Psy.D. Admissions Requirements

Admission Requirements. Applicants are admitted with a bachelor's or master's degree. All applicants must submit the following:

  1. Academic preparation. Official transcripts documenting receipt of a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution of higher learning. Primary consideration is afforded to applicants with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25, and nearly all applicants who are admitted will meet this standard. Although an undergraduate major in psychology is not required, all applicants must have completed at least 18 hours of psychology distributed across the following core areas: introductory psychology, statistics, experimental psychology or research methods, physiological psychology, and abnormal psychology. In addition, one course from among the following is required: history and systems, social psychology, human development, theories of personality, and clinical or community psychology. Applicants with graduate degrees must submit transcripts showing these degrees and documenting a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5.
  2. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are sufficiently familiar with the applicant's academic and/or clinical fieldwork to provide a valid and objective assessment of the applicant's potential to function competently as a professional psychologist.
  3. A statement of purpose, not to exceed 500 words, addressing the applicant's reasons for pursuing doctoral work in clinical-community psychology.
  4. An autobiographical statement, not to exceed 1000 words, addressing ways in which life experiences have influenced the decision to pursue doctoral studies in professional psychology.
  5. A current curriculum vitae.

Transfer Credit. Individuals with graduate-level coursework may petition for a maximum of 30 transfer credits. Transfer credit will not be awarded for prior clinical experience or practicum work.

Program Progress, Doctoral Candidacy, and the Clinical Competency Examination. Individuals are admitted into the program as precandidates. To be eligible to apply for doctoral candidacy, pre-candidates must at a minimum (a) complete 58 semester hours of course work in the program, (b) complete 500 clinical practicum hours, and (c) pass the Year 2 Comprehensive Examination. Evaluation for candidacy normally occurs in the fall of the third year of the program. To apply for an internship, a candidate must pass the Year 3 Clinical-Community Competency Examination. All students must earn candidacy status and pass the Year 3 Clinical-Community Competency Examination in order to complete the program. Dismissal of a student may occur even after the conferring of candidacy and passing the Clinical-Community Competency Examination, if the student's personal or professional behavior does not continue to meet required standards for the profession.