brookings hall

Admission & Financial Aid

Admission

We admit students for full-time study (at least nine credit hours per term) toward the Ph.D. degree.  A terminal master's degree program is not offered.  To be admitted next fall, you need to submit your online application by December 1 to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. You will find detailed instructions included with your application. 

In making decisions about admission, the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences considers many factors--including test scores, grade-point average, research experience, and letters of recommendation--along with other factors that help us assess your potential.  Students admitted to the graduate program over the past several years have had mean GRE Verbal scores of 635 / 162, Quantitative scores of 720 / 158, and an Analytical score of 5.0.  Psychology Subject Test score mean is 720 and the undergraduate GPA average is 3.63.  There is a considerable range around these values, however, and all factors are considered.  

If you applied last year and were declined an offer, you may re-apply this year. Email the Graduate Coordinator that this is your intention and then start a NEW online application, using the same email address you used in your previous application.  Let the Grad Coord know if you want materials brought forward from the previous application – official transcript(s), GRE score report (if within the 5 year time limit set by ETS) – letters of recommendation are discarded after each application season so 3 new letters would be required.

Graduate Students receive financial support, including tuition remission, for up to five years if they are in good standing.

Ready to apply?

Please complete and submit the application, as well as all supplemental materials by the date provided by December 1st.

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What do I need to know when I apply?

Application Requirements:

  • The only prerequisite to gain admission to our program is an undergraduate degree, no matter the school (domestic or international) or number of years in that undergraduate program.
  • No more than 24 units may be transferred. To transfer credit, the syllabi of all classes for which credit is desired must be provided to the instructor(s) of the equal class(es) or the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), for review and evaluation. The class(es) evaluated as acceptable are then listed in an email memo to the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, also attaching the transcript reflecting the course and grade received for the course.  The memo will request acceptance of the transfer of credits for the courses listed.

Required Materials:

  • ONLINE application form submitted by Dec. 1 (11:59pm Central Standard Time) that includes a REQUIRED statement of purpose
  • GRE general test – official report sent by ETS – may come in after Dec. 1
  • No more than 3 letters of recommendation uploaded electronically. The recommender info must be provided in the application prior to submission, letters may be submitted after Dec. 1, no penalty to the applicant
  • Unofficial transcript(s) uploaded to application acceptable for initial review and evaluation; if the applicant is selected for an interview, an official transcript is required at that time, either mailed or electronic.

Additional non-required materials:

  • Non-required materials may come in after Dec. 1, however, no changes may be made by the applicant to a SUBMITTED application
  • GRE subject test – same institution code as general test)
  • CV – uploaded into the “Additional information & documents” section in the application
  • Writing Sample – uploaded into the “Additional information & documents” section in the application

GRE code: institution code - 6929

TOEFL codes: institution code -6929; department code

Mailing address: 

Psychological & Brain Sciences Dept
CB 1125
Washington University
#1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO  63130-4899

Graduate Fellowships

  • Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowships for Women

    The Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowships for Women are available to "young women of exceptional promise to prepare for careers in higher education and the professions."  These fellowships provide full tuition as well as an annual stipend for up to fou

  • The Chancellor's Graduate Fellowship Program

    The Chancellor's Graduate Fellowship Program has been designed to facilitate training for students who will contribute to diversity in graduate education and who are interested in becoming college or university professors.