Concentration

Concentrations : Pathways to Specialization


The wealth of courses in the Clinical program and across TC means you can specialize your degree studies with one of ten concentrations. Students are not required to have a concentration, but they are a great way to define your interests to future employers, doctoral programs, or anyone who sees your CV. Claim any of the ten concentrations below by taking the coursework outlined in each section.

You can also use the guides below to discover courses in TC's many other departments.

This area of focus provides students a broad understanding of children, families, and development. Teachers College has a wide variety of courses to orient students to the challenges of working with children and their families, spread across four departments, so you have considerable flexibility in pursuing this concentration. Dr. Susan Bodnar is the head of this concentration. To qualify for the Child & Family concentration, take at least four of the courses below:

 

CCPX 5034  Child Psychopathology

CCPX 5531  Psychotherapy with Children

CCPX 4132  Perinatal Mental Health

CCPX 4126  Mother-Child Matrix: Developmental & Clinical Implications

CCPX 4036  Psychology of human sexuality

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ITSF 4034 Dynamics Of Family Interaction

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BBSN 5055  Neuroscience of Adolescence

BBSN 5070  Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

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HUDK 4021  Developmental psychology: Infancy

HUDK 4022  Developmental psychology: Childhood

HUDK 4023  Developmental psychology: Adolescence

HUDK 4029  Human cognition and learning

HUDK 4035  Technology and Human Development

HUDK 5011  Cognition of Social Emotional Learning

HUDK 5035  Psychology of Media

HUDK 5023  Cognitive development

HUDK 5029  Development and socialization across the lifespan

HUDK 5040  Development and psychopathology: Atypical contexts and populations

HUDK 5121  Children's Social and Emotional Development in Context

This concentration provides students with an understanding of the brain bases of behavior and psychology. Courses will orient students toward neuropsychological research, as well as the assessment and treatment of common conditions. Courses are taught in our department and the Biobehavioral Sciences department. Dr. Richard Waxman is the head of this concentration. Take four or more courses from the list below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 4043  Cognition & Psychopathology

CCPX 5020  Cognition, Emotion, and Culture

CCPX 5035  Psychopharmacology

CCPX 5062  Neuropsychology

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BBS 5068   Brain and Behavior I

BBS 5069   Brain and Behavior II: Perception, Emotion, Memory and Cognition

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BBSN 4001  Foundations in Neuroscience I: Anatomy & Physiology

BBSN 4002  Foundations in Neuroscience II: Systems Neuroscience

BBSN 4005  Research Methods in Neuroscience

BBSN 5005  Evaluation of Neuropsychological Instruments for Research

BBSN 5019  Human Functional Neuroanatomy

BBSN 5055  Neuroscience of Adolescence

BBSN 5070  Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

BBSN 5080  Social and Affective Neuroscience

BBSN 5003  Cognitive Neuroscience

BBSN 5022  Eye Tracking Methods

BBSN 5122  Psychoneuroimmunology

BBSN 5152  Neuroscience, Ethics, and the Law

BBSN 5193  Neuroscience of Adversity

This concentration prepares students to master quantitative and/or qualitative procedures in psychological research. Courses focus on the methods of research design and statistical inference and mathematical modeling. This concentration helps students to work as highly competent researchers. Beyond our department, quantitative courses are offered in HUDM, while those interested in Qualitative methods should look for courses in MSTC, ITSF or A&H below. Take any five courses from this list to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 5533  Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

CCPX 4199  Advanced Research Methods in Psychology

CCPX 4199  Programming for Psychology Research 

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HUD 4120  Methods of Empirical Research

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HUDM 4120  Basic Concepts in Statistics

HUDM 4122  Probability and Statistical Inference

HUDM 5001  Programming for Data Science

HUDM 5026  Intro to Data Analysis in R

HUDM 5059  Psychological measurement

HUDM 5122  Applied Regression Analysis

HUDM 5123  Linear models and Experimental design

HUDM 6055  Latent Structure Analysis

HUDM 4050  Introduction to Measurement

HUDM 5128  Applied Categorical Data Analysis

HUDM 5133  Causal inference for program evaluation

HUDM 6026  Computational Statistics

HUDM 6030  Multilevel Longitudinal Data Analysis

HUDM 6122  Multivariate Analysis I

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BBSN 4005  Research Methods in Neuroscience

BBSN 5022  Eye Tracking Methods

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MSTC 5001 Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

MSTC 5199 Practicing Qualitative Research Methods

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ITSF 4092  Qualitative Methods

ITSF 5000  Introductory Methods of Ethnography and Participant-Observation

ITSF 5001  Ethnography and Participant-Observation 

ITSF 5009  Social Network Analysis

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A&H 4001 Qualitative Research Methods

In this concentration, students will (1) learn ways to marshal technological advances to modernize our discipline, (2) learn about a wide array of psychology fields where this modernization is established, fast-approaching, or where the need for modernization is most pressing, and (3) analyze the ethical considerations surrounding the application of technology in addressing psychological and other human problems. Dr. George Nitzburg is the head of this concentration. TC has five departments teaching relevant courses in this area. Take any four of the courses listed below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 4203  Technology, Psychology, & Psychotherapy (Fall)

CCPX 4199  Artificial Intelligence, Psychology & Psychotherapy (Spring)

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A&HA 4084 Digital Foundations: Creative Technology

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ITSF 4026 001 Technology and Culture

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HUDK 4035  Technology and Human Development

HUDK 5011  Cognition of Social Emotional Learning

HUDK 5035  Psychology of Media

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MSTU 4005 Equity, Ethics, & Social Issues in Edu Tech

MSTU 4028 Technology and Culture

MSTU 4037 Mobile Computing for Social Change

MSTU 4039 Video Games in Education

MSTU 4504 Ethical issues in Technology Design

MSTU 5003 Theory and Programming of Interactive Media: Lecture

MSTU 5013 Theory and Programming of Interactive Media: Lab

MSTU 5027 Tools & Toys for Knowledge construction

MSTU 5035 Technology and Metacognition

MSTU 5199 002 Iss: AI and Society

This concentration prepares students for employment at the MA level in forensic mental health positions and for doctoral-level education in the areas of clinical and forensic psychology.  Coursework is focused in our department, with specialized courses in child and adult forensic psychology, and can also include cross-registration at Columbia Law School. Dr. David Mantell is the head of this concentration. Take any four of the courses listed below to claim the Forensic concentration.

 

CCPX 4150: Introduction to Forensic Psychology

CCPX 4170: Child and Adolescent Forensic Assessment    

CCPX 4199: Adult Forensic Assessment

CCPX 4199: Carceral Mental Health: The Psychologist in the Correctional System

CPPX 5075: Psychology, Law, and Sexualized Violence

CCPX 5160: Forensic Psychology of Child Protection 

CCPX 4060: The Psychology of Loss and Trauma

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ITSF 4034: Dynamics of Family Interaction

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Students may also attempt cross registration at Columbia Law School for courses such as Regulation of Gender and Sexuality, Domestic Violence and the Law, Mental Health Law, and Forensic Evidence. 

This concentration provides students with a thorough understanding of psychotherapeutic theories and techniques. This concentration is for those who wish to eventually focus on direct patient contact and psychotherapeutic treatment. Courses are largely in our program, but students may get permission to take certain classes in the Counseling program as well. Drs. Barry Farber and Matt Blanchard are the heads of this concentration. Take any five of the courses listed below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 4038: Comparative Psychotherapies

CCPX 5037: Dynamic Psychotherapies 

CCPX 4199: Trauma Therapies 

CCPX 4037: Introduction to Cognitive Behavior Therapy

CCPX 5026: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

CCPX 4044: Positive Psychology

CCPX 4199: Personality Disorders

CCPX 5036: Clinical work with Diverse Populations

CCPX 4120: Psychotherapy through Fiction and Film

CCPX 4060: The Psychology of Loss and Trauma

CCPX 4035: Personality & Behavior Change

CCPX 4199: Intro to Clinical Interviewing

CCPX 5033: The Evolution of Freud’s Psychological Theories

CCPX 4542: Contemporary Psychoanalytic Thought

CCPX 4063: Analytic Psychology from Jung to the Present

CCPX 4029: Archetypal Symbolism

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CCPJ 5164:  Multicultural Counseling and Psychology

CCPJ 4068:  Counseling and Gender

CCPJ 4180:  LGBT(Q) Issues

This concentration provides coursework in two closely associated fields: global mental health and trauma. Courses offer exposure to longitudinal and prospective studies of individuals’ reactions to adversity; risk and protective factors for various forms of resilient outcomes; basic research in cognitive and emotional processes that inform adjustment; assessment of local idioms of distress, mental health needs, and attitudes towards illness and treatment in regions around the world; definition and development of metrics of individual and community-level resilience; and issues related to policy development and inter-sector collaboration. Drs. Lena Verdeli and George Bonanno are the heads of this concentration. Take any four of the courses below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 5010: Introduction to Global Mental Health 

CCPX 4199: Iss: Mental Health in Humanitarian Settings

CCPX 5011: Psychotherapy Around the Globe (Summer session)

CCPX 4037: Introduction to Cognitive Behavior Therapy

CCPX 4060: Psychology of Loss and Trauma

CCPX 5020: Cognition, Emotion & Culture

CCPX 4199: Trauma Therapies

This area of focus is for students motivated to improve services for underserved populations within their specific contexts. This concentration prepares students to seek out work settings that serve the growing number of patients facing barriers to mental health treatment due to aging, gender/sexuality, illness/disabilities, incarceration, addiction, and poverty. Drs. Dinelia Rosa and Ayorkor Gaba head this concentration. Take at least four of the courses listed below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 5036: Clinical work with Diverse Populations

CCPX 4020: Geriatric Mental Health

CCPX 4050: Introduction to Health Psychology

CCPX 4036  Psychology of Human Sexuality

CCPX 4125: Women & Mental Health

CCPX 4150: Introduction to Forensic Psychology

CCPX 4032 Assessment and Treatment of Alcohol and Chemical Dependency

CCPX 4199 Advocacy in Psychology 

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CCPJ 5020 Racism and racial identity in psychology and education

CCPJ 5164 Multicultural counseling and psychology

CCPJ 4068 Counseling and Gender

CCPJ 4180 LGBT(Q) Issues

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HBSS 4112  Social Policy and Prevention

HBSS 5110  Determinants of Health Behavior

HBSV 4013  Nutritional Ecology

Other courses in HBS may qualify as well; check with concentration heads or program director.

 

This concentration prepares students to envision and implement the next wave of theories and practices to improve wellbeing of persons with a focus on sexuality and gender. Students will sample and apply women, gender, and sexuality theories to better understand the psychological and social lives of understudied groups such as women, LGBTQ+, and Transgender persons. This concentration is also relevant to the study of the human development of gender differences and roles (“masculinities/femininities”), sex and intimacy, reproductive and maternal mental health, and violence against women, among others. Dr. Aurélie Athan is the head of this concentration. Take any four of the courses below to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 4036: The Psychology of Human Sexuality

CCPX 4125: Women and Mental Health

CCPX 4126: Mother-Child Matrix: Developmental & Clinical Implications 

CCPX 4132: Perinatal Mental Health

CCPX 5075: Psychology, Law, & Sexualized Violence

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CCPJ 4000: Multicultural Psychopathology

CCPJ 4050 Microaggressions in institutional climates: Race, gender, and sexual orientation

CCPJ 4180 LGBTQ Issues in Psychology and Education

CCPJ 4130 Transgender Issues in Counseling and Psychology

CCPJ 4165  Consultation in Community Agencies and Resources

CCPJ 5164  Multicultural Perspective in Counseling and Psychology

CCPJ 4068  Counseling Women

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A&H 4065: Media & Gender

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HBSS 4122: Women's Health

HBSS 4133: Human Sexuality Education

This area of focus prepares students for in-depth understanding of the role of spirituality and contemplative practices (e.g. meditation) as contributors to mental health and well-being. This concentration fosters competency in the essential spiritual principles and practices within the context of illness and healing. Dr. Lisa Miller is the head of this concentration. Take any four of the courses listed below, including new classes offered by our Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI) to claim this concentration.

 

CCPX 4029: Archetypal Symbolism

CCPX 4039: Critical Perspectives on Non-Traditional Psychotherapies

CCPX 4044: Positive Psychology

CCPX 4055: Spirit Mind-Body Medicine

CCPX 4063: Analytic Psychology: Jung to Present

CCPX 5045: Psychotherapy, Religious Diversity, and Spirituality

Note: The Spirituality Mind Body Institute offers a separate Masters Degree inside our department. SMBI also offers various Special Topics courses (CCPX 4199) that may fulfill the concentration requirements. The classes and topics covered vary by semester.

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