Admissions 3

• Applicants are only admitted for the Fall semester.
• The Fall 2024 admission application will open on September 1st, 2024.
• There is only one Psychology PhD application. Applicants should choose one area of study when applying. Please refer to our “Areas of Study” page.
• The deadline to apply for all areas EXCEPT clinical science is December 1^st, 2024.
• For clinical science applicants, the priority deadline is November 11^th, 2024. The clinical science area will begin reviewing applications at that time.
• The application will close at 11:59pm PT (Pacific Time) on December 1st, 2024. Late submissions will not be considered.

• Applicants should identify 1-3 faculty members who most closely match their research interests. The maximum that can be listed per application is 3 faculty mentors of interest.
• Clinical Area applicants should review the admission page here to see which faculty are admitting students. All other area applicants should view the faculty page by area.
• Information about faculty and their research/labs,can be found at the links below:
  • Brain and Cognitive Science Faculty
  • Clinical Science Faculty
  • Developmental Psychology Faculty
  • Quantitative Methods and Computational Psychology Faculty
  • Social

• Three letters by professors or supervisors familiar with your potential for graduate training and professional contributions to psychology are required.
• Letter of recommendations must be submitted by the December 1st deadline.
• Letter of recommendations must be completed within the application system. Please contact Liason Tech at uscsupport@liaisoncas.com if you have any technical difficulties with the letter of recommendations upload.

• Upload a scanned copy of your transcripts in the online application portal.
• Top applicants who reach the interview round may be required to send copies of their official transcripts.

• The GRE is not required for admission into our program and will not be reviewed if provided.
• A copy of your latest resume/CV must be uploaded to the application.
• International students must submit a TOEFL or IELTS exam (Institution Code 4852). Go to this website for details and exceptions: International Students English Proficiency
• The subject psychology exam is not required.

• The application fee is $90.
• Our department does not sponsor application fees; however, there are some general USC fee waivers that can be viewed here.

If you are you applying to the clinical science area, please see additional admission information here.  It also includes GRE and GPA data for entering clinical science classes that is in compliance with APA Implementing Regulation C-20.

Students are admitted by each specialty area (please refer to the Areas of Study; for admissions to the clinical program, please see this page). Different areas of our department emphasize different coursework, but we recommend that prospective students choosing classes include Introductory Psychology and coursework drawn from the following areas:

• Elementary Statistics
• Research Methods
• Biological Foundations – including coursework such as Comparative Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, Learning and Memory, Cognitive Psychology, or Motivation and Emotion
• Developmental, Social, and Personality Foundations – including coursework such as Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Personality
• Cognitive Foundations – including coursework such as Learning, Memory, and Intelligence

More advanced or specialized courses in psychology (e.g., Neuropsychology, Behavior Genetics, Advanced Statistics, Adolescence, Cognitive Development, Interpersonal Relations, Criminal Psychology, Psychology and Law, Organizational Psychology) are desirable, as are courses in the biological, physical, and social sciences and in mathematics. Students with outstanding records, but with less background in psychology will also be considered.

Please direct all questions to the Office of Graduate Admissions “Ask USC” portal (under Graduate Admission). You may also submit a question (see Ask Us link at top of page) if your question is not answered.

The USC Graduate School is committed to providing detailed information on the inputs, outcomes, and overall characteristics of its PhD programs. Please feel free to review more in-depth data here (select Psychology): https://graduateschool.usc.edu/about-us/phd-program-characteristics/

Do: Identify a PI who you would like to work with

• Identify a PI whose work genuinely interests you. A good place to start is by finding the authors of papers that interest you, as well as their usual collaborators and/or who cites them. Research rabbit might help you find papers that are similar!
• Make sure that the PI of interest is seeking graduate students (check their websites/school websites to find this information or email if it is not listed). Not all PIs are recruiting new students every year!
• The admissions committee’s job is to decide if you are a good fit for the PI and for the program. Spell it out for them!
• Stay current with the faculty’s recent research when discussing fit (check lab websites, Google Scholar profiles, and https://reporter.nih.gov/ for active projects). When we say “current,” we mean within the last few years. Papers can take quite a while to publish, so if you go too far back in publication history, the PI you are interested in working with may have already moved on from that topic. Keep a particular eye out for papers where your PI is first or last author.
• Even if your research fit isn’t perfect, make a convincing argument to connect the dots for why you still want to work with that PI
• For clinical applicants: see the Clinical Science page to see if your career goals align with those of the program

Don’t: Signal a poor research or training model fit

• Don’t describe yourself as someone who primarily wants to study X and list potential PIs who study Y
• Don’t list multiple unrelated PIs (but make sure you do list at least one who you would like to work with)
• Don’t specify a PI who is not currently accepting students
• Don’t focus on research they’ve done more than a decade ago

Do: Show Potential

• Showcase enthusiasm for research, curiosity, and adaptability
• Demonstrate coachability as a mentee and peer – indicate a willingness to seek out learning experiences
• Highlight technical skills acquired through various experiences (e.g. conducting literature reviews, running statistical analyses, writing a manuscript, etc.) but be careful not to repeat your CV
• Demonstrate critical thinking and a strong grasp of how your various experiences have helped you develop into the early career scholar that you are, and have prepared you for this next stage in your training
• Have a research vision (reviewers should have an idea of what your research at USC will look like and why your research background ties into future work)

Don’t: Demonstrate a limited/unfocused research background

• Don’t apply with no research experience (if you find yourself not having research experience to write about, consider applying to a master’s program, lab manager role, or other post-baccalaureate position first!)
• Don’t show a lack of coherence (give your research experiences a coherent narrative tying them together so they do not appear scattered)
• Don’t use overly broad or clichéd language like “wanting to help people” without providing specific and thoughtful insights

Do: Balance personal insight and motivation for applying to a PhD in Psychology

• A short personal anecdote can help hook the reader to understanding your motivations. Personal anecdotes must be clearly linked to your professional journey and development of critical thinking.
• Ground your explanation of your motivation in intellectual curiosity and academic experiences

Don’t: Overemphasize personal experiences

• Don’t overshadow your research/clinical experiences with personal anecdotes (isolate these anecdotes to 1-2 lines)
• Your statement should focus on your research background, readiness for a PhD, and alignment with the target lab
• Every applicant has a different story, but the key is to have a balanced statement!

Do: Communicate clearly

• Demonstrate deep thinking about the field and research
• Be clear and concise
• Proofread your statement for grammar, use grammar checkers, and find at least one person to proofread it for you before submitting
• Expand on your experiences, what you got out of them, and how they contributed to your journey and current interests – this is your chance to add your voice to your application

Don’t: Be careless

• Don’t use excessive flowery language because that can hinder clarity
• Avoid grammar errors and typos
• Avoid using jargon and acronyms without providing explanations (remember that not all labs use the same terminology or methodologies)
• Don’t simply restate your CV

Do: Tailor your Statements

• Tailor your statements to each program by clearly demonstrating your answer to “why this program?”
• Show you did your homework – make it evident that you’ve thoroughly explored a program’s website and handbook (clinical areas typically have a program handbook for current students) by highlighting specific aspects that personally stand out to you about the program
• Highlight your compatibility with the program’s training model (for clinical programs)
• Make sure you are meeting the requirements listed specifically by each school (they might ask slightly different questions or have different page limits)

Don’t: Copy and paste the same statement for every school

• Use your base statement only as a jumping off point
• If you were able to use the same text for each program, it will probably read that way to reviewers

• A Clinical Psychology PhD is a unique degree that requires a commitment to bridging clinical practice and research
• Show genuine passion for the ‘clinical-scientist’ path
• Do your research into different training models, and make it clear why you want this training and how it will set you up for a career as a clinical-scientist
• Align your true career interests with your application – authenticity is key!