Applying for graduate admission in neuroeconomics

Graduate training in Neuroeconomics at New York University is managed through the PhD programs of our parent departments of Neural Science, Psychology and Economics. Our educational philosophy is that all Neuroeconomists at this stage must have a core competency in a traditional field before they move on to become Neuroeconomists. For this reason all incoming graduate students must apply to, and be accepted by, one of these three graduate groups. After admission graduate students typically complete the standard first year curriculum in their home department before moving on to more specialized curricula in their second years. Training in the second year is individualized, by department, and takes place in parallel with graduate research in one of the Center's research labs.

Incoming Neural Science graduate students spend their first year taking the four primary graduate courses in neuroscience and rotating through two laboratories. During that year they typically attend the Decision-Making Joint Lab Meeting monthly and the Neuroeconomics Seminar every other week. At the beginning of their second year students select a dissertation laboratory and take advanced courses in neuroeconomics including Neuroeconomics taught in the psychology department and Behavioral Economics taught in the Economics Department.

Incoming Psychology graduate students commit to a laboratory for their thesis work before admission and then spend their first year taking courses that include Math Tools for Neuroscientists and Cognitive Neuroscience. During that year they also typically attend the Decision-Making Joint Lab Meeting monthly and the Neuroeconomics Seminar every other week. At the beginning of their second year these students take advanced courses in neuroeconomics including Neuroeconomics taught in the psychology department and Behavioral Economics taught in the Economics Department.

Incoming Economics graduate students spend the entirely of their first year taking the core curriculum for their department and rarely do research of any kind during this period. At the conclusion of their first year they typically enroll in the economics' department's Psychology and Economics course which serves as an entry point for Neuroeconomics research for these students. During the second year they also typically attend the Neuroeconomics Seminar every other week. These students are also expected to take a number of other courses including Experimental Economics and Behavioral Economics.

In order to manage admission across these three departments all students applying to NYU who are interested in Neuroeconomics indicate their interest at application by selecting Neuroeconomics as a 'track' for future study. This is accomplished by applying for graduate admission to either neural science, psychology, or economics. On the application, there is a question that specifically asks for your field of study and which professor you would like to collaborate with. It is here that students indicate their interest in neuroeconomics and choose a CNE professor within the department they are applying for admission. Selecting Neuroeconomics is essential because it allows the faculty of the Center to identify and track applicants to the program and also to ensure both that students are well matched to their departments and that the applications of these students receive appropriate consideration by the parent departments.