Graduate and Postgraduate Education

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Advanced degrees in psychology prepare students for careers as researchers, academics, or licensed clinical psychologists, among many possibilities.

Applying to graduate school

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FAQ: Graduate education

Find answers to commonly asked questions about graduate education in psychology

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Applying to graduate school

Learn about admission requirements, training specializations, and funding
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Apply with PSYCAS

Centralized application simplifies and streamlines the admissions process

Getting your degree

Education funding

Paying for graduate school

Funding for dissertations, graduate school, and research can come from many sources
Mentor

Introduction to mentoring

Explore this comprehensive guide that offers valuable insights for both mentors and mentees
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Succeeding in graduate school

Find resources to help students navigate the challenges associated with pursuing a graduate degree

Important resources

Resources compiled by APA to assist students pursuing graduate education in psychology.

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Accreditation

The APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) and Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation work together to assess and accredit doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral programs.

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APAGS

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) serves as a united voice to enrich and advocate for graduate student development.

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Graduate study database

Summary reports reflect data collected from more than 500 departments and programs offering master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology.

View the reports

Postdoctoral training

Postdoctoral fellowships

Learn how postdoctoral training can help you acquire the skills necessary for your chosen career path

Doing postdoctoral work—should I?

Postdoctoral experiences give a little more research experience in order to land the ideal job

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Use this free online tool to search for available practice postdoctoral positions

Early career development

psycPathways

Tracking career pathways and outcomes for psychology degree-holders

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Information about doctoral graduates’ program experiences and career outcomes

Building essential skills (PDF, 195KB) opens in new window

Doctoral programs build skills that help students across various work settings

Related readings

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Psychology programs prep for steep drop in enrollment

Declining birth rate compounds problems for historically Black colleges and universities and smaller institutions
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Masters’ and doctoral program applications increase as GRE requirements drop

Trends suggest graduate programs have reduced their emphasis on standardized test scores.
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Will growth in psychology degrees continue?

Psychology degrees increased in the last decade, but 2023 enrollment numbers are reason for concern.
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Today’s graduate students are racially and ethnically diverse

Racial diversity varied across both subfields and degree levels.
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APA’s education guidelines: Leading conversations and decision-making

APA policy documents outline standards and recommendations for psychology programs at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, internship, and professional levels.
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Fewer psychology graduate programs require GRE scores postpandemic

Graduate programs are relying less on standardized tests to evaluate candidates and more on the accumulation of applicants’ performance over the years.