PhD Program in Cognitive Social and Developmental Psychology

A full account of degree requirements and procedures is contained in the Psychology student handbook.

PhD candidates must earn 30 credits in addition to the 30 credits taken in the General Psychology MA program, for a total of 60 credits, with a minimum grade point average of 3.7. 

Graduate Minors

Students can use elective courses toward completing one of the university’s graduate minors. These structured pathways of study immerse master's and doctoral students in disciplines outside their primary field and expose them to alternative modes of research and practice. Completed graduate minors are officially recorded on students' transcript.

Dissertation

The dissertation proposal process consists of two separate stages:

• Preliminary Dissertation Proposal and Defense
• Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and Defense

The dissertation itself consists of two separate but related portions:

• Literature Review: The first portion is a stand-alone literature review article that is submitted in a form that is potentially acceptable to a peer review journal. This article should be approximately 15 (double-spaced) pages in length (including references), and will review theoretical and empirical research relevant to the topic on which the dissertation research focuses.
• Empirical Article: The second portion consists of a stand-alone empirical article written in a form that would be acceptable to a peer review journal. This article should be approximately 25-50 pages (double spaced) in length. Students should familiarize themselves with the types of articles that appear in quality journals relevant to their area of research and use these as models when writing their dissertations.>

See Dissertation Requirements in the department handbook for complete information.

Assistantships

A limited number of research and teaching assistantships are available in the Psychology department. Teaching assistantships are usually restricted to doctoral candidates.

As of the 2024–2025 academic year, NSSR is waiving tuition for all new and continuing PhD students. NSSR is also providing guaranteed financial support for four years for most new PhD students and additional financial assistance for several continuing PhD students. 

Applicants to NSSR PhD programs are automatically considered for the additional financial support when they apply; no separate application is necessary.

Students begin their studies toward the PhD by obtaining an MA in General Psychology, which includes courses in psychopathology and the psychology of individual differences. Only after this can they apply for admittance to the Cognitive, Social, and Developmental Psychology PhD program. Complete admission procedures are detailed in the Psychology student handbook. 

Successful completion of the MA in General Psychology does not guarantee admission to the PhD program, but academically strong MA students have a very good chance of progressing to the PhD program. To be eligible to apply, students must complete the distribution requirements for the MA degree with an overall grade point average of at least 3.7 at the time of application.

Students who wish to pursue the PhD in Cognitive, Social, and Developmental Psychology must submit a statement of research plans. Students will be informed of the preliminary status of their applications: that is, whether they will be admitted provided space permits; or not admitted.

Students with MA degrees in psychology from other universities may be eligible for "Advanced Standing" status in the New School MA program. Accepted students are informed of whether or not they will be admitted with Advanced Standing status prior to beginning the MA program. Once accepted, eligible students may apply to enter the Cognitive, Social, and Developmental PhD after at least one semester of study here at the MA level, depending on how many of their credits transfer and assuming they have successfully completed requisite courses to meet eligibility for doctoral application. Students in this situation should consult the section "Advanced Standing" in the department handbook for additional information.

As of the 2024–2025 academic year, doctoral fellowships are offered to a small number of new PhD students in the CSD Psychology program. All PhD applicants are automatically considered for these fellowships. Generally awarded for four years, doctoral fellowships consist of:

• A full-tuition scholarship for the duration of study, but not exceeding the time limit set for completion of the PhD degree (please note that fees are not covered by the fellowship)
• Annual support of at least $25,000 for four years
• A health insurance subsidy for fellows enrolled in the university health insurance plan during the first four years of study, currently set at 80 percent of the cost 

For more information, please see the NSSR Institutional Funding page.