Certificate Program
The training plan should be developed in consultation with the student's primary advisor and with Dr. Dietrich Stout, Certificate Program Director. The training plan must be signed by the advisor, home program Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and Certificate Program Director.
If the student has not yet identified a primary research advisor, this should be indicated on the training plan in which case only the signatures of the DGS and Certificate Program Director are required.
Students must pass each class, earning a grade of B- or higher in each to earn the certificate. Because instructors in some departments encourage doctoral students to enroll in classes pass/fail, students may enroll in a maximum of one elective course toward their certificate program on a Pass/Fail (i.e., S/U) basis provided that the course instructors approve this status.
The research group seminar will be taken on a Pass/Fail basis (S/U) only.
This course, offered every other fall, is designed to
- introduce students to the history and philosophy of science as it applies to the social, psychological, and brain sciences,
- provide an overview of different types of disciplinary and methodological approaches to the study of mind, brain, and culture, and
- highlight how exemplary research using approaches from different levels of analysis converge to provide synthesis and insights not readily gleaned from examining a single disciplinary perspective.
Students are encouraged to enroll in this course prior to completion of electives when feasible.
Students enrolled in the certificate program will be required to complete three additional electives. Students will work with their primary advisors and with the Certificate Program Director to identify appropriate electives to meet their goals and interests.
The Certificate Program Director will work with students to identify elective courses from outside the home discipline that are relevant and appropriate for students' training goals.
The elective courses must meet the following constraints:
- A minimum of two of the elective courses must be from outside the student’s home program.
- Within the student’s home program, a maximum of one course may count toward the elective requirements. This course may not be one in which the student is required to enroll to complete his/her disciplinary Ph.D. requirements.
- Students who wish to gain hands-on experience via a practicum --working on a small-scale research project in a discipline other than their own-- may, with the approval of a) the Certificate Program Director, b) their advisor and c) a faculty member in the target discipline who has agreed to supervise the research, enroll in directed study in a department other than the home department to fulfill a maximum of one of their electives. Students may not use directed study within their home program to fulfill the elective requirement.
- Students must notify the Certificate Program Director, once enrolled in a class, that they wish the course to count as an elective towards the certificate program. If the course is one that was not in the student’s initial training plan, the student must submit a paragraph of explanation about how the elective fits in to the training plan. This deviation from the original training plan must be approved by the Certificate Program Director before the course will fulfill the Certificate Program elective requirements.
- Prior to enrolling in elective courses outside their home department, students must consult with the instructors to ensure that the courses are appropriate for the students’ level of background and expertise.
After completing MBC501, the Core Course requirement, students must enroll in two semesters of MBC600, a one-credit course that meets monthly to discuss research topics and readings from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Students will have the opportunity to nominate topics, readings, and/or guest speakers. This course is offered every semester, and meets once a month for three hours. Students may enroll in any two semesters prior to graduation.