Prospective Students

Admission to the program is based on a review by the admissions committee of each applicant’s complete profile, including the applicant’s grade point average in the baccalaureate degree; performance in relevant courses of study; stated goals (personal, career and research); evaluation by referees; relevant research and practical experience; maturity; GRE Psychology subject tests (the latter is optional); and identification of an area of research interest compatible with the research interests and competence of the program’s faculty.

Learn more about the ADP PhD program from Dr. David Schultz in this short video.

Education:

Applicants must have at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and a “B” average, or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

GREs:

We neither require nor will consider GRE General Test scores. The GRE Subject Test in Psychology is not required. However, we will accept and consider the GRE Subject Test score if the applicant falls into one of two situations:

1) the applicant does not have a degree in Psychology, or

2) the applicant’s GPA for the psychology degree is less than 3.20.

Submission of the Subject Test is not required in these situations but rather is an optional way the applicant may demonstrate preparedness to begin study in a doctoral program of Psychology.

Letters of Recommendation:

In considering whom to ask for letters of reference, it is important that the reviewers address your potential for being successful in our program. Therefore, you should seek letters from people who can talk about you as a student (preferably a psychology student) or a researcher. Letters from people for whom you have worked when that work is unrelated to psychology will not be as heavily weighted.

  • Three letters of recommendation (LORs) are required of all applicants.
  • If an application is incomplete due to fewer than three LORs, the applicant will be notified of this by the Graduate Application software.

Personal Statement:

As you write your personal statement, we ask that you consider and address the following items:

  • Vocational Goals: Please describe your vocational goals after you receive your Ph.D. and how the Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) program will help you achieve them.
  • Prior Relevant Experiences: Please describe the research and professional experiences you have had that make you a good candidate for our program.
  • Choice of Mentor(s): We use a mentor/mentee model in which incoming students work closely with an identified faculty member. Please list the ADP faculty members you would like to work with in order of preference (most listed first) and discuss your reasons for selecting them. If you have no preference or rank ordering, please state that.
  • Other information: If you believe you have other pertinent information about yourself that you would like to share with us, please do so in this section.

 

The deadline for applications is December 1st, 2024 for Fall 2025. All original application documents must be sent directly to the UMBC Graduate School. Please do not send application materials to the Psychology Department as they will not be considered.

 

  • All students admitted to the ADP doctoral program receive a commitment of five years of funding as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant and/or other Graduate Administrative Assistant. Funding includes a 9-month stipend, tuition support, and health insurance. To remain eligible for funding students must remain in good academic standing and make (or have their advisor make on their behalf) a documented credible effort to obtain external funding (e.g. grants, fellowships, outside GA position) for at least two of those years.
  • For the 2024-2025 academic year, the 9-month stipend for a first-year ADP PhD student was $24,454.
  • The 2025-2026 stipend level is established during the Spring 2025 semester, and may include a cost-of-living adjustment.
  • Student loan information is available through UMBC’s Office of Financial Aid.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dean’s First-Year Fellowship.

For both the 2025 and 2026 incoming classes, the ADP program will select one incoming student to receive a special fellowship from the Dean’s office which will include a 12-month stipend (First-Year). All admitted students will be considered for this fellowship, which will be awarded on the basis of information provided in the admissions application and interview process.

Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE)

The ADP program participates in UMBC G-RISE, which offers fellowship support and supplemental academic and professional development opportunities for highly qualified applicants. G-RISE is funded through a training grant from the National Institutes of Health and aims to prepare a diverse pool of scientists for careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Full-time enrollment is the standard in the Applied Developmental Psychology program. On rare occasions, students who already have a master’s degree in a related field will be accepted on a part-time basis.