Information for Applicants

The Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania will be accepting applications for the PhD program for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. Deadline for applications for Fall 2022:  December 1, 2021 11:59 pm P.S.T.

The application system will open October 1, 2021

Please note, we only accept applications for a PhD in Psychology. We do not offer a terminal Master’s degree in Psychology.

 

APPLY HERE

 

  1. Before you submit an application, we strongly encourage applicants to contact faculty with whom they are interested in working to discuss their research interests and confirm that working with the faculty member would be a good fit. 

 

The following faculty members are considering applications for Fall 2022:

 

UPDATED INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED BY AUGUST 31, 2021

 

A full listing of our graduate group members may be found here. All members of our graduate group are eligible to advise students in our program, but only those listed above have indicated that they will look at applications for fall 2022.

 

  1. Once you have contacted a faculty member and determined that the lab and the program are a good fit, you should proceed with your application (APPLY HERE). You will need to take the GRE General Test and submit GRE scores. Official scores must be submitted before the December 1, 2021 deadline. Information about GRE fee waivers can be found here: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/fees/reductions/

 

  1. Applicants whose native language is not English must prove English proficiency through the following approved tests, unless they graduated from an English-speaking university: TOEFL iBT Test (standard/in-person), TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition, TOEFL ITP Plus for China solution, or Duolingo English Test.

 

  1. You must arrange to have 3 letters of recommendation sent to Penn and submit all components of the application before the December 1, 2021 deadline (APPLY HERE). These include a personal statement, a transcript, and a CV. See here, for additional information about the personal statement.

 

  1. Pay your application fee. Penn offers application fee waivers for some applicants. All fee waiver requests for hardships, McNair Scholars, etc., should be sent to Ms. Patricia Rea, Associate Director for Admissions in the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences for her review. Requests may be sent by email at patrea@sas.upenn.edu.

 

  1. You will hear from us in early January if you will be invited to interview in-person. Interviews are usually in late January/early February and take place from a Thursday night through a Saturday morning. Admissions offers are usually made in mid-February. 

 

Is Penn’s program right for you? – See this handy decisions tree, reposted from the University of Houston Psychology website, to help you determine a route to your desired Psychology career.

Additional questions? A list of frequently asked questions about the application process can be found here.

For further questions, please contact Paul Newlon at grad_coordinator@psych.upenn.edu.