Evolution & Development

Students in our Ph.D. Program in Evolution & Development typically focus on evolutionary psychology (e.g. mate choice, ovulatory cycle effects, hormonal influences, social influences on pain) or early childhood development (e.g. development of identity understanding, emotional development). Graduate seminars cover diverse topics such as advanced evolutionary psychology, advanced social psychology, advanced developmental psychology, social development, child psychopathology, human emotions, behavior genetics, and personality.

Admission to the Evolution & Development Program is highly competitive, and Ph.D. students are expected to become active quickly in research, publishing, and giving conference talks. Students have outstanding opportunities to collaborate with other Psychology faculty in the department's areas of strength (e.g. cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, alcohol & drug abuse, health psychology, pain perception, psychopathy), and with great faculty in related departments (e.g. Anthropology, Biology, Psychiatry). Students gain a strong foundation in statistical methods, and have good opportunities to learn skills in brain imaging, genetic analysis, hormone assays, psychophysiology, online surveys, and other research methods.

For more information, please contact Dr. Marco Del Giudice at marcodg@unm.edu.