Admissions
All applications to Cognitive and Comparative Psychology are made through the Graduate Center here.
Applicants should also review Psychology's Admissions and Aid page and the Office of Admissions website.
Why choose CCP?
CCP faculty have unusually broad cross-disciplinary interests. Many faculty are in at least one other training area – ranging from Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience to Basic and Applied Social Psychology to Human Development – in addition to CCP. That gives students the opportunity to put together their own, interdisciplinary programs of study. CCP faculty use diverse research methods in both basic and applied research, thus providing students with skills that will be useful in a range of settings. Students work closely with faculty and begin their career by diving into a research question. The Ph.D. Program in Psychology is at the CUNY Graduate Center, itself an institution that promotes an interdisciplinary perspective in a world capital. The Graduate Center attracts a diverse group of students, allowing students to learn from each other.
Admissions Information
Application to the Cognitive and Comparative Psychology program is done though the Graduate Center Admissions Portal. Applicants create a log-in and complete the online application form. Be sure to choose the Cognitive and Comparative Psychology training area in your application form, and indicate at least two CCP faculty members with whom you are interested in working. Additional application requirements include:
- personal statement;
- two letters of recommendation; and
- an official transcript.
GRE scores are not required.
Interested students are strongly encouraged to contact prospective advisors ahead of time and notify them of their interest.
CCP Admissions Committee Evaluation Process
The CCP admissions committee consists of at least 5 members of the CCP faculty. Each member of the committee carefully reads every application with all supporting materials and pays special attention to the following evaluation criteria:
- prior research experience,
- clearly articulated statement of research interests,
- overlap between the applicant’s stated research interests with those of our faculty,
- strong letters of reference, and
- strong academic background.
In addition, the admissions committee, and, more generally, the CCP faculty, is extremely sensitive to CUNY’s overall mission in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is reflected by the committee’s interest in enhancing diversity within our student population. With all these factors in mind, the committee meets to discuss each application and decisions are then made, collectively, concerning which applicants to interview. Based on the initial committee evaluations and on the results from applicant interviews, the committee then meets again to decide which applicants to accept or place on our wait list. Very often it is the case that we accept applicants who have been wait-listed, but the total number of admitted students can vary from year to year.
