Demystifying Graduate Admissions in Psychology (De-GAP) Program

We welcome individuals who meet all of the following eligibility criteria to consider applying for our 2026 program, which will support applicants who are preparing to apply for fall 2027 and 2028 admissions:

• Be a rising junior or senior, or a graduate of a bachelor’s program in psychology or a related field, or be a student in, or graduate of, a terminal master's program in psychology or a related field.
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawfully here on a non-temporary basis (e.g., permanent residents, asylees, refugees).
• Be interested in pursuing training in one of the Tri-Psychology Departments’ doctoral programs (listed below).

The online application for De-GAP is open annually from January 15 to March 1.

1. Confirm your eligibility and determine if De-GAP is a good fit for your graduate school application journey.
2. Explore the Tri-Psychology Department Doctoral Programs and research their faculty to learn if one may be a good fit for your research interests and graduate training goals. While a commitment to applying for graduate admission to one of our programs is not a requirement for participation, some aspects of the De-GAP program are organized by department and/or training program, so the application will invite you to identify programs of potential interest.
3. Prepare an applicant statement responding to the statement prompt.
4. Update your résumé or curriculum vitae (CV). Name the file in the format: Last Name, First Name - resume, or Last Name, First Name - CV.
5. Download your unofficial bachelor’s transcript and, if applicable, your unofficial master’s transcript (compile all transcripts into a single PDF file). Name the file in the format: Last Name, First Name - transcript. If you encounter difficulty with compiling multiple transcripts, email [email protected] for assistance.
6. Complete the online application (link active from January 15 to March 1). The deadline to apply is 12:00 noon CST on March 1.

De-GAP helps participants learn about the following Tri-Psych doctoral programs:

Department of Educational Psychology

The Department of Educational Psychology offers four doctoral programs:

• Psychological Foundations of Education
• Quantitative Methods in Education
• School Psychology
• Special Education

Application instructions are specific to the degree program. If you have questions after reviewing the website information and application instructions, complete the department’s information request form.

Department of Psychology

The Psychology PhD program offers seven areas of specialization. Applicants apply directly to the area:

• Clinical Science & Psychopathology Research (CSPR)
• Cognitive and Brain Science (CAB)
• Counseling Psychology
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology (I-O)
• Personality, Individual Differences, and Behavior Genetics (PIB)
• Quantitative/Psychometric Methods (QPM)
• Social Psychology

Instructions for applicants to all areas are provided in the How To Apply section of the department’s website. If you have questions after reviewing the linked information, email [email protected].

Institute of Child Development (ICD)

ICD’s Developmental Psychology PhD program offers two tracks:

• Developmental Science
• Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Science

Information about both tracks and application instructions is provided on the PhD program page. If you have questions about this program after reviewing the linked information, email [email protected].

Applications are reviewed holistically using an assessment rubric with the following four criteria:

• Overall quality of the applicant statement and effectiveness in responding to the statement prompt (forthcoming).
• Evidence of preparation for doctoral-level study and of academic and research preparation.
• Alignment of the applicant’s goals with De-GAP’s scope.
• Demonstrated commitments to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) and articulation of how the applicant's diverse viewpoints and experiences contribute to, and advance, the field of psychological science.

Applicants to De-GAP will be notified of evaluators’ decisions no later than one month before the virtual event.
 

Learn about our programming and services from past participants in the Diversity in Psychology Program (DPP), which is being relaunched in 2025 as De-GAP:

• “Knowledge of the ‘language’ of academia and understanding the ‘rules of the road’ are so important for success in many graduate school applications, but lacking that knowledge and experience could keep out applicants that would still have been successful in their programs.” –Anonymous 2023 participant
• “The continued investment of [the University of Minnesota’s] Tri-Psych departments on increasing and retaining diverse students is one of its greatest strengths. I felt valued as a participant and… I encourage anyone who is eligible to apply because it is one of the best ways to learn about grad school before applying!” –Romulus Castelo (2018 participant), Institute of Child Development, 2024 graduate
• “[A] great experience for me to learn more about the overall grad school application process, the psychology departments at UMN, what the Counseling Psych specialization has to offer, the lab in which I was interested, its research and its culture, and the different communities in the Twin Cities.” –Qurat-al-ain Gulamhussein (2016 participant), Department of Psychology, 2024 graduate
• “[This] was one of the most impactful experiences during my graduate school application journey…I was shocked to see the commitment to recruitment and success of underrepresented students the department seemed to show.” –Thuy Nguyen (2017 participant), Department of Educational Psychology, current PhD student
• “I was especially inspired by the session where faculty shared their paths leading to academia. Their stories of overcoming obstacles have given me faith and encouraged me to continue pursuing an academic career…The program’s continued support and investment in underrepresented students demonstrated the school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, which played a major role in my decision to come study here.” –Jinyi Zhang (2019 participant), Institute of Child Development, current PhD student