UMass Boston

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• Successful applicants typically have a BS degree in psychology, biology, or cognitive science. Students with degrees in other fields (e.g. physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, computer science) and a strong interest in the foundations of neuroscience and behavior may also be considered for admission.
• We require a minimum of a BA/BS with a B (3.0) average or above in undergraduate and/or graduate-level coursework.
• With respect to the required Statement of Intent and Interest, in addition to a general statement of your research interests and aptitudes and how they constitute a good match to the DBS program, please be sure to list up to three faculty members you would like to work with, and why; indicate which specialization you would like to pursue (developmental behavioral neuroscience or developmental cognitive neuroscience); list any special honors or awards you have received for academic achievement; detail your relevant research experience (especially your role in the research and any specific contribution toward any resulting publications); touch on your career objectives.

Evaluation of applications is the responsibility of an Admissions Committee composed of DBS program core faculty members. All graduate admissions are handled according to university, Office of Graduate Admissions, and DBS Program guidelines and procedures. From our applicant pool, we undertake an extensive review of applications and will select approximately 10-20 people for interviews. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to interview more than this number, and faculty may not conduct interviews with applicants who have not undergone our review process and been officially selected for an interview.

Deadlines: December 15 (priority), January 15 (final) for fall admission

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee. Fee waivers are available for students facing financial challenges. Contact the program if the fee represents a significant financial challenge.

Program Cost Information: Bursar's website

For detailed course descriptions, please visit the university catalog for Developmental and Brain Sciences PhD.

Required Core Courses (21 Credits)

• PSYDBS 601 - Grant Writing and Research Ethics 3 Credit(s)
• PSYDBS 602- Fundamentals of Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)
• PSYDBS 613 - Behavioral Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)
• PSYDBS 623 - Cognitive Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)
• PSYDBS 693 - Seminar in Development and Brain Sciences 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 670 - Advanced Statistics 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 891 - Teaching Seminar 3 Credit(s)

Concentration Core Course (3 Credits)

Complete one from below.

• PSYDBS 715 - Developmental Behavioral Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)
  or
• PSYDBS 725 - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 3 Credit(s)

Electives (6 Credits)

Complete two from below.

Students may also elect to take an independent study course or a course offered by another UMass Boston PhD program. In all cases, independent studies must first be approved by the DBS graduate program director and the student’s advisory committee.

• PSYDBS 762 - Knowledge Acquisition 3 Credit(s)

Mentored Research Courses (Up to 18 Credits)

• PSYDBS 690 - Mentored Research 1-18 Credit(s)

Dissertation Research Course (24 Credits)

• PSYDBS 899 - Dissertation Research 1-24 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Complete 60 credits from twelve courses including seven required core courses, one concentration core course, two electives, one mentored research course, and 24 credits of dissertation research.

First-year report: Completion of an oral presentation to the student’s advisory committee. It should contain both a review of the student’s research accomplishments during his/her first year (including background, results, and significance) and a proposal for the work that will comprise the mentored research project (see below). Students are required to complete this milestone by the end of the second semester (late May). There is no written component for the first year report; however, students will be required to apply for a grant of relevance to their research, such as an NRSA (http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm) or GRFP (http://www.nsfgrfp.org).

Mentored research project: Completion of a research project culminating the student’s first two years of research. The MRP requires both an oral defense as well as a written component that should follow the format of an NRSA proposal. It is understood that elements of the student’s grant proposal and first-year report research will be incorporated into the MRP. Students are required to complete their mentored research project by the end of the 4th semester.

Doctoral candidacy: Passage of a take-home exam, based on questions that require the student to engage critically with the literature. Typically, students will select questions from a set developed by program faculty. Students are required to take the qualifying exam by the end of their 5th semester.

Dissertation: Completion of a dissertation representing an original and thorough body of research. Multiple formats for the dissertation may be acceptable, at the agreement of the student and the dissertation committee. For instance, a dissertation that encompasses three independent projects each with the scope (and expectation of submission) of a journal article may be acceptable instead of one large-scope project with multiple related experiments. Students are expected to complete their dissertation by the end of the 4th year.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Graduate Program Director Richard Hunter
richard.hunter@umb.edu

Graduate Program Coordinator Mackenzie Creighton
mackenzie.creighton@umb.edu