PhD Program Application Requirements

Application Information

We appreciate your interest in the Department of Psychology's doctoral (PhD) graduate training program and welcome your application for admission.

A candidate for admission to the PhD program should ordinarily have the following preparation: a minimum of 15 hours in psychology coursework, a laboratory course in experimental psychology, and a course in statistics. Students of high ability and students transferring to psychology from disciplines that are highly relevant to an expected area of specialization within psychology may be accepted even though they lack some of these courses.

One’s chance of admission is neither enhanced nor hindered by prior study beyond the undergraduate degree. Students with advanced study and Master’s degrees may be admitted, but many applicants do not have advanced work.

NOTE: Changes to the GRE requirement and application deadlines are described below.

Fall 2023 Application Deadlines:

Attention & Perception: December 1, 2022
Behavioral Neuroscience: December 1, 2022
Clinical-Community: November 15, 2022
Cognitive Neuroscience: December 1, 2022
Cognitive: December 1, 2022
Developmental: December 1, 2022
Industrial-Organizational: December 1, 2022
Quantitative: December 1, 2022
Social-Personality: December 1, 2022

Doctoral Application Requirements:

University of Illinois Graduate College Application

Before completing the Graduate College Application, please verify that the minimum requirements are satisfied. As part of the application, you will upload or input the components described below.

Academic Statement of Purpose

Your Academic Statement of Purpose should be limited to 750 words and should address the following questions:

How has your academic background, including any training, research, or other academic experiences, prepared you for graduate study?
What are your intellectual interests and what scholarly questions are you interested in exploring in graduate study?
Are there any specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own that you would like to work with?
How will our program help you achieve your intellectual and professional goals?

Personal Statement

The Personal Statement should describe how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively together. It should not exceed 250 words.

Academic History

Academic History from degree granting institutions are uploaded while completing the application form. Official transcripts are not required at the time of application.

CV/Resume

The CV/Resume is your opportunity to highlight your accomplishments including relevant research experience, publications, awards, volunteer work, and skills.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters are required. In your online application, you will need to provide the following information about each recommender: name, address, title, organization, relationship to you (professor, employer, etc), and email address. You can submit additional references, but we ask that you do not exceed 5 letters.

GRE Scores

The General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required by some program areas. To ease the financial burden of applying for graduate education, we will accept your unofficial GRE scores in your initial application. The Subject test is not required. We do not have a minimum score requirement. Our Institution Code is 1836 (Department code is 2016, but is not necessary).

Attention & Perception: Required – exceptions will be considered under certain extenuating circumstances
Behavioral Neuroscience: Optional
Clinical-Community: Optional - scores will be considered if submitted
Cognitive Neuroscience: Optional
Cognitive: Required
Developmental: Optional
Industrial-Organizational: Required
Quantitative: Required
Social-Personality: Required

Application Fee

Domestic applicants will be required to submit a $70 application fee. International applicants will be required to submit a $90 application fee. If you are a University of Illinois employee (Academic Professional, Civil Service, or Faculty), or a fee waiver recipient (I-Promise Scholar, McNair Scholar, Big Ten Academic Alliance Applicant, or SROP Participant), you may select your eligibility for an application fee waiver in the online application. For more information about fee waivers, see here (https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/faqs-app-fees).

Additional Requirements for International Applicants:

Additional Degree Information

International applicants must meet minimum requirements based on their country of origin.

Evidence of English Proficiency

English proficiency is typically demonstrated via the TOEFL exam or IELTS. Please note the Psychology Department requests English proficiency exam scores even if the Graduate College exemption qualifications are met in order to establish teaching eligibility. Because student funding often relies on teaching assistantships, if you choose to submit an application without an English proficiency exam score, the department may request that you take the exam before an offer can be extended.

Funding Documentation

International applicants who are requesting F-1 or J-1 visa eligibility documents are required to submit Proof of Funding Documentation. These documents are not required at the time of application, but will be requested later in the review process if needed.

Application Resources: