First Year Program

The following requirements must be completed by the end of the First Year

First Year Evaluation

At the end of the first year, the Graduate Affairs Committee will review the performance of first year students. Based on the above criteria, one of the following evaluations will be made:(1) continuance toward the Ph.D. without contingency (all criteria met satisfactorily), (2) recommendation to work toward a terminal M.A. (at least one criterion below level satisfactory for the Ph.D.) or (3) dismissal from the graduate program (at least one criterion below level required for M.A. degree). During the summer of the first year, students will receive a letter from the Department indicating their standing based on this first year evaluation.

(A): See AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS for specific classes offered and required. Choice and schedule of classes must be discussed with and approved by advisor. Note that these courses can be used to fulfill Breadth Requirement (see F in Second Year Program).

(B): Students are expected to begin developing or participating in research projects and programs. Psychology 596 activities are agreed upon in consultation with the student's advisor. By the fifth week of fall quarter, a written 596 Proposal must be submitted to the Graduate Office.

(C): Workshops are designed to prepare psychology graduate students for various roles related to the teaching of undergraduate psychology courses. As part of the requirements for Psy 590C, students must have their teaching of a section in Psy 1, 5, 6, 7, an upper division laboratory class, or their performance as an associate videotaped and evaluated by Instructional Consultation the first time they are assigned to such a class. Students are responsible for scheduling both the videotaping and the evaluation sessions, and for notifying the Department Graduate Advisor that these have taken place. Students who have not been assigned to teach these classes in their first year will receive an Incomplete in Psy 590C until the requirement can be completed and the grade changed. An Incomplete will not adversely affect the First, Second, or Third Year Evaluations, but will prevent graduation.

(D): Students are required to enroll in and attend the Psy 592 seminar series in their area as defined in the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology.

(E): By the end of the fifth year, as part of the "Content" requirements, students must have completed two courses outside their area. At least one of these courses must be within the Department. Only one of these two courses may be a course in statistics. Psychology 221C, 221D, 260, 262, and 264 are considered outside all areas. Students interested in completing an M.A. by the end of the second year, must complete the "Breadth" requirement by the end of the second year. (See M.A. Program Requirements).

(F): This report is an accounting of accomplishments in 12 units of Psychology 596 and may include: (1) a research proposal, (2) a literature review, or (3) a project write-up. The content of the report should be discussed with the student's advisor. Two copies of the First Year Progress Report must be submitted to the Graduate Office by the last day of instruction of spring quarter. Before the date spring quarter grade reports are due, the advisor's written evaluation of the student's research performance, including the First Year Progress Report, will be provided to the Graduate Assistant and to the student.

Second Year Program

The following requirements must be completed by the end of the Second Year

Second Year Evaluation

At the end of the second year, the Graduate Affairs Committee will review the performance of second year students. Based on the above criteria, one of the following evaluations will be made: (1) continuance toward the Ph.D. without contingency (all criteria met satisfactorily), (2) recommendation to work toward a terminal M.A. (at least one criterion below level satisfactory for the Ph.D.) or (3) dismissal from the graduate program (at least one criterion below level required for M.A. degree). During the summer of the second year, students will receive a letter from the Department indicating their standing based on this second year evaluation.

(A): Please note: At the beginning of the second year, there are ten required remaining classes (4 "Content", which must be 200 or 594 level graduate classes, and 6 additional "Courses", which can be undergraduate or graduate classes, each of which must be a minimum of three units). Four of these ten classes must be taken in the second year. The remaining six must be completed by the end of the fifth year. Students interested in completing an M.A. by the end of the second year, must complete these remaining four "Content" classes during the second year. (See M.A. Program Requirements). Choice and schedule of classes must be discussed with and approved by advisor. (Note F below).

(B): Students are expected to continue conducting or preparing research each quarter of their second year under the direction of their advisor. By the fifth week of fall quarter, a written 596 Proposal must be submitted to the Graduate Office.

(C): Students are required to enroll in and attend the Psy 592 seminar series in their area as defined in the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Peceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology.

(D): The Second Year Paper reports the results of empirical research in the form of a journal article. The paper should be prepared according to style requirements in the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Students should discuss with their advisor all aspects of the research to be reported in the paper. However, the paper is to be written by the student alone. Three copies of the Second Year Paper must be submitted to the Graduate Office by the last day of instruction of winter quarter.

The Second Year Paper will be read by the student's advisor and another faculty reader knowledgeable in the research area to determine if it meets the minimum standard for Ph.D. Candidacy. Before the end of the third week on spring quarter written comments from both readers will be provided to the Graduate Assistant and to the student. Should revision be required, the Graduate Affairs Committee will decide (in consultation with the advisor) when a revised version must be submitted to meet program requirements.

(E): All second year students are required to present their research orally at the annual Psychology Department Mini-Convention.

(F): By the end of the fifth year, as part of the "Content" requirements, students must have completed two courses outside their area. At least one of these courses must be within the Department. Only one of these courses may be a course in statistics. Psychology 221C, 221D, 260, 262, and 264 are considered outside all areas. Students interested in completing an M.A. by the end of the second year, must complete the "Breadth" requirement by the end of the second year. (See M.A. Program Requirements).

Third Year Program

The following requirements must be completed by the end of the Third Year

Third Year Evaluation

Fulfillment of the Year 3 requirements is necessary to maintain a status of "making normative progress" to degree. Students are required to enroll in 12 units each quarter.

(A): Before the beginning of the Fall quarter students, in consultation with their advisors, form a Doctoral Committee. See AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS for specifics. Students form the Committee by filing the completed Form I (Nomination for Qualifying Examinations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy) with the Graduate Division. The Doctoral Committee consists of four or more members, including the student's advisor who serves as chair of the committee. A minimum of three members must be full-time Department of Psychology faculty members of the UCSB Academic Senate, at least two of whom must be in the student's area. Members of the Doctoral Committee may be added or removed by mutual agreement of the student and the advisor by filing Form I-A (Changes in Thesis or Dissertation Committee) with the Graduate Division. Form I and Form I-A require approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee and the Department Chair.

(B): The General Examination is a four-hour, closed-book written examination prepared and evaluated by the appropriate faculty in each program. The purpose of the General Examination is to demonstrate that a student has mastered the literature of his or her general area. The format and content of the exam is defined by the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology. All General Examinations are given to the Graduate Assistant one week before the examination date. The Graduate Assistant administers the examination on the Friday before Fall quarter instruction begins. After grading the exam, the relevant faculty notifies the Graduate Assistant and the student in writing within two weeks of one of the following outcomes:

1. Pass with distinction
2. Pass
3. Decision deferred until contingencies specified by relevant faculty are satisfied
4. Fail (with the relevant faculty's recommendation as regards status within the program -- see PROGRESS TO DEGREE DOCUMENT and appropriate section)

NOTE: The Department will recommend to Graduate Division that students who fail this exam twice be terminated from the Ph.D. program.

(C): Comprehensive Oral Examination. Within two weeks of passing the General Examination, students schedule the Comprehensive Oral Examination and notify the Graduate Assistant of the date, time, and place of the examination. The format and content of the exam is defined by the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology. The purpose of the Comprehensive Oral Examination is to demonstrate that the student has both the knowledge and the skills necessary to proceed with independent research at the doctoral level. The exam may cover material relevant to the student's general area, and to the relations between these areas and broader psychological issues. After the Comprehensive Oral Examination, the relevant faculty evaluates the student's performance on the General and Oral Exam and determines if the student:

1. Passes the qualifying examinations
2. Decision deferred until contingencies specified by the relevant faculty are satisfied

(D): To advance to candidacy, the student must pay the advancement-to-candidacy fee to the Cashier's Office and present the receipt and the completed Form II (Report on Qualifying Examinations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy) to the Graduate Division.

(E): Students are required to enroll in and attend the 592 seminar series in their area as defined in the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, Social Psychology.

Fourth Year Program

The following requirements must be completed by the end of the Fourth Year

Fourth Year Evaluation

Fulfillment of the Year 4 requirements is necessary to maintain a status of "making normative progress" to degree. Students are required to enroll in 12 units each quarter.

(A): Before the last week of Fall quarter, students must meet with their Doctoral Committee and obtain approval of the formal written Dissertation Proposal. The Dissertation Proposal includes a scholarly review of the relevant literature, and a description of the proposed program of research including methods and analyses where appropriate. Copies of the proposal should be circulated to committee members before the meeting. The approved version of the proposal must be submitted to the Graduate Assistant before the end of the Fall quarter.

(B): Students are required to enroll in at least 4 units of Psychology 599 per quarter.

(C:) Students are required to enroll in and attend the 592 seminar series in their area as defined in the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology.

(D): In addition to eight "Content" and two "Statistics" classes, students must have completed a minimum of six graduate or undergraduate "Courses" approved by their advisor by the end of Year 5. Each of these courses must be a minimum of three units. If the same course number is to be counted more than once toward the six additional graduate or undergraduate courses, the student must submit an advisor-endorsed petition to the Graduate Affairs Committee describing how the content of the specific course is substantially different than the prior course with the same number.

(E): By the end of the fifth year, as part of the "Content" requirements, students must have completed two courses outside their area. At least one of these courses must be within the Department. Only one of these courses may be a course in statistics. Psychology 221C, 221D, 260 , 262 and 264 are considered outside all areas.

(F): Before the end of the Fifth Year, students must have completed a minimum of one quarter as a Teaching Assistant in Psychology 1, Psychology 5, an upper division laboratory class, or as Teaching Associate for any course.

Fifth/Sixth Year Program

The following requirements must be completed by the end of the Fifth/Sixth Year

Fifth Year Evaluation

Fulfillment of the Year 5 requirements is necessary to maintain a status of "making normative progress" to degree. Students are required to enroll in 12 units each quarter.

(A): Students are required to enroll in at least 4 units of Psychology 599 per quarter.

(B): Students are required to enroll in and attend the 592 seminar series in their area as defined in the AREA SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS in Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences, Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Social Psychology.

(C): In addition to eight "Content" and two "Statistics" classes, students must have completed a minimum of six graduate or undergraduate "Courses" approved by their advisor by the end of Year 5. Each of these courses must be a minimum of three units. If the same course number is to be counted more than once toward the six additional graduate or undergraduate courses, the student must submit an advisor-endorsed petition to the Graduate Affairs Committee describing how the content of the specific course is substantially different than the prior course with the same number.

(D): By the end of the fifth year, as part of the "Content" requirements, students must have completed two courses outside their area. At least one of these courses must be within the Department. Only one of these two courses may be a course in statistics. Psychology 221C, 221D, 260 , 262 and 264 are considered outside all areas.

(E): Students are required to present a lecture on their dissertation research to students and faculty in their area and other interested parties by the end of Year 5/6.

(F): Before the end of the Fifth Year, students must have completed a minimum of one quarter as a Teaching Assistant in Psychology 1, Psychology 5, an upper division laboratory class, or as Teaching Associate for any course.

(G): Following completion of the dissertation research, students must write a formal dissertation according to the Guide to Filing Theses and Dissertations at UCSB: A Handbook for Graduate Students (available from the Graduate Division). After an informal review of the document by the Chair of the Doctoral Committee to ensure that it is appropriate in form and content, students submit the dissertation to each member of the committee for evaluation at least three weeks prior to the scheduled date of the Dissertation Oral Examination (see G).

(H): Students are expected to defend their dissertation at a Dissertation Oral Examination. The purpose of the Dissertation Oral Examination is to demonstrate that the student can explain and defend his or her doctoral dissertation, and thereby demonstrate readiness for independent research. This exam may not be scheduled until the Graduate Program Assistant has certified that all other requirements for the degree have been fulfilled. When the Dissertation Oral is successfully passed and any final changes to the dissertation document have been approved by the Chair of the Doctoral Committee, students have Form III signed by all members of the Doctoral Committee.

(I): When Form III is signed, students are responsible for complying with the Graduate Division requirement of filing two copies of the dissertation with the Graduate Division and one with the Psychology Department Graduate Program Assistant. Students then file Form III with Graduate Division. Students may request a letter of degree verification from Graduate Division when they file their dissertations. The degree itself is then awarded at the next regularly scheduled date (end of each quarter).

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