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2024-2025 Binghamton University Academic Guide
Psychology, PhD
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 Return to: Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
The psychology graduate programs provide the student with a basic knowledge of the discipline of psychology and intensive training in theory and research in one of three areas:
All three programs are considered full-time in-residence programs. There is a strong emphasis on direct research experiences. The programs allow flexibility for individual students and encourages inter-area and interdisciplinary endeavors. Students are admitted directly into the PhD program. There is no master’s program per se, although a master’s degree is earned en route to the PhD.
Students may also receive formal training and experience in the teaching of psychology and exposure to didactics regarding ethical issues involved in research and education. Each student’s faculty mentor, along with the student’s master’s thesis, qualifying examination and doctoral dissertation committees are critical in helping the individual student to develop a personalized program of study. It is important for students to work closely with their mentors and area heads to ensure progress toward their career goals.
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Admission Requirements
Admission to the graduate program is highly competitive. The credentials of most applicants include a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) in psychology or a related discipline. Applicants are required to submit a complete set of official transcripts, at least two letters of recommendation and a brief personal statement concerning their research experience, interests and goals. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination aptitude tests may be required for the specific program in which the applicant is interested. The application form used to seek admission also serves as an assistantship application; ordinarily, stipends and tuition scholarships are provided for all doctoral students in good standing.
Applicants seeking fall admission should have all credentials submitted by Dec. 1 for the clinical psychology program and the behavioral neuroscience program and Dec. 10 for the cognitive program. Applications received after these dates will be reviewed on a space-available basis. Typically, students are informed of interviews and admission status in the spring.
Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States must also submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores). International students who have received a college or university degree from an institution in the United States, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or some Canadian provinces are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores. Additionally, all international students must provide immigration forms guaranteeing financial support.
Transfer Students
Transfer students, including those who enter with a master’s degree, are required to qualitatively satisfy all core-course requirements. This may be done by taking specified Binghamton courses or transferring credit for equivalent courses taken elsewhere and completed with a grade of B or better (this may account for more than two thirds of students’ required course work). Master’s theses accepted by other institutions are reviewed by the departmental faculty in order to ensure equivalence of work to that required at Binghamton.
Review of transfer students’ qualifications should be completed either prior to arrival or early during the first semester in residence.
Master of Science Requirements
Students pursuing the PhD in Psychology must complete requirements for the Masters of Science before achieving PhD candidacy. In addition to area-specific coursework, all students receiving the MS en route to the PhD in psychology must fulfill the core requirements regardless of area specialization.
MS Course Requirements
Students must complete 32 credits of graduate coursework (with an overall 3.0 GPA) to earn the MS degree before continuing on with the PhD program. The requirements for this coursework includes:
- PSYC 503 Statistics and Design I (four credits)
- PSYC 550 or 551 Professional Ethics and Research (two credits)
- Area-specific elective coursework (26 credits)
Alternatively, students may satisfy requirements by taking equivalency examinations. Equivalency examinations cover the same content in the same depth as Binghamton University courses and must be passed with a grade of B or better. In some cases, equivalency may be demonstrated by proof of satisfactory completion of an equivalent course and consent of the director of graduate studies, area head and/or the student’s advisory committee. Students do not receive course credit for the passing of equivalency examinations but do allow for formal transfer of courses if they match a Binghamton course.
Additional MS Requirements
To successfully complete the MS in psychology and continue on to the PhD, satisfactory completion of a master’s thesis (PSYC 599) is expected.
For the clinical psychology program, students are required to make satisfactory progress in clinical work, as evidenced by supervisors’ evaluations from practica in the Psychological Clinic and/or community placements.
Additionally, each semester a student is in residence until the student achieves Course Complete (CC) status, registration is required in either PSYC 592 (Weekly Research Lunch in Cognitive Psychology), PSYC 594 (Weekly Research Lunch in Behavioral Neuroscience), or PSYC 595 (Weekly Case Conference in Clinical Psychology).
PhD Requirements
In addition to the above requirements for the MS in Psychology listed above, students continuing into the PhD program must complete the following program requirements. These requirements include graduate level coursework, adequate progress in research, and successful completion of examinations and dissertation.
PhD Course Requirements
Students must complete graduate coursework with at least a B- and an overall 3.0 GPA to earn the PhD. The requirements for this coursework includes:
- Completion of Statistics and Design I (PSYC 503) and Statistics and Design II (PSYC 504) (4 credits each). This requirement is typically satisfied while earning the MS.
- These courses are ordinarily taken during the first and second semester, respectively, of the first year in the graduate program. Details of other course requirements are area dependent and determined by the student’s advisory committee.
- Completion of PSYC 590 Teaching of Psychology (two credits). It is recommended that this course be taken very early in a student’s training because it is required for summer and winter teaching opportunities. Students in the behavioral neuroscience and cognitive psychology programs must also teach a lecture course. Although completion of PSYC 590 Teaching of Psychology is no longer required of clinical psychology students, it is required for those who wish to teach as instructor of record while at Binghamton University and strongly recommended for those who wish to teach in their career.
Course Distributional Requirements
Behavioral Neuroscience:
Students in the behavioral neuroscience program must take:
Additional Course Requirements:
Students in the behavioral neuroscience program must also take two courses outside of the program curriculum; at least one must be from the following list (courses to fulfill this requirement must be approved by the student’s advisory committee):
Cognitive Psychology:
Students in the cognitive psychology program must take six 2-credit CORE courses (e.g., PSYC 508, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 514 and 515) and five 2-credit advanced graduate seminars (e.g., PSYC 603 and 607), as well as enroll for at least one research credit.
Students in the cognitive program must also take two courses outside of the program curriculum; at least one must be from the following list (courses to fulfill this requirement must be approved by the student’s advisory committee, and replacement courses may be petitioned to substitute):
Clinical Psychology:
Students in the clinical psychology program must take
Note:
In some cases, course equivalency can be demonstrated by proof of satisfactory completion of an equivalent course and consent of the director of graduate studies, program coordinator and/or faculty committee.
Examination Requirement
Satisfactory completion of the PhD qualifying examination in the student’s specialty field of concentration is required to earn the degree. Each area requires completion of qualifying exams. Area-specific requirements are outlined on their websites.
Dissertation Requirement
Satisfactory completion of the PhD dissertation (PSYC 699) and its defense are required to earn the degree.
Internship Requirement
Clinical students are also required to complete an APA-accredited internship for 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (half-time) prior to graduating.
Additional Information About the Program
While the student is in residence, a minimum of one credit hour per semester of research is required during every semester to document the student’s continuing involvement in ongoing research.
Active participation in psychology colloquia is expected of students during their entire residency in the program.
For more information on the Psychology PhD program, please refer to the Psychology Department website. To apply to the Psychology PhD program, please visit the University Admissions website.
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Return to: Harpur College of Arts and Sciences
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