Applying – Experimental Psychology
GRE Scores are not required for Fall 2023 admission to the Experimental Psychology program.
Degree Offered
Mentoring Model
The program employs a mentoring model under which the student works closely with a faculty member. While it is expected that one faculty member will assume responsibility for guiding the student to degree completion, under some circumstances, the student may study with multiple faculty. Some of our career-track faculty also serve as members on an experimental student’s masters, preliminary exam, and dissertation committees.
Students matriculate at the WSU campus at which their primary research mentor is located (Pullman, Vancouver, Tri-Cities, or Spokane). Please note the location of potential mentors before applying to work with them. We encourage applicants to contact the faculty member(s) you wish to work with to ensure that they are recruiting students next fall semester.
Teaching Opportunities and Training
Number of Students Admitted
Admission Consideration
Before applying, please note that students are typically fulltime, and matriculate at the WSU campus at which their primary research mentor is located (Pullman, Vancouver, or Spokane).
To be considered for the Experimental Program, applicants must have:
- Completed at least 18 credits in Psychology or in area of study related to Psychology research specialty.
- Earned at least a 3.00 cumulative undergraduate GPA.
- A minimum of 3 letters of recommendation (at least 2 of which must come from a faculty member in a university or medical setting).
For those who meet the above qualifications, evaluation of the application is based on:
Very Important
- Undergraduate GPA (3.0 minimum; average of admitted students is approximately 3.5)
- Graduate GPA, if any
- Research experience and productivity (e.g., co- or first author on conference presentation, peer-reviewed publication, grants, etc.)
- Strength of personal statement
- Goodness of fit in terms of research interests with one or more WSU Experimental Psychology faculty **
Important
- Strength of letters of recommendation
- Background in statistics and experimental methods
Considered
- GRE scores and percentiles (Quantitative, Verbal, Analytical)
- Psychology Subject test scores are not reviewed
- Unofficial transcripts
- The variety and difficulty of coursework completed, with the expectation that the student has completed a large number of upper-division courses both within and outside of the major
- Teaching experience, if any
- Demonstrated ability to function independently and responsibly
- Extracurricular activities and jobs related to Psychology
** The extent to which the applicant’s interests match those of the faculty is very important. In their personal statements, applicants should state with whom they would like to study and why. Note the location of potential mentors on the Psychology Department webpage. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact prospective mentor(s) to discuss shared interests and determine whether the prospective mentor intends to recruit a new student for the following year. Every effort is made to evaluate each applicant individually; students who have special skills or qualifications that they feel strengthen their application are encouraged to state them.
Faculty are selective in the admissions process because they expect that all students admitted to the program will complete the Ph.D., rather than admitting a large entering class with the intent to winnow the class at the end of the first or second year. Our goal is to provide the research mentorship, instruction, and financial support needed for every student to become a skilled experimental psychologist and to earn the Ph.D. in a timely manner.
To be considered for admission to the Experimental Psychology Graduate Program, all application materials must be received by December 1st.
Interview, Admissions, Acceptance Timeline
Application Instructions
Applications are accepted September 1 – December 1 for fall admission the following year. To be considered for admission to the Department of Psychology’s Graduate Programs, all of your completed application materials must be received by our December 1st deadline.
To apply to the Washington State University Department of Psychology, Experimental Graduate Program you must complete the Washington State University Graduate School Application Process
*Please note that your references are required to submit letters of recommendation by the December 1 deadline, so please email the link to your letter writers so they can meet the application deadline.
Also, please contact the faculty member(s) you wish to work with to ensure that they are recruiting students next fall semester.
If you have questions concerning this process, please contact Stacy Gessler, Program Coordinator, Psychology Department at psych.grad.adm@wsu.edu.
Application Tips
To make your application more competitive, your personal statement should be single spaced, no longer than 2 pages, and include the following:
- your previous research and/or clinical experiences
- your future career goals
- your reasons for wanting to attend the WSU graduate program in Psychology
- the faculty member(s) you are interested in working with and why