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Courses and Requirements
Core Courses:
Students are generally advised to take the following four courses in developmental psychology in their first year of doctoral studies.
Statistics Sequence:
The following four statistics courses are required, and students are advised to begin enrollment during the first semester of study. HUDM 4122 may be waived for students who have taken appropriate coursework in statistics at the undergraduate/graduate level or who have passed an equivalency examination. Please contact Amina Abdelaziz (aa3915@tc.columbia.edu) for more information.
Once this sequence is finished, students may find it helpful to take one or both of the following courses, which provide instruction on more advanced topics:
Breadth Requirement:
All doctoral students must take at least one course for a minimum of 3 points in each of the following four areas listed below. The courses must be other than courses required as part of the program core. Students should consult with their advisors about whether specific courses meet program requirements. Examples of suitable courses are included below, you may also consult the TC course catalog for other examples. Note that courses used to fill the Breadth/Foundation course requirements may not be used to fulfill requirements in another area.
Biological Basis of Behavior:
Cognitive Basis of Behavior:
Social Cultural Factors & Individual Differences:
Measurement:
Proseminar Requirement:
Doctoral Students are required to enroll in proseminar during the fall and spring of their first year. The course is taken for 3 credits per semester, totaling 6 credits for the year. This course covers various topics integral to the doctoral experience and is a great way for students to present their work amongst peers and gain feedback.
HUD 6500 Doctoral Proseminar (2 semesters)
Out-of-Department Requirement:
Doctoral students must take at least three courses outside the department.
Course Assistantship Requirement:
Doctoral students must be a course assistant for two master's-level courses, which can include HUDK 5324, the Master's Practica. For more information, please visit the Department of Human Development located in Grace Dodge Hall, room 453.
Certification Papers:
The two advanced requirements that are met prior to presenting a dissertation proposal are an original theoretical paper and an original empirical research paper in the student's area of specialization. For more information, please visit the Department of Human Development located in Grace Dodge Hall, room 453.
Certification Examination:
As part of their certification requirements, all students must take a three-hour examination in research methods.
Post-Certification Requirement:
Ph.D. candidates must take a minimum of 15 additional points after meeting certification requirements, including the points enrolled during the semester in which certification occurs.
Dissertation Seminar:
For a dissertation proposal to be approved, the student must enroll in Dissertation Seminar (HUDK 7501). Dissertation Seminar is typically taken for one semester-- the semester in which the student wishes to finish the dissertation proposal and have it approved. It can be taken for a maximum of two semesters. If the proposal is not approved in the first semester, the student must register for a second semester. After the approval of the proposal or the completion of the second semester, whichever comes first, the student proceeds automatically into registration for Dissertation Advisement.
Dissertation Proposal Hearing:
When the student and the advisor have agreed on a proposal for disseration research, a proposal hearing will be scheduled.
Advanced Seminar:
After completing the collection of data, the student will request that an Advanced Seminar be scheduled. The purpose of the Advanced Seminar is for the committee to review data and their analysis before the final Dissertation Defense.
Dissertation Defense:
Requirements for the scheduling of the disseration defense and composition of the dissertation commitee can be found in the requirements bulletin for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (obtainable from the Office of Doctoral Studies).
M.Phil. Degree:
The M. Phil is an en passant degree awarded to those nearing the completion of the Ph.D. degree. The student contacts the Office of Doctoral Studies to file for award of the degree.
To receive the M. Phil., the student must satisfactorily complete the following requirements:
Please note: Students must submit a copy of their Program Plan of Study and both research papers to the Department of Human Development for record keeping purposes.
Transfer Credit:
Relevant graduate courses with earned grades of B or higher taken in other recognized graduate schools to a maximum of 30 points, or 45 points if completed in another Faculty of Columbia University, may be accepted toward the minimum point requirement for the Ph.D. degree. For more information, please contact the Transfer Credit Coordinator in the Registrar's Office.
Satisfactory Progress:
Students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements. If satisfactory progress is not maintained, a student may be dismissed from the program. Where there are concerns about satisfactory progress, students will be informed by the program faculty.