Applied Psychology Ph.D. Admissions

Our combined master's and doctoral program allows you to complete a master's degree on the way to a doctoral degree. You'll learn to use innovative conceptual and methodological tools while working closely in faculty teams with community partners to understand and solve social problems.

• We do not provide training, prepare for licensure in, nor offer degrees in Clinical or Counseling Psychology.
• We do not currently admit students for the terminal M.A. or M.S. degree programs. Admitted students entering the Ph.D. program will earn a Master's degree en route to the Ph.D. unless the requirement is waived based on a previously conducted empirical Master's thesis.

We offer five areas of emphasis:

• Applied Developmental Psychology
• Applied Quantitative Psychology
• Applied Social Psychology
• Community Psychology
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology

We encourage potential graduate students to reach out and email Psychology faculty members that they are interested in working with to find out more about their labs and research programs. Each major area of the program typically admits approximately 3-8 students per year out of approximately 60-120 applicants. The number of students admitted varies each year, depending on individual faculty needs and capacity, departmental needs and resources, and the quality of the applicant pool. 

Application Materials

Below is the list of the information and materials you will need to provide as part of your application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

• Area of Emphasis: When applying to the program you will need to choose one of the five areas as your primary interest. Although admitted students often work with more than one faculty member, prospective students are selected and recruited to work with one primary advisor. Thus, the match between the applicant’s professional/research interests and those of the primary advisor is strongly weighted in the application process.
• Personal Statement: In 500 words, share your academic and professional goals, with a focus on your background, research interests, as well as your interest in working with particular faculty in the Psychology Department. Please explain your reasons for choosing to undertake graduate work in Psychology, your areas of interest, and why you have chosen to apply to Portland State. 
• GRE scores: GRE scores are only required if applying to the Industrial/Organizational* or Quantitative areas of the program.
  • Submit via testing agency using PSU's School Code (Portland State Code: 4610; Psychology Department Code: 2016)
  • *If you have a 3.5 GPA or above and have received at least an A- in Research Methods and Statistics courses, you are not required to provide GRE documentation when applying to the Industrial/Organizational area; it is optional. However, the General GRE is required for any applicant who has 1) an overall GPA of less than 3.5, or 2) a grade of less than A- in Research Methods courses, or 3) a grade of less than A- in Statistics courses in their undergraduate degree program or a relevant master's program. If one or more of these three situations applies to you, please send official GRE scores to PSU with the rest of your application materials.
  • International students with GPAs not on the 4.0 scale or course grades not on the A-F scale are encouraged to contact the Department of Psychology (gradapps@pdx.edu) for additional guidance on whether they should submit GRE scores. All applicants should also address any significant experience and/or training with writing and methods (i.e., statistics, research design, measurement) in their personal statement.
• References: Submit contact information for at least three references from individuals knowledgeable about the applicant’s abilities (preferably faculty members at colleges or universities attended) and potential for success in graduate training in psychology. Portland State will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.
• Copies of transcripts from each college or university attended 
• Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable)

Selection Criteria

• Prior academic performance: Students are expected to have some prior course work in experimental psychology (or equivalent), and research methods and statistical analysis (other programs such as business, sociology, etc. are acceptable for this purpose). Successful applicants may come from many different backgrounds (e.g., sociology, political science, communication, business, public health); however, the program expects applicants to demonstrate an awareness of the major area field of psychology to which the prospective student is applying.
• Academic potential: The program does not have a formal cutoff score for the GRE; however, most successful applicants score in the 70-80th percentile (or above) in Verbal, 60-70th percentile (or above) in Quantitative and 4.5 or above on the Analytical Writing sections of the GRE. The GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required.
• Prior work experience: Past work experience in psychology or a related field is desirable but not required. Given the nature of work in psychology, most successful applicants do not have past psychology work experience.
• Prior research experience: Research experience in psychology or related fields is strongly desirable.
• Letters of reference: We prefer these letters to be from faculty who can speak to the student’s potential for success in graduate training in psychology. However, letters from non-faculty are acceptable.
• Fit with the program: The program strongly considers the degree to which the applicant’s personal goals and professional interests match those of the program, as well as the extent to which the applicant’s stated research interests fit with those of specific faculty members. Thus, applicants should have a basic awareness of the types of training provided by psychology programs in the major area to which they are applying, as well as the nature of professions in psychology. Moreover, although admitted students often work with more than one faculty member, prospective students are selected and recruited to work with one primary advisor. Thus, the match between the applicant’s professional/research interests and those of the primary advisor is strongly weighted in the application process.

Application Review Timeline

• January or early February: The Graduate Committee meets to review and discuss applications.
• March 1: Graduate advisors may be in contact with applicants.
• April 15: All applicants will be notified of application status.

Reapplying to Program

Unsuccessful applicants can reapply to the program, but be advised that an application that is not successful in one year is not likely to be successful during the next application cycle without some changes. In general, we do not provide formal feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Non-Degree-Seeking Students

You do not have to be officially admitted to the program to take graduate Psychology courses nor do you need to formally apply to the Applied Psychology program to take courses as a non-degree-seeking student. We encourage community members who are employed but considering a return to school to begin by taking a graduate course. However, students may be required to obtain permission from the instructor. Course credits taken as a non-degree-seeking student can be transferred into the program. However, the university has an upper limit on the number of credits taken as a non-degree-seeking student that can transfer into the graduate program. Students should visit the Graduate School for more information about this policy.

Contact

If you have questions about the application process, contact gradapps@pdx.edu.