The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is pleased to announce 2 events for prospective graduate students from under-represented groups, including racial and ethnic minority students and first-generation college students.  These events are targeted toward students from under-represented groups who are research oriented and interested in pursuing graduate education.

2023 Events

Our Diversity Virtual Open House will be held on Saturday, September 23, from 9am to 2pm CDT and is open to students at all stages of training (junior and senior undergraduates, recent grads) who are interested in pursuing graduate education in Psychological and Brain Sciences. This event will be held via Zoom and will include:

• Description of department, college, and university resources for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Discussion of trajectories from undergraduate to graduate training, including summer research opportunities, post-bac lab experience, and more
• Panel discussions with faculty and graduate students about optimizing your application and life as a Ph.D. student

Please RSVP to the Virtual Open House before Thursday, September 21 by completing the following form.
 

Our Diversity Visitor’s Weekend will be held on Saturday, October 14 and is targeted toward students applying for Fall 2024 admission. Prospective students wishing to attend the weekend must complete the application. Selected attendees will travel to Iowa City (arriving Friday, October 13 and departing Sunday, October 15) for a series of events aimed at crafting applications, identifying research mentors, and preparing for the transition to graduate school. Travel, accommodations, and meals will be provided by the department for those selected to attend.  Events will include:

• Graduate curriculum overview, including discussion of opportunities to integrate behavioral and biomedical training through our NIH-funded predoctoral T32 behavioral-biomedical interface program
• Meetings with identified faculty mentors
• Laboratory and campus tours
• Panel discussions and Q&A sessions with graduate students, faculty, and alumni
• Workshops on crafting CVs, personal statements, and interviewing for graduate school
• Resources for getting a head start on graduate school

I’m interested in attending both events. Can I apply to both?

• Yes! You may RSVP for the Virtual Event and/or apply to the Visitor’s Weekend here.

What information do you need about me?

• The application includes some brief background questions and asks for brief (< 250 words) descriptions of (1) your research experience and (2) your goals for graduate education.  For the visitor’s weekend, you will be asked to identify faculty with whom you are interested in working with.

What are the deadlines?

• Please RSVP for the Virtual Open House by Thursday, September 21. The itinerary and Zoom link will be sent to attendees via email once you have registered.
• For consideration for the Visitor’s Weekend, applications are due by Tuesday, September 26. Attendees will be notified of acceptance by Friday, September 29 and travel arrangements will be handled by the department.

What are some other benefits of attending?

• In addition to the programs, all attendees will have their Graduate Application fee waived if they apply to the graduate program at the University of Iowa.