Our graduate program is mentor-based. Students train under the direct guidance of one or more specific faculty members whose scholarly interests parallel their own. Prospective students are expected to identify faculty they view as potential mentors. The department is divided into seven general areas of study. Students apply to a specific area of study and not to the department as a whole. Students collaborate with their mentors and other faculty in their area of study to determine the coursework and training that best meets the student's career goals. Psychology is a dynamic field. With its focus on the understanding of behavior of both humans and animals, our field is poised at the juncture between biological and social forces. New discoveries are constantly informing our work and changing the way we go about our business, whether in terms of theory, application, or methods. If you are curious, creative, and energetic, there is no better time for you to be pursuing advanced study in psychology. <br><br>Areas of faculty expertise include visual perception, attention, language, and reasoning. While all investigators in the Area draw upon traditional behavioral measures, some utilize computational models and modern brain imaging tools such as functional MRI and Event Related Potentials to address how perceptual and cognitive processes are implemented in the brain. Graduate students can expect an exciting, challenging, and rigorous experience both in the classroom and in the laboratory uncovering the workings of the human mind and brain.