Some parts of the website may not work in Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox instead.
The University of Toledo
Visit
Apply
Give
The University of Toledo
Visit
Apply
Give
Search
Menu
Menu
  • Admissions
    • Admissions
    • Freshman
    • Online
    • Adult/Transfer/Military
    • International
    • Graduate/Professional
    • College Credit Plus
    • Guest
    • Admitted/New Rocket
  • Academics
    • Explore Majors and Programs
    • Academic Colleges
    • Arts and Letters
    • Business and Innovation
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Graduate Studies
    • Health and Human Services
    • Honors
    • Law
    • Medicine and Life Sciences
    • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    • Nursing
    • Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
    • University College
  • Research
    • Areas of Research Excellence
    • Research News
    • Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Tech Transfer
    • Research Compliance
    • Human Research Protection Program
    • Economic Development
  • About
    • About UToledo
    • Mission
    • Senior Administration
    • Accreditation
    • Diversity
    • Student Outcomes
    • Expression on Campus
  • Athletics
  • Alumni
  • UTMC
  • Giving
  • MyUT
Main Menu
Academics
  • Academic Programs

Colleges

  • Arts and Letters
  • Business and Innovation
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Graduate Studies
  • Health and Human Services
  • Honors
  • Law
  • Medicine and Life Sciences
  • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • University College

Resources

  • Academic Calendar
  • Bookstore
  • Course Catalogs
  • Libraries
  • About UT
  • Campuses
  • Directions/Maps
  • Admission
  • Professional Licensure Information
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Campus Directory
  • Contact Us

Contact Us

1.800.586.5336 webmaster@utoledo.edu

Experimental Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Strong research. Broad perspective.
UToledo's experimental psychology Ph.D. students successfully launch careers in academic settings and in industrial, governmental and medical institutions.

Strong research. Broad perspective.
UToledo's experimental psychology Ph.D. students successfully launch careers in academic settings and in industrial, governmental and medical institutions.

Experimental Psychology Doctorate Overview

The University of Toledo's Ph.D. program in experimental psychology promotes excellence in research and scholarship in three broad ways that give our graduates a breadth of knowledge and advantage in the job market:  

Interdisciplinary focus 

As the field of psychology matures, the boundaries blur between its various subdisciplines — clinical, cognitive, developmental, neuroscience, social and more. UToledo's psychology graduate program curriculum covers all these areas. 

Our experimental Ph.D. students specialize in an area of psychology. They are paired immediately with a faculty mentor in their focus area and begin research in the faculty member's lab. They often publish and present their work. Specializations in experimental psychology include: 

  • Cognitive psychology 
  • Developmental psychology 
  • Social psychology 
  • Psychobiology and learning 

UToledo offers even more flexibility and breadth of knowledge by offering the following options to graduate students. They can:  

  • Minor in a subdiscipline of their choice: quantitative psychology, health psychology or experimental psychopathology 
  • Choose a second mentor in the clinical psychology program. This allows students to receive training and knowledge in a distinct but overlapping research area. 

Methodological and statistical training 

This is one of the most marketable and practical aspects of UToledo’s experimental psychology program.  

  • Take research methods and statistical courses, starting the first semester. 
  • Hone skills in later, research-focused courses and conduct milestone projects, such as a master’s thesis.  
  • Choose the quantitative psychology minor to further enhance statistical knowledge.  

Teaching and mentorship 

  • Help supervise undergraduate research assistants in their research labs.  
  • Serve as a teaching assistant. 
  • Teach courses under the supervision of a faculty member while taking a teaching practicum course focused on course development and effective strategies for managing student issues.  

UToledo experimental psychology students complete a master's thesis and earn an M.A. degree while working on their doctorates.

Experimental Psychology Doctorate Highlights

Close relationships with outstanding faculty. Work one-on-one with faculty in your specialty area. Our faculty members have diverse, productive areas of research. They have received numerous research awards, published in high-profile journals and won local, regional and federal grants to support their research. 

Full funding. Our graduate students typically receive at least four years of financial support through teaching and research assistantships.   

Hands-on teaching. Get prepared for life as university faculty. UToledo psychology graduate students have the opportunity to teach introductory courses within their area of expertise.  

Access to The University of Toledo Medical Center. Our doctoral students take advantage of the faculty and resources of our nearby medical school and hospital. 


Career Opportunities

During the past few decades, 3/4 of our experimental psychology doctoral program graduates have found employment in universities and colleges throughout the U.S. The remaining 25% work in industrial, governmental and medical institutions, such as: 

National Cancer Institute Magnify Analytic Solutions
U.S. Navy Department of Defense Analysis U.S. Army Public Health Center
Busch Gardens Theme Parks  

Professional Licensure Information

Experimental Psychology Doctorate Plan of Study

Experimental Psychology Doctoral Program Sample Courses

Design and Evaluation of Psychological Research Forensic Development Seminar
Research Practicum Structural Equation Modeling
Social Cognition Seminar  

View Plan of Study

Research Opportunities

Experimental psychology PhD students are expected to: 

  • Actively engage in empirical research throughout their UT careers.  
  • Coauthor publications. 
  • Present and publish research findings at national and international conferences. Funding is available for travel through the department and through the graduate college. 

Our students work closely with faculty in their specialty areas. Faculty members in the experimental psychology graduate program conduct innovative research through the: 

  • Cognitive labs 
  • Forensic developmental labs 
  • Psychobiology and learning labs 
  • Social psychology labs 

Research focuses on issues such as: 

Beliefs and health treatment outcomes Interhemispheric interaction and cognition
Optimism and future-directed thought Accuracy of children's courtroom testimony
Judgment and decision-making Memory processes in children and adults
Evolution of hearing and comparative study of hearing Effects of effort and secondary reinforcement on learning in single-cell organisms
Social comparison and comparative judgment processes  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UToledo Department of Psychology has two computer labs with more than 50 state-of-the-art computers containing a variety of data collection and data analysis programs. Our cutting-edge research facilities include well-equipped labs for human and animal research: 

  • Video- and computer-monitored labs for use with infants and young children 
  • Research units in cognitive psychology and social psychology that include computer systems, unobtrusive video cameras and one-way mirrors, equipment for physiological recordings and more 
  • A large psychobiology, comparative psychology complex 
  • Computer-controlled, animal learning labs

Want More Information?


Experimental Psychology Doctorate

5 years

Program Availability

 On Campus

Program Quick Links

View Admission Requirements
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Letters
Apply Now

Request Information

Admission Forms

International Student Info

Scholarship Opportunities

The University of Toledo is on a mission to make college affordable for everyone. Use our search tool to find scholarships you qualify for.

Search Now

© 2020 THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO • 2801 W. Bancroft St. • Toledo, OH 43606 • 800.586.5336

A - Z List | Careers | Report a Concern | Nondiscrimination | Accessibility | Web Privacy | Brand Guide | Feedback | Contact Us

Last Updated: 6/7/2023