Graduate Program in Psychology

Overview

The Graduate Program in Psychology at Lehigh University is a selective, research-intensive program that focuses on Cognitive, Developmental, and Social Psychology—and our faculty and students often work at the intersection of these areas.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact members of the faculty with whom they would be interested in working.

The department accepts mainly Ph.D. students, who will obtain a master’s degree in the process of working for the doctorate. But every year a few well-qualified students may also be accepted for a Master of Science degree. Ph.D. and M.S. students define an area of specialization through their research experiences and selection of graduate seminars (see Program Requirements for greater detail).

The Psychology Department at Lehigh University is a research-intensive department where graduate students and faculty work collaboratively within and across three areas: cognitive, developmental, and social psychology. See Areas of Specialization and i ndividual faculty and graduate students’ profile listings for more detail about current research activities in the department. In addition, we often work closely with researchers from other departments, programs, and colleges, including the Health, Medicine and Society Program, the Cognitive Science Program, as well as the Colleges of Business and Education, and many of our labs also collaborate with researchers at other institutions.

Our doctoral students are supported financially (with stipend and tuition) throughout their time in the program. To learn more about us, please see the Program Description links to the left. For general information about graduate study in the College of Arts and Sciences, visit the College Graduate Studies page.

Graduate Program Highlights

Small is beautiful

The program is intentionally small, ensuring a favorable faculty-student ratio, close faculty-student collaboration, and a congenial atmosphere. We plan to expand from our current enrollment of 17 to about 20 students at full capacity.

State-of-the-art facilities

Well-equipped psychological laboratories provide an excellent setting for research. The department has ample facilities for research in each of our three specialization areas. Lehigh has a sophisticated network system and excellent on-line library and informational support. The department also has its own computer facilities, providing statistical, experimental, and general purpose software.

Generous financial support

Students admitted with regular full-time status are normally given a full tuition waiver and an annual 9 month stipend ($25,500 for 2023-2024). Support may come in the form of a teaching, research or graduate assistantship, or a fellowship (the latter sometimes being endowed with a more generous stipend). Additional support is usually available in the summer. In assessing our support package, bear in mind that the cost of living is a good deal lower here than in major cities.

An idyllic location

Lehigh's park-like campus, in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is a heavily wooded former arboretum with ivy-covered Victorian-era stone buildings. Located in Pennsylvania's third largest metropolitan area (pop. 630,000), the Lehigh Valley combines the advantages of urban and rural life. It is a short drive from New York City, Philadelphia, the Pocono Mountains, and the New Jersey shore.