Before being admitted to the doctoral program, the prospective student must first meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School. Applicants to the doctoral program must hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
In all cases, admission to graduate degree programs in psychology is competitive, since available facilities and faculty do not permit admission of all qualified applicants. The components of an application to the doctoral program are as follows:
- Graduate Record Examination. Applicants must submit scores for the quantitative, verbal, and analytical/written sections of the GRE.
- Transcript(s) showing academic prerequisites.
- Applicants holding the master’s degree must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.40 on graduate work, exclusive of practicum and thesis grades.
- For students applying with a completed non-thesis master’s degree, completion of the thesis will be required prior to admission to doctoral candidacy.
- Recommendations/references. The doctoral applicant is required to submit three satisfactory recommendations on forms provided by the Graduate School, including one from the last employer, if it was a professional experience, and one from the last institution attended. Two of the individuals must hold doctorates.
- Psychology Statement of Goals. All prospective students must address the following: (a) their specific research goals, (b) which of our faculty members they would prefer as research advisors, based on their research interests, and (c) their professional aspirations.
The department reserves the right to deny entrance to an applicant who, in the judgment of a duly constituted departmental committee, appears unlikely to succeed professionally, or whose goals are inconsistent with the orientation of the degree program, regardless of any other qualifications.
Note: For those entering the program without a Masters degree and thesis accepted by the Department of Psychology, & Special Education, at least 90 semester hours (sh) are required overall: Cognate area - 18 sh, Thesis - 6 sh, & Electives - 6 sh. For those with an accepted Masters thesis, at least 60 semester hours are required overall. At least 45 semester hours must be from TAMU-C. This is a hybrid program, and some coursework for the program must be taken face to face at the Commerce Campus. No course beyond the master's program that is over ten years old at the time the doctoral degree is conferred can be used toward the doctoral degree.
Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology (90 semester hours)
PSY 505 | Introduction to Educational Psychology | 3 |
PSY 509 | History & Systems of Psychology | 3 |
PSY 511 | Cognitive Science | 3 |
PSY 515 | Neuromechanisms/Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
PSY 545 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
PSY 594 | Ethical Issues in Organization | 3 |
PSY 620 | Intro to Human Cognition | 3 |
PSY 621 | Advanced Cognition | 3 |
PSY 622 | Research Design: Introduction to Theses and Dissertations | 3 |
PSY 625 | Cognition & Instruction I | 3 |
PSY 627 | Social Cognition | 3 |
PSY 695 | Research Methodology | 3 |
PSY 612 | Psy Ed Statistics | 3 |
PSY 681 | Intermediate Statistics | 3 |
PSY 610 | Nonparametric Statistics | 3 |
PSY 670 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
PSY 518 | Thesis (6 semester hours required) | 3-6 |
PSY 718 | Doctoral Dissertation | 3-12 |
PSY 503 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
PSY 514 | Theories of Human Learning | 3 |
PSY 517 | Intro to Hum-Comp Inter Design | 3 |
PSY 527 | Social/Cltural Bases Behav | 3 |
PSY 539 | Forensic Psychology | 3 |
PSY 572 | Psychological Assessment and Measurement | 3 |
PSY 582 | Cognitive Aging | 3 |
PSY 593 | Health Psychology | 3 |
PSY 598 | Psychology of Gerontology | 3 |
PSY 618 | Group Dynamics | 3 |
PSY 626 | Cognition/Instruction II | 3 |
PSY 640 | Evolutionary Psychology | 3 |
PSY 645 | Introduction to Learning Technology | 3 |
PSY 661 | Org Change and Improvement | 3 |
PSY 672 | Multicultural Issues and Diversity in Assessment and Therapy | 3 |
PSY 675 | Advanced Topics in Experimental Psychology | 3 |
PSY 680 | Professional Development | 3 |
PSY 689 | Independent Study | 3 |
PSY 697 | Special Topic | 3 |
| |
| 18 |
Total Hours | 90 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology (60 semester hours)
PSY 505 | Introduction to Educational Psychology | 3 |
PSY 509 | History & Systems of Psychology | 3 |
PSY 511 | Cognitive Science | 3 |
PSY 515 | Neuromechanisms/Biological Bases of Behavior | 3 |
PSY 545 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
PSY 594 | Ethical Issues in Organization | 3 |
PSY 620 | Intro to Human Cognition | 3 |
PSY 621 | Advanced Cognition | 3 |
PSY 622 | Research Design: Introduction to Theses and Dissertations | 3 |
PSY 625 | Cognition & Instruction I | 3 |
PSY 627 | Social Cognition | 3 |
PSY 695 | Research Methodology | 3 |
PSY 612 | Psy Ed Statistics | 3 |
PSY 681 | Intermediate Statistics | 3 |
PSY 610 | Nonparametric Statistics | 3 |
PSY 670 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
PSY 718 | Doctoral Dissertation (Must be enrolled in 718 continuously every term while working on dissertation) | 3-12 |
Total Hours | 60 |
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