Psychology

Professor Ken Nakayama, Acting Head Tutor

Psychology is the scientific study of thought and behavior, and as such is an extremely broad discipline. To understand the internal and external events that lead us to behave as we do, we need to know a number of things. We must look at the biological basis of behavior, such as the nervous system, the endocrine system, and genetic influences. We also need to consider the role of learned behaviors acquired through experience and about the roles of sensation, perception, memory, and cognition. We have to address individual differences, such as the characteristics that distinguish the individual from every other. We also need to consider the effects of social interaction, for people live among others and are influenced by their contacts and communications with other people. Because people change over time, we also need to know something about developmental processes. Understanding the roles of these various factors in the production of thought and behavior is a complex task, and therefore psychology is a complex and fascinating discipline.

Although many people believe that psychology is concerned primarily with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, most of the research conducted in Harvard's Department of Psychology concerns basic psychological processes such as perception, memory, social influence, motivation, social support, nonverbal communication, and decision making. Many members of the department have interests in behavioral neuroscience, such as understanding the biological basis of temperament and understanding how various brain structures are related to behavior. Some members of the department use psychology to understand other disciplines, such as law, medicine, and business. Finally, some members of the department conduct research on the etiology, development, and treatment of psychopathology. All members of the department share the common goal of understanding behavior through empirical investigation, and their teaching and research reflect this goal.

The Department understands that undergraduates concentrate in psychology for various reasons. Some seek to prepare themselves for graduate work in psychology or a related discipline; some plan to go on to professional work; and some see a concentration in psychology as interesting and valuable intellectually but do not base their future vocational plans upon it. The Department has kept all these reasons in mind in designing its concentration requirements. The requirements have been structured so that students start with a Tier 1 course that provides an introduction to the field, progress to Tier 2 courses that each provide a foundation in a sub-area of psychology, and then take electives in more specialized areas of interest.

For information on the secondary field in Psychology, please see page 369 of this Handbook or the secondary fields website (www.secondaryfields.fas.harvard.edu/Psych/program-desc-psych.htm).

REQUIREMENTS

For students entering the College in Fall 2006 or later. Other students should refer to the Handbook for Students from the year in which they declared their concentration.

Basic Requirements: 12 half-courses

1. Required courses:
1. Introductory/Tier 1: Psychology 1, half-course, first or sophomore year. Letter-graded.
2. Sophomore Tutorial: Psychology 971, half-course, sophomore year. Letter-graded. (See item 2a.)
3. Basic Methods: Psychology 1900, Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology, half-course, sophomore year. Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
4. Tier 2: Two half-courses, recommended by end of sophomore year. Letter-graded.
   Select two of Psychology 13, 15, 16, 18, or Molecular and Cellular Biology 80.
5. Advanced Methods: Psychology 1901, Methods of Behavioral Research, half-course, junior year.
6. Concentration Electives: Six half-courses. All letter-graded. (See items 2b, 2c, 5a, and 5b.)
2. Tutorials:
1. Sophomore Tutorial: Psychology 971 is a semester-long, House-based tutorial required for concentrators. Students who enter the concentration late should enroll in Psychology 971 upon entering the concentration. The sophomore tutorial will examine from a variety of perspectives issues and phenomena addressed in contemporary psychological research.
2. Senior Seminar: General Psychology (Psychology 995): Optional one-term group tutorial that provides an overview of the field for senior concentrators not engaged in a thesis project.
3. Supervised Research (Psychology 910r): Optional one-term individual tutorial consisting of empirical research conducted under the supervision of a departmental faculty member. A research report is required. The number of times this course can be taken is limited (see item 5b). May be taken Pass/Fail if not for concentration. Applications must be approved by the Undergraduate Office prior to filing of study cards.
3. Thesis: None.
4. General Examination: None.
5. Other information:
1. Elective Requirement, Nondepartmental Courses: Up to two nondepartmental half-courses may be taken in partial fulfillment of the concentration elective requirement. These courses may be any combination of affiliate, expedited, or petition courses. These courses vary each year; a current list and relevant deadlines are available on the concentration website. Not counting toward the limit of two nondepartmental courses are those taught by regular psychology faculty (e.g., Science B-60, B-62; Social Analysis 43, Freshman Seminar 26p).
   Affiliate Courses are nondepartmental courses taught by departmental affiliates. Affiliated courses in Education require cross-registration with instructor and departmental signatures. These courses are automatically approved and designated for nondepartmental elective concentration credit.
   Expedited Courses are nondepartmental courses that include significant psychological content and could be a useful component of one's concentration in psychology. These courses are automatically approved but require students to designate them for nondepartmental elective concentration credit by emailing psychology@wjh.harvard.edu by the appropriate deadline.
   Petitioned Courses are other nondepartmental courses that students believe will contribute significantly to their study of psychology. These courses must include significant psychological content and relate directly to their own concentration program. A petition is required (forms available in the Undergraduate Office and on the concentration website) and must be submitted by the appropriate deadline.
2. Elective Requirement, Research Courses: Students may take up to three research courses (any combination of 910r and lab methods courses; for students changing from honors-eligible tracks, this also includes 985 and senior thesis tutorials) in partial fulfillment of concentration elective requirements. Additional research courses may be taken for College elective credit; students may enroll in 910r up to a total of three times.
3. Graded Course Requirement: All courses taken for concentration must be letter-graded. The only exceptions are cross-listed Freshman Seminars.
4. Undergraduate Teacher Education Program: Concentrators may be eligible to obtain certification to teach middle or secondary schools in Massachusetts and states with which Massachusetts has reciprocity. See page 47 for more information about the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP).

Requirements for Honors Eligibility: 14 half-courses

1. Required courses:
       a-e. Same as Basic Requirements.
       f. Concentration Electives: Five half-courses. All letter-graded (see item 5a of Basic Requirements and item 5c below).
       g. Laboratory Methods Requirement: Half-course, sophomore or junior year. Letter-graded. Select one from a list that varies each year. See item 5b.
       h. Psychology 990, Senior Tutorial, full course. Graded SAT/UNS. (See item 2c.)
2. Tutorials:
1. Sophomore year: Same as Basic Requirements.
2. Junior Tutorial: Preparation for the Honors Thesis (Psychology 985): Optional but recommended one-term tutorial consisting of individual reading and research leading to a thesis prospectus, under the supervision of a Departmental faculty member, supplemented by occasional required group meetings. Particularly recommended for students working outside of the department or planning summer research. Graded SAT/UNS. Prospectus or paper required. Application must be made to the Undergraduate Office prior to filing Study Card. See also item 3.
3. Senior Tutorial: The Honors Thesis (Psychology 990): Full-year individual tutorial consisting of research leading to submission of the thesis, supplemented by required spring poster session and occasional optional but highly recommended group meetings. Graded SAT/UNS.
4. Supervised Research (Psychology 910r): Application required; optional one-term individual tutorial consisting of empirical research conducted under the supervision of a departmental faculty member. A research report is required. Applications must be approved by the Undergraduate Office prior to filing of study cards. May be used to meet the lab methods requirement, but will not meet the concentration elective requirements for honors-eligible students (see also item 5c).
3. Thesis: Required. An adviser-approved thesis application is normally due in April of the junior year. A thesis prospectus meeting giving thesis committee approval of the prospectus is normally required by late October of the senior year. The completed thesis is due the Wednesday before spring recess of the senior year. Required poster session spring of senior year.
4. General Examination: None.
5. Other information:
1. Elective Requirements, Nondepartmental Courses: Same as Basic Requirements, item 5a.
2. Laboratory Methods Requirement: Laboratory methods courses acquaint students with research in various areas of psychology and provide valuable preparation for honors candidates designing thesis projects. The list of concentration courses varies each year; see the website.
3. Elective requirement, Research Courses: With the exception of 985, students may not count any additional research courses (any combination of 910r and lab methods courses) toward concentration requirements. Additional research courses may be taken for College elective credit; students may enroll in 910r up to a total of three times.
4. Graded Course Requirement: All concentration courses except Psychology 985, Psychology 990, and cross-listed Freshman Seminars must be letter-graded.
5. Admissions Requirement: An honors application is required, normally in April of the junior year. To apply to the honors thesis program, students must have completed basic, advanced, and laboratory methods and have a 3.5 College grade point average.
6. Determination of Departmental Honors: Honors degree recommendations are normally determined by a combination of the concentration grade point average and the thesis evaluation.
7. Joint Concentrations: Students who are interested in completing study in two related fields are strongly encouraged to pursue a concentration in one field and a secondary field in the other. In rare cases, qualified honors candidates may combine Psychology with other fields in a joint concentration if they can demonstrate a clear integrative research path deserving of a joint concentration. Students considering a joint concentration should speak with an adviser no later than the beginning of junior year to determine the feasibility of completing it.
8. Undergraduate Teacher Education Program: See item 5d of Basic Requirements.

Psychology and Neuroscience Track
Requirements: 14 half-courses

The Psychology and Neuroscience track is affiliated with the University-wide Mind/Brain/ Behavior (MBB) Interfaculty Initiative, and is administered through the Psychology Undergraduate Office. An application is required. MBB tracks are also available in Computer Science, History and Science, Human Evolutionary Biology, Linguistics, and Philosophy.

1. Required courses:

a. Introductory: Science B-62, half-course, first or sophomore year. Letter-graded.
b. Sophomore Tutorial: Psychology 971, half-course, sophomore year. Letter-graded.
c. Basic Methods: Psychology 1900, half-course, sophomore year. Letter-graded; must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
d. Tier 2: MCB 80 (formerly Biological Sciences 80), half-course, sophomore year, and one other half-course from Psychology 13, 15, 16, and 18, recommended by end of sophomore year. Letter-graded.
e. Seminar in Mind/Brain/Behavior: Half course, junior year. Letter-graded. Select one from a list that varies each year.
f. Advanced Methods: Psychology 1901, half-course, junior year. Letter-graded.
g. Laboratory Methods: Half course, sophomore or junior year. Letter-graded. Select one from a list on the concentration website.
h. Senior Tutorial: Psychology 992, full course, senior year. Graded SAT/UNS. See item 5a.
i. Track Electives: Four half-courses. Letter-graded. See item 5b.

2-4. See Psychology Requirements for Honors Eligibility, items 2-4.

5. Other information:

a. Senior Tutorial: Psychology 992 requires participation in the psychology spring poster session and MBB thesis activities; attendance at optional group meetings of Psychology 990 is also highly recommended.
b. Track Electives: Track electives are selected in consultation with a concentration adviser, and may include non-departmental courses by petition. Course selection will be reviewed and approved by the MBB Head Tutor in Psychology. With the exception of 985, students may not count any additional research courses (any combination of 910r and lab methods courses) toward track elective requirements. Additional research courses may be taken for College elective credit; students may enroll in 910r up to a total of three times.
c. Admission Requirements: Admission to the track is by application. To apply to the track, students must have a 3.5 College grade point average. We recommend that students apply as soon as they are reasonably certain they want to be in the track to ensure that their coursework is appropriate for the track. Applications must be submitted no later than the first term of the junior year.

Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Track Basic Requirements: 12 half-courses

Requirements for Honors Eligibility 14 half-courses

Social and Cognitive Neuroscience is a specialized track within the Psychology concentration and part of the Life Sciences cluster of concentration options. As such, it is one of the major paths toward bridging the social and life sciences at Harvard. The track reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of learning and research in psychology, emphasizing integration across the sub-disciplines within psychology (social psychology, cognitive psychology, development, psychopathology) as well as connections between psychology and the other life sciences. Students in this track have the opportunity to study the interplay between traditional interests in psychology such as vision, memory, language, emotion, intergroup relations, and psychological disorders, and recent developments in neuroscience and evolutionary science.

To support this learning, the track will provide a strong foundation of basic knowledge in psychology and the life sciences, as well as analytical, quantitative, and laboratory research skills scientists in these areas employ. Students will also take more advanced courses in social and cognitive neuroscience and conduct research in a faculty laboratory. A thesis option is available for students with strong interests in the research component of the program.

1. Required courses:
1. Introductory/Tier 1: Psychology 1, half-course, first or sophomore year. Letter-graded.
2. Sophomore Tutorial: Psychology 975, half-course, sophomore year. Letter-graded. See item 2a.
3. Basic Methods: Psychology 1900, half-course, sophomore year. Letter-graded; must pass with a grade of C or higher.
4. Tier 2: MCB 80 (formerly Biological Sciences 80), half-course, sophomore year, and other half-course from Psychology 13, 15, 16, and 18, recommended by end of sophomore year. Letter-graded.
5. Advanced Methods: Psychology 1901, half-course, sophomore or junior year. Letter-graded.
6. Laboratory Methods: half-course, sophomore or junior year. Letter-graded. Select from a list on the concentration website.
7. Life Sciences Courses: Life Sciences 1a or Life Sciences 1b (both may count, but only one is required); and one or two additional basic-level courses in life sciences and related areas selected from a list on the concentration website to total three half-courses.
8. Psychology Electives: Two half-courses, both letter-graded. Only one may be non-departmental. (All students see Basic Requirements, item 5a. Non-honors students also see Basic Requirements, item 5b; honors-eligible students also see Requirements for Honors Eligibility, item 5c.)
9. For Honors Eligibility: Senior Tutorial: Psychology 993, full course, senior year. Graded SAT/UNS. See item 2c.
2. Tutorials:
1. Sophomore Tutorial (Psychology 975): Examines issues and phenomena addressed in contemporary psychological and life science research from a variety of perspectives. A sophomore essay is required.
2. Junior Tutorial: Preparation for the Honors Thesis (Psychology 985): Optional but recommended half-course tutorial consisting of individual reading and research leading to a thesis prospectus, supplemented by occasional required group meetings. Course particularly recommended for students working outside of department or planning summer research. Graded SAT/UNS. Prospectus or paper required. Application must be made to the Psychology Undergraduate Office prior to filing study cards.
3. Senior Tutorial: The Honors Thesis (Psychology 993): Full-year individual tutorial consisting of research leading to submission of the thesis, supplemented by required spring poster session and occasional optional but highly recommended group meetings. Graded SAT/UNS.
4. Supervised Research (Psychology 910r): Application required; optional one-term individual tutorial consisting of empirical research conducted under the supervision of a departmental faculty member. A research report is required. Applications must be approved by the Undergraduate Office prior to filing study cards. May be used to meet the lab methods requirement, but will not meet concentration elective requirements for honors-eligible students (see Psychology Requirements for Honors Eligibility item 5c).
3. Thesis: Required for honors eligibility. A College GPA of 3.5 or greater is required to apply for the thesis. An adviser-approved thesis application is normally due in April of the junior year. A thesis prospectus meeting giving thesis committee approval of the prospectus is normally required by late October of the senior year. The completed thesis is due the Wednesday before spring recess of the senior year. Required poster session spring of senior year.
4. General Examination: None.

ADVISING

The Department of Psychology offers numerous opportunities for students to obtain advice about the field and concentration. The first stop for information should be the undergraduate website (www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/), which is a comprehensive collection of requirements, departmental policies, and advice about navigating through the concentration. Students may also get advice and information throughout the year from program staff in the Psychology Undergraduate Office, William James 218 House-based concentration advisers are available to upperclass students throughout the academic year. Students may email brief questions to psychology@wjh.harvard.edu. Concentration advising includes discussing concentration requirements, signing Study Cards and Plans of Study, helping plan future courses, and answering other related questions students may have. A more detailed description of advising resources is available on the concentration website.

Pre-concentrators should read the Advising and Requirements sections of the undergraduate website (links to those sections are on the home page: www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/) for posted pre-concentration drop-in advising hours and should feel free to e-mail psychology@wjh.harvard.edu or stop by the Undergraduate Office with questions.

For up-to-date information on advising in Psychology, please see the Advising Programs Office website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~advising/concentrations/Psychology.html.

RESOURCES

The Department of Psychology is situated in William James Hall, at the corner of Kirkland Street and Divinity Avenue. Copying machines are available in the library and in the basement of the building. Special facilities exist for individual interviews; personality studies; observation of small groups, infants, and children; and for work in the areas of vision and perception, animal behavior, and the behavioral and cognitive neurosciences. These laboratories are directed by individual faculty members and access is arranged through them.

The Psychology Undergraduate Office is located on the second floor of William James Hall (218-222) and is open year-round, Monday through Friday, 9-5. Students are welcome to come here for general information about the concentration and related matters. The Psychology undergraduate website (www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/) includes information on concentration requirements, prizes, awards, volunteer and job opportunities, graduate schools, and various psychology-related activities throughout the University and the country.

The Department of Psychology has long been committed to active student involvement in departmental activities. Each year, several concentrators serve as student representatives to the departmental Committee on Undergraduate Instruction (CUI). The CUI considers a wide variety of policy matters, and student participation in its deliberations allows concentrators to help plan and review aspects of the undergraduate curriculum and programs.

HOW TO FIND OUT MORE

The Psychology concentration has an extensive website (www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/) that includes information about basic and honors concentration requirements, joint concentrations, the psychology MBB and Life Science tracks, and sample plans of study in general psychology, pre-medical studies, pre-clinical studies, and pre-professional studies. Also on the website is information on departmental research opportunities, potential non-department thesis advisers, grant applications, and other forms. You can also contact the Undergraduate Office at psychology@wjh.harvard.edu or 617-495-3712.

ENROLLMENT STATISTICS

Number of Concentrators as of November