How to Apply

Admission to any UMN graduate program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the U.S. or a comparable degree from an institution outside the U.S.

Application Information

All application materials must be submitted electronically via the online admissions system by 11:59 pm EST on December 1.

Important for Fall 2026 applicants: The University of Minnesota is closed November 27 - November 30. Staff will not be available to respond to inquiries or assist applicants during this period. Please plan accordingly and reach out to [email protected] proactively with any questions to ensure that your application will be submitted by the 11:59 pm EST Dec. 1 deadline.

The Department of Psychology accepts students only for the PhD, and only for the fall semester. We do not accept applications for a master’s degree.

Applications open for the upcoming admissions cycle on the first Tuesday in September. Applicants are encouraged to start preparing materials earlier but should wait until this date to start an online application. 

  • Important: If you initiate an application prior to this date you will not be able to select the correct admission term and you may have to redo portions of your application.

Questions?

Application Steps

Your first step is to learn about the Psychology PhD program, research our seven areas of specialization, and identify  area faculty considering new advisees whose expertise aligns with your research interests and goals. We do not recommend proceeding with an application unless you identify a strong research fit with at least one of the faculty considering new advisees in the area of specialization that best aligns with your training goals. Research fit is a key consideration in application review.

Each faculty member maintains a profile to help you learn about their current research and areas of expertise. You can access faculty profiles from the area’s web page or the list of faculty considering advisees.

All applicants apply directly to an area of specialization so you will need to decide which area you are applying to before you start your online application. The application will require you to identify one or two potential advisors from the list of faculty members considering new advisees for the area you are applying to.

Please note that only faculty admitting students in the area of specialization you are applying to will review your application. 

If you decide that one of our areas of specialization and member(s) of its faculty considering taking new advisees aligns with your research interests and training goals, review our Admissions Guidelines to assess whether you might be a competitive applicant and to understand our application review criteria. The Psychology PhD program has many more applicants each year than the number of available openings.

Review our Application Checklist and prepare materials for all of the required components of your application file. Applications are reviewed holistically, and only complete applications containing all of the required materials are eligible for review. Some areas require GRE scores and cannot consider applications that do not include the required scores by the application deadline. 

International applicants should consult our English Language Proficiency requirements. Please note that the Department of Psychology has more stringent requirements than those set by the Graduate School and only considers IELTS and TOEFL scores at this time. Applicants must meet the Department’s requirements to be considered for admission.

To apply, you must submit an application through the Graduate School’s online application portal by the 11:59 pm EST December 1 deadline. This is a University-wide application system; specific requirements set by the Department of Psychology are provided on our Application Checklist. Follow the checklist carefully to ensure your application is complete.

If you anticipate financial barriers to paying the application fee ($75 for domestic and $95 for international), review our fee waiver information on the Application Checklist and submit a request by the deadline. This opportunity is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristic. However, funds are limited; available on a first-come, first-served basis; and intended to support competitive applicants experiencing significant financial hardship.

Faculty review all complete application files. Application review begins immediately after the December 1st deadline. Be sure to monitor the email account you used for your online application and respond promptly if the Department or the Graduate School contact you with questions or requests for additional information. 

All applicants will be notified when admissions decisions are finalized, typically in late January or February. Admitted applicants will be invited to attend a recruitment event, which is held in mid to late February.

Applicants who are considered for admission will automatically be considered for various types of departmental funding. 

You can check the current status of your application materials in the online application portal.