Doctor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Program

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

• Abnormal Psychology

• Theories of Personality

• Developmental Psychology

The Clinical PsyD program at PCOM participates in PsyCAS, the centralized application service for graduate study in psychology.  Be advised that a 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 three priority deadlines to evaluate completed applications. The deadlines are December 30, 2022, March 31, 2023 and June 30, 2022. 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 a completed application has been downloaded from PsyCAS, an email with a confirmation of its receipt including next steps to complete the application process will be sent. Note that there is no institutional application fee to PCOM.

An 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)

• A general autobiographical statement explaining your interest in this academic program as it relates to one’s career goals (in 500 words or less)

• 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 above. The timeline to complete the degree program will be determined upon a full application review.

Due to international regulations, and restrictions by the State of California, foreign national/international candidates and California residents are not eligible to enroll in PCOM online programs.