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Psychology Graduate Program
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The Clinical Psychology Program adheres to a clinical science model of training, and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. We are committed to training clinical psychologists whose research advances scientific knowledge of psychopathology and its treatment, and who are capable of applying evidence-based methods of assessment and clinical intervention. The main emphasis of the program is research, especially on severe psychopathology. The program includes research, course work, and clinical practica, and usually takes five years to complete. Students typically complete assessment and treatment practica during their second and third years in the program, and they must fulfill all departmental requirements prior to beginning their one-year internship. The curriculum meets the requirements for licensure in Massachusetts, accreditation requirements of the American Psychological Association (APA; Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, [email protected] , Tel. [202] 336-5979), and accreditation requirements of the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). PCSAS re-accredited the program on December 15, 2022 for a 10-year term. APA most recently accredited the program on April 28, 2015 for a seven-year term, which was extended due to COVID-related delays.
Requirements
Required courses and training experiences fulfill requirements for clinical psychology licensure in Massachusetts as well as meet APA criteria for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs. In addition to these courses, further training experiences are required in accordance with the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs (e.g., clinical practica [e.g., PSY 3050 Clinical Practicum, PSY 3080 Practicum in Neuropsychological Assessment]; clinical internship).
Students in the clinical psychology program are required to take the following courses:
- PSY 3900 Professional Ethics
- PSY 2445 Psychotherapy Research
- PSY 2070 Psychometric Theory and Method Using R
- PSY 2430 Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Bases of Behavior
- PSY 3250 Psychological Testing
- PSY 2050 History of Psychology
- PSY 1951 Intermediate Quantitative Methods
- PSY 1952 Multivariate Analysis in Psychology
- PSY 2040 Contemporary Topics in Psychopathology
- PSY 2460 Diagnostic Interviewing
- PSY 2420 Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Clinical students must also take one course in each of the following substantive areas: biological bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 1202 Modern Neuroanatomy; PSY 1325 The Emotional, Social Brain; PSY 1355 The Adolescent Brain; PSY 1702 The Emotional Mind); social bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 2500 Proseminar in Social Psychology); cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 2400 Cognitive Psychology and Emotional Disorders); and individual differences (Required course PSY 2040 Contemporary Topics in Psychopathology fulfills the individual differences requirement for Massachusetts licensure). In accordance with American Psychological Association guidelines for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs, clinical students also receive consultation and supervision within the context of clinical practica in psychological assessment and treatment beginning in their second semester of their first year and running through their third year. They receive further exposure to additional topics (e.g., human development) in the Developmental Psychopathology seminar and in the twice-monthly clinical psychology “brown bag” speaker series. Finally, students complete a year-long clinical internship. Students are responsible for making sure that they take courses in all the relevant and required areas listed above. Students wishing to substitute one required course for another should seek advice from their advisor and from the director of clinical training prior to registering. During the first year, students are advised to get in as many requirements as possible. Many requirements can be completed before the deadlines stated below. First-year project: Under the guidance of a faculty member who serves as a mentor, students participate in a research project and write a formal report on their research progress. Due by May of first year. Second-year project: Original research project leading to a written report in the style of an APA journal article. A ten-minute oral presentation is also required. Due by May of second year. General exam: A six-hour exam covering the literature of the field. To be taken in September before the start of the third year. Thesis prospectus: A written description of the research proposed must be approved by a prospectus committee appointed by the CHD. Due at the beginning of the fourth year. Thesis and oral defense: Ordinarily this would be completed by the end of the fourth year. Clinical internship: Ordinarily this would occur in the fifth year. Students must have completed their thesis research prior to going on internship.
Credit for Prior Graduate Work
A PhD student who has completed at least one full term of satisfactory work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may file an application at the Registrar’s Office requesting that work done in a graduate program elsewhere be counted toward the academic residence requirement. Forms are available online .
No more than the equivalent of eight half-courses may be so counted for the PhD.
An application for academic credit for work done elsewhere must contain a list of the courses, with grades, for which the student is seeking credit, and must be approved by the student’s department. In order for credit to be granted, official transcripts showing the courses for which credit is sought must be submitted to the registrar, unless they are already on file with the Graduate School. No guarantee is given in advance that such an application will be granted.
Only courses taken in a Harvard AB-AM or AB-SM program, in Harvard Summer School, as a GSAS Special Student or FAS courses taken as an employee under the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) may be counted toward the minimum academic residence requirements for a Master’s degree.
Academic and financial credit for courses taken as a GSAS Special Student or FAS courses taken as a Harvard employee prior to admission to a degree program may be granted for a maximum of four half-courses toward a one-year Master’s and eight half-courses toward a two-year Master’s or the PhD degree.
Applications for academic and financial credit must be approved by the student’s department and should then be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
Student Admissions, Outcomes, and other data
1. Time to Completion
Students can petition the program faculty to receive credit for prior graduate coursework, but it does not markedly reduce their expected time to complete the program.
2. Program Costs
3. Internships
4. Attrition
5. Licensure
Standard Financial Aid Award, Students Entering 2023
The financial aid package for Ph.D. students entering in 2023 will include tuition and health fees support for years one through four, or five, if needed; stipend support in years one and two; a summer research grant equal to two months stipend at the end of years one through four; teaching fellowship support in years three and four guaranteed by the Psychology Department; and a dissertation completion grant consisting of tuition and stipend support in the appropriate year. Typically students will not be allowed to teach while receiving a stipend in years one and two or during the dissertation completion year.
Year 1 (2023-24) and Year 2 (2024- 25) Tuition & Health Fees: Paid in Full Academic Year Stipend: $35,700 (10 months) Summer Research Award: $7,140 (2 months)
Year 3 (2025-26) & Year 4 (2026- 27) Tuition & Health Fees: Paid in Full Living Expenses: $35,700 (Teaching Fellowship plus supplement, if eligible) Summer Research Award: $7,140 (2 months)
Year 5 (2027-28) - if needed; may not be taken after the Dissertation Completion year Tuition & Health Fees: Paid in Full
Dissertation Completion Year (normally year 5, occasionally year 6) Tuition & Health Fees: Paid in Full Stipend for Living Expenses: $35,700
The academic year stipend is for the ten-month period September through June. The first stipend payment will be made available at the start of the fall term with subsequent disbursements on the first of each month. The summer research award is intended for use in July and August following the first four academic years.
In the third and fourth years, the guaranteed income of $35,700 includes four sections of teaching and, if necessary, a small supplement from the Graduate School. Your teaching fellowship is guaranteed by the Department provided you have passed the General Examination or equivalent and met any other department criteria. Students are required to take a teacher training course in the first year of teaching.
The dissertation completion year fellowship will be available as soon as you are prepared to finish your dissertation, ordinarily in the fifth year. Applications for the completion fellowship must be submitted in February of the year prior to utilizing the award. Dissertation completion fellowships are not guaranteed after the seventh year. Please note that registration in the Graduate School is always subject to your maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree.
GSAS students are strongly encouraged to apply for appropriate Harvard and outside fellowships throughout their enrollment. All students who receive funds from an outside source are expected to accept the award in place of the above Harvard award. In such cases, students may be eligible to receive a GSAS award of up to $4,000 for each academic year of external funding secured or defer up to one year of GSAS stipend support.
For additional information, please refer to the Financial Support section of the GSAS website ( gsas.harvard.edu/financial-support ).
Registration and Financial Aid in the Graduate School are always subject to maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree.
Psychology students are eligible to apply for generous research and travel grants from the Department.
The figures quoted above are estimates provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and are subject to change.
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 E-mail: [email protected] www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
The Director of Clinical Training is Prof. Richard J. McNally who can be reached by telephone at (617) 495-3853 or via e-mail at: [email protected] .
- Clinical Internship Allowance
Harvard Clinical Psychology Student Handbook
PhD Program Rankings (Adapted from US News and World Report)
Below are reputation scores and ranks of the top 27 PhD programs in Psychology, including top-ranked schools in each of six subspecialties. From US News and World Report, “America’s Best Graduate Schools” rank/school average reputation score.
Rank School Average reputation score
1 Stanford Univ. 4.8
2 Univ. of California-Berkeley 4.6
2 Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor 4.6
4 Univ. of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign 4.5
4 Yale Univ. 4.5
6 Harvard Univ. 4.4
6 Univ. of California-Los Angeles 4.4
6 Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities 4.4
9 Carnegie Mellon Univ. 4.2
9 Princeton Univ. 4.2
9 Univ. of Pennsylvania 4.2
9 Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison 4.2
13 Indiana Univ.-Bloomington 4.1
13 Univ. of California-San Diego 4.1
13 Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 4.1
16 Johns Hopkins Univ. 4.0
16 Univ. of Colorado-Boulder 4.0
16 Univ. of Texas-Austin 4.0
19 Cornell Univ. 3.9
19 Duke Univ. 3.9
19 Northwestern Univ. 3.9
19 Univ. of Chicago 3.9
19 Univ. of Washington 3.9
24 Columbia Univ. 3.8
24 Ohio State Univ. 3.8
24 Univ. of California-Irvine 3.8
24 Univ. of Virginia 3.8
Top Specialty Programs
C linical Psychology
1. Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities
2. Univ. of Illinois-Urban a-Champaign
3. Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor
4. Univ. of California-Los Angeles
5. Univ. of Washington
Co unseling Psychology
1. Univ. of Maryland-College Park
2. Ohio State Univ.
3. Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities
4. Univ. of Missouri-Columbia
5. Univ. of Iowa
Developme n tal
2. Univ. of Virginia
2. Stanford Univ.
4. Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor
5. Univ. of Illinois-Urban a-Champaign
5. Univ. of California-Berkeley
Expe ri menta l P sychology
1. Stanford Univ.
2. Univ. of Michigan-Ann Arbor
3. Univ. of California-Berkeley
4. Univ. of Illinois-Urban a-Champaign
5. Carnegie Mellon Univ.
I ndustrial / Organizational
2. Univ. of Maryland-College Park
3. Michigan State Univ.
4. Ohio State Univ.
5. Bowling Green State Univ.
5. Univ. of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
Schoo l Psychology
1. Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
2. Univ. of Texas-Austin
3. Univ. of South Carolina-Columbia
3. Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln
3. Columbia Univ.
(The response rate for psychology was 34%, the lowest response rate for the six PhD fields surveyed. Political Science had the highest response rate, at 54%.)
Reprinted with permission from US News and World Report. Copyright, 1995, US News and World Report.
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Psychology, PhD
Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences, program requirements .
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences emphasizes training and experience in the research methods essential to the development of new knowledge in the various sub-fields of psychology. Our core program for doctoral students emphasizes scientific methodology and provides rigorous research training. Each doctoral candidate is expected to become familiar with both a relatively narrowly defined area and a broad spectrum of knowledge related to the student’s topic of specialization.
In addition to general university requirements, the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences has the following regulations:
A thorough understanding of statistics is useful in virtually all research settings. Two statistics courses are required during the first year of graduate training. The normal sequence is AS.200.657 Advanced Statistical Methods during the first semester and AS.200.658 Advanced Research Design and Analysis during the second semester. Students with exceptional statistical training should take two more advanced courses by arrangement with the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to take more statistics, as appropriate.
Fundamentals and Core Topics in PBS
AS.200.613 Fundamentals of Biopsychology , AS.200.617 Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology , AS.200.654 Psychological & Brain Sciences Core Topics A , and AS.200.655 Psychological & Brain Sciences Core Topics B offer an introduction to the fundamental principles and methods of the psychological & brain sciences. Students will read seminal and contemporary papers in topics that cover the breadth of the field. In addition, students become versed in the careful consideration of data and in formulating written and oral arguments.
First-Year Research Report
During the first year, the student, together with the faculty advisor, identifies a research project that will provide extended research experience. Normally, the student designs a study as part of a larger ongoing project. A project proposal must be submitted by June 1 of the first year; this proposal introduces the nature of the scientific problem, reviews the relevant literature, and describes the proposed study in detail, together with the anticipated data, means of analysis, and interpretations. A final written version of this report must be submitted by December 15 of the student's second year; ideally, this "first year project" report includes all the information that would be appropriate for submission to a scientific journal.
Advanced Examination
The Advanced Examination is designed to assess expertise in the student’s area of concentration. This examination, which includes both a written and oral part, is graded by a committee of at least two faculty members. The written and oral portions of the advanced examination offer the student an opportunity to demonstrate both in-depth, focused knowledge in their specialty area of study, and also a breadth of knowledge outside of their area of expertise. The student must pass the advanced examination by the beginning of the third year of study.
Advanced Seminars
Advanced seminars are more specialized in content than a Core Topics course, but are still geared to students with interests both inside and outside the area. Students are required to complete one advanced seminar outside their concentration area. Completion of an additional advanced seminar is strongly recommended.
Topical Seminars
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers topical seminars in which one or more faculty members leads seminars on topics of special interest, such as cognitive processes, developmental psycholinguistics, neuro-physiological aspects of behavior, mathematical psychology, and information processing. Through participation in these seminars, students are exposed to findings in subfields of psychology. Topics vary from semester to semester and are determined by the interests of both faculty and graduate students. The format of the seminar is optional, and the course may or may not require formal tests of knowledge. Students are urged to complete topical seminars as appropriate.
Research Seminars
Students and faculty engaged or interested in research in particular areas organize these seminars. Participants discuss their own research and other current research in the area.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching experience is regarded as an important part of the graduate program, and graduate students are required to teach during their program. More details are available in the handbook. The Department Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, Department Administrator, and Academic Program Administrator collaborate to assess the instructional support needs of the department and assign these teaching duties.
Advanced students may apply for a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship . This prestigious fellowship provides graduate students an opportunity to grow both as educators and scholars by allowing them to propose, design, and offer an undergraduate seminar course.
Literature Review
Students complete a written literature review in preparation of the completion of their dissertation. The literature review is modeled on articles appearing in professional journals, and it should be suitable for publication in such a journal. Typically, the review provides a background for the thesis plan, but for some students it may be prepared on a topic other than the one selected for the thesis. The literature review is evaluated by the same committee that will evaluate the thesis plan.
Thesis Plan
At least one calendar year before receiving the Ph.D. degree, each doctoral candidate must develop a plan for the dissertation research and present the plan before a departmental committee. The thesis plan is a detailed document stating the issue the student wishes to address in a dissertation, the experimental design to be used, and the way the student will interpret the various possible results. In essence, it is a proposal for a research project with predictions and preliminary data, rather than results. The outline of the experiments should be sufficiently clear that the readers will fully understand the procedures; the plan should also include a timeline.
This plan should be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the fourth year. Dissertation research cannot proceed until the Thesis Plan has formally been approved. With the committee’s approval, the student then prepares a dissertation.
Dissertation
The dissertation represents the student’s culminating piece of scholarly work. It establishes the start of a research career and the basis for postgraduate employment. The Graduate Board of the University administers the final oral examination, a defense of the thesis. The doctoral dissertation must be in a form suitable for and worthy of publication.
Financial Support
Support for graduate students comes from many different sources. Domestic and international students in good standing can expect to receive tuition remission and a stipend.
Stipend support is competitive with that at other institutions and provides sufficient funds to live modestly. Stipends may come from research grants held by faculty members, allowing students to collaborate and be paid as research assistants. The university also provides funds for teaching assistants, as well as special fellowships.
All students are encouraged to apply for national awards, fellowships, and scholarships (e.g., NSF Graduate Fellowships). Our students have been remarkably successful at winning these honors.
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is also affiliated with two diverse training programs supported by the Center for Hearing and Balance and the National Institute on Aging , including the NIA-supported training grant titled “Research Training in Age-Related Cognitive Disorders.” Qualified graduate students are encouraged to discuss relevant and appropriate training grant applications with their advisors. Stipend and tuition remission may be provided to accepted applicants through these and other training programs.
For further information on graduate study in psychology, contact the Academic Program Administrator for the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences .
Master of Arts in Psychology
A student who has been admitted into the Ph.D. program can earn a Master of Arts degree in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Normally, candidates for the Ph.D. degree in psychology will qualify for the M.A. degree at the end of their second year, after having completed two area seminars and at least two courses in psychological research design and/or advanced statistics, provided that their performance is of the quality judged satisfactory for the M.A. level. There is no terminal master’s program.
- Graduate Study
- Program Areas
- How To Apply
- Preparation Timeline
- Doctoral Curriculum
- Courses 2024-25
- Joint Degrees
Doctoral Admissions
We are glad that you are considering our program for your doctoral training. We have a group of faculty, students, and staff dedicated to performing rigorous and meaningful research, and are always looking to add engaged new students to our community.
The Department of Psychology offers a course of study leading to a PhD in Psychology. Doctoral study typically spans five years and includes a common curriculum of eight courses with other requirements set by the student's area of specialization. In addition, each student will complete a trial research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor or advisors and complete a dissertation. Advisors are a critical component of students' experience in the doctoral program, providing guidance and collaboration in conducting research and academic advising. Students receive practical pedagogical experience, usually through completing five teaching assistantships.
As you make a decision about where to attend graduate school, we encourage you to explore the five research area specializations and the research programs of the individual faculty in our department. The PhD program in Psychology is not a clinical or counseling training program, and the program does not offer online or part-time study. Enrolled students in the Division of Social Sciences receive a financial package that includes tuition, the graduate student fee, student health insurance, as well as a stipend for living expenses.
The Department of Psychology does not have a terminal Master’s degree program. However, the Division of the Social Sciences offers two Master’s degrees that may be of interest to prospective psychology students. The Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) allows for a concentration in psychology. The MA in Computational Social Science provides the ability to tailor your coursework to your academic or professional interest.
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PhD Degree Requirements
This webpage provides a quick overview of the requirements for our PhD program. More detailed information can be found in the Psychology Graduate Guide . This webpage and the Graduate Guide supplement the Psychology PhD requirements defined in the Stanford Bulletin and the policies for all Stanford graduate education as defined in the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook .
The most important component of our PhD program is engaging in scientific research. Students in our PhD program conduct in-depth research in at least one of five areas of study: Affective , Cognitive , Developmental , Neuroscience , or Social Psychology. All students are expected to spend at least half of their time engaged in research. Each quarter, students should register for 8 - 10 research units (PSYCH207: Graduate Research) and take no more than 10 units of coursework.
The sections below outline program requirements regarding coursework and teaching, as well as key milestones towards a PhD degree.
Course Requirements
- Teaching Requirements
- Key Program Milestones
Core Courses, Statistics/Methods Courses, and Advanced Units must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of B- or higher. Click each requirement to open the relevant sections in the Graduate Guide.
Professional Seminar
All incoming students are required to take PSYCH207 in the first quarter (Year 1 Autumn). This is a course taught by the Department Chair with guest lectures from faculty across all areas, and serves to introduce the first-year students to the Department.
- PSYCH 207: Professional Seminar for First-Year Ph.D Students
As a part of PSYCH 207, first-year students are also expected to meet with their advisor(s) early in the fall quarter of the first year to discuss mentorship expectations.
Core Courses
Students are required to complete 4 of the following Core Courses by the end of Yr 3.
- PSYCH 202: Cognitive Neuroscience
- PSYCH 205: Foundations of Cognition
- PSYCH 211: Developmental Psychology
- PSYCH 213: Affective Science
- PSYCH 215: Mind, Culture, and Society
Statistics / Methods Courses
Students must complete PSYCH 251 and one additional statistics/methods courses by the end of Year 2. At least one of the two courses must be taken in the first year.
- PSYCH 251: Experimental Methods (Required)
- PSYCH 249: Large-Scale Neural Network Modeling for Neuroscience
- PSYCH 252: Statistical Methods for Behavioral and Social Sciences
- PSYCH 253: Measurement and the Study of Change in Social Science Research
- PSYCH 289: Longitudinal Data Analysis in Social Science Research
Some students may wish to take advanced courses in Statistics or CS not listed above; please consult with your advisor and send an inquiry to the Student Services Manager. These requests may be reviewed by the DGS and/or the GPC.
Advanced Units / PhD Minor
Students must complete 12 units of advanced graduate coursework (“Advanced Units”, or AU), or complete a PhD Minor by the end of Year 4.
Students and their advisor(s) should discuss the course requirements and create a plan together for completing the Advanced Units. To this end, rising 2nd year students must submit an Advanced Courses Form by the first Monday in October (usually the first Monday of the Fall Quarter) of the 2nd year.
Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) Statu s
Students should apply for Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status once they have accumulated 135 units of residency and have filed a Dissertation Reading Committee form . Students in TGR status should register for PSYCH 802: TGR Dissertation (0 units) and take no more than 3 units of coursework per quarter. Typically, students transition to TGR in the Winter quarter of 5th year.
For more information about Course Requirements, consult the Graduate Guide and the Stanford Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook .
Teaching Requirements
All students serve as teaching assistants for at least 5 Psychology courses during their graduate study, regardless of the source of their financial support. Of these 5 TAships, students must apply for 2 of their TAships to be in one of the two tracks:
- PSYCH 1 Track (2 quarters of Introduction to Psychology)
- STATS Track (2 quarters of core statistics/methods course: PSYCH 10, PSYCH 251, PSYCH 252, PSYCH 253).
Students can review the Department's complete TA policy for more details. Questions about TA assignments or TA policy should be directed to the Student Services Manager.
Program Requirements and Milestones
Year 1: First Year Project (FYP)
At the end of their first year of graduate study, students must submit a written report of their first-year research activities, called the First Year Project (FYP) by June 1 The FYP is submitted to their advisor, second FYP reader (another faculty), and the students’ services manager. Students are also expected to present the results of their FYP in their area seminar.
Year 2: Admission to Candidacy
In our department, a student’s application for candidacy must be filed as soon as all requirements for Year 1 and Year 2 are completed (and by the end of the 2nd year). The decision to advance a student to candidacy is made based on a holistic assessment of the student’s progress in the program. For more information, please refer to the Graduate Guide, section on Admission to Candidacy.
Conferral of a masters degree: Graduate students in the Department of Psychology who have completed (a) the first-year and second-year course requirements and (b) at least 45 units of Psychology courses may apply for a conferral of the MA degree.
Master of Arts Degree in Psychology (Optional)
Graduate students in the Department of Psychology who have completed (a) the first-year and second-year course requirements and (b) at least 45 units of Psychology courses may apply for conferral of the MA degree. The application should be reviewed with the Student Services Manager. The application process typically occurs in 2nd or 3rd year.
Year 3: Research Plan and Dissertation Reading Committee
Students in Year 3 are expected to:
(1) Form a dissertation reading committee (due Feb 1): The research committee includes the dissertation advisor and at least 2 additional faculty members, for a total of 3 members, at least two of whom should have primary appointments in the Psychology Department.
(2) Schedule and hold the 3rd Year Committee Meeting to take place in Winter or Spring quarter (before June 1), and submit a research plan to their committee 2 weeks before the meeting
(3) After the committee meeting, submit the Research Plan to the Student Services Manager and report the meeting date using the Committee Meeting Google Form .
Year 4: Area Review and Research Roadmap (ARRR) and Committee Meeting
Students in Year 4 are expected to:
(1) Schedule and hold the 4th Year Committee Meeting in the Winter quarter and submit an Area Review & Research Roadmap (ARRR) to the committee two weeks before the meeting.
(2) After the committee meeting, submit the ARRR to the Student Services Manager and report the meeting date using the Committee Meeting Google Form .
Final Year: Oral Examination and Dissertation
Students in Year 3 and above are expected to hold a committee meeting every year. In their final year, students must form their Oral Examination Committee including identifying an external chair. Students must submit the Oral Exam Form to the Student Services Manager at least 2 weeks before the anticipated defense and follow the standard Department protocol for reserving a room for their defense.
Individual Development Plan
Every year, each graduate student completes an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and has a meeting with their advisor to discuss the IDP and set an Action Plan for the coming year. The goal of the IDP is for the student to step back from their daily tasks, reflect on the larger picture, discuss these topics with their mentor, and make an action plan for achieving their goals going forward. The IDP meeting must occur by June 1 each year.
The IDP process has 4 steps:
1. Student completeness the IDP Self-Reflection form
2. Student prepares the IDP Meeting and Action Plan form and schedules a one-on-one meeting with the advisor.
3. Student and Advisor(s) complete the Action Plan (pages 3-4 of the IDP Meeting and Action Plan form ).
4. Student submits the IDP Meeting Google Form to report the meeting to the Student Services.
Students can also use the IDP meeting to discuss mentorship expectations and schedule additional meetings if further conversations are needed. Note that first-year students must schedule a separate meeting with their advisors to discuss Mentorship Expectation as a part of their ProSem requirement
Graduation Quarter
Registration for Graduation Quarter is required for the term in which a student submits a dissertation or has a degree conferred. Please consult the Registrar's Academic Calendar for the quarterly deadlines for submitting dissertations; they are strict, and missing the deadline can have serious funding implications. For more information, please refer to the Graduate Guide and Registrar's Office website .
PhD Program Timeline At-A-Glance
- FYP Proposal and name of 2nd reader due to Student Services
End of Fall Quarter
- Complete the mentorship expectations meeting with advisor
- FYP due to Student Services, advisor, and 2nd reader
Summer of 1st Year
- Meet and receive feedback from advisor and 2nd reader
- Submit Advanced Units coursework form to Student Services
June 1
- IDP Meeting Due
By the end of 2nd Year
- Submit Candidacy Form to Student Services
- Submit Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form to Student Services
- Schedule 3rd Year Committee Meeting
- Hold Committee Meeting (Research Plan to committee 2 weeks before meeting), and report meeting to Student Services; IDP Meeting
- Schedule 4th Year Committee Meeting
- Submit ARRR to the committee two weeks before the meeting
- Hold Committee Meeting
- Report meeting to Student Services
- IDP Meeting
2 weeks before Defense:
- Submit the Oral Exam form to Student Services
End of Spring Quarter:
- Oral Examination
- Submit Dissertation
- Schedule and hold a 5th Year Committee Meeting
The Department of Psychology offers a research-intensive PhD program within a close-knit community of faculty and students.
The Department of Psychology offers a graduate program leading to a PhD in psychology. The program offers four main specializations, behavioral neuroscience, cognition, perception, and personality/social, with cross-cutting themes in affective science, lifespan development, and health. The main objective of the program is to train a select group of students to become experts in the multidisciplinary field of psychological science. To accomplish this goal, the department takes a mentoring approach whereby the graduate students are apprentices in faculty laboratories, working closely with their faculty mentors throughout their time in the program. All students are fully supported with stipend and tuition waiver, 12 months a year, for their full five years in the program.
The department admits a small group of students to its doctoral program each year in order to maintain its apprenticeship model, with students admitted to work with a particular faculty mentor. In the laboratory, responsibility for collaboration in research gradually shifts from the faculty mentor to the student, culminating in the student’s doctoral dissertation. The program is five years in length, with students earning a Master’s degree at the end of their second year, in the course of working towards their PhD. Some students enter with a Master’s degree in an appropriate field; they are not required to earn another one.
The basic apprenticeship relation is supplemented by other activities, such as required courses (concentrated in the first and second years), advanced seminars and/or coursework in this as well as other departments or universities, a colloquium series, assignments as teaching assistants, the master’s project, and the dissertation and its oral defense. Graduate students also develop their teaching and research skills through close mentoring of undergraduate research assistants.
- Specializations in behavioral neuroscience, cognition, perception, and personality/social
- Cross-cutting themes in affective science, lifespan development, and health
- Program follows apprenticeship model, with students admitted to work with a particular faculty mentor
- Students without a Master’s degree in an appropriate field will earn one at the end of their second year
- Students develop teaching and research skills through mentoring of undergraduate research assistants
- All students are fully supported with stipend and tuition waiver, 12 months a year, for their full five years in the program
- Bachelor’s and Advanced-degree entry are possible
Application Materials
Requirements, application.
- Application fee – US $100
- Unofficial transcripts for all institutions attended (Official transcripts required upon acceptance of admission offer)
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE General Test– Not required
- Proof of English Proficiency for all applicants
Priority deadline for completed applications: December 1 st
Rolling admissions until March 15. Check with department to see if there is availability.
- Program Website
Request Information for PhD in Psychology
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COMMENTS
Northwestern University. Evanston, IL. #9 in Psychology (tie) Save. 4.5. Studying the intricacies of the human experience is central to a psychology program. With a graduate degree, psychologists ...
Studying Psychology in United States is a great choice, as there are 118 universities that offer PhD degrees on our portal. Over 957,000 international students choose United States for their studies, which suggests you'll enjoy a vibrant and culturally diverse learning experience and make friends from all over the world.
September Payscale data for 2023 reports the average salary for graduates with a Psy.D. as $92,000. This is considerably higher than the 2023 national median salary of $48,060, and for many psychologists, the financial and emotional rewards justify the cost and time spent in a doctorate of psychology program.
The deadline to apply for the '25-26 PhD cohort this year is November 30, 2024. Applicants who are admitted to the program will matriculate in Autumn 2025. Our next admissions cycle will open in September 2025 and have a November 30, 2025 deadline. In addition to the information below, please review the Graduate Admissions website prior to ...
Harvard University. Cambridge, MA. #10 in Clinical Psychology (tie) Save. 4.3. Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental illness and psychological disorders. Graduates may find work in ...
Psychology Graduate Office William James Hall 210 33 Kirkland Street Cambridge, MA 02138 617-495-3810 [email protected]
The PhD is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in Psychology. A student typically concentrates in one of several areas within Psychology. Across all areas, the training program emphasizes the development of research competence, and students are ...
Questions about the application or required materials should be directed to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Admissions Office at [email protected] or 617-496-6100. Harvard Griffin GSAS does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.
The Clinical Psychology Program adheres to a clinical science model of training, and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. We are committed to training clinical psychologists whose research advances scientific knowledge of psychopathology and its treatment, and who are capable of applying evidence-based methods of ...
Below are reputation scores and ranks of the top 27 PhD programs in Psychology, including top-ranked schools in each of six subspecialties. From US News and World Report, "America's Best Graduate Schools" rank/school average reputation score.
Graduate Study in Psychology allows you to search and compare admissions information for masters and doctoral programs at schools and departments of psychology in the United States and Canada.
The Department of Psychology offers a PhD program in four areas: Clinical Science, Social, Developmental, and Cognition, Brain, and Behavior (CBB). Admissions information, program requirements, funding and financial aid details, and other resources for the graduate program are detailed on the Psychology Graduate Program website and on the Harvard Griffin GSAS website.
Psychology, PhD. Program Requirements. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences emphasizes training and experience in the research methods essential to the development of new knowledge in the various sub-fields of psychology. Our core program for doctoral students emphasizes scientific methodology and provides rigorous research training.
The Department of Psychology offers a course of study leading to a PhD in Psychology. Doctoral study typically spans five years and includes a common curriculum of eight courses with other requirements set by the student's area of specialization. In addition, each student will complete a trial research project under the guidance of a faculty ...
Students in our PhD program conduct in-depth research in at least one of five areas of study: Affective, Cognitive, Developmental, Neuroscience, or Social Psychology. All students are expected to spend at least half of their time engaged in research. Each quarter, students should register for 8 - 10 research units (PSYCH207: Graduate Research ...
Preparing and applying for graduate school in psychology. This series of 12 videos takes prospective graduate students step-by-step through the preparation, application, interview, and admission processes. The presenters combine decades of advising experience and research findings with evidence-based and anxiety-reducing strategies for ...
3 (tie). Stony Brook University—SUNY. Location: Stony Brook, New York. Peer reputation score (scale of 1-5): 4.6. Key facts about the program: This Ph.D. program in clinical psychology is most ...
The Department of Psychology offers a graduate program leading to a PhD in psychology. The program offers four main specializations, behavioral neuroscience, cognition, perception, and personality/social, with cross-cutting themes in affective science, lifespan development, and health. The main objective of the program is to train a select ...
NRC Ranking of U.S. Psychology Ph.D. Programs. This page contains links to 185 psychology Ph.D. programs rank-ordered in quality according to the most recent study conducted by the National Research Council (with "quality scores" taken from a summary of the NRC report published by the APS Observer). The Canadian Psychological Association ...
About the Program. The Ph.D. in Psychology at Georgetown University offers a fully funded five-year, full-time program of study. Students in the program concentrate in either Human Development and Public Policy (HDPP) or Lifespan Cognitive Neuroscience (LCN). The program is fundamentally a research program.
The focus of Columbia's graduate program in Psychology is on the training of Ph.D. students in research, teaching and scholarship in the areas of behavioral neuroscience, perception, cognition and social-personality psychology. This graduate program does not offer training in clinical psychology, school, counseling or industrial psychology.
Determining how to pay for your studies is one of the most important considerations in deciding whether to earn a counseling psychology Ph.D. According to the National Center for Education Statistics Postsecondary Student Aid Study, the median annual tuition and fees for a psychology doctorate in 2020 was $13,440.
The School Psychology Ph.D. degree prepares leaders in the field of research and practice within school psychology. Our program stresses the expanded role of the school psychologist and offers formal coursework and practica in assessment, consultation, intervention, and counseling. Our philosophy is grounded in the scientist-practitioner model ...
Brain and Cognition o ffers students the opportunity to gain a PhD in psychology with a specialization in cognition and brain. The program is home to highly qualified faculty with varied interests including cognitive development, multisensory processing, and neuropsychiatric disorders. ... Contact Us. CEHS Facebook; CEHS Twitter; CEHS YouTube ...
Degrees and GPA Requirements Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution. University GPA requirement: The minimum grade point average for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver must meet one of the following criteria:
Welcome to the Psychology PhD Wiki. This crowdsourced site is intended to provide information to applicants about the status of open PhD positions with deadlines this fall or winter, which would thus begin in the fall of 2025.The wikis for previous years are still available. If this is your first time visiting the wiki, please read through the instructions to become familiar with how it works.
The APA Education Directorate is pleased to announce that the fall virtual APA Psychology Graduate School Fair is happening on October 30, 2024 from noon-4 p.m. (ET). In addition, APA staff will be available on the platform from 10 a.m.-noon to answer general graduate school questions prior to the recruitment event.
Contact Us. Department of Psychology Tufts University 490 Boston Avenue Medford, MA 02155 Office: 617-627-3523 Fax: 617-627-3181 Email Department
Degree Requirements. All new matriculants in the Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology program are required to complete 42 credits. This includes 39 credits of coursework plus three credits for an externship of 300 hours or the prospectus/thesis. There is no qualifying exam for this degree.
The Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology is designed for graduates from a variety of disciplines seeking to advance their leadership and management skills from a psychological perspective to enhance performance and wellbeing across workplace contexts, provide business leadership, build professional relationships, influence meaningful organisational change, and create humane workplaces.