This web page is only for informational purposes. Official program requirements should be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 East Daniel Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820.
Department of Psychology Doctoral Student Handbook
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded to candidates who have completed an approved program in their program area and meet departmental and Graduate College requirements for the degree. This must include:
- At least 96 hours of graduate work
- Statistical Methods I and II or approved equivalent quantitative course sequence
- Core courses within program area
- Distribution courses in at least 2 other program areas
- Minor courses – 4 courses
- Seminar courses – 2 courses
- Teaching experience
- A master’s thesis or equivalent
- Satisfactory performance on a doctoral qualifying examination
- Satisfactory performance on an oral preliminary examination
- Completion of an acceptable PhD thesis and satisfactory performance on an oral examination in defense of that thesis.
In addition to the main curriculum of instruction, the PhD program offers concentrations to facilitate further specialized training in select topic areas.
The PhD programs in Psychology endeavor to provide a comprehensive education and training that complements and supports the career goals of our doctoral students. In pursuit of that, select PhD program areas offer a concentration topic. Concentrations allow students the flexibility and structure to obtain further specialized training in select topic areas in addition to the core education provided by their program area requirements.
Developmental Psychopathology
Eligible PhD Programs: Developmental and Clinical-Community
For information regarding the degree requirements for this concentration, see the academic catalog. Specific questions about pursuing this concentration can be directed to Dr. Karen Rudolph (krudolph@illinois.edu).
Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education
Eligible PhD Programs: All program areas
Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education (SLATE) is a concentration spanning multiple departments. It's intended for students interested in second language acquisition and bilingualism/foreign/second language teaching. For general information about pursuing a SLATE concentration, visit the program website (https://slate.illinois.edu/). Additional information regarding the degree requirements for this concentration can be found in the academic catalog. Specific questions about pursuing this concentration can be directed to Dr. Kiel Christianson (kiel@illinois.edu).
Ecological Community Psychology
Eligible PhD Programs: All program areas
For information regarding the degree requirements for this concentration, see the academic catalog. Specific questions about pursuing this concentration can be directed to Dr. Nathan Todd (ntodd2@illinois.edu).