Application & Instructions

BE SURE TO READ The Ph.D. Program: An Overview and Preparing for Admission PRIOR TO READING THIS SECTION! In addition, 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.

YOU MUST SUBMIT THE ONLINE DEPARTMENT APPLICATION AND ONLINE GRADUATE DIVISION APPLICATION AND HAVE YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS POSTMARKED AND YOUR OFFICIAL TEST SCORES RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT (EXCEPT FOR THE GRE NOVEMBER OFFICIAL SUBJECT TEST SCORES) 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)
   

*** NOTE: ALL OF 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 must fill out and submit the UCLA AGA online. 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 online 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 online UCLA AGA for Fall 2010, please go to UCLA Graduate Division Application.

Please note that the department does not update the Graduate Division "Check Application Status" webpage indicating what application material the department has received.

IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UCLA APPLICATION FOR GRADUATE ADMISSION INCLUDING HOW TO OBTAIN A FEE WAIVER (SET #1), PLEASE EMAIL THE UNIVERSITY'S ADMISSIONS OFFICE AT gadmission@gdnet.ucla.edu  OR CALL THE OFFICE AT(310) 825-3819.

2. Psychology Department Application Materials

A) Psychology Department Graduate Application

To begin the online Psychology Department Graduate Application for Fall 2010, please click on the link that is below.

http://archive.psych.ucla.edu/Grads/Prospective/gradsuppapp.php

The Department Application Form can only be completed online. Please note:

THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT GRADUATE 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 Department Statement of Purpose

Please print out the Psychology Department Statement of Purpose

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: 

Please 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 you if you self-collect the letters, or your recommenders, or a Letter of Recommendation Service.  If you are using a Letter of Recommendation Service, submitting the Letter of Recommendation Form for each recommender is optional.

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 cannot be more than five years old from the date the tests were taken. If the test is taken more than once, the most recent score is considered. There is no minimum score required for the GRE General or Psychology Subject Test. In the event that you are unable to send official scores with your application, for purposes of review, we will accept a photocopy of your scores. However, official scores are required before a final decision is reached. When registering for the exams, please designate UCLA as a score recipient ("INSTITUTION" CODE = 4837). Please consult the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for the correct department code for the GRE General Test, GRE Subject Test, and TOEFL Test since there are a number of codes ETS uses for our department. 

• GRE General Test: All applicants are required to submit GRE General Test scores for the three sections of the test which includes verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing.  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: Each of our areas has their own policy regarding the GRE Psychology Subject Test.  If you are applying to Clinical, the GRE Psychology subject test is required.  If you are applying to Behavioral Neuroscience, Learning and Behavior, Quantitative, or Social, the GRE Psychology subject test is NOT required.  If you are applying to Health, the GRE subject test in Psychology is not required but recommended.  If you are applying to Developmental, the GRE Psychology subject test is not required but is recommended for applicants who did not major in Psychology or a closely related discipline.  If you are applying to Cognitive, a GRE subject test in Psychology or other fields related to cognitive psychology is not required but encouraged.  Applicants applying for Fall 2010 must take the Subject Test no later than November 2009. Subject Test scores from the November 2009 test date that arrive after our application deadlines will still be accepted. Applicants applying to the Clinical area must have Subject Test scores to be considered for admission into the program.

• 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.  The minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores are 560 on the paper and pencil test, 220 on the computer-based test, or 87 on the internet-based test (TOEFL), or overall band score of 7.0 (IELTS).  TOEFL and IELTS test scores are valid for only two years from the date the tests were taken.

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 required for your application to be reviewed and to qualify 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
  405 Hilgard Ave
  1285 Franz Hall
  Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563
• Attn: Ph.D. Program