Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Psychology and a Major Concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors

Program Learning Outcomes for the PhD Degree in the field of Psychology and a Major Concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors 

Upon completing the PhD degree in the field of Psychology and a major concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors, students will be able to:

1. Read critically and assess scholarship related to Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors and in other fields in the psychological sciences.
2. Apply theoretical and methodological tools to conduct independent research in Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors.
3. Write an independent and original thesis that is of sufficient quality to merit publication in a top journal within Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors.
4. Communicate Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors research clearly and effectively in papers and presentations.

Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Psychology

MA Degree Program

The MA degree is a thesis master’s degree. For general university requirements, please see Thesis Master’s Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Although students are not normally admitted to study for an MA in Psychology, graduate students may earn the MA degree after obtaining approval of their candidacy for the PhD. For general university requirements for PhD degrees, please see Doctoral Degrees. For both MA and PhD degrees, students must complete a research thesis, including a public oral defense. Required coursework is determined by the student’s major concentration. Students must complete an admission-to-candidacy procedure to establish their expertise in their chosen major concentration. Competence in a foreign language is not required.  

The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Psychology 

PhD Degree Program

For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. In addition, students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Psychology must:

• Complete all coursework with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each required course.
• Complete all of the course requirements in their major concentration.
• Successfully complete and present the first-year project in May of the first year.
• Successfully complete and present the second-year project in May of the second year.
• Write and defend a thesis. The thesis committee must be in the area of Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors and be overseen by a Psychology faculty member affiliated with the Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors Major Concentration.

Students who have not previously completed a master's degree in Psychology or a related field, must successfully defend a master’s thesis and earn the MA degree in Psychology. Students who come to Rice with a master's degree in a related field can be exempted from this requirement.

The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Degree Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Psychology and a Major Concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors

Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of Psychology 

Department of Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Handbook

The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum.  As an additional resource for students, the department of Psychological Sciences publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Psychological_Sciences_PhD_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Psychological Sciences website: https://psychology.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of Psychology 

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Psychological Sciences website: https://psychology.rice.edu/.