All developmental students must take at least five of the developmental courses listed below.

• PSYC 5420. Cognitive Development
• PSYC 5425. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
• PSYC 5440. Development of Language
• PSYC 5450. Infancy & the Effects of Early Experience
• PSYC 5460. Social & Personality Development
• PSYC 5470. Current Topics in Developmental Psychology

Students may also substitute one of the above courses with another developmental-related course from another division or department if they obtain permission before. Examples of substitute courses include:

• PSYC 5445/COGS 5140. Neurobiology of Language: Typical and Atypical Cognition and Language Development
• PSYC 5424/COGS 5150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Across the Lifespan

All developmental students must take the following statistics sequence (completed usually in the fall and spring of the first year).

• PSYC 5104. Foundations of Research in the Psychological Sciences I
• PSYC 5105. Foundations of Research in the Psychological Sciences II

In order to expand the student’s knowledge beyond their specific area of study, a minimum of 9 credits (typically three courses) of graduate work outside the student’s concentration is required. Usually, any graduate class outside the student’s concentration or the Department will count as breadth. There are a few additional restrictions, including:

• The intro stats sequence (PSYC 5104 & PSYC 5105) may not be used to fill the breadth requirement.
• No more than two quantitative courses, defined as courses that count for the Graduate Certificate Program in Quantitative Research Methods, may be used for breadth.
• No more than one breadth course may be taken with any one instructor, aside from the following classes: a course in grant writing; PSYC 5100, 5140, 5285; COGS 5001.
• Three credit hours of PSYC 5801 taken with a faculty member outside the student’s Division will meet Department breadth requirements as one course. However, the Head of that faculty member’s Division must consent to this.
• Upper-level undergraduate classes in other departments and other courses may be considered for breadth on a case-by-case basis.
• Courses in other departments that are cross-listed as PSYC courses will not count towards the departmental breadth requirement if the PSYC version of the course is in the student’s concentration, even if the student registers for the course under the external department course number.
• Students entering the program with a master’s from a different (Psychology or non-Psychology) department or concentration may have up to 6 breadth credits waived (up to two classes).

Timeline: Students should complete a masters project by the end of their third year.

Plan of Study: The Graduate School requires that a MS Plan of Study.pdf form, signed by all members of the MS Advisory Committee, be submitted to the Registrar's Office (with original signatures) and a copy to the Psych Graduate Program Coordinator. The Plan of Study lists 30 credits which include 9 credits of GRAD 5950 and 21 credits of coursework. For complete details on Content and Research Credit requirements for the MS, please visit the Course Requirements page. Only list the minimum required 30 credits, as you will need the remaining credits for your PhD Plan of Study (courses can only be listed on either the MS or PhD Plan of Study).

Thesis Committee: Your major advisor, another advisor from the developmental psychology concentration, and a third advisor from a different program or department. You may have additional advisors if you prefer. You are encouraged to discuss with your advisor the best time to form the committee and who best to ask to serve on the committee

Thesis Format: There is no formal requirement (e.g., min. page length) for the thesis format. You are encouraged to discuss with your advisor the appropriate format, structure and length. Students are encouraged to look at masters theses from previous graduate students in the department and the program to guide formatting and structure. All theses are posted on the Digital Commons and are available to all students.

Thesis Proposal: No formal proposal is required, although students are encouraged to discuss their masters project with all members of their committee prior to the defense.

Thesis Defense: Meet with your advisory committee to establish the details for your MS oral defense as well as schedule a room. Email the Psych Graduate Program Coordinator two weeks in advance of your oral defense date with the date, time, location, room number, advisor name, and working copy of your thesis.

The defense will consist of approximately a 30-minute talk where you will present your research project. Then, you will answer questions from the audience and your committee about it.

Document submission: Before you submit your thesis to the Registrar's Office make sure you have completed all the guidelines regarding formatting proposals. The Graduate School gives some specifications on the required formatting.

Submit the following forms to the Registrar's Office and the Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator at the time of your thesis submission in Digital Commons:

• One signed MS approval page with original signatures
• Report on the Final Examination for the Master's Degree with original signatures
• Thesis Submission Checklist

Plan of Study: The Graduate School requires that a Doctor of Philosophy Plan of Study form, signed by all members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee, be submitted to the Registrar's Office (with original signatures) and a copy to the Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator.

Plan of Study Content: The Plan of Study lists 30 credits which include:

• 15 credits of GRAD 6950 or 6960.
• 15 credits of Ph.D. content coursework (a combination of division-specific requirements and breadth courses; see this page for more details). Content courses listed in the Masters plan of study cannot be listed on the Doctoral plan of study.
• The intro stats sequence (PSYC 5104 and PSYC 5105). The intro stats sequence should be listed under the "Related Area" section on the Plan of Study.

Plan of Study Submission Timeline: The Doctoral Plan of Study form should be completed and submitted when not more than 18 credits of coursework for the degree have been completed.

Important: Below is meant as an overview of the General Examination (or “Comprehensive Examination”) requirement. For complete and current information about the examination requirements and procedures, please consult the Comprehensive Examination Guidelines document (via the grad program’s shared Share Point folder).

Overview: The Comprehensive Examination is a key milestone designed to both advance and evaluate students’ development as independent scholars. The primary goal of the examination is to assess students’ ability to think critically, synthesize and integrate a scholarly literature, and engage in original and creative scholarship. Through this process, students develop in-depth expertise in a focused area of research and demonstrate readiness to undertake the dissertation.

The Comprehensive Examination includes the submission of two documents, as well as an oral defense. The first document, the Focal Paper, is the central component of the examination and consists of an in-depth, integrative, and novel synthesis of the literature in the student’s focal area of research. The second document, the Plus One, is an additional scholarly product (typically a first-authored manuscript on research completed in the graduate program or a fellowship application) that demonstrates the student’s development and progression in research and scholarship.

Timeline: The Comprehensive Examination is typically completed during the third year of the doctoral program. The exact timeline will vary depending on the student’s progress, background preparation, and the timing of their broader research activities. Students should work closely with their primary advisor and committee to establish a realistic and individualized timeline for completing the exam.

Committee: The Comprehensive Examination committee consists of the student’s primary advisor, a second faculty member from the Developmental Program, and a third faculty member from a different program or department. Additionally, a minimum of two additional faculty members (readers) must be present at the Oral Defense.

Proposal: As part of the proposal, students are to submit two documents, corresponding to the two components of the examination. The Focal Paper Proposal document (~1500 words) should articulate the plan for the paper and central questions and issues that will guide the structure of the paper. The Plus One Plan description should provide a brief (~250 words) description of the plan for the submitted Plus One Scholarly Product.

Students are expected to set up a formal Proposal Meeting to establish an agreement on the plans for both the Focal Paper and the Plus One product. Prior to that meeting, students should discuss plans and solicit input on both documents with their primary advisors and their comprehensive examination committee.

Document Preparation and Submission: The Focal Paper should be written in the style of a scholarly review article. The paper is expected to be approximately 10,000–15,000 words (excluding references), corresponding to roughly 40–60 double-spaced pages in APA format. This range is intended to provide general guidance; Papers that fall outside these ranges in a substantial way should be discussed with the primary advisor and committee.

The Focal Paper is to be submitted at least two weeks before the scheduled Oral Defense. At the same time the Focal Paper is submitted, students should submit the Plus One scholarly product, along with pertinent documentation (e.g., evidence of submission for publication or funding).

Oral Defense: The Oral Defense consists of a ~20-minute presentation in which the student presents the central arguments of the Focal Paper, followed by approximately one hour of questions and discussion with the Comprehensive Examination committee and readers, and then a period of deliberation by the committee and readers. Students should plan to reserve two hours for the Oral Defense to allow sufficient time for the presentation, the question-and-answer period, and committee deliberations.

Evaluation: The Comprehensive Examination evaluation centers on the Focal Paper and the Oral Defense of that paper. Although the Plus One is not a primary basis for evaluating overall performance, completion of the Plus One in accordance with program requirements and the expectations established at the time of the Proposal is required for successful completion of the examination. For more details on the evaluation criteria and outcomes, please consult the guidelines document.

Post-Examination Administrative Documentation: Once the exam is completed, submit the report on the General Examination for the Doctoral Degree.pdf to the Psych Graduate Program Coordinator.

Timeline: Students should complete their dissertation sometime between their fifth and seventh year.

• At least six months before graduation: Your proposal should be defended and submitted to the Graduate School. Your Plan of Study should be approved and submitted to the Graduate School.
• By the fourth week of the semester you plan to graduate: Apply for graduation.
• One week before the dissertation defense: Complete and submit the Dissertation Defense Signature form to the Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator only. This form indicates your dissertation examiners and solidifies that all members involved will be present at the Ph.D. defense.

Committee: Your major advisor, another advisor from the developmental psychology concentration, and a third advisor from a different concentration or department. One of the associate advisors can be from another concentration in the Department or, with proper qualifications, may be from another department in the University or from outside the University. You must have a minimum of three advisors that qualify these requirements. You will also need two Dissertation Proposal Reviewers outside of your advisory committee.

Proposal: You will work with your major advisor and your committee to determine the format for your proposal. Think of this document as a contract between you and your committee about the requirements you need to reach in order to be awarded a doctoral degree. Requirements for the proposal from The Graduate School include:

1. A dissertation proposal cover sheet, which outlines the requirements below.
2. The completed and signed Dissertation Proposal Approval form.pdf (with a copy attached of current IRB approval for human subjects and/or IACUC approval for animal subjects to be used in the research).
3. An accurate title.
4. A concise statement which includes:
   1. the purpose, importance, and novelty of the study
   2. methods and techniques to be used
   3. availability and location of research facilities
   4. a statement concerning the use of any human or animal subjects that are involved in the research
5. A selected bibliography.

The proposal is to be as brief as possible without sacrificing completeness, and should follow the guidelines set forth by the program or by your academic advisor. Please limit appendices and other attachments to those that are essential. Proposals of unnecessary length are discouraged since reviewers lack the time to read them.

You will defend your proposal orally in a closed defense, which means only your committee will be in attendance. Once your proposal and any revisions have been accepted, submit the above documents to the Associate Head for Graduate Studies for final Departmental approval and signature. After receiving final approval by the Associate Head for Graduate Studies, submit the original form to the Registrar's Office and submit a copy to the Psychology Graduate Program Coordinator.

Document preparation: Students are encouraged to look at dissertations from previous graduate students in the Department and the concentration to guide formatting and structure. All theses are posted on the Open Commons and are available to all students.

Defense: Meet with your advisory committee to establish the details for your oral defense.

Once you have passed your defense, make sure to get the Report on the Final Exam for Doctoral Degree form signed by all advisors and reviewers. Submit the form to the Registrar's Office (with official signatures) and a copy to the Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator.

Document submission: Before submitting your dissertation to the Registrar's Office, check that all requirements for formatting have been completed. Detailed information regarding format guidelines can be accessed on the Registrar's website.

One of the required documents on the Dissertation Submission Checklist is the confirmation of the electronic submission of the Survey of Earned Doctorates. All research-based graduate students are required to complete the survey online. Please read it carefully and complete it accurately.

Complete and submit your Dissertation Submission Checklist to the Registrar's Office and a copy to the Psychology Graduate Program Coordinator.

Note: If you hold a Graduate Assistantship you will not be able to submit the Dissertation Submission Checklist until the absolute last day to hand in paperwork. However you can submit your dissertation to the Digital Commons prior to that date.