General Admission

• Entrance Exams - GRE & English Language Proficiency 

  IMPORTANT: The GRE is not required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. Not submitting GRE scores will not be counted against an applicant. Please disregard any information that states that the GRE is required for Psychology graduate admission. Scores from the GRE Psychology subject test are not requested or considered in the application process.

  For international students who must submit evidence of language proficiency, applicants should take their exam so that we receive the scores by our application deadline. You can read more about the English Language Proficiency Requirement on the Graduate Division website. 

  Check with Educational Testing Service to be sure your scores will be submitted on time. 

• Faculty Accepting Students in the Fall 2026 application cycle 
  • Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience: Lance Kriegsfeld and Linda Wilbrecht
  • Clinical Science: Stephen Hinshaw, Keanan Joyner, Hedy Kober, Giovanni Ramos, and Jasmin Brooks Stephens
  • Cognition: Mariam Aly, Anne Collins, Marina Dubova*, Amitai Shenhav, Mahesh Srinivasan, and William (Bill) Thompson
  • Cognitive Neuroscience: Mariam Aly, Silvia Bunge, Anne Collins, Richard Ivry, Hedy Kober, Amitai Shenhav, and David Whitney
  • Developmental: Jan Englemann, Mahesh Srinivasan, Fei Xu, and Qing Zhou
  • Social-Personality: Arianne Eason, Dacher Keltner, Iris Mauss, and Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton*

  *Please note the following:

  1. Faculty whose names are listed twice are accepting 1-2 students in either area. (i.e. Mariam Aly is accepting a student in either Cognition or Cognitive Neuroscience).

  2. Marina Dubova is an incoming faculty member and is accepting students for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle in the Cognition area.

  3. If you are applying to the Social/Personality area, you should indicate one of the 4 faculty listed above (Eason, Keltner, Mauss, Mendoza-Denton) as your "Faculty Preference #1." You may, however, choose any of the other Social/Personality faculty (Ayduk, Chen, John) to list as your other faculty preferences, given that the Social/Personality area follows a multiple-mentor model.

  ​Questions? Please email psychgradadmissions@berkeley.edu.

   

• Application 
  Submission of materials after application deadline

  Applicants may not upload materials after the application deadline. Applications must be completed by the deadline. You may continue updating materials in your application up to the point of submission. Once you have submitted the application, you may no longer make changes, so be sure your application is 100% complete before submitting.

• Faculty Contacting Regarding Admission

  Applicants may try to contact faculty with whom they wish to do research before they apply, but this is not encouraged. Many faculty do not communicate with or meet applicants outside of the official application process.

  To determine which faculty member’s research matches your interest, visit Research Overview and Faculty on our website.

• Program Information (Offered and Not Offered)

  Offered 

  Ph.D. - We only admit students who intend to earn a Ph.D. degree

  Not Offered 

  Master's. - Our department does not offer a terminal Master’s degree program. Students admitted to our graduate program do, however, have the option of earning the M.A. degree while working toward the Ph.D. degree.

  Psy.D. - We do not offer a Psy.D. degree program. Our Clinical Science area offers only the Ph.D. degree and is highly focused on research.

• Tips to Become a Competitive Candidate 

  Here are some tips to become a competitive candidate:

  First, regarding courses, there are not any specific classes that you need to complete for admission to our program, but we strongly recommend that you take an introductory psychology course, several advanced courses in psychology, research methods and statistics.

  Second, the admissions committee seeks students who have laboratory or field research experience, a general knowledge of psychology (and their particular subfield), and the ability to conduct high-level research in that subfield.

  Third, writing a strong personal statement and having extremely good letters of recommendation are both essential. Also, it is beneficial for applicants to our Clinical Science program to have volunteer or paid clinical experience (e.g., hospital internships, suicide/crisis hotlines, educational work with children, etc.).

   

  Competitive candidates for our program will have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology (or a closely related field) from an accredited 4 year institution. Those with a Bachelor's degree in field other than Psychology, should consider acquiring a Post Baccalaureate degree in Psychology, such as the one offered through UC Berkeley Extension.

• Admission Statistics  

  How competitive is the program?

  The admission rate of our graduate program for the 2025 entering class is approximately 2.4%. 820 prospective students applied and 20 were offered admission. Clinical Science is the most competitive area in our program with an admission rate of approximately 1.1%.

  2025	Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience	Clinical Science	Cognition	Cognitive Neuroscience	Developmental	Social-Personality	All
  Applications	6	449	80	67	65	153	820
  Admission Offers	1	5	6	3	3	2	20
  Incoming Class	1	5	2	0	2	1	11

  Students entering the program in 2025 received undergraduate degrees from the following institutions:

  • International Institute of Information Technology - Hyderabad
  • Princeton University
  • Tuskegee University
  • University of California Berkeley
  • University of California Davis

  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Washington
• Psychology Courses 

  Courses completed to be considered for admission

  There is no set number of courses that are required. In general, a broad-based education in psychology is preferred in addition to introductory psychology, research methods and statistics. Advanced courses in the area to which you will apply are helpful but not required.

  Where to take psychology courses if already obtained an undergraduate degree in a different field:

  The courses should be advanced courses, so taking courses at a 4-year institution is appropriate. Enrolling in a post-baccalaureate program is an option (Berkeley Psychology Postbac program). You may take courses through a continuing education program or during the summer. Online courses may not be the best option.

  If you already have a B.A. or Master's in psychology:

  Bachelor’s degree in psychology

  A bachelor’s degree in psychology is not required for admission to our graduate program, though most of our admitted students have an undergraduate degree in psychology. Whatever your major, it is important to have a strong background related to the area of psychology to which you will apply. Degrees in a biological, cognitive, or social science are often closely related to areas of psychology in our graduate program.

  Master’s degree in psychology

  A master’s degree in psychology is not required for admission to our graduate program; most of our admitted students do not enter with a master’s degree. Students who enter with a master’s degree in psychology start at year one of our program, just like students with a bachelor’s degree.

• Research Experience   

  Needed research experience in psychology

  It is essential to have laboratory or field research experience in psychology before you apply. Successful candidates have a minimum of one year of research experience, either as undergraduates or following a bachelor’s degree (e.g., postbac program, research assistant position); most have substantially more experience.

  Tips on how to get research experience:

  If you do not have laboratory or field research experience in the area (of psychology) of interest to you, then you must attain such experience before applying. To find research opportunities, review the research interests of professors in psychology departments at universities or colleges (4-year institutions) near you and then contact the specific faculty members whose research interests you, asking if they have research positions (volunteer or paid) to which you may apply. Postbac programs are another option for obtaining this research experience.

  Consideration of experience

  Academic research experience is highly valued, particularly in the context of a psychology or neuroscience laboratory, but also in other academic settings. Other work experience, including jobs and internships, are also valuable, particularly if it has helped you to 1) hone one or more of the following essential skills: critical thinking, teaching, writing, leadership and/or teamwork, and time management and 2) develop into a mature young adult with a strong work ethic.

• Letter of Recommendation  

  Who to ask for letters of recommendation:

  Letters of recommendation should be from individuals with whom you have worked closely in an academic, clinical, research or professional setting so they can comment positively on your accomplishments, and your potential to succeed in a graduate program.

  Required letters of recommendation

  We require three letters of recommendation; a fourth is acceptable. At least two should be from professors and/or research supervisors.

• Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement 

  Statement of purpose

  In your statement of purpose, please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. Please be specific.

  Some questions to consider are:

  • What sparked your interest in psychology?
  • What are your academic achievements?
  • What are your general and specific areas of research interest?
  • Why would UC Berkeley be a good intellectual fit for you? You also should discuss why you are interested in your emphasis and the specific faculty members you selected.

  Personal History statement

  The Personal History Statement is usually about 1.5 to 2 pages in length, single-spaced, typed, and an important part of your application. It should stand alone and not repeat your Statement of Purpose. In your Personal History Statement, describe how your background and life experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree at this time. This may include formative experiences, values, or motivations that have influenced your academic and/or professional path. Display your communication skills and discuss your ability to maximize effective collaboration with a diverse cross-section of the academic community.

  In this section, you may also include any relevant information on the following:

  • Any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences or opportunities that have shaped your academic journey
  • Challenges or responsibilities you have navigated in pursuit of your educational goals, and how you responded to or overcame them
  • Significant barriers or hardships you have faced, and how they have contributed to your growth and shaped your perspective
  • Leadership experiences, community outreach, service initiatives, or research projects you have participated in or plan to pursue that aim to positively impact others or the broader community
  • Ways in which your perspectives, experiences, or aspirations have aligned with UC Berkeley's Principles of Community

   

• Transcripts   

  Submission of transcript from host university if studied abroad

  In some cases, the transcript of the home university only contains credits/units from the host university. In these cases, it is necessary for the applicant to submit the transcript from the host university. You do not need to submit the transcript from the host university in cases where the credits/units, grades, course names and course numbers appear on your home university’s transcript.

 Prior to contacting our office, please read through our Admissions webpages. Still have a question? Please contact us at psychgradadmissions@berkeley.edu.