All application materials should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions via the online Graduate Application. Use the graduate admission checklist to get started.
APPLICATION FEE WAIVER for Fall 2025 ADMISSION
The Department of Psychology has made available a select number of application fee waivers for PhD applicants in financial need. To find out if you are eligible for the department application fee waiver, email the Psychology Department PhD Programs Coordinator at psygrad@fiu.edu, answering the following questions:
- Name and, if applicable, Panther ID number:
- Subplan to which you are applying:
- Do you have a financial hardship or difficulty paying the application fee? Yes or No
- Deadlines
Fall: Apply by December 1, 5 p.m. EST
- Requirements
- Degree: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited college or university
- GPA: Applicants must have a 3.0 average or higher during the last two years of the undergraduate program
- GRE: GRE is waived for Fall 2025 applicants.
- Statement of Intent/Personal Statement: Discuss motivations and career goals; research experience, skills and plans; and faculty with whom you hope to work if admitted, making note of research interests and relevance, skills and goals. Statements should not exceed three typewritten, double-spaced pages. Statement should be uploaded to the graduate admissions portal
- Curriculum vitae or resume: This includes pertinent information on previous experience, education, honors, awards, interests, community service and achievements.
- Letters of Recommendation: Three letters written on official letterhead. Ideally, at least two letters would be from faculty evaluating the student's potential for graduate work. Letters of recommendation are uploaded online by the recommender. Letter writers will be asked to provide additional information when they log in to submit their letters. Letters of recommendation must be submitted or sent directly by the letter writer to Graduate Admissions at gradadm@fiu.edu.
- Departmental Application: Fill out the Graduate Programs in Psychology application and upload it through the online admissions application portal
- Transcripts: Submitting Transcripts. This includes university/college official transcript from all institutions previously attended in a sealed institution envelope. Addresses and other methods of submitting your transcripts can be found clicking here. If you graduated from FIU, you do not need to request transcripts unless you attended another institution afterwards. Students who have received an education from non-English speaking countries must have their transcripts translated when sent to FIU. If sending electronically, institutions can have transcripts emailed to Graduate Admissions at gradadm@fiu.edu.
Foreign Applicants: Please note you must provide a copy of your transcripts to graduate admissions and a translation from a recognized translation agency or official translator. Some suggested agencies are listed here. - Additional Requirements:
- Completion of an undergraduate or graduate research methods course as a prerequisite
- Contact with a potential faculty mentor
- Two writing samples - academic or professional, no length requirement
- Ability to work full time toward the degree
- Previous research experience preferred
- International graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A total score of 92 on the iBT TOEFL (equivalent to 580 in the TOEFL) is required
For more information about Psychology programs, consult the Graduate Catalog.
Successful applicants demonstrate a strong interest in social and cultural psychology, significant research experience, a good fit with proposed faculty in the program and a desire for a social and cultural psychology career. Additionally, successful applicants will demonstrate a record of academic achievement evidenced by a high GPA; show significant professional accomplishments as described in personal statements; and have supportive letters of recommendations from past mentors.
Top applicants will be interviewed remotely by two to three faculty members, including the applicant's potential advisor. The purpose of the interview is to give applicants an opportunity to further gauge their "fit" with our program by talking directly to faculty, and to learn more about our various mentorship models.
A Note on GRE Scores
Due to a recent decision from the University's Graduate School, the GRE is now waived for admission. Different Labs in ASCP will give different weights to the GRE score. We recognize research suggests the GRE does not show a reliable correlation with many of the most important graduate school outcomes (e.g., time-to-degree, research productivity) and that it disadvantages some marginalized groups. Please contact the Professor you list as your top choice for mentor to know how much weight will be placed by them on your GRE Score.
Information on Judicial Holds
Although we are required to include questions in our application that ask about previous experiences with disciplinary charges and criminal offenses, we do not want these questions to discourage anyone with these experiences from applying to our programs. Responding “yes” to these questions does not preclude applicants from being considered for admission to our programs. It does place a “judicial hold” on the application that can be resolved through the Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (SCAI) Admissions Clearance Process confidentially. Moreover, responses to these questions will not be shared with faculty reviewing applications—regardless of the applicant’s responses—so as to maintain confidentially and reduce bias throughout the review process.
Instructions for resolving judicial holds can be found here: https://admissions.fiu.edu/admissions-clearance/
If you have any questions about this process, you can contact the SCAI team by phone at 305-348-3939 or email at conduct@fiu.edu, or the graduate secretary in the Department of Psychology by email at psygrad@fiu.edu.
- Student Body
We are committed to accepting and supporting student body that represents our local and global community. Our program is committed to promoting student success by engaging in actions that make all students feel valued, respected, seen and heard in classroom instruction and research endeavors. The program emphasizes a learning environment that encourages respectful discourse and sharing of ideas. We honor the APA code of ethics, particularly the principles of “justice” and “respect for people’s rights and dignity”. As a program located in a Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), we support expansion of educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans and other underrepresented populations.
- Funding
Admitted students are provided with a graduate assistantship. GAs are classified as Graduate Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants or Graduate Research Assistants. A graduate assistantship provides a stipend, tuition waiver and health insurance. Additionally, students may be funded through external awards and fellowships.
Admitted students who maintain good academic standing are guaranteed four years of support. Graduate assistantships are on 12-month contracts (stipend $30,000 for 2024-2025). Most students are funded through their fifth year, contingent upon satisfactory progress in the program.
- Informational Video about ASCPWant to know more about the ASCP program milestones, philosophy, classes, and funding? See our 2024 informaton session video HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WVDlhYHotXwkTh93cRyL0z0-yclf_AGF/view?usp=sharing