Criteria used for Admission Decisions

The PhD in Psychology program is designed for full-time students who show outstanding academic potential as demonstrated by excellent undergraduate achievement, prior research experience and engagement in other professional development experiences relevant to the area of research emphasis the applicant is seeking.

Students are admitted to the doctoral program to work with a specific faculty mentor. Faculty mentors provide guidance in professional development and ensure that students are actively engaged in research from the beginning of their graduate school careers. Therefore, the fit between student interests and the faculty they select in application is a critical point of consideration.

It is preferred but not required that applicants have baccalaureate degrees in Psychology. At a minimum, applicants are required to have had one course in research methods in the behavioral or social sciences and one course in statistical methods. For the clinical program, applicants must have had a minimum of 24 quarter credit hours or 16 semester credit hours in non-introductory psychology courses, including the research methods and statistics courses mentioned above. Applicants without an undergraduate degree in Psychology are strongly encouraged to consider how their academic experience could translate to research and practice in the field of Psychology.

Psychologists are required by professional ethical codes to work in accordance with the best empirical evidence and to attain competence in the effects of culture on their research, teaching, and clinical work. In line with these professional standards, the programmatic research, teaching, and clinical training activities requires that students engage effectively with individuals with a wide range of backgrounds, most particularly those living in the diverse local community where UC is situated. Thus, a cohort with well-developed critical consciousness and that brings (or is enthusiastic about engaging with) as many varieties of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives as possible is instrumental for us to meet several of our programmatic needs. These needs include developing community partnerships for participatory research, recruiting and developing trust with research participants and collaborators from diverse backgrounds, designing studies that address meaningful individual and societal challenges, broadening the generalizability of our research findings, communicating findings to stakeholders of diverse backgrounds, developing and delivering inclusive teaching practices, and providing evidence-based and culturally sensitive clinical services. When reviewing the candidates’ personal statements, we take into consideration their perspectives on, contributions to, and experience with diversity in reference to how they might contribute to these programmatic needs and to the mission (and vision) of the Psychology Department.