Collaborative and InterdisciplinARY
Our four major training areas are clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. Students specializing in clinical psychology typically engage in applied research and learn how to effectively apply the methods and principles of psychology to the treatment of clients having psychological disorders. Students specializing in cognitive, developmental or social psychology engage in basic and/or applied research activities and acquire the specific tools, techniques, and content knowledge that foster the development of an independent program of research in their chosen fields.
Statement on AI use within the Department of Psychology
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming a big part of how people learn, create, and work. Because every course is different, each instructor decides how AI can be used in their class. Be sure to check your course syllabus for specific guidelines. No matter the class, AI should be used honestly and responsibly. Using AI the right way can help you learn more effectively—using it the wrong way can count as academic misconduct.
Master of Arts (MA) in psycholOGY
The primary goal of the terminal master’s degree track is to develop competence in the core areas of psychology and their methods. Students are expected to demonstrate competence in research and have the skills and moral standards to apply the knowledge of the discipline competently and ethically in their daily lives and careers.
PhD Program
Students admitted into the Ph.D. track are initially admitted into one of the four area of graduate specialization (clinical, cognitive, developmental and social) with a specific faculty advisor.
More Information for Graduate students
Admissions & Requirements
Application Deadlines:
- December 1 for Ph.D. programs
- April 1 for terminal M.A. program
Scholarship Opportunities
View information about these Graduate-level scholarship opportunities:
Graduate Student Handbook
Download one of the following Graduate Student Handbooks for more information and guidelines:
Frequently Asked Questions
No. We only admit students once per year. Entering classes begin their studies in the fall semester.
No. The Department considers graduate training to be a full-time commitment and only accepts students who are able to work full-time toward their degree.
There are no specific minimum requirements. Submission of GRE scores is not required/not accepted for any of our graduate programs, starting with admissions for the Fall 2024 academic year. Transcripts of all previous college and university work (graduate and undergraduate) are required. We take a holistic approach to admissions, considering and weighing many factors, such as undergraduate GPA (and graduate GPA, if applicable), rigor of coursework, research experience and accomplishments, recommendation letters, pre-clinical experience (for the clinical program), professional statements, and fit with faculty research interests. For the clinical psychology program, additional statistics about the program can be found on the clinical area page.
Very much so. The faculty look for evidence that you have a serious commitment to a research career in psychology, and previous research experience both demonstrates that commitment and allows us to evaluate your capabilities in a research setting.
No. The research focus of the PhD program means that the faculty are more interested in your research experience than in your work experience.
The nominal length of the program is five years in non-clinical areas and six years (including a required one-year internship) in the clinical area for students entering with a bachelor’s degree. A previous master’s degree may reduce this by one to two years, depending on the relevance of prior course work and other experience. However, the actual time to complete a degree will depend on a number of factors.
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Please address all additional graduate questions to:
