MASTER OF ARTS/DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Clinical Psychology (Clinical Child and Clinical Community)
Community Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
 
(Application materials for Psychology graduate programs may be obtained at:
http://www.depaul.edu/admission/types_of_admission/graduate/psychology/index.asp 
or by contacting the Department of Psychology.)
 
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The department accepts as graduate students only those who show definite promise for completing the requirements for advanced degrees. Meeting the minimum admission standards or having extensive undergraduate course work in psychology does not guarantee acceptance, since the number of applicants who can be admitted is limited. Preference is given to those applicants who have a well-balanced background of psychology courses and some background in science and mathematics. Students who do not have an undergraduate major in psychology but who otherwise satisfy these requirements may apply.
 
For consideration for admission, the applicant must have the following: 

      - Bachelor’s degree (official transcript(s) required to verify degree). 
      
      - Satisfactory undergraduate scholastic average 
      
      - Minimum of 32 quarter hours (24 semester hours) in psychology. This 
        total should include a three semester hour (four quarter hour) elementary 
        statistics course as well as a course in experimental psychology. A 
        course in History and Systems is also desirable. 
      
      - The departmental graduate admission committee will determine, on the 
        basis of a consideration of each student’s proposed program of study, 
        whether the minimum 32 quarter hours in psychology is sufficient for 
        advanced study. 
      
      - Official Graduate Record Examination results of the Verbal and 
        Quantitative tests and of the Subject Test in Psychology. 
      
      - Three letters of recommendation from academic sources. 

      - Vita/Resume
 
Students considering application to the M.A.-Ph.D. programs in Clinical Psychology should be aware of the following:
Approximately 400 students applied to the doctoral program in clinical psychology last year. Of the applicants, 7 students were offered admission. Students apply to either the child track or the community track and committees are established in each of these tracks to review applications. The clinical faculty wishes applicants to know that the faculty carefully evaluate all the application materials and emphasize the following criteria:
 
Completeness of credentials: When important pieces of information, such as transcripts, are lacking, the application is rejected. Approximately one applicant in seven is rejected on this basis. Application materials should be complete by December 1.
 
GRE scores and Grade Point Average: Combined Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores of about 1200 are expected of applicants to the doctoral program. Typically, successful applicants to our program have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 (B+) and combined GRE scores of over 1200. However, these criteria are not followed rigidly.
           
Undergraduate preparation: Students are expected to have had courses in statistics, experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, and other areas in psychology to enable advanced study in this field. A course in history and systems is also suggested. A total of eight undergraduate courses in psychology is required.
           
Prior graduate study: The program considers students with prior graduate study in clinical psychology or closely related fields. Minimal transfer credit is available for prior graduate work, but waiver of requirements is often possible. Each student's previous academic record is individually reviewed.
           
Interests: The clinical program emphasizes training in Clinical-Child and Clinical-Community Psychology. Obviously those who have no special interest in those areas would be better served elsewhere. Further, we accept only those applicants who intend to work toward the doctorate and do not consider applicants for a terminal master’s degree.
           
Diversity: The Clinical faculty strongly encourages applications from minority students. About one-third of the graduate students in clinical psychology admitted in the last three years were members of minority groups.
 
Students considering application to the M.A.–Ph.D. program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology should be aware of the following:
Each year, this program can accept three to four new students. Approximately 100 students apply for these entrance spaces. The I/O faculty wishes applicants to know that all application materials are carefully evaluated, with emphasis on the following criteria.
           
Completeness of credentials: Applicant files that are not complete by the January 10th deadline cannot be evaluated, and thus those applicants must be rejected. GRE scores and grade point average: While numerical standards are not followed rigidly, doctoral applicants are expected to have combined Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores of about 1200 or better, with an undergraduate GPA well above 3.4.
 
Preparation: Students are expected to have had courses in statistics, experimental psychology, and other core areas of psychology. While an undergraduate class in I/O psychology is not required, such a class (or one in business or management) is helpful. The department considers students with prior graduate study in I/O psychology or closely related fields, but most of our students enter the program without other advanced degrees. Transfer credit for prior graduate work is severely limited.
 
Interests: Successful applicants in the past have been those whose personal statements reflect an understanding of the nature and content of the field of I/O psychology, and goals which are compatible with that field. We accept only those applicants who intend to work toward the doctoral degree. Students who desire a terminal master’s degree are not admitted.
 
Diversity: The I/O faculty strongly encourages applications from minority students.
 
Students considering application to the M.A.–Ph.D. program in Community Psychology should be aware of the following:
Each year, the community psychology program can accept three or four new students. All application materials are carefully evaluated, with emphasis on the following criteria.
           
Completeness of credentials: Applicant files that are not complete by the January 5th deadline cannot be evaluated, and thus those applicants must be rejected. GRE scores and grade point average: While numerical standards are not followed rigidly, it is desirable for students to have a combined Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores of about 1200 or above, with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or above.
 
Preparation: Students are expected to have had courses in statistics, experimental psychology, and other core areas of psychology. While an undergraduate class in community psychology is not required, such a class is helpful.  Strong research skills and experience are highly recommended, and field experience is also considered a plus.  Credit for students entering with a master’s degree in Community Psychology or a related field is considered on a case-by-case basis.   
 
Diversity: The Community faculty strongly encourages applications from minority students.
 
Interests:   The community psychology program has an ecological-community orientation that emphasizes a public health model rather than a clinical or medical model. Those having interests in traditional clinical work would not find the community program a good fit. Students accepted in the community program are ineligible to transfer into the clinical psychology program. 
Successful applicants have been those whose personal statements reflect an understanding of the nature and content of the field, compatible goals, strong GREs and GPAs, sound research skills, and very good letters of recommendation. We accept only those applicants who intend to work toward the doctoral degree.  Students who desire a terminal master’s degree are not admitted.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY: PSYCHOLOGY
The department offers doctoral programs in Clinical, Community, Experimental, and Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. The Clinical program offers special emphasis in Clinical Community or Clinical Child Psychology. Within the Experimental program, an integrated approach to cognition, emotion, personality, social and developmental psychology is emphasized. An innovative course of study can be developed in consultation with an advisor.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Students holding a bachelor’s degree are not admitted directly into doctoral programs. During the Winter quarter of the student’s second year, an evaluation of the student’s progress in meeting course and degree requirements is made by the faculty. Assuming such progress is satisfactory, the student is formally admitted into the doctoral program.