NEUROPSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL SUBPROGRAM
OF THE
STUDENT HANDBOOK
revised
This handbook is designed to provide information to students on all aspects of the program. Every attempt has been made to make the handbook useful and current. Use the find function and hypertext links to move to different sections of the handbook. Some links are within the document; others are to sources on the Web.
Suggestions and comments about this handbook are welcome and should be directed to the Subprogram Head.
CONTENTS
BULLETIN
OF THE GRADUATE CENTER
Procedures for Transferring
from Basic Track to Clinical Track.
DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY
EXTERNSHIP SITES FOR CURRENT
SEMESTER
FELLOWSHIPS,
ASSISTANTSHIPS AND OTHER FORMS OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - GENERAL INFORMATION
GOVERNANCE AND SUBPROGRAM COMMITTEES
LACK OF SATISFACTORY PROGRESS AND PROBATION
LIBRARIES AND ON-LINE RESOURCES
PREVIOUS FIRST DOCTORAL EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
TEACHING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM (TAP)
TIME LIMITS
FOR COMPLETION OF ALL
REQUIREMENTS
The Graduate School and University Center became the doctoral degree awarding unit of the City University of New York in 1961 and, over the ensuing years, a number of subprograms of the Psychology Program were established at various colleges of the University. At Queens College, these initial subprograms were Physiological Psychology, started in 1964, and Conditioning.
The Physiological Psychology Subprogram was formed under the leadership of Stanley W. Battersby, Walter B. Essman, and John S. Stamm, and it was, to a large extent, the nature of their research interests that shaped the Subprogram’s subsequent development.
Professor Battersby had been Hans Lucas Teuber’s first doctoral student. His principal interests were in the understanding of visual problems resulting from cerebral damage, the role of post-photoreceptor processes involved with visual adaptation, and the behavioral manifestations of neurological damage. He co-authored, with Teuber and Morris Bender, a 1960 text, Visual field defects after penetrating missile wounds of the brain, which became a classic in the field, Professor Essman’s research at that time concerned neurotransmitters, receptors, and drug action and he, too, published a text, reflecting his interests. Professer Stamm, working with primates, published extensively on prefrontal cortex functions.
In 1971, recognizing the changes that were going on in the field, the Subprogram was renamed Neuropsychology, but the areas of primary interest, basic research in brain behavior relationships, and its clinical applications, remained. The number of clinically relevant courses was increased and, in 1980, two distinct subtracks were established. One, the Basic Track, continued to offer courses and experiences relevant to academic and research careers in the neuroscientific bases of behavior. The other, the Clinical Track, offered those courses and experiences that would prepare students for clinical internships and careers as Clinical Neuropsychologists. The core curriculum, emphasizing neuroscience, experimental and statistical methods, and a general overview of Clinical Neuropsychology, was maintained for students in both tracks. The rationale for this was that the Subprogram had, and still has, as its mission, the training of basic researchers and academicians in the area of brain-behavior relationships who have an understanding of clinical phenomena, as well as of clinical neuropsychologists with a real understanding of the nervous system functions underlying pathology.
Since its inception, the Neuropsychology Subprogram has had more than 150 graduates. As students, these individuals worked with full-time Queens College faculty, and also at hospitals and laboratories throughout the city, including Albert Einstein College of Medicine, City Hospital Center at Elmhurst, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York Medical College, North Shore University Hospital, and Rockefeller University.
Alumni
Neuropsychology alumni have been very successful in their post-doctoral careers. In a recent survey of Neuropsychology Program alumni, 92% indicated that they were employed in a position related to their graduate training. This figure is quite consistent with that found in previous alumni surveys. Half of the alumni had positions either in an academic college or university, an academic medical center or in the biotechnology-pharmaceutical sector. The other half of the respondents had clinical responsibilities in either a hospital setting or private practice.
DOCTORAL
PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY
The Neuropsychology Subprogram (aka Neuropsychology Program) is one of 11 subprograms that together comprise the CUNY Doctoral Program in Psychology. Each subprogram is semi-autonomous and generally self-governing. However, all aspects of each subprogram are subject to review and/or approval by the CUNY Psychology Council. The Psychology Council is comprised of all of the subprogram heads, the Psychology department chairs in senior colleges that house a subprogram, and student representatives from each subprogram. The functions of the Psychology Council are detailed in the Governance Plan of the Doctoral Program in Psychology. Among its most important functions are: approval of subprogram requirements, approval of nominations to the doctoral faculty, serving as a forum for discussion of issues affecting all of the subprograms, and hearing student appeals. The Executive Officer (EO) of the Doctoral Program in Psychology serves as spokesperson for the Psychology Program as a whole and represents the interests of Psychology to the Graduate Center administration. As a result, many matters of direct concern to students must be funneled through the EO’s office.
A great deal of information about the Doctoral Program in
Psychology, including a complete listing of all doctoral courses, can be found
at the
GOVERNANCE
AND SUBPROGRAM COMMITTEES
The Governance is the official set of bylaws for the Neuropsychology Subprogram. In brief, the subprogram is run by a Subprogram Head, aka Program Head (PH), and an Executive Committee (EC). The Executive Committee is composed of four faculty members (plus the Subprogram Head and Psychology Department Chair ex officio) and two students. Faculty members are elected for three year terms, student members for one year terms. The full Executive Committee deliberates and proposes policies for the Subprogram, but decisions about specific students are made by the Executive Committee in executive session (faculty only). Curricular changes are subject to ratification by the Subprogram faculty. In addition to the Executive Committee, there is a Curriculum Committee, Admissions and Awards Committee, Basic Track Committee, and Clinical Track Committee, on all of which both faculty and students serve. For a list of the current members of Subprogram committees, click here.
There are two categories of faculty in the Neuropsychology Program. Full-time faculty have appointments at one of the campuses of CUNY. Of these, most are based at Queens College, while some are based at other campuses. Adjunct faculty are affiliated with other institutions such as hospitals and research institutes. They are not full-time employees of CUNY. Both full-time and adjunct faculty members may supervise students’ research, second doctoral examinations, and dissertations. Adjunct faculty may attend but not vote at faculty meetings.
Full-time faculty based at Queens College:
Joshua Brumberg,
Ph.D., Program Head
Janine Flory, Ph.D., Clinical Director
Full-time faculty based at other CUNY campuses
John Foxe, Ph.D. (City
College)
Hilary
Gomes, Ph.D. (City College)
Benjamin
Kest, Ph.D. (College of Staten Island)
Alan
Kluger, Ph.D.
(Lehman College)
Humberto Lizardi, Ph.D. (Lehman
College)
Laura Rabin,
Ph.D. (
Anthony
Sclafani, Ph.D.
(Brooklyn College)
Deborah Walder, Ph.D. (Brooklyn College)
Adjunct faculty
Elkonen Goldberg, Ph.D.
Lisa Ravdin, Ph.D.
Gwenn Smith, Ph.D.
The decision as to how many credits will be given for
graduate courses taken prior to admission to the Subprogram is made by the
Subprogram Head, subject to approval by The Graduate Center. The policy governing this decision is that,
in general, courses taken elsewhere, with a grade of B or better, that are
judged to be equivalent in content and quality to specific courses offered in
the Subprogram are given credit, and the student is not permitted to take these
specific courses for credit at CUNY.
Transfer credit is also given for courses that are judged to be germane
to the Subprogram, although no similar course is offered here. In this case, "blanket credit" is
given, and there is no resulting restriction as to courses taken at CUNY. For courses taken at other institutions, a
maximum of 30 credits can be transferred.
Credits transferred from
Students applying for transfer credit should bear in mind that the Subprogram Head judges the merit of the courses taken previously, not whether it is in the student's best interest to transfer a particular number of credits. Because of this, several factors should be considered when making application for transfer credits. On the one hand, the more credits you accumulate, the less you need to take and the quicker you will reach Level II or III with their lower fee schedules. On the other hand, the more credits you enter with, the sooner you must take the First Doctoral Examination. Thus, if your previous courses were not preparatory for the First Doctoral Examination, it may not be advantageous for you to transfer all of these credits. A final point to keep in mind is that a large number of course requirements in the Subprogram must be met, regardless of the total credits earned.
If you wish to transfer credits, obtain an Advanced Standing Transfer Credit form from the Program secretary and submit it to the Subprogram Head. Heed the following:
1. A catalog description is required for courses taken at a university other than CUNY.
2. If a course description is not available, you must provide a list of texts and/or readings used, plus any papers, etc. that may indicate the course content.
3. If the transcript in your admissions application is not complete, you must provide the Subprogram Head with a new, complete, transcript showing grades for all courses you wish to transfer.
Although the deadline date for filing the form to transfer credits varies from semester to semester, it is suggested that you file as quickly as possible after you start classes. Note that all transfers must be completed within one year of admission to the Subprogram.
Course listings: Click here for course listings and schedules.
New students: Registration materials are sent by mail from the Graduate Center to new students in late August. Registration cards, indicating course selections, must be approved and signed by the Subprogram Head and, for incoming students, this is most easily accomplished at the Neuropsychology orientation meeting at Queens College. New students must then bring their registration cards to the GC in person. Note: students are responsible for providing proof of immunization, financial data (international students), and other information required by the GC.
Current students: Registration for current students takes place in December/January for the spring semester and May/June for the fall semester. First and second-year students must have their registration cards signed by the PH. More advanced students may complete this process with the subprogram secretary. Holds on registration may occur if a student has more than two incomplete grades, has not paid past tuition, or in a variety of other situations. Students are notified of holds by the registrar. Students can get access to their transcripts through the GC Student Web.
Students are required to maintain full-time status throughout their stay in the Subprogram. Full-time status depends on the student’s
tuition level (see below). At level I, students must carry 7 or more
credits/weighted instructional units (WIUs). At levels II and III, students must carry 12
or more credits/weighted instructional units (WIUs). Credits, obviously, are associated with
coursework. WIUs
are administrative units that permit students who take less than 7/12 course
credits in a given semester to be certified as full-time. They are given by the
Subprogram Head for appropriate academic involvement, such as teaching, exam
preparation, and research. They do not count toward program credit requirements
or toward the degree. Only course
credits count toward the degree.
Tuition at the Graduate Center depends upon the student's progress. As the student meets various milestones, tuition decreases. There are three tuition levels:
Level I: Entering students.
Level II: Students
move to Level II when they have completed 45 credits (including transfer credits) and passed the First Doctoral Exam.
Level III: Students move to Level III when they have completed all degree requirements except the dissertation.
See the Graduate Center Bulletin and Graduate Center Student Handbook for the most up-to-date information on tuition.
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE - GENERAL INFORMATION
Financial assistance to students is based primarily on merit, as determined by factors such as progress in meeting requirements, research productivity, and course grades. Additional factors such as teaching, service to the program, and need may also be considered. Decisions about financial aid are made by the faculty members of the Subprogram Admissions and Awards Committee in accordance with guidelines set by the Executive Committee.
NOTE: FINANCIAL AID IS VERY LIMITED. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT COUNT ON RECEIVING AID DIRECTLY FROM THE GRADUATE CENTER, QUEENS COLLEGE, OR THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGY SUBPROGRAM.
There are two institutional sources of financial assistance:
the Graduate Center and Queens College.
Each year the Graduate Center allocates a certain amount of money to
each subprogram. In the 2006-2007
academic year, for example, the Neuropsychology
Subprogram received: $10,000 in University Fellowships; and $9500 in Tithe
funds. These awards are given to
students already in the Program. In
addition, two Science Fellowships ($24,000
each) were awarded to incoming students and three Chancellor Fellowships
(5 years of tuition and 3 years of paid teaching positions). Some of these awards include the cost of
tuition while others do not. In a
typical semester, approximately 16 Neuropsychology students receive some financial
assistance from the Graduate Center. The
The Graduate Center also provides funding that goes directly to students rather than via the Program. These include fellowships for intermediate level students as well as for students at the dissertation stage. The complete list can be viewed by clicking here.
The other main source of institutional funding is for
teaching at
It should be noted that the amount of aid available in a given year is not fixed and may change depending on the overall financial circumstances of Queens College and CUNY.
Another important source of funds for students comes from employment provided through faculty grants and research opportunities at other institutions. Notices of such opportunities are often sent to the Program Head and distributed to students via e-mail.
Students are strongly
encouraged to seek out other sources of financial support. Information on external support resources is
provided by the
Applying for
financial assistance
Students seeking financial assistance through the Neuropsychology Program should submit a Neuropsychology Application Form for Financial Assistance to the Program Head by May 1. Students who do not submit this form will not be considered for assistance through the Neuropsychology program for the ensuing academic year.
First-time visitors to the Queens College campus are typically surprised at the campus's beauty and amenities. Expecting an urban campus, they find a tree-lined, self-contained campus complete with quad. From the fountains beneath the library bell tower, they view one of the world's great sights, the Manhattan skyline. From athletic facilities to an acoustically superb concert hall, Queens College offers the student a complete campus experience in the nation's most ethnically diverse county.
For more information about the college, visit the Queens College web site.
Graduate students may obtain parking permits at a cost of $175 per year.
Queens College does not have student housing. Most students live in rental apartments in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and nearby Nassau County. Rental apartments range from about $800 to $1400 for one-bedrooms. Queens College maintains a listing of local rentals in the office of Student Organizations, Room 319 of the Student Union. This office is open from 9-9 Monday through Thursday and 9-5 Friday all year. Students who are relocating to the New York area should contact current students for information about neighborhoods, types of housing, and possible leads for rental opportunities.
The Psychology Department has designated room SB E-308 as a Graduate Student, Faculty and Staff lounge. This room, aka The Razran Room, is also used for meetings and colloquia. Those uses have priority over its use as a lounge. The lounge is open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. A refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave are provided. Please be sure to keep the room and equipment clean.
TIME
LIMITS FOR COMPLETION OF ALL REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. within 8 years (basic track) or 9 years (clinical track) of entering the program Students with 30 or more transfer credits must complete all requirements within 7 years (basic track) or 8 years (clinical track) of entering the program.
The First Doctoral Examination must be passed before students can proceed beyond 45 course credits or advance to tuition level II.
The Second Doctoral Examination must be passed by the last day of classes of the student’s 9th semester in the program (basic track) or 10th semester in the program (clinical track) and before students can advance to tuition level III.
The Second Year Research Project must be completed by the end of the 4th semester in the program. Students who do not complete the Second Year Research Project by the end of the 4th semester will receive an INC. If they do not complete by the end of the 5th semester they will be placed on probation. If they do not complete by the end of the 6th semester they will be terminated from the program.
Students are required to attend either 20 Neuropsychology colloquia during their first three years of residence in the Subprogram, or 30 colloquia overall, before they may proceed to their doctoral defense.
The dissertation topic proposal must be filed before the end of the student's fifth year in the Subprogram.
The dissertation must be completed and successfully defended by the end of the 16th semester in the Subprogram for basic track students and the 18th semester for clinical track students. (These limits are reduced by one year for students with 30 or more transfer credits.) Students who do not complete the dissertation within this time period will be terminated from the program. Such students may appeal for reinstatement. If reinstated, the student will be subject to the 7-year rule.
Note: Effective 2006, examinations may not be
taken during the months of July or August.
In addition, students should be aware that faculty members are not
obligated to read or provide comments on Second Doctoral Examination, Second
Year Projects, or dissertation papers during the months of July or August.
Students’ progress is monitored closely throughout their enrollment in the subprogram. Once a year, students complete an information form that details their progress. Each student meets individually with the PH in the spring semester and, later that semester, the faculty meets to review the progress of each student in the program. Once the dissertation topic proposal has been filed, students are required to meet once per semester with their dissertation advisory committee and provide minutes of the meeting to each committee member with a copy to the PH.
LACK
OF SATISFACTORY PROGRESS AND PROBATION
Lack of satisfactory progress occurs when students exceed time limits for requirements, when their composite GPA drops below 3.0, or when the faculty concludes that insufficient progress is being made toward completing the dissertation including timely passing of all subprogram requirements. Students who are not making satisfactory progress may be placed on probation, the conditions of which are determined by the Executive Committee. Students on probation must show clear evidence of meeting these conditions within the time period established by the EC or they will be terminated from the program. Students on probation are not eligible for institutional financial aid.
Students may appeal any decision regarding academic status to the Subprogram Executive Committee. Such appeals should be made in writing to the Program Head. Students have the right to appear before the committee. They may request that student members of the committee be present during their appearance. However, student members cannot be present while the faculty discusses the appeal in executive session.
If an appeal is not granted, the student retains the option of appealing to the Psychology Council in conformance with the appeal procedures of the GC.
Students may apply for up to four semesters of leaves of absence. Requests for leaves of absence are made to the Executive Committee. Leaves of absence "stop the clock;" that is, they do not count toward the students time deadlines for satisfactory progress toward the degree. More information can be found in the Graduate Center Student Handbook.
A Student who does not register and has not been granted a leave of absence is considered to be out of the program. Students in this situation must formally apply to the Neuropsychology Executive Committee for readmission into the Neuropsychology Ph.D. Sub-Program (Psychology). At the time of application, the Neuropsychology Executive Committee may impose requirements on readmittance such as requiring the student to complete outstanding coursework and/or program requirements. Upon satisfactory completion of the specified requirements the student may be allowed to rejoin the program at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Students taking unauthorized time off may be given lower priority to be placed for externships.
The Basic Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuropsychology tracks have different credit requirements: as of May, 2005, sixty credits are required for the Basic track; as of September, 2003, eighty-two credits are required for the Clinical track. All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
As a licensure eligible program in