Practicing What We Preach: How Are Admissions Decisions Made for Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs, and What Do Students Need to Know?

Travis J. Pashak, Paul J. Handal, Megan Ubinger

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DOI: 10.4236/psych.2012.31001                

Abstract

As the application process to Clinical Psychology graduate programs becomes increasingly competitive, applicants and advisors have a need to know what to expect. The aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of the application process, an examination of characteristics of admission committees’ criteria and selection policies, and an analysis of differences among and between programs of different types. Programs offering doctoral degrees in clinical psychology (n = 59) were surveyed regarding their admissions procedures and criteria, and the results are discussed in light of what impacts applicants. Findings suggest that policies and procedures are mixed, that important differences exist between Ph.D. programs and Psy.D. programs, and that programs generally follow an assessment model in their selection decisions.

Keywords

Admissions; Selection; Graduate Education; Clinical Psychology

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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