Prospective Graduate Students

Dr. Wilkey can take on graduate students through two Master’s and two Ph.D. programs. He is accepting applications this year. See here for more information about applying to Peabody Master’s and Ph.D. programs. Also see below to find out more about each program through which Dr. Wilkey mentors graduate students. Click here to apply!

Master’s Programs

  • Program Overview

    • Two track options: Clinical & Developmental Research Track (Dr. Wilkey can serve as an advisor under this track) and Applied Professional Track

    • 36 credit hour program; 24-30 hours of core curriculum and 6-12 hours of electives

    • Summer Admission Term

    Application Checklist

    • Transcript(s)

    • 2 letters of recommendation

    • GRE (optional but may be submitted)

    • Statement of purpose

    • English proficiency test scores (international students)

    Application Deadlines and Fees

    • Priority application deadline: January 3rd

    • Second application deadline: February 3rd

    • Applications submitted after February 3rd will be accepted on a rolling basis

    • No application fee

  • Program Overview

    • Includes courses and graduate seminars in cognition, cognitive development, data management and quantitative methods

    • Most students complete a thesis, but there is an option to do a capstone project and presentation instead

    • 36 credit hour program

    • Fall admission term

    Application Checklist

    • Transcript(s)

    • 2 letters of recommendation

    • GRE (optional but may be submitted)

    • Statement of purpose

    • English proficiency test scores (international students)

    Application Deadlines and Fees

    • Priority application deadline: January 3rd

    • Second application deadline: February 3rd

    • Applications submitted after February 3rd will be accepted on a rolling basis

    • No application fees

Ph.D. Programs

  • Program Overview

    • Preference given to students whose research interests align closely with a specific advisor’s

    • May involve lab rotations

    • 72 credit hour program

    • Fall admission term

    Application Checklist

    • Transcript(s)

    • 3 letters of recommendation; recent graduates should have at least two letters from college/university faculty with whom they have studied

    • Statement of purpose

    • Official GRE scores

    • Supplemental materials (optional)

    • English proficiency test scores (international students)

    Application Deadlines and Fees

    • December 1st

    • $95 fee at submission

  • Program Overview

    • Students are admitted to work toward the Ph.D. in one of several possible areas; those for which Dr. Wilkey may serve as an advisor include:

      • Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience

      • Cognition in Context

      • Developmental Science

    • 72 credit hour program

    • Fall admission term

    Application Checklist

    • Transcript(s)

    • 3 letters of recommendation; recent graduates should have at least two letters from college/university faculty with whom they have studied

    • Statement of purpose

    • Official GRE scores

    • Supplemental materials (optional)

    • English proficiency test scores (international students)

    Application Deadlines and Fees

    • December 1st

    • $95 fee at submission

Applicant Resources

  • Automatic Fee Waivers

    • Most fee waivers are managed automatically through the application system; once you complete your application, if it is determined that you are eligible for a fee waiver, the system will not ask you to pay the application fee

    • To see if you qualify for an automatic fee waiver, visit this page and scroll down to the relevant section

    Documentable Fee Waivers

    • See here and scroll to “Documentable fee waivers” for documents that may be uploaded to demonstrate financial need or military service

    Discretionary Fee Waivers

    • A small number of fee waivers are granted at the discretion of the program you are applying to

    • You may request a fee waiver directly from the program you are applying to only after you have submitted a complete application and confirmed that the fee is due; the request must be sent prior to the application deadline and should include documentation supporting the reason for your request

    • Contact the program you are applying to for more information, or reach out to graduateschool@vanderbilt.edu with specifics on the program you are applying to and they should put you in touch with the right person

  • Fee Reduction and Waiver Resources

    • You can find information about the GRE Fee Reduction Program here

    • The GRE Fee Reduction Request Form for 2024-2025 can be found here

    Free and Affordable Study Resources

    • The Graduate Student Handbook outlines requirements for graduate students admitted into the Psychological Sciences program; it has helpful information about course requirements for specific specializations, financial support, and other information