and other faculty note, includes Carolyn Mazure, PhD, as a driving force in their own careers.

Women’s Health Research at Yale’s associate director for medical education in women’s health and assistant professor of medicine (hematology) Kelsey Martin, MD, reflects, “Dr. Mazure is such an inspiring individual and I feel so lucky to have been able to connect with her on a variety of levels and initiatives. I’ve learned so much from her. The hope is to take those pearls of wisdom and guidance to pass along to the next generation who we’re lucky enough to mentor, including incredible students like Aeka, Emily, Kayla, Mahnoor, and Stephanie.”

Mazure, the Norma Weinberg Spungen and Joan Lebson Bilden Professor in Women’s Health Research, is steadfast in her commitment to mentorship. “Mentorship ensures that the next generation can build on what we know and respond to the questions that remain unanswered. It’s a privilege to mentor those who follow us, and it’s exciting and joyful to see them succeed,” says Mazure, Director of Women’s Health Research at Yale.

“Having Dr. Martin as a mentor has been so important. I think medicine can often make you feel like a small fish in a really big sea. There’s this false notion that medicine should be mysterious and intimidating, and I don’t think that’s how it should be,” says Guru. “Dr. Martin has helped make medicine more accessible to me as she’s guided me through conducting research and effectively making change. I’m really grateful to have this opportunity and experience.”

From Yip to Lichenstein, Lichenstein to Anghad, Mazure to Martin, Martin to Guru, the legacy of mentorship is strong.

Here’s to a lot of waving on the women's health research highway.

Mentoring the Next Generation

For the past decade, Women’s Health Research at Yale’s year-long Undergraduate Fellowship teaches Yale students the history of women’s health research as a backdrop for understanding the need to study the disorders women experience. Fellows are matched with Yale faculty mentors who are experts in their fields and dedicated to exploring the health of women and the influence of sex and gender on health.

This year’s Fellows include Emily Anghad ’25, Aeka Guru ’25, Stephanie Montealegre ’25, Mahnoor Sarfraz ’24, and Kayla Yup ’25.

Mentorship is designed to enrich students’ current studies while complementing their career direction. Students learn to investigate new and timely health and clinical care questions all while gaining exposure to the most contemporary approaches in the science of women’s health. Lichenstein, Yip, Martin, and Mazure are among current Fellowship mentors.

Featured in this article

• Sarah Lichenstein Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
• Kelsey Martin, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology); Associate Director for Medical Education in Women's Health, Women's Health Research at Yale
• Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD Norma Weinberg Spungen and Joan Lebson Bildner Professor in Women's Health Research and Professor of Psychiatry and of Psychology
• Sarah Yip, PhD Associate Professor of Psychiatry