Ph.D. Program
The Psychology Department’s Ph.D. is a research degree that has earned national distinction in all three of our available specialization areas: cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. Our students conduct rigorous empirical research in their chosen subfield throughout their graduate careers, preparing them for research, teaching, and administrative positions in colleges and universities, as well as research and leadership positions in K-12 schools, health sciences, government organizations, nonprofits, and businesses.
Our Ph.D. graduates often go on to successful careers in academia—as postdoctoral fellows and tenure-track faculty at teaching and research institutions across the country—and in industry—with some of our recent graduates leading user experience (UX) and data science teams. Our program does not offer courses, training, or supervision in counseling or clinical psychology. Our department also does not have a master’s degree program, however, students in the Ph.D. program may elect to receive a master’s degree on the way to their Ph.D.
Program requirements
Learning outcomes
Core Knowledge and Critical Thinking
In a specialized area of psychology (cognitive, developmental, or social), graduate students will demonstrate mastery of and the ability to critically evaluate and contribute to theory, research, and methods.
Pedagogy
Graduate students will demonstrate skill in educating and mentoring undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds.
Communication
Graduate students will show competence in presenting research findings orally and in writing.
Independent Research
Graduate students will be able to conduct independent research resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in cognitive, developmental, or social Psychology. Relevant components include:
- developing an original research question
- providing background for research questions in relation to theory and research literature
- devising and conducting appropriate methods and data-analytic techniques to address research questions
- writing a manuscript using a professional style that describes all aspects of the study
- drawing implications from the research for future research, possible applications, and for general audiences
- being able to discuss relevant ethical issues.
Curriculum
The major emphasis of our program is on preparing students to conduct independent research at a high level of creative scholarship. Our course requirements establish a foundation for critical evaluation of research literature and the design of conceptually important empirical research. Each of our available areas of specialization also has its own unique educational and research purpose and philosophy. Learn more about our three subfields on our department’s Academics and Research pages.
Psychology faculty
Students are offered admission with a designated faculty mentor, who serves as an academic advisor and research sponsor. We recommend interested applicants explore the specific research interests of faculty members to determine which are conducting research in the area they are interested in. Students should reach out to faculty members who they believe are a potential match in order to explore research possibilities. Students are admitted to the program based on their faculty mentor’s subfield. Every student will be primarily associated with one of our three subfields, participating in the courses and research forums sponsored by the faculty in that area. However, if a student’s interests cross traditional boundaries, they may also work with faculty in other areas.
Meet our students and alumni
Allison Nguyen: My voice will help uplift the next generation
Allison Nguyen graduated with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology in 2023. Her focus was on psycholinguistics. She worked closely with Professor Jean E. Fox Tree on research documenting speech characteristics indicative of hyper-partisan online spaces, where misinformation is more likely to emerge. Nguyen is now an assistant professor at Illinois State University. She is an advocate for increased diversity, equity, and belonging in higher education.
Roxy Davis and Christine Rosales: Investigating social justice issues
Social psychology Ph.D. students Roxy Davis (second from right) and Christine Rosales (right) received fellowships to study health resources in local prisons and ways that Latinas resist discrimination. Davis now works for UCSC’s Teaching and Learning Center, while Rosales is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at California State University, Monterey Bay.
More student stories
More alumni stories
Additional alumni placement information
Graduates of our program have accepted faculty positions at such institutions as University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Toronto, Stanford University, University of Minnesota, Boston College, University of Delaware, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, University of Surrey (England), Technical University of Berlin, and several California State University campuses.
Our alumni have also gone on to applied research positions at Educational Training and Research and Stanford Research Institute and to postdoctoral research positions at Harvard, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and Loyola University Chicago.
Financial aid
The Psychology Department makes every effort to financially support graduate students who are making normal academic progress in our program. Depending on the availability of funds and the faculty’s recommendations, support may be in the form of a fellowship, graduate student research assistantship, teaching assistantship, readership, travel award, summer research award, or dissertation award. See the Graduate Division for information on graduate student funding and the major types of support.
Application requirements
The online application and requirements can be found via Graduate Admissions. GRE scores are neither required nor accepted. For information on fee waivers, contact the Graduate Division. The department does not offer fee waivers. Specific questions about our graduate program should be directed to psygradadv@ucsc.edu.
Prior coursework requirements
Although there are no specific prerequisite courses, you are expected to have some background in psychology. Depending upon your area of interest (cognitive, developmental, or social), you would be expected to have courses in general psychology, natural sciences, and/or social sciences, as described below.
- Cognitive area: Most applicants have undergraduate degrees in psychology, but the cognitive faculty also considers applicants with other relevant undergraduate backgrounds.
- Developmental area: Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in psychology or a related discipline and have completed courses in general psychology, developmental psychology, and statistics.
- Social area: Applicants should present a record of coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major in psychology. A broad major covering a variety of subareas is preferred to a narrow concentration. Because of the program’s interdisciplinary focus, applications from those who have majored in other social sciences and related areas are also encouraged.
Evaluation criteria
Applicants are evaluated holistically by a faculty committee. Decisions are based primarily on transcripts, test scores, past research, the statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Employment experience and other personal and professional activities are taken into account. It is very important that the students’ experiences and interests match the resources, opportunities, and research activities available within the UCSC program.
The selection committee also considers the composition of incoming classes, seeking students with diverse and complementary backgrounds and interests. Applications from minority students are particularly encouraged and supported through the university’s diversity fellowship programs.