Clinical Psychology, PsyD and Psychology - Clinical Psychology Concentration, MA

Program Code: PSYD_715A, MA_145C

CIP Code: 42.0101, 42.0101

Program of Study for the Doctor of Psychology and Master of Arts in Psychology

Admission Requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; complete application to the Graduate School ; official general GRE exam, unless waived; completion of approved courses (or demonstrated competence in the subject matter) in General Psychology, Research Methods (including statistics) and Abnormal Psychology; statement not exceeding two pages describing the applicant’s academic and professional goals, as well as identifying a potential mentor. In addition, priority will be given to students committed to providing clinical services to rural or underserved populations upon graduation.

To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the criteria for admission to the Graduate School . Meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission.

Top applicants will be invited for a formal interview. If invited, attendance at the interview is strongly encouraged for priority consideration. Successful admission will be contingent upon completion of a criminal background check that will be reviewed by the Clinical Admissions Committee and the Graduate School. Applicants who are recommended for admission will be contacted with instructions.

Admitted PsyD applicants will earn an MA degree (see Psychology - Clinical Psychology Concentration, MA ) en route to the PsyD. The 60-hour MA is not, however, offered as a stand-alone degree. The 113 hours for the PsyD are distributed as follows: Psychology Core (30 credit hours), Clinical/Professional Core (65 credit hours), electives (6 credit hours), dissertation (9 credit hours), and Internship (3 credit hours).

Standardized Exam Waiver Eligibility: The standardized exam requirement may be waived for applicants with:

A GPA of 3.0 or higher in the most recent earned degree (undergraduate or graduate).

Location: On Campus; Full-Time

Additional Standardized Exam Waiver Eligibility Information

Standardized exam (GRE, GMAT, MAT) waiver eligibility for graduate degree programs at Appalachian State varies by program, but requires that applicants hold a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in their last earned bachelor’s degree or 3.3 or higher in an earned graduate degree. No exam waiver is automatic but will require review and approval by the program and by the Graduate School upon submission of a complete application. An approved waiver request does not guarantee acceptance into the program. A denied waiver request does not mean that a candidate is denied admission to the program, only that a standardized exam score is needed to more fully evaluate the application. More complete information about standardized exam waivers can be found in the Admissions Requirements section of this Bulletin .

Course Requirements for the Doctor of Psychology and Master of Arts in Psychology

Total Required (Minimum 113 Hours)

Psychology Core (30 Hours)

Clinical/Professional Core (65 Hours)

Electives (6 Hours)

Students may select from a number of pre-approved elective courses (listed below) within and outside the department to complete the required 113 credits. Other courses may be approved as electives with approval of the student’s doctoral committee and the Director of Clinical Training.

Dissertation (9 Hours)

Students must complete a minimum of 9 credits of PSY 7999 , Dissertation.

Students cannot enroll for PSY 7999 credits until they advance to doctoral candidacy.

Clinical Internship (3 Hours)

Students must complete a one-year full-time clinical internship in a training program approved by the candidate’s doctoral committee and the Director of Clinical Training and enroll for a minimum of 1 credit hour of PSY 7900 each semester (for a minimum total of 3 credit hours).

Other Requirements for the Doctor of Psychology and Master of Arts in Psychology

Thesis: Required
Proficiency: Statistics proficiency met by completion of PSY 5020 ; Clinical proficiency met by satisfactory completion of Practicum I, Practicum II, Practicum III, Advanced Practicum, and Clinical Internship, including formal documentation of clinical competencies.
Candidacy: Required
Qualifying Exam: Required
Dissertation: Required
Product of Learning: Not required

As required by UNC Board of Governors’ policy, doctoral students must remain enrolled in at least one hour each Fall and Spring semester until graduation once 6 dissertation semester hours are completed.