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Cognitive/Experimental The Cognitive/Experimental Program is designed to provide students with a mastery of the substantive knowledge and methodological skills necessary for a successful career as a teacher or researcher in academic or other professional settings. Although all students master the core areas of Cognitive Psychology and meet the Masters core requirements of the Department of Psychology, students are encouraged to devise, with their Advisory Committee, a program of study best suited to their particular needs and aspirations. In addition to general knowledge and skills that are expected in all Cognitive/Experimental graduate programs, the program of study is expected to foster advanced expertise in at least one of the following sub-disciplines: cognition and information processing, sensation and perception, and cognitive neuroscience. Admission to the Program To be admitted to the program, an applicant must be approved by the Graduate School, the Department of Psychology, and the faculty of the Cognitive/Experimental program. Selection is based on various criteria, including prior academic record, GRE scores, previous research experience, letters of recommendation, and a good match between the applicant's interests and those of faculty members who might serve as their Major Professor. Applications must be turned in to BOTH the University of Georgia Office of Graduate Admissions and the office of the Graduate Coordinator of Psychology. Applications to the Cognitive/Experimental program must be received by December 1 to be guaranteed full consideration. For more on Psychology graduate admissions click here. Financial Assistance The Cognitive/Experimental program has been very successful in recent years at obtaining funding for all or nearly all of its students in all semesters. Students may also work directly with the University's Office of Student Financial Aid (706-542-6147) for assistance in securing student loans. The Faculty, and Selecting a Major Professor
M.S. Degree: Although the Psychology department does not offer the M.S. as a terminal degree, it does require that each student complete the M.S. as preparation for the Ph.D. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted, for example if the student has elsewhere obtained a M.S. degree in Psychology based, in part, upon a written thesis. The M.S. Program of Study must contain at least 27 credit hours of course work, including the following. (Students who have taken graduate course work elsewhere, or who have had an especially good undergraduate preparation, may be able to exempt some of the specific course requirements listed below.) PSYC 6100 - Cognitive Psychology and two courses from among the following: PSYC 6200 - Advanced Social Psychology
> PSYC 6420 - Quantitative Psychology II At least one additional course on research methods or instrumentation to be chosen with the advice and consent of the DAC. One additional course from outside the Psychology Department also to be chosen with the advice and consent of the DAC. Currently, students in the Cognitive/Experimental Program may specialize in one of three areas including: Cognition and Information Processing, Sensation and Perception, or Cognitive Neuroscience. Students are expected to complete at least four courses in the specialty area and at least two courses in each of two non-specialty areas.
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Upon admission to the program, students are eligible for various
forms of financial support. These include teaching assistantships
- students with masters degrees may teach their own courses; those
with the bachelor's degree assist an instructor - and research assistantships.
A limited number of research assistantships are available through
the Graduate School through competitive University-Wide Fellowships,
or students may be funded through a faculty member's grant. Applications
for University-wide assistantships are routed through the chairperson
of the Cognitive/Experimental program.
Entering students are assigned an initial advisor
based upon what seems to be a "best match" between the
student's expressed interests and the specialty area of individual
faculty. Because
most new students are not familiar with specific areas of faculty
interests and their research, and because it is not uncommon for
students' academic research interests to undergo significant change
(especially in their first year or two), the assignment of the initial
advisor should be regarded as entirely provisional. Students should
attempt to acquaint themselves with all faculty members in the Cognitive/Experimental
Program in order to secure a Major Professor who best matches their
interests and ambitions. The Cognitive/Experimental faculty has
diverse interests, and are affiliated with such other units of the
University as the 
Ph.D. Degree: Award of the Ph.D. degree is contingent upon
(a) completion of a Ph.D. Program of Study, (b) satisfactory performance
on both written and oral Comprehensive Examinations, (c) submission
of a dissertation prospectus, and (d) completion of a written doctoral
dissertation and satisfactory defense thereof in a final oral examination.
The Ph.D. Program of Study and other Ph.D. requirements are additional
requisites those needed for the M.S. degree. Specific requirements
are: 
