Application Instructions

Please carefully follow the application procedures listed below and those outlined by the Graduate School. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and all materials are submitted through the Graduate School online application by the deadline (December 1st).

Applicants should first review the Graduate School application instructions and then complete the online application form. Below are requirements for the application.

  1. Graduate School Online Application Form
  2. Application Fee: $65 - Information on opportunities for fee waivers can be found below.
  3. Transcript(s): Official transcripts from ALL institutions you have attended must be sent directly from the colleges to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  4. Three Recommendation Letters: Three letters of recommendation from academic sources are required by the Experimental Psychology program. Applicants will enter information for each of their letter writers in the online application form, and the system will send each letter writer a link to submit your recommendation.
  5. Mentor Rankings: Our program is research-based and students are admitted based on a mentorship model. The online application form will prompt you to indicate your preferences for up to 3 possible research mentors (ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd).
  6. Current Curriculum Vitae: A current CV is a required part of the application. Your CV should be uploaded under “Upload Materials”, “Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV).”
  7. Personal Statement: A Personal Statement should be uploaded with your application materials under “Upload Materials”, “Personal Statement”. This document is a Statement of Purpose and is expected to be 2-3 pages. The statement should describe the applicant's background, research experience and interests, and career goals.
  8. Graduate Record Exam (GRE): The GRE is NOT requiredfor the Experimental Psychology Doctoral Program.
  9. TOEFL/English Proficiency: Official TOEFL scores must be submitted by those for whom English is not their native language. For more information about the English Proficiency/TOEFL requirements, click here.
  10. International Students: Additional instructions for international students can be found here.
  11. Education & Life Experiences Essays: The Graduate School requires responses to two of seven provided prompts in the areas of leadership, community engagement, resilience and adaptability, accountability and responsibility, self-motivation, capacity for self-improvement, and inclusive excellence. The full list of prompts can be seen here.
  12. Supplemental Materials: You may choose to upload supplemental materials such as a description of relevant courses/trainings, capstone or Honors projects, research presentations, publications, or writing samples with your application materials. If necessary, combine documents into a single PDF for the file upload. These supplemental materials are not required.

Application Fee Waivers

Graduate School Fee Waivers: Students who fall into the following categories may request a waiver by calling (502) 852-6495 to determine eligibility: applicants in active duty military, veterans and active Peace Corp/AmeriCorps; receiving government public assistance through programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Care (AFDC), Medicaid, Food Stamps, or Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI); students who attend minority serving institutions (application fee waiver is reviewed on case-by-case request); students who participate in Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), TRIO, McNair Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, and UofL Cardinal Covenant; and applicants who attend the UofL Graduate School sponsored visitation day, held in the spring, and students who attend regional and national recruiting events where they meet with UofL graduate school representatives. Fee waiver applications due December 1st.

Department Fee Waivers: Students who do not fall into the above categories can apply for a limited number of Department fee waivers. Click the following link for more information and the Department fee waiver application: https://redcap.link/UofLPBSfeewaiver2024. See the fee waiver application for more details. Fee waiver applications due November 1st.


Offers of Admission

Typically, students will receive offers of admission before April 1. Assistantships and fellowships are also normally offered before April 1. Applicants are under no obligation to respond to offers of admission or financial support prior to the decision date of April 15. Additional admissions and financial offers may be made after the April 15th decision date if one or more slots become available.

Questions

Should you have any further program-specific application questions, please contact:
Maggie Leahy
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
University of Louisville
maggie.leahy@louisville.edu