Graduate Studies
We prepare students for scientific and academic careers emphasizing research and teaching.
Graduate study in the Department of Psychology leads to the PhD. We prepare students for scientific and academic careers emphasizing research and teaching. The psychology department offers a rich and dynamic intellectual community with outstanding opportunities to study human behavior at many levels of analysis, multiple ages and abilities, and using state-of-the-art methods and procedures. Snapshot of graduate program statistics
Our eight graduate training programs permit students to pursue both basic and applied research. As an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution, we encourage applications from socially and economically underrepresented groups. Before applying to the Department of Psychology, we urge you explore the various programs to determine which is best for you.
Biological and Health Program
The program offers five areas of concentration: Psychoneuroimmunology and Behavioral Oncology, Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine, Addiction and Psychopharmacology, Lifestyle and Health Behaviors, and Health Neuroscience and Neurobehavioral Genetics. Students in this program may focus on basic or clinical research.
Clinical Program
By integrating comprehensive clinical training with research training, this program produces clinical scientists who will apply basic psychological and biological knowledge to the understanding of major clinical psychological and health problems.
Cognitive Program
Basic areas of cognitive and cognitive neuroscience research include problem solving and reasoning, learning and memory, attention and executive control, emotion and motivation, and social and collaborative processes in cognition.
Developmental Program
Our developmental program prepares students for careers in academia, where they are often recruited by top-ranked universities. This program focuses on social, cognitive, language, and social-cognitive development.
Social Program
This program prepares students for research careers in one of three categories: group and intergroup processes, health psychology, and cognitive processes underlying social behavior.
Individualized Programs
Students with clear research and career goals may choose to develop an individualized program. These students develop their programs with a faculty advisor and must be committed to seeking a PhD.
Joint Programs
Clinical/Developmental Joint Program
Students in this program research issues pertaining to child development and family functioning in clinical or at-risk populations.
Clinical/Health Joint Program
Students in this program conduct clinically informed research on issues pertaining to behavioral factors in the etiology, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Cognitive Neuroscience Concentration
This program combines the study of human cognition with brain function and neuroscientific methods.
The Affect Analysis Group studies emotion and psychopathology in children and adults.
Research Training
Research training is provided using the mentorship model. Students work closely with their faculty advisors beginning in their first year and continuing throughout their career with increasing independence—through master's thesis, specialty review paper, and dissertation. At each level, students are encouraged to publish and present their research at national meetings.
Students in the Clinical Psychology Program receive training in research and clinical applications; however, those primarily interested in clinical practice should apply to other schools.
Apprenticeship Model
Graduate students in psychology at Pitt work closely with faculty, and laboratory research is emphasized. Classes are small and students' programs are tailored to their interests. Accordingly, we accept only as many students as we are able to train in this manner and only those students whom we expect will be able to complete the program. Students are usually offered financial support.
Collegial Atmosphere
The atmosphere in Pitt’s psychology department is collegial and stimulating. Faculty are readily available to students, and faculty and graduate students work collaboratively.
The department sponsors an annual colloquium series featuring nationally known speakers. The Learning Research and Development Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, the Center for Philosophy of Science, the Office of Child Development, and nearby Carnegie Mellon University also present a rich array of talks by psychologists from around the world.
Each of the department's graduate training programs sponsors a regular series of informal talks, or brown bags, by faculty, students, and speakers from the University community on current research. These talks, in which students and faculty discuss ongoing research projects, are an integral part of graduate training.