Learning & Cognition Program Model

Students in the Learning and Cognition Program work closely with a faculty member under a mentorship model, a primary focus of which is conducting research, including but not limited to theses and dissertation projects.The program consists of four parts.

First, students complete a set of requried core courses that ensure a thorough foundation in psychology and educational psychology, research methodology, and learning and cognition. Students who enter the program without sufficient background may need to complete additional coursework beyond the requirements outlined in this document. In addition to substantive courses in psychology and education, this coursework includes a strong background in statistics and research design.

Second, students complete a set of courses tailored to their individual interests and career goals. These courses are selected with the approval of the student's major advisor.

Third, the student works in collaboration with a faculty member on research projects. This provides the student with hands-on experience conducting research under the close supervision of an experienced researcher.

Fourth, the students conduct independent doctoral (and possibly master's) research on a topic chosen in collaboration with his or her major advisor. Students who are admitted for the Ph.D., but who have not completed a M.S. or M.A. in Educational Psychology or an area related to educational psychology, are required to earn the M.S. degree en route to the Ph.D.

Those coming into the program with an appropriate Master's Degree that did not include a thesis will be required to complete a thesis-like research project prior to their dissertation research.

Students are admitted to either the Master's or Doctoral degree program. The requirements for the M.A. are essentially the same as those for the M.S., but also require passing a language requirement as specified by the Graduate School of the University of Utah.