Program Overview
The goal of the Ph.D. program is to prepare students for careers in academic research and teaching, professional research and data science positions in industry, or in some cases, clinical positions in health-care settings. Recent graduates of our program routinely go on to successful careers in each of these professions. For example, recent Ph.D. graduates are employed at Mayo Clinic, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center.
We welcome students who bring a broad range of backgrounds, identities, and experiences to their passion for psychological science. Our students work with faculty, students, research participants, clients, and communities who also represent many backgrounds. This breadth helps create a rich environment in which cutting-edge psychological science can thrive, promoting understanding, acceptance, mutual respect, and effective care for individuals with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, goals, and needs.
Graduate training follows a mentorship-based model, in which students train directly with one or more faculty members whose research interests are aligned with their own. They also take advanced courses in topics that span all five of the department’s training areas:
Students in any of the five training areas also have the option to pursue the Graduate Minor in Psychological Statistics and Methods and Graduate Certificate in Lifespan Development. Students planning for a career that includes teaching may pursue the Graduate Minor in College Teaching.
Graduate Applications and Admissions
Our application deadline for our Ph.D. in Psychology is December 1. Applicants must submit all application materials through the Graduate School's online application system before the application deadline.
The MA in Psychology is earned en route to doctoral degrees. Students apply to and are admitted to our Ph.D. in Psychology program. As part of the program they earn the MA and then continue toward meeting the Ph.D. requirements. Please note that our program does not accept students who want to earn only the MA degree.
Click below to learn more about the application process and to get answers to common questions about our graduate program. Questions can be sent to Dennis Miller, Director of Graduate Studies, at millerden@missouri.edu.
