General Information

The Ph.D. program in Experimental Psychology at the University of Louisville's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences trains students to be experts in the conduct of research in modern psychology.  Training is based on coursework, active and continuous involvement in research, and close cooperation between students and faculty mentors.

The program currently has significant strength in several topic areas of psychology, including basic and applied areas of cognitive science, child development, developmental disabilities, hearing, learning, memory, neuroscience, perception, and vision.  More detailed information can be found on the websites of individual members of the facultyhttp://www.louisville.edu/a-s/psychology/content/faculty.html.

The Experimental Psychology Ph.D. program requires four years of full-time training. All students must satisfy couse requirements (listed below), turn in a portfolio of written work for the Master of Arts degree, take a Preliminary Examination prior to conduct of the dissertation, and complete the dissertation. Active and continuous involvement in research is essential. To remain in good standing, students must maintain a B average in all courses and demonstrate appropriate progress in research.  Equivalence of graduate work in psychology completed at another institution will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Financial support for graduate students in the Experimental Ph.D. program is available in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and Graduate School University Fellowships.   All forms of support are for 12 months with a standard start date of July 1.  Support includes stipend, full tuition, and health insurance.  Most stipends currently are set at $22,000 per year.

Program Admission Procedure

1. Experimental Ph.D. Program Application Deadline – December 1.
2. Submit completed graduate application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. There is a $50 application fee (on-line at http://graduate.louisville.edu/apply/).  Call the Office of Graduate Admissions at 502-852-3101 for more information.  The Ph.D. program admits students once per year, with a typical enrollment date of July 1.
3. The Graduate Record Examination is required for an application to the Ph.D. program to be reviewed. The Experimental Program requires only the general section of the GRE (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing).  Those for whom English is not their native language must also submit TOEFL scores.
4. Transcripts of your college records from all of the schools you have attended must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Students must have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all undergraduate and prior graduate work.
5. Three letters of recommendation from academic sources are required and must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
6. Contact the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences for the departmental admissions packet. This packet has information we ask the applicant to fill out and return directly to Ms. Carolyn Mask. To request a departmental packet, call 502-852-8272 or send email to carolynmask@louisville.edu.
7. Although no other material is strictly required, you are strongly encouraged to submit a personal statement outlining interests, background, unique experiences, vita, and other information which might be helpful to persons making an admission decision.
8. Only when the application is complete will the Department Review Committee review the application and inform prospective students of its decision. Usually the last information to be received is the reference letters, so ask your letter writers well in advance of the deadline. Since your application will not be sent to the Department Review Committee until completed, it is imperative that you be sure that all materials are received well in advance of the closing date (December 1).
9. Additional information about department programs and admissions can be obtained from Ms. Carolyn Mask, Graduate Admissions in PBS, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville KY 40292; 502-852-8272; carolynmask@louisville.edu.

Minimum Coursework

Two graduate courses in statistics:

     PSYC 610,  Advanced Statistics I

     PSYC 611, Advanced Statistics II

At least three out of four core courses:

   PSYC 661, Advanced Developmental Psychology

   PSYC 621, Cognitive Psychology

   PSYC 631, Perception

   PSYC 643, Principles of Neuroscience

Five additional graduate courses to be determined jointly by the student and their respective faculty mentor (bringing the total credit hours to 30).  The five electives must be lecture courses or seminars.  This requirement cannot be satisfied with independent study or thesis credit.

Research Hours

A minimum of three credit hours per semester of research independent study (PSYC 605) with the student's graduate research mentor.  These hours are taken every semester, including summer, until the Preliminary Examination is completed.

MS Portfolio

A portfolio of written work reporting the research the student has been involved in.  The portfolio should be of sufficient scope and quality to (in conjunction with coursework) earn the Master of Science degree.  The portfolio typically is turned in at or shortly after the completion of two years of training and must be approved by a faculty committee.  After completion of the MS portfolio and 30 credit hours of graduate study, the student is awarded the Master of Science degree.

Preliminary Examination

An original review and critique of a research area in the field of psychology.  The Preliminary Exam is written in consultation with a faculty committee and must be approved by the committee.  The Preliminary Examination typically is completed at the end of the third year of training.

Dissertation

An original research project conducted and described in a report (the doctoral thesis) by the student.  The dissertation is conducted in consultation with a faculty committee and must be approved by the committee.