Train as a Psychological Scientist

Our doctoral program in experimental psychology offers an interdisciplinary perspective on psychological science. In this program, you will interact with various sub-disciplines and grow your confidence in statistics and writing for publication. You will learn from accomplished faculty and conduct hands-on lab research to prepare for success in your field.

Educational psychologists having a meeting.

Careers

Gain the recognition you deserve with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology! Our graduates can enter academia or pursue many opportunities outside of academia, such as research infrastructure, policy advocacy, science communication, data science and project management.

Career Possibilities and Current Median Salaries

Psychologist
$81,040
Post-secondary teacher
$80,840
Data Scientist
$103,500

US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022

See Yourself Succeed With a Degree in Experimental Psychology

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Career Readiness

Participate in courses and laboratories that prepare you for careers in education, research, data analysis and much more.

Woman teaching college class.
Teacher instructing a group in a classroom.

Accomplished Faculty

Enjoy the opportunity to work with award-winning faculty, who possess the knowledge and passion to help you succeed.

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Teaching and Research Opportunities

Full-time students living close to Commerce will have opportunities to work in research labs and gain valuable teaching experience by assisting or teaching several different psychology courses.

A student sits with a professor, attentively listening and taking notes during an informal one-on-one meeting.

Hands-On Research

Experience is vital for educational success. Our faculty will help you tackle complex challenges and discover solutions with hands-on research.

Male instructor talking to female student in classroom.

What You Will Learn

A Ph.D. in experimental psychology offers you the opportunity to:

  • Receive training in statistics and research methods
  • Learn to conduct psychological research
  • Test hypotheses through experimental and non-experimental methods
  • Become familiar with a variety of sub-disciplines including educational, cognitive, social and developmental psychology
  • Write research results for peer-reviewed publications

Faculty Spotlight

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Course Delivery

Our flexible program, designed for full-time students and working professionals, offers online and in-person courses at our main campus in Commerce.

Please check the schedule of classes for locations and times. Locations and times are subject to change.

Student Organizations

A&M-Commerce proudly hosts Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology. Psi Chi's purpose is to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology. The A&M-Commerce chapter provides psychology students with an academic community and professional development opportunities.

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PROGRAM COSTS

Tuition and fees for graduate students taking nine credit hours are $3,669 for Texas residents and $7,341 for non-residents.

Admission

Your Path to Becoming a Lion

Deadlines

  • Priority admission consideration
    • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is January 15
    • All required admission documents must be submitted by January 31
  • Final admission consideration
    • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is May 15
    • All required admission documents must be submitted by June 1

  • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is October 1
  • All required admission documents must be submitted by October 15

  • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is March 1
  • All required admission documents must be submitted by March 15

Submit Application

  • Select “Create a new graduate school admissions application.”
  • Select “Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce)” as your “Target University.”
  • Select “Experimental Psychology, PHD” as your “Major.”

Domestic Application Fee 395064

  • Pay the $50 application fee.
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Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

  • After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.

Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.

Graduate Coordinator Dayla Burgin

Your Graduate Coordinator

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Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your graduate coordinator.

  • We recommend that you request transcripts for all of your academic work.

All international transcripts must be evaluated and the evaluation submitted to the Graduate School.

We accepts evaluations sent directly from the following Agencies.

  • If a normal evaluation is submitted, official original transcripts with all marksheets will still need to be submitted.
  • If a WES ICAP or equivalent is submitted, we will not need the official transcripts to be submitted separately.

To be considered for admission one of the following is required

  • a bachelor's degree with an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher,
  • a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 hours, or
  • an awarded master's degree with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher.

If you have a non-thesis master's degree, you must complete a thesis prior to doctoral candidacy (empirical thesis can be completed in our program en route to the dissertation and doctoral candidacy).

If your institution is unable to submit a digital copy, hard copies may be mailed to:

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Attn: Graduate School
PO Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

We will need official/original documents. If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.

Submit the Statement of Goals Form found in the Application Packet. An additional page can be added.

Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.

Request three signed letters of recommendation, on letterhead, from professionals who can attest to your goals and ability to succeed in the program.

  • At least one of the references should hold a doctoral degree.

Those individuals should

Submit official General Test GRE scores

  • Request that your GRE®scores be sent to Texas A&M University-Commerce (6188) when you register for the test. If you have already taken the GRE®, you can order additional score reports.

Review the Application Packet for more information.

Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status

  • Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.

  • Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
  • Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA and sending it to school code 003565.
  • Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.

Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist is here to help you complete registration.

Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.

Graduate Enrollment Specialist Jennifer Faunce

Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist

Back to menu

Deadlines

  • Priority admission consideration
    • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is January 15
    • All required admission documents must be submitted by January 31
  • Final admission consideration
    • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is May 15
    • All required admission documents must be submitted by June 1

  • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is October 1.
  • All required admission documents must be submitted by October 15.

  • ApplyTexas application submission deadline is March 1
  • All required admission documents must be submitted by March 15

Submit Application

  • Select “Create a new graduate school admissions application.”
  • Select “Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce)” as your “Target University.”
  • Select “Experimental Psychology, PHD” as your “Major.”

International Application Fee

  • Pay the $75 application fee
Back to menu

Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

  • After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.

Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.

Graduate Coordinator Dayla Burgin

Your Graduate Coordinator

Back to menu

Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your graduate coordinator.

  • We recommend that you request transcripts for all of your academic work.

To be considered for admission one of the following is required

  • a bachelor's degree with an overall GPA of 2.75 or higher,
  • a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 hours, or
  • an awarded master's degree with an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher.

If you have a non-thesis master's degree, you must complete a thesis prior to doctoral candidacy (empirical thesis can be completed in our program en route to the dissertation and doctoral candidacy).

If your institution is unable to submit a digital copy, hard copies may be mailed to:

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Attn: Graduate School
PO Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

We will need official/original documents. If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.

All international transcripts must be evaluated and the evaluation submitted to the Graduate School.

We accept evaluations sent directly from the following Agencies.

  • If a normal evaluation is submitted, official original transcripts with all marksheets will still need to be submitted.
  • If a WES ICAP or equivalent is submitted, we will not need the official transcripts to be submitted separately.

Submit the Statement of Goals Form found in the Application Packet. An additional page can be added.

Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.

Request three signed letters of recommendation, on letterhead, from professionals who can attest to your goals and ability to succeed in the program.

  • At least one of the references should hold a doctoral degree.

Those individuals should

Submit official General Test GRE scores

  • Request that your GRE®scores be sent to Texas A&M University-Commerce (6188) when you register for the test. If you have already taken the GRE®, you can order additional score reports.

You do not need to submit test scores if you have completed (all years) of a bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited university in the United States.

Request that your scores from one of the following be sent to Texas A&M University-Commerce:

  • TOEFL (Minimum Scores: IBT 79, or CBT 213, or PBT 550)
  • IELTS (Minimum Score: 6.00 band overall)
  • PTE (Minimum Score: 53 overall or higher)
  • Duo Lingo (Minimum Score: 105)

*Scores must be less than two years old.

Submit these documents to the Office of International Programs once you have been admitted

  • Official sponsor statement
  • Bank statement from the sponsor with a balance of at least $26,025 USD which is less than 1 year old

See the Office of International Program's “Confirmation of Financial Resource” for more details.

Review the Application Packet for more information.

Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status

  • Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.

  • Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
  • Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA and sending it to school code 003565.
  • Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.

Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist is here to help you complete registration.

Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.

Graduate Enrollment Specialist Jennifer Faunce

Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist

Back to menu

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