Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Behavioral and Social Sciences

Abstract

The NACS program offers a wide range of research and training opportunities for students who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level research in a variety of areas within neuroscience and cognitive science. Faculty research interests center around seven main areas: Cellular & Molecular, Sensory & Motor Systems, Computational Modeling & Theory, Language & Speech, Cognition & Emotion, Development & Aging, and Disorders & Treatment. Research approaches include both the theoretical and experimental, with several laboratories doing both. Research and training activities of NACS take place within the laboratories of faculty in 20 participating departments and units: Aerospace Engineering, Animal and Avian Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, English, Entomology, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Hearing and Speech Sciences, Human Development, Kinesiology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, as well as the Center for Advanced Study of Language, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, the Institute for Systems Research, the Maryland Neuroimaging Center, and the Second Language Acquisition program. The NACS program requires the completion of two required core courses and three out of five core courses, including introduction to neurosciences, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, cellular and molecular neuroscience, and cognitive science. The goal of the Program is to bring together the diverse perspectives and strengths of all the included disciplines in order to understand the working of the nervous system, the mind, and behavior. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.nacs.umd.edu.

Financial Assistance

Fellowships are available on a competitive basis to both entering and continuing students, while qualified students may also receive teaching assistantships. In addition, some faculty have research assistantships for their students.

Contact

Matthew Roesch
Program Director 
Department of Psychology

2123G Biology-Psychology Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2274
Email: mroesch@umd.edu

Nan Bernstein Ratner
Graduate Director
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences

0141G LeFrak Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.4217
Email: nratner@umd.edu

Pam Komarek
Assistant Director 

0219 Cole Student Activities Building
4095 Union Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.8910
Email: pkomarek@umd.edu

Jared Novick
Admissions Director
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences

0125 LeFrak Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.1288
Email: jnovick1@umd.edu
 

Website:  http://www.nacs.umd.edu

Courses: NACS

General Requirements

Program-Specific Requirements

  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Writing Sample
  • CV/Resume

For more admissions information or to apply to the program, please visit our Graduate School website: www.gradschool.umd.edu/admissions

Application Deadlines

Type of Applicant Fall Deadline
Domestic Applicants
US Citizens and Permanent Residents December 3, 2024
International Applicants
F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A,E,G,H,I and L visas and immigrants December 3, 2024

Other Deadlines: Please visit the program website at http://www.nacs.umd.edu

The Program, by virtue of its breadth, has access to the facilities of all the departments, institutes, and centers of its faculty members. These include the Institute for Systems Research, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, the Center for Advanced Study of Language, the Maryland Neuroimaging Center, and the various well-equipped research laboratories and department facilities of the faculty. Animal facilities are available where necessary. NACS has developed close collaborations with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC), and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). NACS students can conduct research in laboratories with NACS adjunct faculty at these institutions. Thus, these relationships extend research and training opportunities for students while they get their degrees from the NACS program.

Last Name First/Middle Name Graduate Faculty Status Academic Credentials Positions
Abshire Pamela Full Member B.S., California Institute of Technology, 1992; M.S., The Johns Hopkins University, 1997; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 2001. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Associate Professor, Systems Engineering
Aloimonos John Full Member B.S., University of Athens-Greece,1981; M.S., University of Rochester, 1984; Ph.D., 1987. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Computer Science
Anderson Samira Full Member B.A., Indiana University, 1979; M.A., Indiana University, 1981; Au.D, University of Florida, 2000; Ph.D. Northwestern University, 2012 Associate Chair, Clinical Audiology
Professor, Clinical Audiology
Assistant Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Araneda Ricardo Full Member B.S., University of Concepcion, 1986; M.S., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1992; Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1997. Professor, Biological Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Babadi Behtash Full Member B.Sc. Sharif University of Technology, 2006;M.Sc. Harvard, 2008; Ph.D. Harvard, 2011 Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Ball Gregory Full Member B.A., Columbia University, 1977; Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1983 Vice President, Psychology
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Psychology
Beier Jonathan Full Member B.S., Stanford University, 2001; Ph.D.,Harvard University, 2008. Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Bernat Edward Full Member B.A., University of Arizona, 1989; M.A., University of Michigan, 1993; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1997. Associate Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Bolger Donald J. Full Member B.A., University of Massachusetts, 1998; M.S., University of Pittsburgh, 2002; Ph.D., 2006. Associate Professor, Human Development
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Butler Lucas Full Member A.B., Harvard University, 2005; M.A., Stanford University, 2009; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2012 Associate Professor, Human Development
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Butts Daniel Full Member B.A., Oberlin College, 1994; Ph.D., University of California Berkeley, 2000. Professor, Biophysics
Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Caras Melissa Full Member B.S., Brandeis University, 2007; Ph.D., University of Washington, 2013 n/a, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Carleton Karen Full Member B.S., Yale University, 1980; Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1987 Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Biological Sciences
Carr Catherine E. Full Member B.Sc, University of Capetown, 1976; M.A.,State University of New York-Buffalo, 1977; Ph.D., University of California-San Diego, 1984. Distinguished University Professor, Biological Sciences
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Biological Sciences
Carruthers Peter Full Member B.A., University of Leeds, 1975; M.Phil., University of Leeds, 1977; D.Phil., University of Oxford, 1979 Distinguished University Professor, Philosophy
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Cassidy Jude Full Member B.A., Duke University, 1973; M.A.,University of Virginia, 1983; Ph.D., 1986. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Psychology
Coleman Linda K. Full Member A.B., University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 1973; M.A., 1973; Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 1982. Associate Professor, English Language and Literature
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Dougherty Lea Full Member B.A., University of Delaware, 2001; Ph.D., Stony Brook University, 2008 Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Dougherty Michael Full Member B.S., Kansas State University, 1993; M.S., University of Oklahoma, 1996; Ph.D., 1999 Chair, Psychology
Professor, Psychology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Dunbar Kevin Full Member B.A., University College Dublin, Ireland, 1977; M.A., University College Dublin, Ireland, 1979; Ph.D., University of Toronto, 1985 Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Edwards Jan Full Member B.A., Barnard College, 1980;M.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1981;Ph.D., CUNY-Graduate Center, 1985 Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Speech Language Pathology
Feldman Naomi Full Member B.A., University of Chicago, 2003; Ph.D., Brown University, 2011 Associate Professor, Linguistics
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Associate Professor, Computer Science
Fisher Heidi Full Member M.S., University of California - San Diego, 2001; Ph.D., Boston University, 2006 Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Fox Nathan A. Full Member A.B., Williams College, 1970; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1975. Distinguished University Professor, Human Development
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Gaudry Quentin Full Member B.S., Emory University, 2002; Ph.D., University of California San Diego, 2008 Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Gentili Rodolphe Full Member Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Glasper Erica Full Member B.A. Psychology/Biology, Randolph-Macon College M.A., Psychology, Ohio State University Ph.D., Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Ohio State University Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Gordon-Salant Sandra Full Member B.A.,State University of New York-Albany, 1974; M.S., Northwestern University, 1976; Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1981. Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor Emerita, Clinical Audiology
Goupell Matthew Full Member B.S., Hope College, 2001; M.S., Michigan State University, 2003; Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2005. Professor, Clinical Audiology
Associate Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Hatfield Bradley D. Full Member B.P.E., University of New Brunswick-Fredericton, 1974; B.A.,1975; M.S., Pennsylvania State University, 1976; M.S.A., Ohio University, 1982; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1982. Chair, Kinesiology
Professor, Kinesiology
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Physical Activity
Herberholz Jens Full Member B.S., Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany; M.S., Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany; Ph.D., Tehnical University, Munich, Germany Associate Chair, Psychology
Professor, Psychology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Horiuchi Timothy Full Member B.S., California Institute of Technology, 1989 Ph.D., 1997. Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Associate Professor, Systems Engineering
Hornstein Norbert R. Full Member B.A., McGill University, Montreal, 1975; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1979 Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor Emeritus, Linguistics
Huang Yi-Ting Full Member B.A., Northwestern University, 2003; M.A., Harvard University, 2005; Ph.D., Harvard University, 2009 Assistant Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Speech Language Pathology
Idsardi William Full Member B.A., University of Toronto, 1988; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1992 Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Israel Michael Full Member B.A., U.C. Berkeley, 1989 Ph.D., U.C. San Diego, 1998 Associate Professor, English Language and Literature
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Jacobs David Full Member B.A., Yale University, 1982; M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1992 Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Computer Science
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jiang Nan Full Member B.A., Nanjiang Normal University, China, 1984; M.A. East China Normal University, 1987; Ph.D. University of Arizona, 1998. Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Associate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Associate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Killen Melanie A. Full Member B.A., Clark University, 1978; M.A., University of California-Berkeley, 1981; Ph.D.,1985. Professor, Human Development
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Lasnik Howard Full Member B.S., Carnegie Institute of Technology, 1967; M.A., Harvard University, 1969; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Linguistics
Distinguished University Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, Linguistics
Lau Ellen Full Member B.S., Michigan State University, 2003; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 2009 Associate Professor, Linguistics
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Levine William S. Full Member B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962; M.S., 1965; Ph.D., 1969. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Research Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Li Xuan "Anna" Full Member B.S., Ocean University of China, 2005; Ph.D., Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 2012 Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Lidz Jeffrey Full Member B.S., Northwestern University, 1990; M.A., University of Delaware, 1992; Ph.D., University of Delaware, 1996 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Linguistics
Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
MacSwan Jeff Full Member B.A., California State University-Long Beach, 1985; M.A., California State University-Long Beach, 1987; Ph.D., University of California-Los Angeles, 1997 Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Professor, Curriculum and Instruction
Miller Ross H. Full Member B.S., Iowa State University, 2003; M.S., Iowa State University, 2005; M.S., Iowa State University, 2006; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2010. Assistant Professor, Kinesiology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Physical Activity
Newcomb Robert W. Full Member B.S., Purdue University, 1955;M.S., Stanford University, 1957; Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 1960. Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Newman Rochelle Full Member B.S., Northwestern University, 1991; M.A., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1995; Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1997. Chair, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Professor, Speech Language Pathology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Associate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Novick Jared Full Member B.A., University of Rochester, 1998; A.M., University of Pennsylvania, 2001; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 2005 Assistant Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Speech Language Pathology
Paley Derek Full Member B.S., Yale University, 1997; Ph.D., Princeton University, 2007. Willis H. Young Jr. Professor of Aerospace Engineering Education. Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Aerospace Engineering
Affiliate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Perlis Donald R. Full Member B.S., Purdue University, 1966; Ph.D., New York University, 1972; Ph.D., University of Rochester, 1981. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Computer Science
Pessoa Luiz Full Member Position: Professor CV: B.S., Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 1989; M.S., Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 1990; Ph.D., Boston University, 1995 Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Psychology
Phillips Colin Full Member B.A., Oxford University, 1990; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Linguistics
Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Polinsky Maria Full Member B.A. Moscow University, 1979. M.A. Institute for Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1983. Ph.D. Institute for Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1986 Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Prather Richard Full Member S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009 Associate Professor, Human Development
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Quinlan Elizabeth Full Member Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago, 1993. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Biological Sciences
Ratner Nan Bernstein Full Member B.A.,Jackson College-Tufts University, 1974; M.A., Temple University, 1976; Ed.D.,Boston University, 1982. Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Speech Language Pathology
Affiliate Professor, Second Language Acquisition
Redcay Elizabeth Full Member B.A., Duke University, 2001; M.A., University of California-San Diego, 2003; Ph.D., University of California-San Diego, 2008. Associate Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Reggia James A. Full Member B.S.,University of Maryland-College Park, 1971; M.D., University of Maryland at Baltimore, 1975; Ph.D.,University of Maryland-College Park, 1981. Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Computer Science
Resnik Philip S. Full Member A.B., Harvard University, 1987; M.S.E., University of Pennsylvania, 1990; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1993 Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Computer Science
Riggins Tracy Full Member B.S. University of California - San Diego, 2000 Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 2005 Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Roesch Matthew Full Member B.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1997; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, 2004. Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Roth Stephen M. Full Member B.S., University of Montana, 1996; M.A., University of Maryland, 1998; Ph.D., 2000. Professor, Physical Activity
Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Rubin Kenneth H. Full Member B.A., McGill University-Montreal, 1968; M.S.,Pennsylvania State University-University Park, 1969; Ph.D., 1971. Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor Emeritus, Human Development
Shackman Alexander Full Member B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1997; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2008 Associate Professor, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Shah Yasmeen Full Member B.S., All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, 1995; M.S., All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, 1997; Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2004. Associate Professor, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Shamma Shihab Full Member B.S., Imperial College, 1976; M.S.,Stanford University, 1977; M.A., 1980; Ph.D., 1980. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Systems Engineering
Shim Jae Kun Full Member B.A., Kyunghee University-Seoul, 1999; M.S., Ball State University, 2002; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 2005 Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Affiliate Professor, Bioengineering
Simon Jonathan Full Member BA: Princeton University, 1985; MS: University of California, Santa Barbara, 1987; Ph.D.: University of California, Santa Barbara, 1990 Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Biological Sciences
Singer Joshua Full Member B.S., Brown University, 1993; Ph.D., University of Washington, 1998 Professor, Biological Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Slevc Robert Full Member B.A., University of Colorado-Boulder, 1999; Ph.D., University of California-San Diego, 2008. Associate Chair, Psychology
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Smith Carson J. Full Member B.S., Arizona State University, 1993; Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2000 Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Taneyhill Lisa Full Member B.A., Western Maryland College McDaniel College 1995; M.S., Princeton University, 1997; Ph.D., Princeton University, 2000. Professor, Animal Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Uriagereka Juan Full Member M.A., University of Connecticut, 1986; Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 1988 Professor, Linguistics
Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Professor, Spanish Language and Literature
Wang Jian Full Member BS, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1984; MS, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1988; PhD, Shanghai Institute of Entomology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1998 Associate Professor, Entomology
Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Yager David D. Full Member B.A., Wesleyan University, 1972; Ph.D., Cornell University, 1989. Associate Professor, Neurosciences and Cognitive Science