Application & Instructions

BE SURE TO READ The Ph.D. Program: An Overview and Preparing for Admission PRIOR TO READING THIS SECTION! Be sure to visit the link to the specific program to which you plan to apply for additional information.

We only accept applications once a year for Fall Quarter.

FOR FALL 2009, THE DEPARTMENTAL APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER 2008. 

YOU MUST APPLY AND HAVE YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS POSTMARKED BY THE FOLLOWING DEADLINES:

• December 15 (Clinical and Social areas)
• December 30 (Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive, Developmental, Health, Learning & Behavior, and Quantitative areas)

For admission to the Ph.D. program, there are TWO separate applications you must submit:

1. To UCLA's Graduate Division: UCLA Application for Graduate Admission (AGA)
2. To the Psychology Department: Department Application, Statement of Purpose, and other materials (outlined below)

ALL THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED.

Please follow these instructions to ensure the timely receipt and review of your application.

1. UCLA APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION (AGA)

Applicants should fill out and submit the UCLA AGA on-line via the World Wide Web. Please answer every question, following the step-by-step instructions provided in the AGA. You will be sent information on housing and financial aid after receipt of your application.

You have 30 days from the day you begin filling out the application to "submit" it electronically (i.e., the on-line application can be saved up to 30 days before submission). If the UCLA AGA has NOT been submitted within 30 days, the application will be deleted from the system.

A PIN number is assigned to you when you begin the on-line application. Make note of the PIN number because you will need it to access your saved application and for tracking purposes.

To begin the on-line UCLA AGA via the World Wide Web, please go to UCLA Graduate Division Application.

IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UCLA APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION (SET #1), PLEASE CALL THE UNIVERSITY'S ADMISSIONS OFFICE AT (310) 825-1711.

2. PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT APPLICATION MATERIALS
   
   A) The Department Application Form can be completed online only. Please note: THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT GRADUATE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION CANNOT BE SAVED AND ACCESSED LATER. IT WILL BE ELECTRONICALLY SENT TO THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AFTER YOU CLICK 'Submit Application'.

Be sure to indicate the Area to which you are applying (YOU MAY APPLY ONLY TO ONE AREA). A note on the GPA calculation for the junior and senior years: it is based on the number of units earned, not where or when you earned them. For example, if you earned 200 undergraduate units or credits, the GPA for your junior and senior year is derived from units 101 through 200, regardless of what school(s) you attended or when you attended them.

B) Psychology Statement of Purpose: Please print out the form provided.

Directly address the questions posed on this form. NOTE: DO NOT FILL OUT THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AVAILABLE TO YOU IN THE UCLA AGA. THE FORM LINKED ABOVE IS THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE THE DEPARTMENT REQUIRES.

Optional: The Admissions Committee is concerned with special circumstances (geographical considerations, family and financial matters, etc.) affecting your decision to come to UCLA. Please indicate these situations, if any, on your Statement of Purpose.

C) Three letters of recommendation: Print one Letter of Recommendation Form for each recommender. It is your choice who you would like to choose as your recommenders. Before giving your recommender this form, be sure to complete the top portion indicating whether or not you are waiving the right to inspect your letters of recommendation. If possible, self-collect your letters (in sealed envelopes) and send them along with the rest of the materials; otherwise, instruct your recommenders to mail them to the Department of Psychology at the address below. It is preferable to self-collect the letters to ensure that the Department receives them in a timely manner. The Department will accept your letters sent by mail (but not electronically) from a Letter of Recommendation Service.

D) Transcripts: Two (2) official transcripts from each college or university you have attended should be mailed to the Department of Psychology at the address below. Whenever possible, please self-collect your sealed transcripts and include them with the rest of the departmental materials. In the event that you are unable to send an official transcript with your application (i.e. your request is delayed by the Registrar's Office), for purposes of review, we will accept a photocopy of transcripts. However, official transcripts are required before a final decision is reached.

E) Test Scores: OFFICIAL GRE SCORES for both the General and the Psychology Subject Test are required. Scores cannot be more than five years old. If the test is taken more than once, the most recent score is considered. When registering for the exams, please designate the Department of Psychology as a score recipient ("INSTITUTION" CODE = R4837; "DEPARTMENT" CODE = 2016).

GRE General Test: This test is now computer-based. It may be taken up to two weeks before the application deadline for your Area. However, the score reporting time frame for test takers who choose to handwrite their original analytical writing essays is up to 6 weeks. Please take this into consideration when selecting a test date.

GRE Psychology Subject Test: This test is only offered paper and pencil. TOEFL or IELTS EXAM: INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS whose first language is not English must, in addition to the GREs, submit an official TOEFL (Test of English As a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score. An exception is made for those who hold a bachelor's of higher degree from a U.S. university or in another country in which English is the spoken language and the medium of instruction, or who have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution.

Please contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for GRE and TOEFL test scheduling, registration, and information. Visit the Educational Testing Service web site at www.ets.org or call them at (510) 873-8100 (West Coast) or (609) 771-7100 (East Coast). IELTS is administered by local IELTS test centers throughout the world.  Applicants should consult www.ielts.org for the nearest IELTS test center.

F) Part B: Supplementary Information: Print out the Supplementary Information Form and submit it to the Department.

G) Confidential Financial Statement (FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY): Please print out the Confidential Financial Statement and fill it out entirely. The form is needed to qualify you for a visa to study in the United States.

Please self-collect as many of the above items in Set #2 as possible and mail them to:

UCLA, Department of Psychology

1285 Franz Hall

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563
Attn: Ph.D. Program

IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT'S APPLICATION MATERIALS (SET #2), PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL THE DEPARTMENT'S ADMISSIONS OFFICE AT gradadm@psych.ucla.edu.