INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

We are always looking for good graduate students who are excited about conducting basic psychological research. Our Ph.D. program starts off with a two semester course examining basic psychological processes using an integrative approach which combines cognitive, developmental and biological psychology. There is also a three semester statistics sequence and two credits of ethics courses. After these required courses, the student in consultation with their advising committee then chooses elective courses and laboratory work that will facilitate their own research and career goals. The required course work and time course of various hurdles is described in detail on the Information for Current Students page.

Probably the most important aspect of our training is that students are engaged in research from their very first semester. We really focus on individual training both in and out of the laboratory and try to facilitate a student's career through publications and participation in scientific meetings.  The kind of research in which we provide training spans cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, behavioral neuroscience and cognitive neuroscience. For the specific details about the ongoing research, check out the faculty websites for descriptions of current research and lists of publications.

The training prepares experimental psychologists for research careers in academic, business or applied settings. There is also training to teach a broad range of psychology courses, if desired. About 60% of our Ph.D. students have gone on to academic positions and the remaining students are in positions in research settings like the National Institutes of Health or independent laboratories. To check out what some of our more recent graduates are doing, check out the Experimental Program Alumni page. From that page, you can also contact some of our former graduates with questions that you might have.

Admission to our program is based on scholastic achievement, prior research experience, stated research interests and the Graduate Record Exam scores. Generally, students have at least a 3.25 GPA, 1100 GRE (Verbal + Quantitative), and 500 GRE Advanced (Psychology). Letters of recommendation and personal statement are especially important. Applications completed by January 1 will be given priority for admission into the program in the Fall and for funding. GRE scores may be submitted by using the following school code: 5818.

You can do your application by regular mail or you can do your application on-line from the USC Graduate School's homepage,      (URL: http://gradschool.sc.edu/apply.htm).

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