Developmental Psychology

The Applied Developmental Psychology Program at Virginia Commonwealth University fosters scholarship, teaching, and outreach to our community with the goal of understanding developmental processes across the lifespan. We emphasize research and applied skills in human development with a special emphasis on development in its social context. We prepare doctoral-level students for university or college teaching and research settings or for professional work in applied settings such as primary prevention, early intervention, or youth support.

This Web site is designed to provide information about our program to students and colleagues interested in Developmental Psychology. We appreciate your interest in our program and hope that you will find the information to be useful. Please contact us if you have any questions or comments.

How to Apply

Applications for graduate studies in psychology with an emphasis in developmental psychology can be obtained at the VCU Graduate School Web site. Application should be initiated online from the Graduate School admissions page. Please note that there is not a separate application for the program or department. A limited number of students (typically, one per year) will be admitted as Developmental/Clinical Students.

Deadline for applications to the Developmental program is January 10. However, applicants to the Developmental/Clinical program need to adhere to the Clinical Psychology program deadline of December 1. These applicants should direct their application to Clinical but indicate that they have an interest in being considered as a Developmental/Clinical student. They should also indicate whether, if not accepted for the dual program, they wish to be considered for Clinical only, Developmental only, or for consideration by both programs.

Contact Information

For additional questions, please contact Dr. Barbara Myers, Director of the Developmental Division.

Virginia Commonwealth University
Developmental Division
806 West Franklin Street
P.O. Box 842018
Richmond, Virginia 23284-2018