Admission

Admission Requirements

BEGINNING LEVEL

Students admitted with a bachelor's degree will be required to meet the following admission criteria:

1. Successful completion of the baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
2. Submission of scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination is optional.
3. Submission of scores on the Psychology Subject Test of the Graduate Record Examination is optional.
4. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in the following psychology courses, which must be completed prior to admission:
   • Human Development
   • Elementary Statistics
   • Experimental Design or Research Methods
   • History and Systems of Psychology.   Please note that we offer an asynchronous online course (undergraduate level) in the History of Applied Psychology each August for those incoming students who still need to meet this admissions requirement.
   • While it is strongly recommended that a candidate completes a course in Neuropsychology or Physiological Psychology, it is not required.
5. Three letters of recommendation
6. A personal statement
7. Attendance at a by-invitation information session prior to the interviews
8. Personal interviews with faculty and a current doctoral student. Interviews are held in person except when prohibited by extenuating circumstances. Please discuss this with the Program Director.

ADVANCED LEVEL

Students admitted at the advanced level, already possess a master's degree in school psychology and are certified.  These candidates are required to meet the following admission criteria:

1. Successful completion of a master's, specialist, or professional diploma, in school psychology, from an accredited institution.
2. Submission of scores on the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination is optional.
3. Submission of scores on the Psychology Subject Test of the Graduate Record Examination is optional.
4. Three letters of recommendation
5. A personal statement
6. Attendance at a by-invitation information session prior to the interviews
7. Personal interviews with faculty and a current doctoral student. Interviews are held in person except when prohibited by extenuating circumstances. Please discuss this with the Program Director.

Approximately 105-160 applications are reviewed annually, from which 10-12 candidates are chosen. This includes two advanced standing candidates who have a specialist degree and are already certified school psychologists. This year's incoming class came from a pool of 160 applicants, attended universities from across the country, and had a mean undergraduate GPA of 3.81.  A core value of our program is to actively promote diversity, inclusion, and broad understanding.  Consequently, we strive to have students with diverse experiences and world views, and in particular, bring forth the experiences of historically under-represented groups.

Select individuals whose applications are completed by January 15 are interviewed in person by a faculty member and a currently enrolled doctoral candidate.  They are also invited to attend a mandatory virtual Q & A session hosted by doctoral students several days before the interviews. The interview allows the applicant to obtain a realistic view of the required academic and professional work and the program's costs.

The median time to complete the program is 4.2 years and the mean is 4.5 years, including the oral defense of the student's doctoral dissertation. Over the last seven years, 79.5% of our students completed the program in less than five years; 19.5% in less than six years; and the balance of 1.2% completed the program in less than seven years.  We carefully select motivated and capable students and, as such, our graduation rate over the past 7 years, is 95%. Attrition and graduation statistics can be found in the “Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data section at the top right of the home page..

Selection of Students

Students who are considered for interview and possible admission to the program must have the required academic background and experiences as detailed in the admission requirements in our program brochure: Doctor of Psychology Program in School-Community Psychology and on our program website: PsyD Program in School-Community Psychology under the heading of Admission Requirements. Applicants must have at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and have taken courses in human development, history and systems, statistics, and experimental design or research methods, all of which have been completed with a grade of B or better.  A course in neuropsychology is encouraged but not required. Three letters of recommendation and a personal statement are also required. We are looking for students who are strongly committed to improving the emotional, behavioral, and educational outcomes of children, particularly those from marginalized, disempowered, and disenfranchised groups. This commitment most often encompasses a concern for that child's family and the community.

Applicants meeting the above requirements are contacted by phone and invited for an individual interview. The interview is with program faculty and program doctoral students. There is also a doctoral student-run information session on the day of the interviews. When an applicant shows interest in the research of a given faculty member, we attempt to pair that student with the faculty member for the interview. Once the interviews have been completed, each faculty member ranks the applicants and a meeting takes place to obtain a consensus on who should be admitted. Students showing strong academic backgrounds, self-discipline, and a commitment to children, families, and the community are contacted by the faculty member who interviewed them and are invited into the program.