About PhD Program,
Our work is united in the focus on the science of mental life, yet highly interdisciplinary.
The Psychology Department is organized into four research areas:
- Clinical Science/ Experimental Psychopathology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cognition, Brain, and Behavior (CBB)
Students enrolled in the PhD program may follow one of two tracks: Clinical Science or the Common Curriculum, which includes Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Cognition, Brain, and Behavior (CBB). Students may only be considered for Clinical Science during the graduate school application process, and may not transfer in at a later date.
Click here to view our current graduate student profiles.
Clinical Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data, as required by the American Psychological Association, can be found here.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
we do not offer a terminal master’s degree in psychology, though students admitted to the PhD program can earn a master’s along the way.
A psychology major is not required, but it is recommended that applicants take some basic psychology courses and obtain research experience. Admitted applicants have excellent grades, test scores, letters of recommendation, research experience and are a good match in terms of research interests with one or more members of the faculty, who serve as advisors.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Harvard Griffin GSAS typically offers the following financial support to PhD students in the Social Sciences:
- Tuition and health fee grantsfor Years 1 through 5
- Academic Year Stipendsfor Years 1 & 2
- Summer research awardsin Years 1 through 4
- Financial support via guaranteed teaching in Year 3 and Year 4
- Four terms of Top-Up stipend
- Dissertation completion fellowships
Students confirm their funding in the Student Aid Portal each year during the annual financial aid acceptance process.
All PhD students in our PhD training program receive a stipend for living expenses provided by Harvard/GSAS in the first, second, and final year of PhD training. This stipend is intended to support students so that they can focus on their studies without the requirement to engage in employment. Students are not required to perform any work for Harvard in exchange for this stipend.
Application Requirement,
- Online application form
- Application fee payment ($105) – Application fee waivers are available to those for whom payment of the application fee would be financially challenging. Applicants can determine eligibility for a fee waiver by completing a series of questions in the Application Fee section of the application. Once these questions have been completed, the application system will provide an immediate response regarding fee waiver eligibility.
- Transcripts
- Letters of recommendation (at least 3)
- Statement of purpose
- Personal statement
- Demonstration of English proficiency
- GRE General Test scores:
– required for applicants to the Clinical Science area
– optional but recommended for applicants to the Social, Developmental, and CBB areas*
As of May 2024, GRE General Test scores will be required for all applicants seeking Fall 2026 admission. - Harvard Griffin GSAS may request additional academic documents, as needed.
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
Application fee payment ($105)
