PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology

Students wishing to apply for admission must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and must complete the Suffolk University Graduate Admission Application Form. All applicants should use the online application.

Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary work. Admitted students enrolling in the program will need to have official transcripts, including proof of degree conferral, on file prior to their first class.

Students must submit official scores on the general aptitude (verbal, quantitative, and analytic or analytical writing) sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); the advanced psychology subject test is not required, but is recommended for applicants who do not hold an undergraduate degree in psychology. The Suffolk University GRE code is 3771. There is no separate GRE code for the Psychology Department; please use 3771 to code all scores.

NOTE: Students who score less than the 50th percentile on either the GRE verbal or the GRE quantitative sections have little chance of admission in the absence of compelling compensating factors. In addition, a GRE writing score of 4.0 or higher is typically a prerequisite for admission. In addition, most of our admitted applicants carry a psychology GPA of at least 3.5.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GRE scores are not required as part of the application for the applied developmental psychology doctoral program for the 2022 admission cycle. Applicants who wish to submit their GRE scores are welcome to do so as part of their applications. However, GRE score submission is optional for this year’s application.

Special attention should be paid to the personal statement, which should include all relevant background experience (in both research and applied settings), academic interests, professional goals, and potential mentors. Applicants should specifically identify and describe those portions of their experience and professional goals that they believe make them well-suited to this program and the faculty with whom they would like to work. In addition, the program is dedicated to training applied developmental psychologists who will have competency working with diverse populations from a social justice orientation. We encourage applicants to address any interest and/or experiences they have with regard to this criteria.

Recommendations can be submitted electronically through the online application process or directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at Suffolk University (please see the application for more details). The recommender should use institutional letterhead when available. Recommendation letters will not be accepted from any third-party agencies. Recommenders should include their full name, title, and a phone number where we can contact them if necessary. Applicants' first and last names should be included in the letter.

Applicants invited to interview weekend are required to interview with two different faculty members. Interviews for 2022 will be held virtually on February 24th and 25th, 2022.