PHD, Psychology

Degree Program Summary:

The UGA Department of Psychology, within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is a nationally recognized department with award-winning professors who are dedicated to providing the highest quality graduate education possible to our graduate students. The Department of Psychology offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Graduate work leading to the PhD degree is offered in behavioral and brain sciences; clinical psychology; and industrial–organizational psychology. Students are admitted directly into one of the three doctoral programs, and they are ordinarily required to obtain the master’s degree on the way to the doctoral degree. Foreign language proficiency is not required by the department.

Research foci within the behavioral and brain sciences program include neuroscience and behavior, cognitive/experimental psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, or a combination of these. The clinical program is a scientist practitioner model program accredited by the American Psychological Association. It seeks to prepare the student for a variety of professional roles by providing a solid foundation in technique, theory and research in clinical psychology. The industrial–organizational program permits the student to concentrate in leadership, mentoring, human factors psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, psychometrics, and related areas.

Specialized facilities for graduate training/research in psychology include: the Psychology Clinic, which provides diagnostic and therapeutic services; the University Testing and Evaluation Center; a child development subject pool, and infant and child research laboratories both within the department and at the McPhaul Children’s Center; the Institute for Behavioral Research; the Institute of Gerontology; laboratories for human psychophysiological and electroencephalographic studies; the Bio-Imaging Center; as well as a variety of laboratories within the realm of cognitive / experimental psychology; animal laboratories for behavioral and neuroscience research; and a colony of nonhuman primates for behavioral studies.

Students are expected to begin graduate work in the fall semester following their admission. The department does not require applications for financial aid; any student considered eligible by the department will be notified if additional information is required.