For the Fall 2012 Admissions:

The Clinical Area invitations have been scheduled for January 26^th and 27^th. Those individuals invited for an interview have already been notified.  All other applicants will receive information regarding status during February.  Thank you.

The Experimental Area Program interviews will take place by the end of February. Not all experimental areas have sent out interview notifications at this time.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Fall 2012 Application Deadline:  December 14th, 2011

(all areas of Graduate Study)

Please contact Melanie Kelley with any questions regarding graduate program applications.

mkkell5@email.uky.edu

(859)257-9640

Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 106B Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044

Admission to the doctoral programs in psychology at the University of Kentucky is very competitive. We average about 2,000 total inquiries concerning admission to our programs each year and receive about 400 completed applications for consideration.

The Department of Psychology adheres to University policy and public law prohibiting unfair discrimination on the basis of age, ethnic classification, handicap, race, sex, or veteran status in the provision of educational or employment opportunities and benefits. The Department of Psychology and the Graduate Training Programs are committed to facilitating the recruitment and training of members of groups historically deprived of equal educational and professional opportunity.

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If you choose to apply to the Clinical graduate program as well as an Experimental program area, it is necessary that you apply to both the Clinical and the Experimental programs through the Graduate School.  This will require two separate fees as well.  Only one fee is required if you apply to more than one area within the Experimental program. 

If you choose to apply to more than one area within the Experimental degree program, you must include this information on your departmental application by checking all appropriate areas (i.e. social, cognition, developmental, etc.).

Psychology Graduate Programs:

Clinical Psychology

Experimental Psychology:

• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognition, Learning and Performance
• Behavioral Neuroscience & Psychopharmacology

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All applicants must meet both Graduate School and Departmental requirements, as well as submit applications to BOTH the Graduate School and the Department of Psychology.  Please refer the the information below for guidelines.

Graduate School Admission Requirements

•  Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a fully accredited college or university. An overall undergraduate grade-point average of 2.75 (3.0 on all graduate work) is required by The Graduate School.
•  Applicants must submit official scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical portions of the Graduate Record Examination.  Official GRE reports should be sent with the institution code  as 1837
•  Applicants must have one official transcript sent by each institution of higher learning previously attended. All transcripts must be sent to The Graduate School and must bear the Registrar's signature and/or official seal of the issuing institution.
• The University of Kentucky requires a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants whose native language is not English
• Applicants, particularly those outside the U.S., should consult the Graduate School Website for Prospective Students for additional details at:

                http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/ProspectiveStudents/prospective.html

Departmental Admission Requirements

Unless certain courses are included in the applicant's background he/she may be requested to fulfill these requirements during his/her first year of study. The courses are:

One course in psychological statistics                                                                                                                                                                        

One course in either:

•          General experimentation
•          Sensation-perception
•          Learning
•          Animal behavior
•          Cognition

One course in either:

•           Developmental
•           Personality
•           Abnormal
•           Testing
•           Social Psychology

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APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The application procedure is a time-consuming process and should be initiated as early as possible. Before any application will be reviewed, all required materials must be received by the Department of Psychology. It usually takes several weeks for all the application materials to be received; therefore, forwarding unofficial copies of transcripts and GRE scores allows us to begin evaluating files more quickly.

Please note that you need approval from both the Graduate School and the Department of Psychology before you can be admitted to the University; thus it is very important to follow the instructions about where to send materials.

Application Checklist

Send to the Department of Psychology:

• Departmental application.   Application is available online at: http://psychology.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/UKPsyPhD_0.pdf

• GRE scores.   It is recommended that you send a photocopy of your scores to the department in order to activate your file at the earliest date. The advanced test for psychology is not required but may be submitted. We do not require a minimum GRE score; however, averages are currently being added under the website for each graduate studies area: http://psychology.as.uky.edu/psych-grad-program.  The current data for the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program can be found here:  http://psychology.as.uky.edu/clinical-psychology.

 The psychology department realizes that the GRE Revised General Subject Test will have a different scoring system. All  applicants should include any original AND revised scores earned.  The application search committee will use data from either the prior or the current tests.  If you are concerned that your official GRE scores may not arrive by the Dec. 14th application deadline, please include this information in your file and report any unofficial scores that you have been given. 

• Autobiographical Statement.   This statement should describe your personal interests, expectations and goals. It should answer the following questions: What can you see yourself doing in ten years from now? What issues and content areas do you find exciting? What experiences have led you to this orientation? What, if any, past research experience have you had? What kind of research would you like to pursue in graduate school? Are you interested in working with specific faculty in the department? 

• 3 letters of recommendation.   Recommenders should be faculty members or psychologists who know you well. We do not use a standardized form for recommendation letters; however, we do encourage you to have your recommenders mail their letters directly to us.

• A photocopy of transcripts.  One copy of all college transcripts should be sent to the department. Do not send photocopies to the Graduate School. (While the Graduate School's website asks that all applicants sent an official transcript to the Director of Graduate Studies in Psychology, we will accept an unofficial copy to save you time and money.)

Please mail all departmental materials to the following address:

Send to The Graduate School:

• Applicants must also complete the Graduate School application. Complete online at: https://www.iris.uky.edu/AdmissionsAppA/login.aspx
• The Graduate School application fee is $50 for domestic applicants and $65 for international applicants. 
• Applicants must also arrange for official GRE scores and official transcripts to be sent to the Graduate School.  List the institution code as 1837, to ensure that the Graduate School receives the official scores.  A department code is not necessary for the official reports.

Please mail all Graduate School Materials to the following address:

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FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Funding is guaranteed during the first four years for all students in good standing. The primary sources of financial support for graduate students in the Graduate Training Programs are Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships. A number of non-service fellowships also are available. Fellowships are administered by the Dean of the Graduate School. Awards are made by the University Fellowship Committee upon recommendation of the Departmental Admissions and Awards Committee.   All students admitted to the program are automatically considered for fellowship support. More information can be obtained online at: http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/StudentFunding/funding.html

Teaching Assistantships

All graduate students are eligible for a teaching assistantship during each year. Teaching assistantships are 9 month appointments with an approximate stipend of $14,420 plus tuition and student health insurance. 

Research Assistantships

Graduate students often receive research assistantships of variable stipend and duration. Research assistantships are usually provided by federal or state research grants awarded to the student’s mentor. 

Fellowships and Scholarships for Incoming Graduate Students

Several fellowships and scholarships are available on a competitive basis to incoming graduate students. Check the Graduate School website for details on eligibility and other fellowship and scholarship opportunities: http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/StudentFunding/funding.html

Fellowship nominations are determined by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the admissions and awards committee.

Dissertation Support

Some funds are available to support doctoral dissertation research. These funds may be used for equipment, supplies, postage, or other expenses incurred in gathering dissertation data.

Graduate Student Travel

Some funds are available to support graduate student travel to professional and scientific meetings to present the results of student research. Certain departmental funds are allocated specifically for first year students to attend a scientific conference during their first year in the program. Travel required for the collection of research data may also be supported.

Other Sources of Funding

In addition to the above awards, advanced graduate students are permitted to teach undergraduate laboratories, and in some instances independent courses. The number of these awards varies according to the needs of the Department and the capability of the student. The appointment is for the semester and carries a prorated stipend. Recipient pays for all fees, but some tuition scholarships are available. Deadlines are the same as for other awards.

In cases in which the above forms of financial assistance have been exhausted, all efforts are made to place students in part-time jobs which are consistent with their particular interests and talents. Placements have included research assistantships at the University Medical Center; psychological testing positions at local psychiatric facilities and school districts; and teaching assignments in nearby community colleges.

It should be noted that in the past all Psychology graduate students in good standing have been fully supported.