Diversity in Psychology Program
For the past nine years, the University of Minnesota’s Tri-Psychology Graduate Programs (Department of Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology, and Institute of Child Development) have been proud to offer an annual Diversity in Psychology Program (DPP). This is a competitive program all eligible individuals are welcome to apply to. Participants gain support in demystifying doctoral admissions, developing strong applications, and learning about our programs.
Changes for the 2026 Program
To ensure our programming continues to provide prospective applicants with the best possible services, we are rebranding the event to better align the program title with the content of our programming and moving our next annual virtual event from October 2025 to May 2026. Our goals with these changes are twofold:
- Make the program more visible to prospective applicants who would benefit from participation.
- Align our programming with the timeline, illustrated below, on which we encourage applicants to start exploring programs and preparing applications for annual admissions deadlines.
We look forward to announcing our rebranded 2026 programming in late September 2025. All eligible prospective applicants to UMN doctoral programs in psychology are welcome and encouraged to consider applying for a space in our 2026 program, which will feature a one-day virtual event combined with asynchronous learning experiences and faculty mentorship for developing strong application essays. We especially welcome applications from individuals who have experienced barriers to higher education and/or who are seeking help demystifying the hidden curriculum of the doctoral admissions process, including those whose background reflects a diversity of viewpoints and experiences historically underrepresented in the field of psychology.
If you are interested in applying for Fall 2026, we invite you to learn more about the Tri-Psychology Departments’ doctoral programs and reach out with questions to the contacts provided.
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 has seven areas of specialization. Applicants apply directly to the area:
- Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences
- Counseling Psychology
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- Personality, Individual Differences, and Behavior Genetics
- Quantitative Psychology/Psychometric Methods
- 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 are provided on the PhD program page. If you have questions after reviewing the linked information, email [email protected].
While we will not offer a program in 2025, we have curated the following supportive resources for prospective applicants to doctoral programs in psychology. Please reach out directly to the contacts provided above with questions about specific UMN graduate programs.
General Guidance on Doctoral Admissions in Psychology
- Watch short YouTube videos featuring advice that Tri-Psychology faculty shared at a previous DPP event on applicant/program alignment, research experience, tailoring application materials to programs, and strategies for developing strong application essays.
- Writing a Compelling Grad School Application Essay (APA): 12-minute video offering advice on personal statements.
- Becoming a Psychological Scientist (APA): An 11-video playlist to guide you from deciding to apply through the first-year student experience.
Services for Applicants to UMN Psychology Programs
- Use our “I’m Interested In…” program exploration tool (interactive Google slide deck) to identify which UMN psychology programs and specializations best align with your interests and training goals. (accessible version)
- Register for Department of Psychology Virtual Admissions Information Session (held monthly, May-October 2025)
- Register for Department of Educational Psychology Admissions Information Session (link forthcoming)
- Register for the Institute of Child Development Information Session
We welcome individuals who meet the following eligibility criteria to consider applying for our forthcoming 2026 program, which will support applicants who are preparing to apply for fall 2027 and 2028 admissions:
- Current juniors and seniors in bachelor’s programs; graduates of bachelor’s programs; current students in terminal master’s programs in psychology and related fields. Undergraduate students currently attending UMN are eligible to apply.
- U.S. citizens and individuals lawfully here on a non-temporary basis (e.g., permanent residents, asylees, refugees). We hope to develop tailored programming for prospective international applicants in the future.
- Interest in pursuing training in one of the Tri-Psychology Departments’ doctoral programs.