Dartmouth College

What you'll study

The doctoral programme emphasises empirical research and theoretical grounding across multiple subfields of psychology. Core components include advanced coursework in research methods, statistics, and discipline-specific theory; hands-on laboratory research; and professional skills such as scientific writing, grant preparation and teaching.

• Coursework: Seminars in cognitive neuroscience, social/personality processes, developmental psychology, clinical science, and advanced quantitative methods. Students tailor their course plans with advisors to match research interests.
• Laboratory research and rotations: Early-stage students join faculty laboratories to gain methodological and substantive experience. Lab work typically involves behavioural experiments, psychophysiology, computational modelling, or neuroimaging depending on the lab.
• Research milestones: Qualifying or preliminary examinations assess preparedness for independent research, followed by proposal development and a dissertation based on original, publishable research.
• Teaching and professional development: Graduate students normally gain teaching experience as instructors or teaching assistants and participate in workshops on grantwriting, presentation skills and career preparation.
• Interdisciplinary opportunities: Students can collaborate with neighbouring schools and centres — for example, medical research groups, neuroscience facilities (including neuroimaging), and interdisciplinary initiatives across the college.

Entry requirements

Admission is selective and research-focused. Applicants should demonstrate strong academic preparation and clear research potential.

• Academic background: A bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or a related discipline is typical; students with strong quantitative or biological foundations are also considered.
• Research experience: Substantial prior research experience (laboratory assistantships, honours projects, publications or conference presentations) is strongly recommended and often essential.
• Recommendations and statement: Three letters of recommendation from academic or research supervisors and a research statement describing past work and planned areas of inquiry are required.
• Standardised tests and transcripts: Applicants should consult the department’s current admissions guidance regarding GRE requirements; official transcripts are required. International applicants will also need to meet English language and visa documentation requirements.
• Fit with faculty: A demonstrable match between applicant research interests and the expertise of faculty advisers strengthens an application.

Career prospects

Graduates of Dartmouth’s PhD programme pursue a range of careers that build on rigorous research training.

• Academic careers: Many alumni obtain postdoctoral positions and faculty appointments in psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry and related fields.
• Clinical and healthcare research: Those on clinical science pathways may move into clinical research, translational studies or clinical practice routes where licensure depends on additional clinical training and internship requirements.
• Industry and applied research: Opportunities include roles in technology companies (user research, human factors, machine learning teams), biotech and pharmaceutical R&D, policy institutes and consulting.
• Government and non-profit: Graduates work in research divisions of government agencies, public health organisations and non-profit research centres focused on mental health, education and ageing.

Why study at Dartmouth College

Dartmouth offers PhD students close mentoring within a small, collegial department, enabling frequent interaction with faculty and peer collaboration. The college’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research provides access to resources across campus — including neuroimaging and psychophysiology facilities, partnerships with the medical school and regional clinical institutions — supporting a wide range of methodological approaches.

Graduate students are typically supported through fellowships and assistantships that permit focus on research and teaching development. The liberal-arts environment combined with proximity to clinical and engineering collaborators fosters diverse career preparation and personalised training paths.