When you are choosing which graduate school you will attend to obtain your doctoral degree in the field of psychology, you are most certainly searching for the schools that only accept the best of the best. Professors should be award winning in their specific areas of study, and students should be excited about receiving top quality training that they will later use for careers in academia, government, private practice, and research institutions. If these are the specifications you’re looking for to earn your Ph.D. in psychology, then Princeton University is a great place for doctoral study.
Princeton is a well-known university – the fourth oldest in the nation. Upon logging onto the Department of Psychology website, you will see a logo that says “Stretch your mind.” And obviously, this is exactly what the doctoral programs in psychology are intended to do. As a result of excellence in student training, Princeton currently holds the #8 spot on U.S. News and World Reports rankings of best doctoral programs in psychology. There are several broad areas of concentration in which you can earn your Ph.D. in psychology:
* Neuroscience
* Cognitive psychology
* Personality and social psychology
Like many other top ranked psychology doctoral programs, there are joint programs in dual areas of specialization. Princeton’s joint program is in Psychology and Social Policy featuring interdisciplinary training in causes, consequences, and remedies for inequality in the United States and abroad.
Although an undergraduate degree in psychology is a plus, it is not a requirement for admission to the graduate program in psychology at Princeton. Some students come to this program with a background in science or math, which may be really beneficial background to bring to certain areas, such as Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Submitting GRE exam scores is a requirement, although the GRE Psychology Subject Test is not.
There are well-over 30 full-time faculty members across each of the areas of psychology. For prospective students, it is a good idea to determine whether faculty research interests mirror your own, as this will certainly figure prominently in the admissions process. Also be prepared to submit excellent graduate letters of recommendation and academic transcripts from your undergraduate college or university. Universities with top doctoral program such as Princeton are focused primarily on the amount of research experience an incoming grad student has done in their field of interest, their leadership ability, and clear demonstration of unique ideas and fresh thinking. The ability to think critically is also a necessary quality for success at Princeton. It pays off to communicate these ideas in your graduate personal statement.
Undoubtedly, graduating with a Ph.D. from Princeton University is highly desirable if your plans are to establish a career as a college professor or top research in your area of interest. There are many other highly-rewarding careers that can be started by earning the distinction of a doctorate from Princeton. However, the very first step in your journey is presenting a compelling graduate school application package to get into the Ph.D. program in psychology in the first place!