1. Psychology
  2. Training Areas
  3. Basic and Applied Social Psychology
  4. Curriculum and Degree Information
  5. Dual Specialization

Dual Specialization

The BASP PhD program welcomes collaborative relationships with students and faculty in other training areas of the doctoral program in Psychology at the Graduate Center. All students, regardless of their training area affiliation, are welcome in BASP classes and colloquia.

BASP also has a special relationship with the Psychology and Law training area. Students accepted into either BASP or Psychology and Law may apply for dual specialization.  Dual specialization students are full-fledged members of both training areas and fulfill their curricular and milestone requirements in a manner that satisfies both programs, providing them with a breadth of research training and academic experience that allows them to be competitive in both disciplines.

For more information, consult the BASP Student Handbook or click on the links below.

Requirements for all BASP students, including Dual Specialization Students, comprise 60 credits (split between required courses, core electives, and breadth electives) and four milestone requirements: 1) a first doctoral exam (i.e., master’s thesis), 2) a second doctoral exam (either a grant proposal or review paper), 3) a comprehensive assessment (professional activities such as manuscript and conference submissions) and 4) a dissertation.

Some accommodations in course requirements have been made by both programs to allow students to meet the curricular requirements for dual-specialization within 60 credits.  The following courses meet requirements for both programs (36 credits):

  • Statistics I & II (6 credits)
  • Advanced Statistics Elective (3 credits)
  • Research Methods & Design I & an advanced research methods course (6 credits)
  • Research Practicum I & II (aka Directed Research and Independent Research) (6 credits)
  • Ethics (3 credits)
  • Social Psychology I and Social Psychology II (6 credits)
  • Experimental Psychology & Law (serves as a Breadth Elective under BASP) (3 credits)
  • Breadth Elective/Core Course outside Social Psychology or Psychology and Law (e.g.,   Cognitive, Developmental, Neuropsychology) (3 credits)

The following additional courses are required by BASP (12 credits):

  • 3 Advanced Social Psychology Electives (9 credits)
  • 3 semesters of BASP Colloquium (3 credits)

The following additional courses are required by Psychology and Law (12 credits):

  • 4 Electives (typically a Psychology and Law specialty course or Advanced Stats/Methods)

Dual Specialization students are exempted from the following courses usually required by their program:

  • Introduction to Forensic Psychology (Psych and Law)
  • Teaching of Psychology (BASP)
  • Professional Development (BASP)
  • BASP Proseminar (BASP)
  • 3 semesters of BASP Colloquium  (BASP)

Milestone requirements for dual specialization students are identical to those required of all BASP students.  See BASP Milestones for details.

Psychology and Law dual specialization applicants must have a BASP core faculty member who is willing to serve as their co-advisor.  If the primary advisor is already core member of both the BASP and the Psychology and Law faculties then there is no need to obtain a co-advisor. 

Psychology and Law students applying for dual specialization in BASP submit an application to the BASP Training Area Coordinator with three components:

  1. The Dual Specialization Application Form, which includes the student’s name, rationale for specialization, and a signature from the BASP faculty member who has agreed to serve as his/her advisor;
  2. The BASP Dual Specialization Template for Coursework and Milestones, indicating which requirements they have already fulfilled, and their plans for completing the additional requirements over the course of their graduate study; 
  3. A copy of their updated CV.

Dual Specialization Applications are due by February 1st of a student’s first year at the Graduate Center. The BASP faculty review the applications and vote on admission to the program.  Students are notified of the decision by April 15th of their first year.