Psychological Sciences PhD
Advance your expertise in psychological science at TCU through rigorous research training, personalized mentorship, and application of psychological science to address practical problems.
This program will prepare you to lead independent research, teach at the university level, and obtain jobs in academia and industry. Your graduate education will span psychological domains such as social psychology, neuroscience, learning, quantitative psychology, cognition, health psychology, evolutionary psychology, and development.
Note: The Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences at TCU does not provide clinical psychology training.
"Why Psychology?"
Studying psychology opens the door to understanding how people think, feel, and behave. It equips students with versatile skills that can be applied across several fields while providing opportunities to improve lives and strengthen communities, with students going on to find careers in higher education, behavioral research, governmental agencies, consulting in business, and more.
What Sets Us Apart?
Mentored Research Training
• Work closely with faculty to develop and lead original research projects
Research with Real-World Impact
• Conduct research that addresses meaningful, real-world challenges.
Collaborative Environment
• Join a supportive, research-focused program.
Teaching Preparation
• Gain hands-on teaching experience for higher education.
Career Versatility
• Prepare for academic, industry, and applied career paths.
Resources
- Completed graduate application
- $60 application fee. A limited number of application waivers may be available within each research lab. Applicants seeking a fee waiver must contact a prospective faculty mentor to inquire about eligibility and waiver availability.
- Official transcripts of all colleges attended. English translation of all international transcripts.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three academic letters of recommendation
- Personal statement of purpose outlining research interests, career ambitions, and motivations for seeking a Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences from TCU. The statement should be 1,000 words or less and include clear indication of a Psychology Graduate Faculty member to serve as the major advisor.
- The GRE is not required, though you may submit GRE scores if desired.
- Application Deadline is January 1st.
- Applicants are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field from an accredited institution and meet one of the following GPA requirements, based on a 4.0 scale: minimum overall undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0, a minimum GPA 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, or a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their major.
- Applicants who hold or are completing a master's degree in psychology or a related field with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 may apply. Graduate-level coursework may be considered for transfer credit pending review and approval. Applicants who completed a research-based master's thesis may also be eligible for master's equivalency.
- There are no specific coursework requirements for admission. However, competitive applicants often have completed research methods, quantitative methods/statistics, and coursework in the intended area of study.
- Prior research experience is not required for admission but is common among competitive applicants. Examples include serving as a research assistant, completing independent study research credits, participating in a summer research program (e.g., NSF REU), and/or completing an honors thesis, McNair scholar research project, or senior capstone research project.
- Admission is contingent upon graduate faculty mentor availability to serve as research mentor.
- Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL, IELTS,
or Duolingo English Test scores dated within the past two years unless they meet one
of the following exceptions:
- Completed at least three years of undergraduate study in the U.S. in psychology or a related field
- Earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in psychology or related field from an accredited institution in a country where English is the official language and the language of instruction
- Worked in the U.S. for at least two years.
- Minimum required scores for admittance: TOEFL score of 80, IELTS score of 6.5, or Duolingo English test score of 110.
Full-time graduate students in the Psychological Sciences Ph.D. program are eligible for a Student Health Insurance Award that covers 85% of the cost of the required TCU Health insurance.
PSYC 50523 - Analysis of Variance
PSYC 60623 - Regression Analysis
PSYC 50223 - Data Science of Psychology Using R
PSYC 50403 - Advanced Neuroscience
PSYC 60553 - Conditioning and Learning
PSYC 60663 - Advanced Social Psychology
PSYC 60913 - Evolutionary Social Psychology
PSYC 60583 - Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 60753 - Theories of Development
And More...
Have more questions? Please visit our FAQ page for more info!