Cognitive PhD Program
Admission Requirements and Process
The Department of Psychology at the University at Buffalo uses a holistic admissions process in our consideration of applications. This means that we evaluate the entire application, rather than any single indicator or a few indicators. Thus, applicants are viewed as a whole person, the sum of their experiences, accomplishments, and aspirations. Consistent with this, we do not rely on or use “cut offs” for numerical indices of an academic record such as grade point average. A holistic approach also means that a candidate who may be less strong in some areas, can still have a highly competitive application by having greater strength in other areas. All elements of an application are taken into consideration, to maximize a good fit of the applicant with our training program and potential mentors, to reduce bias that can result from reliance on a limited number of components, and to reduce inequities in access to opportunities for graduate training.
Over the years, we have learned that a holistic admissions process helps us identify applicants who are likely to succeed in our graduate programs, brings a diversity of experience and ideas into our academic community, and supports a fair review of all applicants. Our goal is to recruit the next generation of academic psychologists who are passionate about making new discoveries and generating new knowledge in their chosen discipline. We expect students to bring hard work, professional ambition, resilience, grit, intellectual acumen, and enthusiasm to our graduate programs.
Although we value quantitative criteria like GPA, we take a broad view of academic excellence and recognize that indices of success in our graduate programs and professional achievement cannot be reduced to numbers alone. In short, we endeavor to balance quantitative and qualitative indices of success. Because we want to give students the greatest opportunity to thrive in our program, we place a strong emphasis on fit with our programs and potential faculty mentors. A highly qualified applicant may not be strongly considered if their interests and goals do not provide a good fit with the orientation of our training program or with faculty research interests. Accordingly, we consider the following components in our admissions decisions: personal statement, undergraduate transcript and GPA (and prior graduate record if applicable), letters of recommendation, and resume/research experience. Interviews are required for applicants to the Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, and Social-Personality doctoral programs, and our MA programs in General Psychology; interviews are not required for applicants to the Cognitive Psychology doctoral program. After initial review of applications, the selected applicants to programs requiring an interview will be contacted by prospective advisors to set up an interview time.
Schomburg statements are optional for applicants to our doctoral programs interested in being considered for a Schomburg Fellowship. These statements are not used for admissions decisions.
Cognitive PhD Program:
Components of the Application and How They Are Used
Personal Statement (required)
Helps contextualize the more quantitative and objective credentials of an applicant. The statement is used to evaluate the applicant’s goals and fit with the program and research interests of the faculty as well as how they would contribute to the diversity of thought and perspectives.
Describe the area of research you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies and explain how our program would help you achieve your intellectual goals. The statement should include your academic background, intellectual interests and training or research experience that has prepared you for our program. The statement should also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own interests.
Uploaded as part of the online application.
Transcript and GPA (required)
Provides evidence that the applicant is seeking challenging coursework, while excelling and showing academic growth. The University at Buffalo requires an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. However, applications with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 can still be considered, particularly when other components of the application are strong (e.g., a high graduate GPA, etc.).
Upload scanned copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts as part of your online application. Include the English translation, if applicable.
Letters of recommendation (3 required):
Provides a third-party endorsement of the applicant’s attributes, ability to succeed in the graduate program, and potential to contribute to the field. The letter offers a perspective on the applicant’s prior achievements and potential to succeed, along with concrete examples of the subjective traits described in other elements of the application.
Letters must be submitted electronically. Further instructions are included in the online application.
Resume and research experience (required):
Provides information on how the applicant has practically applied ideas and concepts learned in the classroom. It helps show that applicants possess the skills and dispositions needed to conduct extensive research and make substantive contributions to their chosen field.
Uploaded as part of the online application.
Schomburg Statement (optional Applications to our doctoral program):
A Schomburg Fellowship offers support for students in doctoral programs who can demonstrate that they would contribute to the diversity of the student body, especially those who can demonstrate that they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. In order to be eligible for the Schomburg Fellowship, you need to be either a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above.
Here is a link to more information about Schomburg Fellowships.
The Schomburg statement provides useful information in helping the faculty decide whether to nominate an applicant for the Schomburg Fellowship.
If you would like to be considered for a Schomburg Fellowship, please upload a written statement with your online application (maximum of 500 words) describing how you will contribute to the diversity of the student body in your graduate program, including by having overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Please note that such categorical circumstances may include academic, vocational, social, physical or economic impediments or disadvantaged status you have been able to overcome, as evidenced by your performance as an undergraduate, or other characteristics that constitute categorical underrepresentation in your particular graduate program such as gender or racial/ethnic status.
Uploaded as part of the online application.