Stanford's graduate program in psychology focuses on five areas of study: neuroscience, affective science, cognitive, developmental and social psychology. Stanford does not offer programs in clinical, organizational, industrial, counseling, or para-psychology. Applicants for the Ph.D. program are not expected to have completed an undergraduate or master's degree in psychology or any particular course requirements. Instead, the department reviews the entire application, including GRE graduate school entry exam scores, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and GPA. Only letters of recommendation that are submitted online are accepted. Applicants should include a list of three psychology department faculty members, in preferential order, with whom they would like to work. Each year, the department admits 10 to 15 graduate students, typically two to four in each of the department's five areas of study.
Stanford University
Department of Psychology
Jordan Hall, Building 01-420
450 Serra Mall
Standford, CA 94305
650-725-2400
stanford.edu/dept/psychology
The University of Michigan's psychology Ph.D. prepares students to work in both academic and applied settings in the following six areas of study: cognitive and cognitive neuroscience, clinical, bio-psychology, developmental, personality and social contexts, and social psychology. Graduate students can also pursue interdisciplinary course work that pairs psychology with education, social work and women's studies. All graduate applications are submitted online, including letters of recommendation. Potential applicants should contact the faculty with whom they would like to work beforehand to make sure they are accepting new students in their labs. Completed applications include an academic statement of purpose that highlights your academic and research background, a personal statement that explains how your life history has motivated your interest in a psychology Ph.D., transcripts, GRE scores and letters of recommendation. While the number of applicants varies from year to year, the department typically admits 5 percent of them.
University of Michigan
Department of Psychology
1012 East Hall
530 Church St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-764-2580
lsa.umich.edu/psych
Yale's department of psychology fosters work in the following five areas of study: clinical, developmental, behavioral neuroscience, social/personality and cognitive psychology. Yale's psychology graduate program stresses a broad knowledge of the psychology field as a whole and requires graduate students to take at least two seminars outside their area of concentration. Courses in statistical analysis and practice are also required prior to writing the dissertation. While the focus of the psychology Ph.D. is on research, the department makes an effort to provide graduate students with opportunities to teach after the first year of course work. Each year, the department admits approximately 15 new students, with only four admitted to study clinical psychology. The department looks for applicants with a strong academic and GRE scores as well as evidence of research experience and potential.
Yale University
Department of Psychology
Box 208205
New Haven, CT 06520
203-432-4500
yale.edu/psychology