Application Deadline: December 1, 2012

Applications for admission to the Psychology Doctoral Program (PhD) are accepted for the Fall term only. The Psychology Department does not offer a Master's program. Completed applications and supporting credentials should be received no later than December 1st to be given the fullest consideration for admission. Applicants will be notified of the department's admission decision no later than April 1. Prospective applicants are required to submit an application online through the Rackham Graduate School website. All applications and supporting credentials become the property of the University of Michigan. The Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement,and unofficial transcripts, as described below, should be uploaded with your application file. Please do not send a hard copy of your application materials to the Psychology Student Academic Affairs Office.

• Academic Statement of Purpose  - This should be a concise, well-written essay about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan’s graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. In the Statement of Purpose you will want to demonstrate how your interests and experiences are aligned with our program's offerings. As mentioned in the Application Procedures, it is important to identify faculty who are carrying out research that matches your interests. You will upload your Statement of Purpose online with your application. If you experience trouble uploading your Statement of Purpose, please contact psych.saa@umich.edu. There is not a strict limit on the length of this statement, but two double-spaced pages is usually adequate and appropriate.
   
• Personal Statement - This should be a statement about how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is not an Academic Statement of Purpose, but a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. There is a 500-word limit for this statement.
   
• Transcripts - When completing the online application, you will be asked to upload a copy of your transcripts to your application. Instructions are given in the application. In addition to uploading an unofficial, student copy, you will need to request that an official copy of your transcripts be sent to Rackham (see the address below). Rackham requires a copy of official transcripts from each institution where you have earned or will earn a Bachelor's, Master's, Professional, or Doctoral degree. For detailed information about submitting transcripts, click here.
   
• Three Letters of Recommendation - These must be submitted electronically by your recommenders. As you are completing the online application, you will be given instructions for how to "Register Your Recommenders." Recommenders will then receive an email that will guide them in uploading their letters.
   
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) - Applicants to the Psychology PhD program are required to take the GRE. Please have your scores submitted to the University of Michigan using Institution Code 1839, not the departmental code. Your scores should arrive by the December 1st deadline. GRE scores are valid for five years; the GRE subject test is not required.
   
• TOEFL Exam - Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit an official TOEFL score. Applicants who have earned a degree from an institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from submitting a TOEFL score. TOEFL scores are sent electronically from ETS directly to the University of Michigan using Institution Code 1839. For more information on submitting these scores, see Rackham's website.

Send official transcripts to:
Rackham Graduate School
Attn: Transcripts/U-M ID# (if known) or Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
915 East Washington
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070:

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