Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD)

An applicant to the doctor of psychology in clinical psychology program must have successfully completed a master’s degree in mental health counseling, psychology, social work, psychiatric/mental health nursing, counseling, school psychology, family therapy or pastoral counseling from a regionally accredited institution, with a 3.3 grade point average or better prior to matriculation. Master’s degree programs in other specialty areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

An applicant’s undergraduate transcripts are used to evaluate the exposure the candidate has had to formal coursework in psychology. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better is required.

In order to ensure that program courses are taught at the highest possible level, applicants must have also completed during undergraduate or graduate education the following courses prior to admission:

• Statistics/Research Methods
• Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology
• Theories of Personality 
• Developmental Psychology

The Clinical PsyD program at PCOM participates in PsyCAS, the centralized application service for graduate study in psychology. Beginning in September, prospective doctoral students in psychology may submit their application through a secure Web server, PsyCAS. Be advised that your full PsyCAS application must be e-submitted, completed and verified to be considered for admission to PCOM. Note that official college transcripts from all colleges/universities schools attended must be sent directly to:

PSYCAS
P.O. Box 9138
Watertown, MA 02471

Letters of Recommendation can be sent through the evaluator portal on PsyCAS or directly to PCOM Admissions in .pdf format to recommend@pcom.edu.

Instructions on how to use PsyCAS can be found at: https://help.liaisonedu.com/PSYCAS_Applicant_Help_Center

The PsyD in Clinical Psychology program utilizes a rolling admissions policy. Thus applications will be considered throughout the year as they are received and all required materials have been submitted. However, the Faculty Committee on Admissions will use two priority deadlines to evaluate completed applications. The deadlines are December 30, 2023, and March 31, 2024. New students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is achieved. It is therefore recommended for candidates to submit applications early. Classes begin in the fall term (early August). 

Once your application has been downloaded from PsyCAS, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process. Note that there is no institutional application fee to PCOM.

Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:

• Three letters of reference (if not already submitted through PsyCAS). At least one letter of recommendation should be from a doctoral level psychologist.
• A general autobiographical statement explaining your interest in this academic program as it relates to your career goals (in 500 words or less) should be uploaded to your PCOM application portal.
• Writing sample (preferable graded) or professional report or evaluation. (APA style research paper preferred).

The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants on a number of factors. These include: past academic performance, letters of recommendation, the content and writing style of autobiographical essays, prior work history and volunteer experiences, research activities and publications, presentations at workshops or conferences in psychology or a related field, membership in professional organizations, and personal and professional presentation in the interview. Intellectual ability, academic potential, strong writing skills, emotional stability, maturity, integrity, motivation and high ethical standards are necessary for successful program completion and acceptance into the professional community.

Re-specialization candidates who have already completed a doctoral degree in psychology may apply for admission using the criteria listed below. The timeline to complete the degree program will be determined upon a full application review.

Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MS)

Applicants to the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program must have completed a bachelor's degree in psychology, counseling, education, social work or nursing from a regionally accredited institution. Bachelor's degrees in other specialty areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis. MAPP program applicants must have a 3.0 GPA (B average) or better.

In order to ensure that program courses are taught at the highest possible level, applicants without a major or minor in psychology must have completed, prior to admission, at a bachelor's level or above, the following courses:

• Introduction to Psychology
• Research/Statistics
• Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology

Information for International Students

PCOM's fully online programs are not open to applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents (Green Card).

In accordance with the March 2020 guidance, new or Initial F and M students who were not previously enrolled in a program of study on March 9, 2020, will not be able to enter the United States as a nonimmigrant student for the 2022-23 academic year if their course of study is 100 percent online. Consistent with this guidance, PCOM cannot issue a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” for a student in new or Initial status who is outside of the United States for courses operating fully online.

The online application will be available beginning in the Fall 2023 term at https://explore.pcom.edu/apply/.

Once your application has been submitted, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process. Note that there is no institutional application fee to PCOM.

Official college transcripts from all colleges/universities schools attended must be sent directly to:

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Office of Admissions
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131

We will accept electronic transcripts via mail, eScript and/or Parchment Services and National Student Clearinghouse.

Letters of Recommendation can be submitted through PCOM's application portal or sent directly to PCOM Admissions in PDF format to recommend@pcom.edu.

Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:

• Three letters of recommendation
• A general autobiographical statement explaining your interest in this academic program as it relates to your career goals (in 500 words or less) (should be uploaded to your PCOM application portal)
• Writing sample (preferably graded)

This program utilizes a rolling admissions policy, so applications will be considered throughout the year as they are received. Students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is reached. Classes begin in the fall term (early August).

The Admissions Committee screens applications, invites some applicants for an interview and writing sample, evaluates the applicants and selects new students. Following the completion of the admission process, each applicant will be notified of the Admission's Committee decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment.