Prospective students for the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology apply in December to start the following fall (see application requirements for deadline date). Given that our program employs a strong mentorship model, it cannot be overstated how important it is to identify a strong research match with faculty who are recruiting during the year you apply. A list of recruiting faculty is available here. This list is updated by the end of September for each recruitment cycle.
Please review application requirements and the additional detailed application instructions linked near the bottom of that page before applying through the Graduate School online application system.
Our graduate financial information page provides details about assistantships and health care for clinical graduate students.
Admission requirements
Admission to the clinical psychology program is granted by the dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the program and Department of Psychological Sciences. All completed applicant files are individually reviewed and incoming students selected by program faculty, in coordination with the Director of Clinical Training. We consider all elements of an applicant’s dossier – GPA, personal statement, diversity statement, research and applied experience, and letters of recommendation. The essential requirements for admission to the clinical program are a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a record of achievement that shows strong promise of success in the program’s course work and activities in research and clinical work. Applicants are expected to have performed well in foundational areas of psychology and should have at least 15 credit hours of coursework in psychology, including statistics and research methodology.
GRE General Test scores are optional for students applying to enter the program in the fall of 2025. In our evaluation rubric, we use GRE scores and GPA as indicators of academic preparation. If applicants provide both GRE and GPA, we use the stronger of the two indicators when making our rating. If applicants do not submit a GRE score, their GPA will be used to determine their rating on academic preparation. This approach allows applicants whose undergraduate academic performance does not reflect on their abilities for any number of reasons (e.g., having to work full-time or care for a family member while enrolled in school; having to care for a family member or dependent) to demonstrate their academic preparedness with the GRE.
In all cases we will evaluate your application holistically based on the information that you submitted. For those who decide to submit GRE scores, please be aware that our program has a strong commitment to diversifying our profession and we therefore take explicit steps to ensure that groups that have historically been disadvantaged by use of standardized tests are not disadvantaged by use of GRE scores in our admissions process.
Average GRE scores and GPA for students who have been admitted to the clinical program
Our major goal is the training of scientist-practitioners. Therefore, we admit students who have a strong interest in conducting research and applying this knowledge to clinical problems. Applicants whose sole interest is applied training (e.g., only interested in seeing clients but not in research) would not be a good match for our program.
We adhere to a mentorship model, whereby students admitted to the program have research interests similar to those of one or more of the clinical faculty. Applicants are urged to consider this when writing their personal statements and evaluating their fit with the program. A formal on-campus interview is required for finalists. Students who have earned a master’s degree at the time of their admission to the program may be able to achieve exemption from some required courses.
General information about clinical psychology graduate training
- Resources for Prospective PhD Students — helpful information related to considering clinical psychology graduate programs
- Application Resources — assistance for students in the application process for any psychology graduate program
For more information, contact Tracy Witte.