Information for Prospective Students

Deadline for Applications

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

Application Requirements

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 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.

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;
• Three letters of recommendation;
• Application processing fee (paid electronically through the admissions portal): $45.00 for U.S. citizens/permanent residents or $80.00 for international applicants.
• Official TOEFL scores for international students.

Please note that the below requirement is WAIVED for applications submitted in Fall 2020 to enter the program in Fall 2021:

• Official GRE General Test scores from ETS taken within the last five years. 

IMPORTANT: The application portal will still ask you to upload GRE scores. In their place, you may upload documents indicating you will not be submitting those because they have been waived.

If you have general questions about applying to UTEP, please contact the graduate school (gradschool@utep.edu or 915-747-5491). If you have specific questions about applying to the Social Psychology Ph.D. Program, please contact Dr. Katherine Serafine, Graduate Program Director for the Department of Psychology (kmserafine2@utep.edu).

For Additional Information

For more information regarding application to the Department of Psychology graduate programs please visit the Applying to the Graduate Program page.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a listing of Frequently Asked Questions regarding application to the graduate programs please visit the FAQ page.