PhD
PhD
Psychology,
The Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is one of the oldest and most prestigious psychology programs in the nation.
Description
There are five concentrated areas of study within the psychology graduate program: clinical, social-cognitive, developmental, law-psychology, and neuroscience and behavior.
Faculty provide high-quality research, teaching, and practice training experiences in these six areas. The department includes a nationally-reputed joint program in law and psychology, and one of the first APA-accredited clinical psychology programs in the country.
Excellent computer facilities, laboratory space, and research support are available through the psychology department. The department only accepts students who are interested in obtaining a Ph.D.; therefore, all students earn a master's degree en route to a doctoral degree. The department provides funding support through various mechanisms to all students who are admitted.
Come be a part of our tradition!
Specializations
Applying for Admission
Standard requirements for all graduate programs
- Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of application form.
If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current school’s registrar office.
- If applicant’s native language is not English, verification of English proficiency
is required.
When sending TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed.
- If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
- Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.
Additional requirements specific to this program
- CV/Resume
- Personal Statement: Answer the following: What are your interests in Psychology (or Psych and Law)? What are your long-range career goals? In other words, what kind of work do you hope to be doing in 10-15 years? What are your research interests? What research experiences have you had? Are there internships, jobs, practicum, or other experiences relevant to your application?
- Essay (approx. 1 double-spaced page): The Department of Psychology affirms a strong commitment to diversity, which is a core value of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We strive to be a department where all feel safe and welcome. In this spirit, please provide a statement that describes your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively together. This could include your experiences living and working in diverse communities, your interests in public service or advocacy that addresses the needs of diverse populations, or your vision for how you would contribute to efforts to increase education access and/or to conduct research that explores inequities.
- Other upload (Clinical only): Provide a list of your science, research methods, statistics, and math classes (with grades).
- Faculty: Identify at least one (max 3) faculty members in this department with whom you would like to work.
- Three recommendation letters.
Admission Application Deadlines
December 1 for Fall.
Department
Graduate Chair
Support Staff
Campus Address
Program Faculty
Aron Keith Barbey (bio)
Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Intelligence
Jenna Finch
Learning and Development Research Group
Nicholas Hubbard
NeuroCognitive Translation Laboratory
Anna Jaffe
Interpersonal Violence
Tierney Lorenz
Women’s reproductive and sexual health, Salivary bioscience, Endocrine and immune interactions with mental health
Tim Nelson (bio)
Pediatric Psychology, Psychosocial Factors and Pediatric Health
Maital Neta (bio)
Affective Neuroscience, Individual Differences in Emotion
Cary Savage
Neuroscience of health behaviors and sports-related concussion
Mario Scalora (bio)
Violence risk assessment, threat assessment, sexual offending, workplace violence
Anne Schutte (bio)
Cognitive Development, spatial cognition and executive function, influence of natural environments on cognition
William Spaulding (bio)
Schizophrenia: Psychopathology, Treatment & Rehabilitation, Social Policy and Service Systems
Jeffrey Stevens (bio)
Cognitive and Evolutionary Perspectives on Decision Making in Humans and other Animals
Scott Stoltenberg (bio)
Behavior Genetics, Health-Risk Behaviors, Acute Stress Response, Biology of Social Interactions
Ashley Votruba (bio)
Culture's Influence on Cognition, Judgment and Decision Making in Law and Policy, Social Psychology applied to Law, Politics, and Policy
Ken Wakabayashi
Preclinical models of addiction, psychostimulant and alcohol abuse, nutrient-sensing circuits and reward
Richard Wiener (bio)
Legal Decision Making, Social Psychology and Policy, Law and Behavioral Science, Psychology and Criminology
Cynthia Willis Esqueda (bio)
Latina/Latino Legal System Disparities and Implications for Health Related Outcomes, Conceptualizations of Ethnicity and Race
UNL Graduate Chairs and staff please complete the program update form to provide edits. Updates to graduate program pages are made on an annual basis in conjunction with the Graduate Application for Admission.