Cognitive Psychology Graduate Program

Research

Students are expected to actively participate in research. New students typically begin research projects under the close supervision of their faculty mentor and become more independent as their graduate careers progress. Students can receive course credit for research by enrolling in individualized research courses and thesis or dissertation research courses.

First-year graduate students are required to conduct a research project under their faculty mentor’s supervision. Students must present an oral report of the project in the Cognitive Colloquium series by the end of their second semester. A written report is due prior to the start of the next academic year.

Bridge Topics

Within the cognitive psychology program, faculty also have research interests in several bridge topics, including individual differences, learning and memory, and perception and performance. Cognitive psychology faculty studying individual differences focus on the role of working memory capacity in relation to attention control, fluid intelligence and multitasking. Faculty in the program who focus on learning and memory examine comprehension and knowledge application; the relationship among attention, memory and cognitive control; and cognitive training. Further, perception and performance research investigates human factors, selection and control of action, and how different neural systems mediate linguistic meaning.

Admissions/Requirements

The graduate major in cognitive psychology is primarily focused on doctoral training. All students are required to complete a master’s thesis leading to an MS degree before continuing in the doctoral program.

Students with research experience and a strong background in science are preferred. However, lack of these qualifications should not hinder otherwise strong candidates from applying. Students with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree will be considered for admission.

The following faculty are recruiting new students for Fall 2026 admission: