phd in psychology arizona state university

Doctoral Admission Requirements

Doctoral admission.

The Department of Psychology offers graduate studies leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a master's in passing as part of the doctoral training program. Six basic areas of study form the core of the doctoral program:

Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology - Area Head: Federico Sanabria, PhD
Co-Directors of Clinical Training: Madeline Meier, PhD and Matthew Meier, PhD
Cognitive Science - Area Head: Samuel McClure, PhD
Developmental Psychology - Area Head: Frank Infurna, PhD
Quantitative Research Methods - Area Head: Mike Edwards, PhD
Social Psychology - Area Head: Michael Varnum, PhD

Interactions among faculty and students across these areas are central to a variety of ongoing research and educational programs in the department. Faculty and students are also actively involved with a number of other centers, institutes and research groups on campus that promote transdisciplinary approaches to issues of local and national significance, affording outstanding research and training experiences that extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.

If you are primarily interested in becoming a therapist or counselor please review our list of graduate programs in Arizona for clinical practitioner options in addition to considering a PhD in psychology.

We also strongly encourage you to explore the department's Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis as another possibility for becoming a practitioner. Please note, however, the MS ABA is a professional degree program and its curriculum will not progress students toward a PhD in the department's doctoral program areas.

DOCTORAL PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS

The Doctoral Program Admission Instructions and Checklist provides details and a step-by-step overview to ensure you have successfully completed your application. See the Admission Requirements section below for a list of requirements by area and links to forms.

LAPSYQUPHD: plan code for our Quantitative program. LAPSYCHPHD: plan code for our other 5 programs: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive Science, Developmental, and Social.

IMPORTANT: To be considered for PhD program, you must complete two applications: 1.) the ASU graduate application and 2.) the department Slideroom application.

Click here to find out who is taking a student in 2025-26.

Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Quantitative Psychology
Social Psychology

Admission requirements

The Department of Psychology requires two applications for doctoral admission consideration: the ASU graduate application and a department application through a system called SlideRoom (links to each are below in the numbered list). SlideRoom requires a $10 fee per application.

Please review the Checklist and PhD Applicant FAQ page to ensure you understand the process, required materials (can vary by training area), and where to find answers to common questions.

Fall 2025 Required Applicant Materials

ASU Graduate Admission Application
Slideroom Department Application
Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology: optional
Clinical Psychology: not required, but can be a supplemental item (optional)
Cognitive Science: not required
Developmental Psychology: not required, but can be a supplemental item (optional)
Quantitative Research Methods: optional
Social Psychology: optional
Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology’s form
Clinical Psychology’s form
Cognitive Science’s form
Developmental Psychology’s form
Quantitative Research Method’s form
Social Psychology’s form
Developmental Psychology's form

Supplemental items (optional; for Clinical Psychology and Developmental Psychology applicants only)

Clinical Psychology (optional) We invite students to submit any materials that will help demonstrate their aptitude and skills. Examples of supplemental materials that can be submitted but are NOT REQUIRED are: - published papers, - senior honors theses, - posters presented at conferences, - GRE Psychology Subject Test or GRE General scores, or - video-recorded presentations of research (please submit a YouTube link not the actual recording), etc.

Developmental Psychology (optional) We encourage applicants to submit supplemental materials that demonstrate their preparation and readiness to succeed in a research-focused graduate program.

Supplemental materials that are accepted include any of the following: 1) GRE scores, 2) writing sample (published papers, senior honors theses, paper from research-focused course work), 3) presentation sample (poster or YouTube link to a recorded presentation), 4) quantitative measures of academic success (honors or awards)

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume (uploaded to SlideRoom as a pdf)
Transcripts (upload an unofficial copy into SlideRoom and the ASU application, and if accepted you will be required to submit an official copy to the Graduate Admission Services )
Three letters of recommendation (list references' contact info in SlideRoom application)
Proof of English Proficiency if applicable (send official scores to Graduate Admission Services and upload a copy into SlideRoom)

Link to SlideRoom

Application Deadlines

Two women speaking while sitting across from each other

Counseling Psychology, PhD

Accreditation.

The doctoral program in counseling psychology at Arizona State University is accredited by the American Psychological Association . Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the APA Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: 202-336-5979 / Email APA

Student Admission, Outcomes, and Other Data (PDF)

ASU programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona. Completion of an ASU program may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state. For more information, students should visit the ASU professional licensure webpage .

Mission statement

ASU's counseling psychology doctoral program provides curriculum in health service psychology which prepares students to become scientist-practitioners of counseling psychology. Graduates are license-eligible as psychologists in Arizona and other states with comparable licensure requirements. With its central focus on multicultural competence and social justice, students learn to conduct empirical research and develop clinical skills to promote the health of individuals, families, groups, and organizations in a diverse society.

About the program

The doctoral program (PhD) in counseling psychology has been continuously accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1972 and is currently accredited through 2030. If you wish to become better educated about APA’s standards for accreditation, we strongly encourage you to visit APA’s Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation . The doctoral program in counseling psychology closely adheres to the scientist-practitioner training model in preparing graduates for employment in academic and/or service-delivery settings. Although faculty interests are diverse, there is a common emphasis on empirical data as the basis for professional practice. The program faculty has endorsed the APA’s Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists, Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Girls and Women, Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People, and the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients.

Graduates of our American Psychological Association-accredited doctoral program in counseling psychology meet the licensure requirements of most states. Because requirements vary by state, we recommend that students consult the licensing requirements for the state in which they intend to reside. Contact information for licensing boards by state is available at the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and ASU’s Professional Licensure website.

For information on the Counseling Psychology program, please review the program handbook.

Please email us for questions not addressed in the handbook, or contact individual faculty members. Due to the large number of applicants, please be patient with faculty inquiries. Faculty members do welcome your questions and will respond as time permits.

Applications for fall 2025: NOW OPEN

All required application materials must be submitted by November 15 to be considered for admission for the following fall semester.

The counseling psychology PhD program offers preference to applicants with a master’s degree in psychology, counseling or a closely related field. Please consider applying to the Master of Counseling (MC) program if you do not have a graduate degree.

New students begin the program in the fall semesters only.