Experimental Application Instructions
Instructions for Completion of Graduate Application: Doctoral Program in Experimental
Psychology
Experimental Psychology Doctoral Program
Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas
216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201
479-575-4256; etcgrad@uark.edu
Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2020. See instructions on the application process here.
Application for graduate work towards the Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology requires submitting the following information: (1) Application for Admission to Graduate Study in Experimental Psychology form (including personal statement and curriculum vita [CV]); (2) Graduate School application form; (3) official transcript; (4) letters of recommendation; and (5) official GRE scores report (verbal, quantitative, analytical). Each of these components of the application package is explained in turn. Any questions regarding the Doctoral program in Experimental Psychology should be addressed to the Admissions Coordinator by email (etcgrad@uark.edu) or by telephone at (479) 575-4256.
Departmental Application Form. Please answer ALL questions on the following form (entitled, “Application for the Admission to Graduate Study in Experimental Psychology”). Be sure to indicate your preference for which faculty members you would like to work with by rank-ordering them as described on the form. Browse the faculty webpages thoroughly before indicating your preferences.
Graduate School Application Form. Please visit the following website: (https://application.uark.edu) and complete the entire application. You can then submit the form online through the portal. We have requested some of the same information on our departmental application form that is requested on the Graduate School application form, but fill each out completely despite this duplication. Applicants must pay an application fee of $60. This is University policy.
Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required. We require a minimum of three recommendations, but will accept as many as are submitted. Insofar as you can, have references sent by those psychology professors who can best judge your chances for success in graduate study in psychology. Letters from professors in other fields are helpful, provided they are well-acquainted with your capacity for academic and scientific work and the requirements for successful graduate study in psychology. Recommendations from persons who have not had firsthand experience in graduate study tend not to be very useful. Ask writers to follow instructions in the automated email supplied after you provide the email address to the Graduate School online application site.
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Scores for the General test (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing) are an essential part of your application. You are not required to take the Subject Test in Psychology for your application to be considered. You may get information regarding the GRE on the web at http://www.gre.com/, at your institution, or by writing to: Graduate Record Examination, Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000. If you prefer, you can telephone the Educational Testing Service at 1-866-473-4373. Please request that your GRE scores be sent to Experimental Psychology (Department Code 2007) at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Institution Code 6866). Until your scores are sent by ETS, we will accept the unofficial scores you received on the computer at the time you took the GRE tests.
Supplementary Materials. You may also wish to attach relevant supplementary materials with your application (e.g., honors thesis, reprints of publications). Supplementary materials are not required, but feel free to attach them to your application e-mail.
NOTE: After your application has been submitted, additional materials (midterm or final grades, additional letters of recommendations, publications, etc.) may become available to you. We will be glad to add these to your file. Send them to Admissions Coordinator, Department of Psychology, Memorial Hall 216, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701. If any items are missing from your application packet, please notify the Admissions Coordinator at (479) 575-4256 or by email at etcgrad@uark.edu. We suggest that you keep this instruction page and use it as a checklist for items submitted and as a record of the date you sent each item to the University of Arkansas. Finally, federal law requires that students who will have contact with minors be subject to a background check regarding history of sexual offenses.