Psychology: Behavioral Neuroscience PhD

The Behavioral Neuroscience PhD program provides students with broad and deep knowledge of the biological factors that control behavior. Our core faculty conduct innovative research on motivated behaviors, pain, auditory processing and synaptic plasticity. Our students interact with a larger neuroscience community at UB that provides a unique training relationship tailored to each student’s research interests and professional goals.

Requirements for Degree Completion

The following serves as a guide for students to complete the Behavioral Neuroscience Doctoral Program successfully. Students tailor their education to fit their own interests and professional goals through the selection of appropriate elective courses and research projects in conjunction with their advisor. The program serves to facilitate these goals by maintaining productive and high-quality research programs, and by providing a stimulating and motivating educational environment for the graduate students in the program. Students are also expected to join the UB Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience as well as participate in relevant activities offered by the UB Interdisciplinary Program in Medical Neuroscience.
A minimum of 72 credit hours, including core behavioral neuroscience coursework, electives and departmental breadth requirements.
Attendance at weekly brown bag meetings where students and faculty present and discuss their research, or contemporary research articles within the behavioral neuroscience field. After the first year, each PhD student is required to present in our brown bag meeting once per year. In addition to presentations by members and visitors on relevant experimental and theoretical issues, there are two sessions each semester devoted to ethics (e.g., academic ethics, scientific and research ethics, ethics of animal use).
Successful completion of the preliminary exam. Preliminary exams are traditionally completed during the third fall semester in the program. The student is expected to meet with the prelim committee (the advisor and three other behavioral neuroscience faculty members) to define the scope and format of the exam. Although the exam format is determined by the committee, all preliminary exams include a written and an oral component. The most common format includes a mock grant application on the student’s area of expertise, and closed book written questions on topics assigned by committee members.
After completion of the preliminary exam, students generate and defend a dissertation proposal, and ultimately complete and defend the dissertation.

Course Work

This course serves as a basic introductory course to bring our area students up to the same minimum degree of knowledge prior to (and is a prerequisite for) more advanced coursework (all other BN courses except PSY 634 ). BN students are expected to take this course during their first Fall semester, and pass with a grade of B or better.

PSY 513LEC - Biol Bases of Behavior Credits: 3

Neuroanatomy (self-paced learning)

An electronic learning module has been established to provide basic neuroanatomical knowledge for students in the area. This learning module must be completed before the start of the second year of study. A faculty member will coordinate distribution of the module and will be available to answer questions about the module (and material within). Students are required to notify the neuroanatomy coordinator when they have completed the module.

Departmental Course Requirements

Students are required to complete certain departmental course requirements and receive a grade of B- or better:

PSY 607LEC - Adv Statistics Methods 1 Credits: 3 ANOVA and
PSY 608SEM - Adv Statistics Methods 2 Credits: 3 ANOVA

One distribution course in 2 of the 3 areas:

Clinical
PSY 604SEM - Res Meth Clinical Psych Credits: 3
PSY 618SEM - Dev Psycho Pathology Credits: 3
PSY 624SEM - Psychopathology Credits: 3
PSY 713SEM - Psychophysiology Credits: 3
PSY 830SEM - Psychology of Drug Addiction: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment Credits: 3
Cognitive
PSY 627SEM - Perception Credits: 3
PSY 639SEM - Cognitive Processes Credits: 3
PSY 642SEM - Psycholinguistics Credits: 3
PSY 645SEM - Cognitive Development Credits: 3
PSY 728SEM - Memory Credits: 3
Social Personality
PSY 616SEM - Prosocial Motivation Credits: 3
PSY 680SEM - Adv Social Psychology 1 Credits: 3
PSY 685SEM - Social Psychophysiology Credits: 3
PSY 704SEM - Social Psych Res Methods Credits: 3
PSY 730SEM - The Social Self Credits: 3
PSY 735SEM - Close Relationships Credits: 3

Area Electives

Students are expected to take as many of these as offered starting in their second semester. The prerequisite for electives is earning a B- or better in PSY 513 Biological Bases of Behavior:

PSY 629SEM - Biopsychology of Ingestive Behavior Credits: 3
PSY 634SEM - Animal Behavior Credits: 3
PSY 715LEC - Behavior Genetics Credits: 3
PSY 744LEC - Biological Rhythms in Behavior Credits: 3
PSY 749SEM - Biopsychology of Stress Credits: 3
PSY 757LEC - Psychoneurochemistry Credits: 3
PSY 813LEC - Hormones & Behavior Credits: 3

Special Topics Courses

(Also require a B- or better in PSY 513 )

The area also offers occasional specialized courses relevant to a variety of topics in the neuroscience field. These include graduate seminars in the following areas:

Computational Neuroscience
Molecular Basis of Mental Disorders
Molecular Neuroscience
Methods Psychobiology of Reproduction
Psychobiology of Addiction
Psychobiology of Motivation
Topics in Neuroethology
Theories of Learning Pain & Analgesia
Biopsychology of Ingestion
Homeostasis and Behavior
Animal Models of Human Psychopathology

In addition to the courses listed, occasionally students participate in the two-semester Interdisciplinary Introduction to Neuroscience course taught by a team of faculty derived from a variety of departments. Students also may wish to obtain specialized training through enrollment in graduate level courses offered by other departments (e.g., Biomedical Science, Pharmacology, Biology, Physiology, Anatomy, Communicative Disorders and Sciences).

Completion Timeline

The program is designed with a five-year time frame in mind, but students often require more time to finish the program requirements. Please review a timeline of expected progress:

First Year

Students begin conducting research in the laboratory of their mentor and start taking required courses. Biological Bases of Behavior (PSY 513 ) is a prerequisite for other area electives, and is therefore completed in the first semester in the program. Students also are expected to take statistics courses and other available distribution courses and electives in the first year.

Second Year

Students continue to develop their research programs, and often complete most or all of the required coursework by the end of the second year. During the second year, students are encouraged to assemble a preliminary exam committee and meet with the committee to determine the format and expectations of the preliminary exam.

Third Year

Students generally complete preliminary exams during the first semester of the third year. The third year is also a time of more intense focus on research that will lay the foundation for the dissertation proposal. Students should assemble a dissertation committee and begin focusing on the dissertation proposal.

Fourth Year and Beyond

The dissertation project is expected to be developed by the student and advisor, and proposed to the committee. Once the committee approves the proposal, the student can begin work on the project, ultimately leading to the dissertation and completion of the program.

Total Credit Hours: Minimum of 72

Instruction Method

In Person (100 percent of courses offered in person)

Full/Part Time Options

Full Time

Credits Required

72 Hours

Time-To-Degree

5 Years

Application Fee

$75

Admissions Tests

N/A

SED Statement

This program is officially registered with the New York State Education Department (SED).

Online programs/courses may require students to come to campus on occasion. Time-to-degree and number of credit hours may vary based on full/part time status, degree, track and/or certification option chosen. Time-to-degree is based on calendar year(s). Contact the department for details.