How to Apply

Students can apply to the Psychology Ph.D. program through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences portal. The deadline for applying is December 1, 2024.

Requirements

In addition to completing the online application form, prospective students must submit the following materials below. Because our PhD program is fundamentally a research program, successful applicants must demonstrate a record of scholarly research experience and should highlight their research-related strengths, interests, and goals. Following best practices, we do not apply cutoffs when evaluating GRE or other standardized scores. Admissions materials are evaluated holistically by members of the department.

• Post-secondary transcript(s) 
• Three letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose
• A resume or CV
• A writing sample, which should be academic in nature. The applicant must be the sole author.
• GRE General Test scores* (Psychology Subject Test scores are optional). Official scores must be submitted directly from ETS and must be dated no more than 5 years prior to the date of matriculation. All official scores are due by the application deadline (December 1).
• English proficiency scores (TOEFL or IELTS) for non-native English speakers. Scores must be dated no more than 2 years prior to the date of matriculation. International applicants who have earned a post-secondary degree from an accredited college or university for which the primary language of instruction is English are not required to provide English proficiency scores. A minimum score of 80 is required for the TOEFL or 7.0 for the IELTS.
• An application fee ($90)

Cognitive Science Concentration

Students applying to our PhD program can apply simultaneously to the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Cognitive Science program. This program is designed to enable PhD students in Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Computer Science to pursue a concentration in Cognitive Science. Students accepted to the Cognitive Science concentration take courses and create an advisory committee of faculty members from multiple departments at the University, which can include the Departments of Psychology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Computer Science, Neurology, Biology, and/or Spanish and Portuguese. Students will graduate with a Ph.D. from their home department with a Concentration in Cognitive Science. To apply for admission, select “yes” in response to the Cognitive Science question in the application portal and submit a short (1 page) essay describing your interest in cognitive science.

If you apply to the Cognitive Science concentration, your application will be reviewed alongside other Psychology PhD program applications. Applying to the Cognitive Science concentration may open up additional funding sources, so it is to your advantage to do so if the concentration aligns with your goals. It is also possible to apply to the concentration later, after starting a PhD in Psychology. Please direct questions about applying to the concentration to CBPR@georgetown.edu . 

Reducing barriers to application

The Department is committed to reducing barriers to graduate school application. The following options are available to reduce potential financial and logistical barriers to applicants:

• Application fee waivers. Students for whom the $90 application fee is prohibitive may send a brief email to GUpsychologydepartment@georgetown.edu. A decision will be made on whether to recommend that the application fee be waived. 
• Use of the GRE Fee Reduction Program. Students for whom the costs of taking the GRE and submitting GRE scores pose barriers to applying should see ETS’s GRE Fee Reduction Program for possible reductions in fees.
• Submission of unofficial transcripts. Applicants may directly submit unofficial transcripts with their application, rather than requesting official transcripts be submitted by their institution. Transcripts must be retrieved from applicants’ institutions and must include the institution name, years of matriculation, degree(s) earned, and graduation date. Please do not upload screenshots of a transcript. 
• Direct payment of travel costs during interview visits. For the subset of applicants invited to visit campus for an interview, the department will pay air or rail travel costs directly, rather than requiring applicants to submit documents for reimbursement.

Information for International Students

The Department of Psychology enthusiastically welcomes applications from international students; in fact, a significant portion of our graduate student body comes from around the world. Our international students greatly contribute to the diversity of intellectual conversations and the vibrancy of our cohorts.

Applications from international students will be given equal consideration as those from local applicants. For more information about our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, please refer to the DEIB Committee page. Here are some special requirements and notes for international applications:

Transcripts and Degree Information: The Psychology Department does not require that international transcripts and degree information be certified by a third-party organization. Please submit your transcript and degree information as issued by your academic institution. If your academic institution does not issue official transcripts in English, you must submit a certified translation of the transcripts along with the originals.

English proficiency scores (TOEFL or IELTS) for non-native English speakers: Scores must be dated no more than 2 years before the date of enrollment. International applicants who have earned a post-secondary degree from an accredited college or university for which the primary language of instruction is English do not need to provide English proficiency scores.

TOEFL = 80 minimum score

IELTS = 7.0 minimum score

Interviews: You may have millions of questions regarding life as an international student at Georgetown. Rest assured: If you receive an invitation to interview, we will pair you up with another current international student in the department so that you can have all your questions answered.

Visa and other immigration-related questions: Please refer to the Office of Global Services for more resources.

Additional application information can be found at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.