Psychology, PhD
for the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded to candidates who complete an approved program in their area of specialization and meet departmental and Graduate College requirements for the degree. These must include at least 64 or 96 graduate hours of graduate work; satisfactory performance in courses or examinations dealing with quantitative methods and chosen areas of specialization; a master's thesis or equivalent; appropriate advanced courses and seminars in the area of specialization and in related and supporting areas; satisfactory performance on a doctoral qualifying examination; satisfactory performance on an oral preliminary examination; completion of an acceptable Ph.D. thesis; and satisfactory performance on an oral examination in defense of the thesis.
The Department of Psychology offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Doctor of Philosophy programs are offered in the following areas of psychology:
- Attention & Perception
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Clinical-Community
- Cognitive
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental
- Quantitative
- Social-Personality
- Industrial-Organizational
An optional Master of Science in Psychology degree is awarded to students in the doctoral program as an intermediate degree.
Admission
The Graduate College admission requirements apply for all programs. All candidates for admission must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (or B) on a 4.0 scale in courses representing the last 60 hours of work completed for the bachelor’s degree. The candidate for admission to the graduate program should ordinarily have the following preparation: a minimum of 15 semester hours in psychology, a laboratory research methods course in psychology, and a course in statistics. Departmental committees also consider letters of recommendation. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for application to the following areas: Attention & Perception, Cognitive, Developmental, Industrial-Organizational, Quantitative, and Social-Personality. Preference is given to students who have taken mathematics beyond college algebra and to those who have some research experience. Applications for admission to part-time study are usually not approved. Students are accepted only for fall admission. For deadlines and additional application information, please visit the department's website.
In addition to the aforementioned criteria, applicants are evaluated on their supporting documents, career goals, career promise, and research interests. Substantial additional weight is given to the quality and extent of prior research and other relevant experience.
All applicants whose native language is not English or who are from any country other than the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand (even if they are native English speakers) are required by the University to submit the results of an English language proficiency test. The university will accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to determine admission eligibility.
- The minimum total TOEFL iBT score for admission (including all four sections): 79
- Minimum total TOEFL iBT score for exemption from the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) for admission (including all four sections): 103
- Minimum total IELTS score for admission: 6.5, including a minimum subscore of 6 on all four modules. Students receiving scores below 7 will be required to take the EPT for placement in English as Second Language courses.
In addition to the general requirement for English proficiency testing described above, the University of Illinois is also required by state law and University policy to give teaching appointments only to international graduate students who have more specifically passed an English language SPEAKING proficiency test. Applicants have the following options to satisfy this requirement:
- Minimum score of 24 on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT
- Minimum score of 8 on the speaking section of the IELTS
- Minimum score of 50 on the TSE
- Minimum score of 5 on the EPI (English Proficiency Interview) test.
International applicants to the Ph.D. program must present documentation for one of the above-listed tests of spoken English at the time of application to the Psychology Department. The teaching English proficiency requirements do not apply to the M.S. in Psychological Science applicants.
Refer to our Graduate Program webpage for additional information about the Department of Psychology's admission requirements.
Graduate Teaching Experience
The department requires Ph.D. candidates to gain teaching experience as part of their academic work. Such experience is considered a vital part of the graduate program and usually takes the form of a teaching assistantship. Students have the option of teaching two class sections (50% TA) for one semester or one class section (25% TA) for two semesters in order to meet the requirement.
Faculty Research Interests
The program is designed to prepare students for academic and research-oriented careers. Students become actively involved in research during their first semester, devoting an increasing percent of time toward independent research throughout their graduate careers.
For the most part, we view graduate education as an apprenticeship. Our task is to provide an environment where mature young scholars can gain experience in research as they collaborate with faculty and with other graduate students. The program encourages interdisciplinary study both within psychology and between psychology and other fields. Faculty research interests can be viewed here.
Facilities and Resources
Students have everything they need, including personal office space and full access to research, library, and computing services, as well as to a large pool of research participants. The excellent cooperation between program areas in the department and with other units in the University provides access to expertise and methodology in a variety of areas including but not limited to:
- the Psychological Services Center
- the Counseling Center
- the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- the Center for the Study of Reading
- the Institute of Communications Research
- the School of Labor and Employee Relations
- the Family Resiliency Program
- the Neuroscience Program
- the Institute for Genomic Biology
- the Departments of Computer Science
- Educational Psychology
- Linguistics
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and Statistics
- the Colleges of Law and Medicine
Financial Aid
Students generally complete the doctoral degree in 4-6 years, and the Psychology Department makes financial support available to all Ph.D. students in good standing for up to 6 years. The University application form and supplemental application materials provide all the information that is required by the committees administering various funding sources, which include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships.
The M.S. in Psychological Science program is self-supporting. The program does not accept non-statutory tuition waivers, and students enrolled in the program are ineligible to hold waiver-generating appointments.
for the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.
Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 506 | Statistical Methods I | 4 |
| PSYC 507 | Statistical Methods II (or an approved equivalent quantitative course sequence) | 4 |
| Completion of "core courses" within program area and departmental requirements | ||
| At least two different psychology seminar courses, taken for at least 2 hours each (4 min) | 4 | |
| Approved minor courses | 16 | |
| Distribution courses: general graduate survey courses in at least two other Program Areas. | 8 | |
| PSYC 599 | Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree) | 0-24 |
| Total Hours | 64 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 24 |
| Teaching experience is required: | Yes |
| A master's thesis or a master's-level research report is required: | Yes |
| Qualifying Exam Required: | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required: | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required: | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required: | Yes |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s level equivalent course work | 32 | |
| Completion of "core courses" within program area and departmental requirements | ||
| At least two different psychology seminar courses, taken for at least 2 hours each (4 min) | 4 | |
| PSYC 506 | Statistical Methods I | 4 |
| PSYC 507 | Statistical Methods II (PSYC 507 (or an approved equivalent quantitative course sequence)) | 4 |
| Approved minor courses | 16 | |
| Distribution courses: general graduate survey courses in at least two other Divisions. | 8 | |
| PSYC 599 | Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree) | 0-24 |
| Total Hours | 96 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 24 |
| Teaching experience is required: | Yes |
| A master's thesis or a master's-level research report is required: | Yes |
| Qualifying Exam Required: | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required: | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required: | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required: | Yes |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
for the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Students will:
- Have the requisite knowledge to conduct independent research in academic and/or applied settings, including:
- Knowledge of research methodology appropriate to a specific area of study
- Knowledge of data analytic techniques
- Knowledge of a specific area of study within the field of psychology
- Have effective written communication skills to disseminate research and scholarship and/or pursue funding opportunities.
- Have effective oral communication skills to disseminate research and scholarship (e.g., as instructors, as conference presenters)
- Have the knowledge to adhere to professional standards and expectations. Specifically, this learning outcome will attend to the degree to which students:
- Develop the knowledge and skills to engage diversity and inclusion in psychological science (as researchers, teachers, practitioners when applicable, and mentors)
- Develop the knowledge and skills to engage in ethical research and practice (when applicable)
- Develop the knowledge and skills to remain abreast of “cutting edge” issues in their respective program areas (e.g., replicability)
for the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Department of Psychology
Head of Department: Diane Beck
Director of Graduate Studies: Cynthia Fisher
Director of Admissions Committee: Ashley Ramm
Department of Psychology website
Psychology faculty
Psychology email
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences website
Admissions
Overview of Grad College Admissions & Requirements