PhD in Psychology - Comparative Cognition and Behaviour in Edmonton Canada | University of Alberta

Our graduate program employs an apprenticeship approach to cultivate highly skilled, autonomous researchers poised to advance the field of psychology. Through hands-on, mentor-guided research opportunities with our distinguished faculty, students gain early and continuous research experience. Our alumni hold prominent positions across academia, government agencies, and private sector organizations.

The University of Alberta's Psychology Department fosters equity, diversity, and inclusion. We actively seek applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, including women; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities; individuals with disabilities; and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities - all of whom enrich our academic community.

Spatial Cognition & Navigation - examines how organisms locate, remember, and travel to destinations, as well as how they identify objects and environments. Comparative cognition researchers investigate these spatial abilities across species from insects to humans.
Neuroethology of Social Behaviour - explores how sexual differentiation shapes individual variations in social interactions. Studies focus on personality traits within species, their neuroendocrine foundations, and the development of gender-based behavioral differences.
Songbird Neuroethology - focuses on avian vocalization and auditory processing. Research examines the mechanisms of sound production and perception, how early acoustic experiences influence adult communication, and the related neural structures.
Individual differences in asocial and social learning - investigates behavioral adaptations in animals, specifically how learning and cognitive skills help address natural challenges (such as food acquisition, species recognition, and nest construction). We study the origins and impacts of these