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.