We offer two graduate degrees:

1. Ph.D. in Psychology
2. M.A. in Experimental Psychology

Because all of our graduate programs focus on research and require extensive one-on-one contact between faculty and students, we can accept only a limited number of students each year. Admission is competitive, and admission recommendations are made by a committee that carefully reviews each applicant's academic history, performance, and interests. To be admitted, one must have a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent for non-U.S. students) from an accredited university. Students who are still working on their bachelor's degree and who will complete it before starting graduate work are given full consideration. Individuals who do not have a degree in psychology are also given full consideration, but admission may be conditional on satisfactorily completing a few undergraduate psychology courses.

We accept students once a year. New students are admitted only during the fall semester and applications for fall admission are due December 1st.

If you are interested in applying, please submit the following materials to the UTEP graduate school application portal:

• A UTEP graduate school online application
• Official transcript(s) for all academic work
• A two- to three-page personal statement outlining your experiences, skills, and training. In addition, please indicate which concentration you are applying to, indicate faculty with whom you would like to work, and include your career goals and how this specific program will benefit your professional development. Please note that your personal statement serves as a writing sample; as such, it should be written in your own words without substantial assistance from technology or other people. 
• Three letters of recommendation, ideally from former professors or research supervisors
• Application processing fee (paid electronically through the admissions portal): $45.00 for U.S. citizens/permanent residents or $80.00 for international applicants
• Optional: Official GRE General Test scores from ETS taken within the last five years. *if you have questions about the GRE requirement, reach out to our Graduate Program Director, but the scores are optional and not required for application
• Official TOEFL scores for international students

If you have general questions about applying to UTEP, you can contact the graduate school. If you have specific questions on any of the Psychology programs, you can email the the graduate program director at PsychGradPrograms@utep.edu. In all correspondence, please indicate the program in which you are interested or for which you are applying (Ph.D. in General Psychology or M.A. in Experimental Psychology).

*Note that we are no longer accepting applications for the M.A. in Clinical Psychology Program. Students who were interested in that program can find additional resources on the linked page for alternative programs at UTEP to consider, including our other programs in the Department of Psychology.

Applications are accepted once per year for fall admission. To be considered, applicants must submit all required documents by December 1. Departmental decisions regarding applications are made by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Admission is competitive and limited by Departmental resources.

Minimum Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• Satisfactory undergraduate grade point average in all upper-division courses and all psychology courses.
• Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record.
• Optional: Examination (GRE) General Test within the last 5 years. *this is not required. If you have questions about the GRE reach out to the program director email the graduate program director at PsychGradPrograms@utep.edu.
• For international students, proficiency in English and as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); minimum score is 600 (250 computerized).
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A 2-3 page personal statement outlining your experience, skills and training; your career goals; and how this specific program will benefit your professional development.

Leveling Requirements

Students whose undergraduate degree is in a field other than Psychology must consult with the Graduate Program Director prior to admission to determine whether leveling courses will be required before beginning the program. Students requiring leveling courses will be granted conditional admission dependent upon completing the required courses.

All students entering the program must have:

• Introduction to Psychology (or at least one upper division psychology course)
• An introductory statistics course
• A research methods course in psychology or a closely related field