A program that focuses on the scientific course study of the biological bases of psychological functioning, and their application to experimental and therapeutic research problems.

Bachelor’s Degree in Psychobiology – Four Year Duration.

The bachelor’s degree program in psychobiology prepares students for graduate school and entry-level careers such as research assistant and laboratory technician. The typical curriculum involves internships and opportunities to conduct professor-guided research. Some schools offer concentration options. Among the most common are pre-med specialization, animal behavior specialization, and graduate studies specialization.

Here is a sample psychobiology bachelor’s program:

• Investigating Biological Concepts with Laboratory – fundamental concepts in biology from molecules to cells to organisms; the process of scientific inquiry, basic biochemistry, basic cell function, and fundamentals of animal and plant physiology

• Human Anatomy and Physiology – a systematic analysis of the structure and function of the human body

• Introduction to Psychology with Laboratory – the scientific study of psychology: the biological roots of behavior, learning and memory, perception, social behavior, psychopathology, and applied psychology

• Mind, Brain, and Behavior – the relationship between the brain and behavior: neural communication, perception, cognition, learning and memory, and the biological basis of consciousness

• Biopsychology – the biochemistry of neural conduction (electrical signals carried by the nerve cells) and synaptic transmission (the process by which one neuron communicates with another), neuropsychology, brain disorders, the biochemistry of learning and memory, mechanisms of action of psychoactive drugs

• Biology Research Methods – research methods used in biological sciences: finding, reading, and evaluating scientific literature, and using it in a research proposal; common tests and how to interpret them; using statistical software

• Psychology Research Methods with Laboratory – the scientific method applied in the social and behavioral sciences: statistics, design and analysis of experiments, drawing of logical conclusions from behavioral data

• Health Psychology – the psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond when they become ill; the links between stress and the immune system function and disease, psychological factors that mediate reactions to stress, and behaviors that endanger health

Doctoral Degree in Psychobiology is Four to Eight Year Duration Combined Master’s / Doctoral Degree in Psychobiology – Four to Eight Year Duration.

Standart master’s programs in psychobiology are rare. Both the doctoral and the combined master’s/doctoral degrees are targeted at individuals who intend to conduct independent research at universities, pharmaceutical companies, or government facilities, teach at a college or university, or begin a private practice in counseling psychology.

At the graduate level, psychobiology programs cover a broad spectrum of topics including evolutionary, neurobiological, and molecular mechanisms of behavior. Possible research topics include:

• Neurobiology of monogamy

• Psychoneuroimmunolgy – a relatively new field of study that looks at the interactions between the central nervous system and the immune system

• Evolutionary Neurobiology — the scientific study of the evolution of nervous systems

• Environmental psychology – the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their physical surrounding, including natural and built environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior

• Effects of stress on social behavior

• Epigenetics and social behavior – epigenetics is the study of how our behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way our genes work

• Neurobiology of learning and memory

What types of jobs are available for Psychobiology graduates?

Many careers in the field of psychobiology require education beyond a bachelor’s degree, especially those in advanced research and medicine, such as:

• Behavioral Neuroscientist – analyzes how the brain, nervous system, and other organs impact behavior

• Cognitive Neuroscientist – investigates brain activity and scans to research how people think, learn, and solve problems

• Comparative Psychologist – examines the behaviors of different species and compares them to one another and to humans

• Evolutionary Psychologist – examines the evolutionary basis of behavior

• Neurologist – treats patients with damage or disease which affects the brain and nervous system

• Clinical Psychologist

• Counseling Psychologist

• Neurosurgeon

• Physician

• Psychiatrist