Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for my application?
What materials do I need to submit?
To what institution code should I send my GRE scores?
Do you require the GRE Subject test for Psychology?
To what address should I send my transcripts?
How do I confirm that all of my materials were received / How do I get an update on my application status?
What is the application fee?
Can I get the application fee waived, or pay it after I am admitted?
When are decisions made?
Do you accept new students in Spring or Summer semesters?
How do I find out my UF ID?
Can I arrange to visit the campus?
What financial support is available?
How do I apply for a fellowship and/or teaching assistantship?
Who should I choose as recommenders?
Can I apply for a Master’s Degree only, and earn my PhD elsewhere?
Can I attend the program part-time or via online/correspondence study?
If I have already earned a Master’s degree and am admitted to the program, can I transfer those credits to use toward my PhD?
Do you have a brochure that you can send me / can I call or email for general information on the program?
Do you have a program in Clinical Psychology / Sports Psychology / Forensic Psychology, etc.?
If I tell you my GRE scores, GPA, etc., can you tell me what my chances of admission are?
Are there any special instructions for international students?
Can I work while in the program?
What should I put in my statement of intent?
I prefer to find out more information face-to-face, or I didn’t find the answers I needed on this website. Can I come in to speak with a graduate advisor?
Is there a minimum GPA required for admission?
Is there a minimum GRE Score on either the general test or subject test?
Is there a minimum TOEFL score?
What if I don’t meet the minimum qualifications?
How many students do you usually accept each year?
I am not a psychology major. Can I still apply for admission to your graduate program?
How much will it cost to attend Graduate School at the University of Florida?
Is on-campus housing available?
How do I learn more about the Department of Psychology Faculty?
How long will it take to complete the program?
What if I have a question that was not answered by this FAQ or the information on the website?
What is the deadline for my application?
The deadline for application to the Ph.D. program is December 9th, 2011. All application materials must be received by December 9th.
What materials do I need to submit?
A complete application consists of:
1) The online Graduate Admissions application
2) Transcripts from every institution you have attended (sent to Grad Admissions)
3) GRE scores (sent directly from ETS to Grad Admissions)
4) Resume/CV (PDF attached to online Graduate Application - see application guide for details)
5) 3 letters of recommendation (submitted through the Online Application)
6) TOEFL or other language test scores (international students only)
To what institution code should I send my GRE scores?
GRE scores should be sent to institution code 5812.
Please do NOT indicate the Psychology Dept as the score recipient, as that will result in the scores being sent directly to the department instead. Scores sent to the department instead of Graduate Admissions cannot be processed. Unofficial copies of scores (i.e. those not sent directly from ETS) will not be accepted.
Do you require the GRE Subject test for Psychology?
No.
To what address should I send my transcripts?
Transcripts should be ordered from each university that you have attended, and should arrive in a sealed envelope bearing the stamp of the university. Transcripts should be mailed to:
University of Florida
Office of Graduate Admissions
201 Criser Hall
PO Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
How do I confirm that all of my materials were received / How do I get an update on my application status?
After submitting your online application, you can set up a Gatorlink account and check your application status. The application status tool will tell you what documents are missing/not yet arrived/not yet processed in regards to your application.
Please be aware that the Graduate Admissions Office processes thousands of applications for the entire university, so it may take several weeks at peak application time for them to process your documents and show them as “received” in the Application Status screen.
The Psychology Department cannot provide status updates, process your GRE scores/transcripts, contact Graduate Admissions on your behalf, etc. If you have questions regarding missing items in your application, please contact Graduate Admissions at 352-392-1365.
What is the application fee?
The UF Graduate School charges a $30 application fee. If you pay by credit card online, there is additional $1.75 processing fee. You may also mail a personal check or money order to pay your fee. Please note that cash is not accepted.
Check or money order fee payments should be accompanied by this memo to ensure that they are processed correctly.
Can I get the application fee waived, or pay it after I am admitted?
No. The UF Office of Admissions does not grant any fee waivers, and the Psychology Department is not permitted to admit any student who has not paid his/her application fee.
When are decisions made?
Faculty will begin evaluating applications as soon as they are complete. Interviews will take place in January/February, and offers will be made shortly thereafter.
Do you accept new students in Spring or Summer semesters?
No, admission is only for the Fall semester.
How do I find out my UF ID?
Your UF ID will be assigned to you after you submit your online application. You should write down your UF ID and password and keep them in a safe place, as you will need them in order to set up your Gatorlink account and check on your application status.
If you have forgotten/misplaced your UF ID, please use this site for assistance: http://www.it.ufl.edu/ufid/
Can I arrange to visit the campus?
Yes, visits are very helpful for you to find out more about our program and for us to learn more about your interests and skills. To schedule a visit, contact the Area Director of the specialization area that interests you. Minority and first-generation college students may participate in the campus visitation program. You can also arrange for a general campus tour.
These visits should not be confused with interviews, which are by invitation only during the application review period and usually include some funds to offset travel costs.
What financial support is available?
All students are admitted with support in the form of either an assistantship or a fellowship: both come with paid tuition, health insurance, and a stipend. Please review the financial support page for more details.
How do I apply for a fellowship and/or teaching assistantship?
There is no separate application process for these. Accepted students will all be offered graduate assistant appointments (either as a teaching or research assistant), and all eligible students will be considered for Fellowships administered by the department.
We encourage you to seek external funding as well, if you are eligible. Please review the financial support page for more details.
Who should I choose as recommenders?
Recommendations from faculty are usually ideal, as they are best-suited to evaluate your potential as a graduate student. You should request recommendations from faculty with whom you have taken upper-level classes or done research. At least 2 of your 3 letters of recommendation should come from faculty, if at all possible.
Other suitable recommenders include: supervisors at psychology-related work (including volunteer work or internship), professors for whom you have served as an undergraduate teaching assistant, or a faculty advisor who can speak to your participation in a Psychology club, such as Psi Chi.
Only you can evaluate who your references should be. Remember that the best letters of recommendation are those written by someone who can speak to your intellectual ability, skills, and overall suitability for the rigors of graduate coursework and research. Make sure to provide the recommender with additional information such as your transcript, your statement of purpose, and notes about any pertinent personal history.
Remember that ALL letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online Graduate School application system. This system will ask you to provide email addresses for your recommenders, and an automated email will instruct them further as to how to complete the recommendation letter. Hard copies of letters of recommendation submitted to the department will NOT be accepted.
Can I apply for a Master’s Degree only, and earn my PhD elsewhere?
No, we do not offer a terminal Master’s degree.
Can I attend the program part-time or via online/correspondence study?
No.
If I have already earned a Master’s degree and am admitted to the program, can I transfer those credits to use toward my PhD?
Yes! For more details on this process, please read through Chapter III, Section H of our Graduate Student Handbook.
Do you have a brochure that you can send me / can I call or email for general information on the program?
The Psychology Department does not publish a Graduate Admissions brochure. All of the pertinent information that you will need is on the website. Please take the time to read through the information available on the site before emailing or calling; it is likely that the answer to your question can be found on our webpage.
Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we cannot give general program overviews via phone or email. Students who contact the Graduate Program Assistant for general program information will be directed to the website.
Do you have a program in Clinical Psychology / Sports Psychology / Forensic Psychology, etc.?
The University of Florida does have a Clinical & Health Psychology program, but it is not administered by this department. CHP is a separate department at the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and has its own guidelines for application. For more details, please visit their website.
Exercise and Performance Psychology is housed at the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the College of Health and Human Performance. Information on their Doctoral Program in Biobehavioral Science can be found here.
There is currently no doctoral program available in Forensic Psychology or Psychiatry at the University of Florida. If you are interested in learning more about the career path of a trained Forensic Psychologist or Psychiatrist, you may contact one of the expert witnesses at the UF Forensic Institute for guidance.
If I tell you my GRE scores, GPA, etc., can you tell me what my chances of admission are?
No. We cannot estimate your chances of admission because we do not know what the rest of the applicant pool looks like.
Are there any special instructions for international students?
The Graduate School explains requirements particular to international students here: http://gradschool.ufl.edu/students/international-applicants.html
Can I work while in the program?
Because our doctoral program is full-time, it is not possible to pursue full-time employment while in the program. However, you will be employed part-time by the department in exchange for tuition assistance and a living stipend – please see the financial support page for more details.
There is the possibility of part-time work outside the university during semesters without funding (i.e. some summer semesters), but this is decided on a case-by-case basis by students’ mentors.
What should I put in my statement of intent?
The online Graduate Application is intended for use by programs all across campus, so its essay prompt is quite vague: “Explain your purpose for graduate study…” Here are some tips to help you write a clear, focused statement of intent. (Note: these tips are geared towards students applying for admission directly after finishing undergraduate studies, but we hope that Master’s graduates and non-traditional students will find them useful as well.)
- You should identify what area of psychology you are applying to, as well as any subfield or particular topic(s) within that area that you would like to focus on. You should also address which professor(s) you would be interested in working with, based on their research interests. For more information on our faculty members’ research interests, review our website. You can also mention any classes or special projects that initially piqued your interest in this area of study.
- Summarize what you have done as an undergraduate. What sort of research have you been involved in? Have you ever had any publications or presented at a conference? Did you have a leadership role in a Psychology club at your university? Did you complete an internship or participate in volunteer work related to your area of Psychology? Think about what sets you apart from other applicants.
- If there was a major issue that affected your grades (serious illness, death in family, etc.), you can mention it as an explanation for the temporary lapse in performance, but make sure to state it briefly and affirmatively.
- Remember that your statement of intent cannot be more than 500 words, so a successful essay must be succinct, clear, and organized.
I prefer to find out more information face-to-face, or I didn’t find the answers I needed on this website. Can I come in to speak with a graduate advisor?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of inquiries we receive from potential applicants, we cannot do in-person advising. Inquiries regarding the application process should be directed to
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Is there a minimum GPA required for admission?
The Graduate School sets a GPA minimum of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Is there a minimum GRE Score on either the general test or subject test?
Applicants should have a minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000. Most accepted students in past years have had an average 1250 to 1350 combined score.
For those applicants who are taking the new version of the GRE beginning August 2011 – The Educational Testing Service has not yet released a concordance chart, so we do not yet know what score on the new test is equivalent to a combined 1000 on the old one.
The Psychology subject test is not required.
Is there a minimum TOEFL score?
Students must have minimum combined internet TOEFL score of 80 for admission to the Graduate School, or an equivalent score on another English language assessment. A concordance chart of scores can be found here (minimum scores for each test are highlighted).
International students do not need to submit language testing scores if they are from an English-testing exempt country, or have attended one full academic year at a university in an English-testing exempt country. Please see here for details.
What if I don’t meet the minimum qualifications?
Students who do not meet minimum qualifications will be considered only under special circumstances.
How many students do you usually accept each year?
Our incoming class each year ranges from 10-25 students, out of an average of 350 applicants.
I am not a psychology major. Can I still apply for admission to your graduate program?
Absolutely! As long as you have completed/are in the process of completing course pre-requisites for our program, you are welcome to apply. More information on pre-requisite courses can be found here, under the “Qualifications” heading.
Is on-campus housing available?
Yes! However, there is usually a long waiting list for on-campus Graduate Housing, so please apply as soon as possible if you think that you will want to live on-campus. Click the link for more into on graduate student housing.
How much will it cost to attend Graduate School at the University of Florida?
The University of Florida offers a high quality graduate program at a very reasonable cost, and the Gainesville area is known for its low cost of living. To fully understand any offer from a graduate program, students should consider cost of living in relation to stipend levels. Cost of living calculators can be used to directly compare living expenses in different cities.
There are several things that you can do to cut costs as a grad student at UF. Compared to friends in larger cities and in other states, our graduate students report that it requires less income to live here in Gainesville because the cost of living is a lot less than in other places. Also, students have access to free public transportation, free gyms, free concerts, and inexpensive entertainment options through the university, student union, and local clubs and theatres. Plus, graduate student courses rarely require textbooks. Instead, students often split the cost of making copies of required articles for class or download articles free through university library resources. All of these factors keep costs lower for students here.
How do I learn more about the Department of Psychology Faculty?
Look at the different program areas described on our website to find out the focus of each program area in the department. To find out more about specific faculty, see the Graduate Faculty Directory and view faculty members’ individual web pages.
How long will it take to complete the program?
It depends on a variety of factors. The student's appointment (assistantship or fellowship), previous work on a Master's degree, and choice of area of specialization are just a few of the conditions that play a role in how long it will take to complete the PhD program.
Generally speaking: If a student enters with a bachelor's degree, we expect them to complete the program in five years.
For Counseling students, the estimated time to completion is six years, since Counseling students are required to complete a one year internship as part of their studies.
What if I have a question that was not answered by this FAQ or the information on the website?
If you have read through the site and still cannot find the answer to a question that you have regarding the application or admission process, please contact the
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