GRADUATE STUDIES

The Department of Psychology at the University of Southern California offers a variety of programs of study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. There is no separate Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program to which students may apply, and the department only admits students for work toward the doctorate.

Students are admitted only in the spring for graduate work that will begin in the fall semester.

Degree requirements, sources of financial aid, and details with respect to the application process are provided below.

To allow requirements to be better tailored to the student’s professional goals, programs in the department are divided into the following topic areas: Clinical Science with specializations in clinical-aging, child and family clinical, and general adult clinical; Brain and Cognitive Science (BCS), with specializations in cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, and behavioral genetics; Developmental, with specializations in child development and adult development/aging; Quantitative Methods; and Social Psychology.

Ordinarily the application will be routed to one of these areas, and the faculty in that area will make the decision about admission. Any student who is thinking of applying for graduate study should read descriptions of research interests of faculty in the area that most closely matches his or her interests, as well as degree requirements for the department and for the area. The program of study will include course work, but in the natural and social science at USC, a doctorate is awarded only if the student has proven himself or herself to be an effective research scientist. One makes progress toward this degree most effectively through close training and sponsorship by a faculty member. Finding someone whose research is of special interest is a critical element of the application process, and will more likely assure admission to the program and eventual success in completing doctoral training.