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Admission Info
Attention!
Portfolio is being decommissioned. This portfolio page will be available to view until July 2024, but will no longer be updated. For the most updated information, please go to our new Digication page at https://du.digication.com/cahss-psych
These resources are intended to help current and prospective psychology students understand our degree requirements and experiential opportunities.
You can access our anonymous input survey here.
Thank you for your interest in the Department of Psychology at DU!
Applications for Fall 2023 are due December 1st 2022. Please go the following links for detailed information on admissions requirements:
- Clinical Psychology requirements
- Affective/Social/Cognitive Psychology requirements
- Developmental Psychology requirements
Please note GRE scores are optional to submit.
It is difficult to specify all of the factors that go into the admission decision. However, we look for the following combination:
- match between your research interests (described in your biographical statement) and those of faculty
- past research experience (since this is the best predictor of a student's enjoyment of and success in research)
- strong previous academic record
- 3 letters of recommendation that particularly emphasize your research potential
Interviews:
Final candidates for admission will be invited in February for interviews with faculty and students. Due to the large number of applicants, we cannot conduct interviews, take phone calls, or schedule visits prior to this screening.Questions:
Please contact Paula Houghtaling at phoughta@du.edu or 303-871-3803 with further questions. -
Faculty Accepting Applications for the Fall 2023 Admissions Cycle
Faculty Reviewing Students for Fall 2023:
ASC Area Faculty:
Developmental Area Faculty:
Clinical Area Faculty:
Galena Rhoades (alongside faculty Nick Perry, and Annie Le)
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Financial
The Department of Psychology offers financial support for full-time graduate students, starting AY 23-24.
Guaranteed funding for 5 years (4 years if bringing in an MA).
- Stipend for 2022 – 2023: $22,940 (additional summer support may be available)
- Full tuition waiver (value for 2022-2023): $45,145
- Stipend supplement (University Graduate Fellowship): up to $4,500
- Stipend supplement (Inclusive Excellence Awards): up to $4,500
- Health insurance: The University pays students' health insurance for all full-time students in years 1 – 5.
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Letter to Prospective Students
Dear prospective student,
We, the current graduate students enrolled in the University of Denver psychology programs, would like to take this opportunity to tell you a few things about our program from the students' perspective. We hope that you find this letter informative and useful in deciding if the University of Denver is the right place for you.
Community Atmosphere
Although our program is unquestionably a challenging and demanding one, these high expectations have not led to the development of a competitive attitude among the students. Our department is relatively small compared to other competitive programs and has fostered a unique sense of community among students and faculty.Research groups and labs are encouraged to collaborate with each other on grants, projects, and papers, and this collaborative atmosphere provides the unique opportunity for all students to learn about specializations from some of the leading experts in diverse areas. Also, although students receive primary guidance from one faculty member, working with multiple mentors is highly encouraged. There is also a close link among the child clinical, cognitive, developmental and social/affective programs, with students from all areas taking a number of classes together.
Furthermore, our program has a low student-faculty ratio of about 2:1. As a result, the program is successfully able to implement a junior-colleague model, which involves close collaborative relationships between students and faculty. This community atmosphere facilitates the development and refinement of research skills, clinical skills and academic/intellectual sophistication.
Student Input
In line with our junior-colleague model, student input is strongly valued throughout the department. Student representatives participate in most department committees, including the Admissions, Area Meetings and Service Committees. All students are also encouraged to become involved in professional organizations, and state and national affairs that affect us as psychologists.Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
The department strives to appreciate the breadth of graduate students' worldviews and lived experiences, and invites diverse perspectives to inform and enrich the work we do. In courses, research, and clinical work, we engage with issues of diversity relevant to modern psychology, such as systemic inequality, cultural trauma, and neurodiversity. We conduct research on a wide array of topics -- including stress and early adversity, social processes, and cognitive and learning differences -- and our research practices emphasize social justice and partnerships with affected communities.The department is especially supportive of graduate student-initiated efforts to broaden and improve the department's training and policies around inclusivity. For instance, the Multicultural Interest Group (MIG) is a student-led group that meets monthly and includes students, faculty, and staff dedicated to enhancing the awareness of multicultural experiences as they relate to psychology. MIG organizes and participates in community events, brings in speakers related to issues of diversity, and provides a venue for members to engage in open dialogue about ways in which to increase multicultural competency within our department and the field as whole.
Research Presentations
Our program provides ample opportunities for students to present research ideas in formal and informal forums. Small reading groups and frequent lab meetings encourage intellectual development and lively discussion in a variety of research areas. These forums include student-faculty research groups and lunch meetings where students are strongly encouraged to present their research. These meetings provide opportunities to exchange ideas, receive feedback and to learn how to present research ideas. Colloquia given by speakers invited from outside the department are also scheduled throughout the year.Academic Careers
Members of our faculty strongly believe in preparing students for academic careers. Thus, students are encouraged to publish their research, present research at national conferences and write grants. Our programs are primarily designed to train students to become competent researchers, teachers and clinicians.Specialization Tools
Every student is required to complete a sequence of courses called a "tool," which satisfies students' unique interests and career goals that may not be met in regular coursework.In the past, students have chosen tool topics such as statistical analysis, psychometrics, multiculturalism, developmental psychopathology and assessment tools for children. One other unique option for fulfilling the tool requirement is the developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) specialization, in which students take classes that build on a foundation in cognitive neuroscience with a developmental perspective.
The DCN faculty is drawn from the several areas of psychology as well as from the Biology Department. It is this kind of overlap that allows for great trans-disciplinary discussions and collaboration. This tool requirement provides unique opportunities for students to find specializations for our future careers.
Teaching
Recognizing that teaching skills are important for success in academia, our department offers a course on teaching psychology. After completing the course, students are encouraged and supported to teach an occasional class for a faculty member, or teach an entire course or workshop.Work-Life Balance
Our department values a balance between academic and personal lives. Denver is a wonderful place to live, rich with culture and history, where the sun shines approximately 300 days a year! Moreover, Denver is just 45 minutes or so away from the Rocky Mountains, which offers an abundance of recreational activities and breathtaking scenery.Closing
In sum, we believe the University of Denver Department of Psychology provides a unique collaborative environment that fosters academic success for our unique interests. We hope we have provided you with a closer look at our program and answered some questions.Thank you for your interest in our program.
Sincerely,
The graduate students of the University of Denver psychology programs
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Trainings Features of all PhD Programs
All of our doctoral programs are characterized by:
- collegiality and collaboration across all programs fostering cross-program, interdisciplinary research and courses
- emphasis on individualized mentoring relationships between students and faculty
- research mentorship with an emphasis on publishing
- funding for graduate student research and ample opportunities to present in lab meetings and research groups
- preparation for teaching via opportunities to teach and a seminar course on teaching
- students viewed as junior colleagues, with high value placed on your ideas and input
- travel funds to present papers at local and national conferences
- student participation on departmental committees and on major issues and decisions
- 2 in-house training clinics: Center for Child and Family Psychology and Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic
- state-of-the-art research labs and classrooms
- research collaborations with nearby universities and medical school
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Recent Placements
Our students have been very successful in obtaining preferred jobs.
Sixty-three percent of our graduates reported working at a college or university, 21 percent are in a medical school or hospital, and 16 percent are in school, business, or clinical settings. None of our graduates are exclusively in private practice.
Distinguished positions
Our graduates have gone on to distinguished positions at such places as:- Cornell University
- The Mind Institute
- Pennsylvania State University
- Stanford Medical Center
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- University of Rochester
- University of Washington Medical School
Some current positions held by recent students:
- Assistant Professor Positions
Loyola University, Chicago
Colorado State University
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Franklin & Marshall College
University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center
Regis University- Postdoctoral Positions
Kennedy Krieger Institute/John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
University of California, Los Angeles
Mayo Clinic
Oregon Health and Science University
University of Colorado, Boulder
Children's Hospital Colorado
University of California, Los Angeles – Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute
Vanderbilt University
University of Texas Health Science Center
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Univeristy of Central Florida
T32 Program in Reproductive Mood Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Medical University of South Carolina- Other Positions
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Senior Research Scientist, Omni
Psychologist, Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services, Langley, British Columbia Canada
Psychologist, Children's Hospital ColoradoPediatric psychologist, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Director of the Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic, University of Denver