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- Ph.D. Graduate Program in Psychological Sciences and Human Development
Introduction
The Graduate Field of Psychological Sciences and Human Development (PSYHD) includes faculty members from departments across the university including Psychology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Communication, and Philosophy. See below for more on the Cornell Field System. The dominant strengths of the PSYHD Field lie in four broadly defined areas: Cognition , Development , Neuroscience , and Social and Personality . The goal of the Field is to educate students to become researchers, scholars, and teachers who will contribute to the future of psychology as a scientific discipline in academic or other research-oriented settings.
Our program prepares students for research and teaching careers in academic life, work in government agencies, and careers in industry or other public and private sectors. We encourage you to explore the history of our M.A. and Ph.D. theses through the Cornell University Theses/Dissertations guide .
Please note that we do not offer training in clinical psychology, counseling, school psychology, community psychology, industrial psychology, or clinical neuropsychology. Applicants with primary interests in these subjects are not admitted.
To enter the PSYHD Doctoral (Ph.D.) program, you must apply directly to the Cornell University Graduate School. You may also want to investigate the Cornell Graduate School site for additional information about applying.
Application portal opens on September 1st Application portal closes on December 1st (11:59 pm EST)
Ph.D. Program
We offer three Ph.D. Degrees:
•Ph.D. in Psychology •Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology •Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies
The Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook (Quick Guide) can be found here.
The Ph.D. program in PSYHD is a research focused, apprentice-styled (mentor-mentee) graduate program. The curriculum and requirements are designed for a 5 year program; the median time to complete the Ph.D. is 5.5 years.
Student progress is supervised by a Primary Advisor who serves as the Chair of a Special Committee comprised of two faculty members, typically within the Psychological Sciences and Human Development graduate field . Prospective students should investigate the faculty members within the PSYHD field, and particularly within the Department of Psychology, whose research interests are compatible with the students' interests. Prospective students for the Ph.D. program should then contact those faculty directly before applying.
Application requirements
- Unofficial transcript of the undergraduate record
- Three letters of recommendation , with a fourth letter optional, which your recommenders will upload to the application.
Academic Statement of Purpose
Describe (within 1000 words) the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies, and explain how our program would help you achieve your intellectual goals. Additionally, detail your academic background, intellectual interests and any training or research experience you have received that you believe has prepared you for our program. Within your statement, please also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own interests.
Personal statement of interest
Please describe (within 1000 words) how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. We also encourage you to include information on any of the following areas:
- How your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient especially when navigating challenging circumstances.
- How you engage with others and have facilitated and/or participated in productive teams.
- How you have experienced or come to understand the barriers faced by others whose experiences and backgrounds may differ from your own.
- If relevant, how your research interests focus on issues related to diversity, inclusion, access, inequality, and/or equity.
- Your service and/or leadership in efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, access, and equity especially by those from backgrounds historically underrepresented and/or marginalized.
- Additional context around any perceived gaps or weaknesses in your academic record (including, but not limited to, personal and family struggles with unemployment and health as a result of the pandemic, systemic discrimination and the fight for civil rights, and any other situational factors that may have impacted achievements throughout your life).
Applicants are not required to submit scores on the GRE; the GRE subject test in psychology, or to have had an undergraduate major in psychology.
Prior research experience is highly desirable; applicants may submit research reports or work.
Additional requirements for International applicants:
- English Language Proficiency requirement (TOEFL or IELTS)
- International Degree Equivalencies
The Field Structure
At Cornell, graduate study is organized using a field structure. Fields are composed of faculty members from a number of departments who come together around a shared intellectual interest, and may draw from different campuses or colleges. Graduate students are admitted to fields of study. Within each field, they select major and minor subjects, which are research interests or concentrations.
Fields span departments and even disciplines. It’s possible for a student in the field of economics to include faculty on his or her special committee from industrial labor and economics, civil and environmental engineering, and sociology, along with the more traditional economics and management.
Click here for the complete "Fields of Study, Subjects, and Concentrations" in PDF form .
Student Life
Alexander G. Ophir, Director of Graduate Studies Uris Hall, Room 218 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 607-255-3714
Pamela A. Cunningham, Graduate Field Assistant • Psychology Ph.D. Uris Hall, Room 211A E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 607-255-3834 Fax: 607-255-8433
Marianne Arcangeli, Graduate Field Assistant • Developmental Psychology Ph.D. • Human Development and Family Studies Ph.D. Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Room G201B E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 607-255-4661
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- Graduate Student Directory
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