Experimental Psychology PhD

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:

  1. Graduate Record Examination. Applicants must submit scores for the quantitative, verbal, and analytical/written sections of the GRE.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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)

Core (33 credit hours)
PSY 505Introduction to Educational Psychology3
PSY 509History & Systems of Psychology3
PSY 511Cognitive Science3
PSY 515Neuromechanisms/Biological Bases of Behavior3
PSY 545Developmental Psychology3
PSY 594Ethical Issues in Organization3
PSY 620Intro to Human Cognition3
PSY 621Advanced Cognition3
PSY 622Research Design: Introduction to Theses and Dissertations3
PSY 625Cognition & Instruction I3
PSY 627Social Cognition3
Doctoral Tools (15 credit hours)
PSY 695Research Methodology3
PSY 612Psy Ed Statistics3
PSY 681Intermediate Statistics3
PSY 610Nonparametric Statistics3
PSY 670Multivariate Analysis3
Thesis (6 credit hours)
PSY 518Thesis (6 semester hours required)3-6
Dissertation (12 credit hours)
PSY 718Doctoral Dissertation3-12
Electives (6 credit hours) from the following:
PSY 503Abnormal Psychology3
PSY 514Theories of Human Learning3
PSY 517Intro to Hum-Comp Inter Design3
PSY 527Social/Cltural Bases Behav3
PSY 539Forensic Psychology3
PSY 572Psychological Assessment and Measurement3
PSY 582Cognitive Aging3
PSY 593Health Psychology3
PSY 598Psychology of Gerontology3
PSY 618Group Dynamics3
PSY 626Cognition/Instruction II3
PSY 640Evolutionary Psychology3
PSY 645Introduction to Learning Technology3
PSY 661Org Change and Improvement3
PSY 672Multicultural Issues and Diversity in Assessment and Therapy3
PSY 675Advanced Topics in Experimental Psychology3
PSY 680Professional Development3
PSY 689Independent Study3
PSY 697Special Topic3
Cognate (18 credit hours) from disciplines below:
Excluding 518, 595, 718 & any Doctoral Research Tools.
PSY, BSC, CED, CSCI, BLED, ECE, EDCI, ELED, RDG, SED, EDAD, ETEC, HIED, HHPH, HHPK, HHPS, ENG, FLL, MKT, BA, MGT, MATH, PSCI, COUN, SPED, SWK, CJ, & SOC. 18
Total Hours90

Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology (60 semester hours)

Core (33 credit hours)
PSY 505Introduction to Educational Psychology3
PSY 509History & Systems of Psychology3
PSY 511Cognitive Science3
PSY 515Neuromechanisms/Biological Bases of Behavior3
PSY 545Developmental Psychology3
PSY 594Ethical Issues in Organization3
PSY 620Intro to Human Cognition3
PSY 621Advanced Cognition3
PSY 622Research Design: Introduction to Theses and Dissertations3
PSY 625Cognition & Instruction I3
PSY 627Social Cognition3
Doctoral Tools (15 credit hours)
PSY 695Research Methodology3
PSY 612Psy Ed Statistics3
PSY 681Intermediate Statistics3
PSY 610Nonparametric Statistics3
PSY 670Multivariate Analysis3
Dissertation (12 credit hours)
PSY 718Doctoral Dissertation (Must be enrolled in 718 continuously every term while working on dissertation)3-12
Total Hours60

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