Program Overview

Social and Decision Neuroscience PhD Program

The Caltech PhD program in social and decision neuroscience (SDN) prepares students to do research on the neurocomputational basis of decision making and social interactions.

Program Description

SDN includes faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students from a variety of disciplines who are interested in how humans decide what to do in response to a range of decisions with important personal consequences. Research areas include:

• How people make simple choices, such as choosing what to eat from a restaurant menu
• How we learn from trial-and-error behavior to make decisions in the future
• How people decide who might help or harm them
• How emotions such as fear and anxiety work biologically and change behavior
• How the brain processes information and control emotions in complex markets like stocks
• What factors influence candidate appeal and voting in politics

Research Requirements

Research in this area requires training in:

• Computational modeling
• Statistical methods
• Systems neuroscience
• Neural measuring methods such as fMRI, EEG, or single unit recordings
• Adequate understanding of related methods and results from the social sciences

Career Paths

Students' career paths include:

• Faculty jobs in neuroscience, psychology, or marketing
• Faculty jobs in economics, political science, or finance programs
• Industry positions in the technology, data science, finance, and neurotechnology sectors

Program Details

The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the neurocomputational basis of decision making and social interactions. The program includes:

• A range of research areas and topics
• Training in computational modeling, statistical methods, and systems neuroscience
• Opportunities for students to work with faculty and postdoctoral researchers from a variety of disciplines
• Preparation for careers in academia, industry, and other fields related to social and decision neuroscience.