Application Instructions

The following instructions will clarify the application process for admissions to our Ph.D. program. A link to additional information for Clinical Science applicants can be found here.

Questions should be sent to psychgradadmissions@berkeley.edu. Please do not phone.

We do not have a terminal Master’s degree program. Our application is for Ph.D. candidates only. The School Psychology program is offered through the Graduate School of Education. Visiting and exchange students, for more information regarding your study abroad experience, please navigate to this webpage: Study Abroad.

Application Deadline & Admissions Timeline
We admit students once a year, only for the Fall semester. Applications for the Fall 2024 admission cohort are now CLOSED. The deadline for submission was December 4, 2023 at 8:59pm PST. We are not accepting late applications. All submitted applications were passed on to reviewers who completed holistic reviews. Applicants selected for an interview have been notified by email. The application will open for the Fall 2025 admission cohort in the Fall.

Application Requirements and Guidelines
It will be useful to review our Graduate Admissions website before beginning your application for Graduate Admissions.

Select Fall as your admit term. We do not accept applications for any Spring or Summer term. Select Psychology PhD.

Do not send official transcripts to Graduate Division Admissions or the Department of Psychology. For the first round of application review, upload onto the application scanned copies of unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended. Official hard copy transcripts are only required from applicants who are offered admission and enroll in the program.

• Cumulative GPA as shown on the transcript granted by the most recently attended undergraduate institution.
• Advanced GPA (include all courses completed after the second year).
• GPA for courses in your major field of study (major courses are any course taken to satisfy a degree requirement after being admitted into your major; exclude pre-requisites)

Optional:

• If your intended field of study at Berkeley was not your undergraduate major, calculate the GPA for all courses listed on your transcripts that relate to the field of study for which you are applying.
• Cumulative graduate GPA, if applicable.

If your grades are not based on a 4-point scale, as is the case for most international students, report your cumulative undergraduate GPA as determined by your institution in the Other Scale GPA box. Applicants with degrees from non-US institutions do not need to calculate cumulative and major GPAs.

A GPA calculation worksheet is not required.

Three letters of recommendation are required. Enter all requested information for each recommender. Be sure you have entered valid email addresses. Indicate whether you do or do not waive your right to read each letter. Click Send to Recommender for each recommender. They will receive an email with instructions for submitting their letter. Recommenders may upload their letters onto the application themselves or via a letter service. Letters can arrive after the application deadline but if they arrive after our application reviews have begun they may not be considered. At least two of your recommenders should preferably be psychology faculty members or advanced psychology graduate students, but letters from recommenders in other disciplines are acceptable. Each recommender should be familiar with your academic talent and abilities.

1. Complete the TOEFL exam with a minimum score of 90.
2. Complete the IELTS exam with a minimum score of 7.
3. Provide a transcript that shows at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a U.S. college or university. Transcripts should be uploaded in the Academic History section.

*Poof of English language proficiency requirement is determined by the Graduate Admissions Division. For further inquiries, please navigate to this webpage or contact gradadm@berkeley.edu.

• Your area of interest in psychology; specifically your past research and future research interests. You may include relevant coursework or reading that helped to generate your interests.
• Applied work experience; volunteer or paid work experience in a mental health or human services agency. This is a requirement for Required for Clinical Science applicants.
• Reasons for applying to UC Berkeley, including faculty member(s) with whom you wish to work.
• Plans for your future profession.

Personal History Statement (required)
The Personal History Statement is usually about 1.5 to 2 pages in length, single-spaced, typed, and an important part of your application. It should stand alone and not repeat your Statement of Purpose. In your Personal History Statement, describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Describe any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles. Display your communication skills and discuss your ability to maximize effective collaboration with a diverse cross-section of the academic community.

Consider including information about:

• How you have overcome barriers to access in higher education.
• Evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others.
• Evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education.
• Evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality.
• Evidence of your leadership among underserved populations.

• Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience
• Clinical Science
• Cognition
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental
• Social-Personality

Faculty Adviser
A list of faculty accepting students in the current cycle can be found on our General Admission webpage. Please review the research interests of the faculty in the area of emphasis to which you are applying. List at least two (and at most three) Psychology faculty members whose research is of particular interest to you. List the faculty members in order of preference. For each faculty member you list, please provide a short explanation about why you selected that faculty member. This is an important part of the application.

A resume or CV is required. DO NOT include a picture of yourself. Other supporting materials are optional.

Submit your application and pay the fee by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted. Application Fee Waiver The fee waiver program is administered by Graduate Division Admissions: Requesting an Application Fee Waiver. All fee waiver questions should be sent to gradadm@berkeley.edu. The Psychology department does not offer a fee waiver for applicants to our program.