Students admitted with a bachelor's degree will be required to meet the following admission criteria:
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:
Approximately 100-130 applications are reviewed annually, from which 10-12 candidates are chosen. This year's incoming class came from universities across the country and had a mean undergraduate GPA of 3.72. 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.
Qualified individuals whose applications are completed by January 15 are interviewed by a faculty member and a currently enrolled doctoral candidate. 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 statistics can be found in the FAQ section.
Students who are considered for interview and possible admission to the program must have the required academic background and test scores 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, statistics, and experimental design or research methods, all of which have been completed with a grade of B or better. Three letters of recommendation and a personal statement are also required. We are looking for students who have a strong commitment to the betterment of the emotional and behavioral needs of children. 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.