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Psychology
Mailing Address: Porter 200

Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Admissions

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Admissions Requirements

All graduate applications must be submitted electronically through the Graduate College.

  • Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution or equivalent. Coursework preferred: 18 hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of psychology at the undergraduate level, including one course in statistics and one in experimental research design.
  • GPA of 3.0 or better overall; and an average of at least 3.3 (B+) in psychology. Applicants who have completed some graduate work should have a grade-point average of at least 3.4 in that work. (Please note that you can submit an unofficial transcript at the time of your application, but you will be required to submit an official transcript if you are admitted to the program.)
  • Currently the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is NOT required.
  • Three letters of recommendation, preferably from psychology faculty members.
  • Personal Statement describing your special interests and professional goals. Personal statements are typically 500 to 1000 words in length. In your statement, you should:
    • Discuss why you decided to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. What professional (volunteer, work, academic) experiences informed your decision?
    • Discuss your short-term and long-term career goals.
    • Discuss your research interests and how they fit with faculty here at Ohio University. You may discuss one to three faculty with whom you see a research fit.
    • Talk about any other experiences that you feel a potential advisor would like to know.

  • Competency Essay: The American Psychological Association Standards of Accreditation in Health Service Psychology require that students develop the ability to conduct professional activities with sensitivity to human diversity. Students must demonstrate knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skills when working with diverse individuals and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal background characteristics. In this essay, please describe:

    • how your personal experiences, research experiences, and/or education thus far have prepared you to start developing this professional competency, and
    • ways in which you hope to develop this competency during your doctoral studies.
  • Transcripts: One official transcript from each postsecondary school attended should be sent to

    Graduate College
    102 Grosvenor Hall
    1 Ohio University
    Athens, OH 45701 USA

  • Curriculum Vitae (or resume)
  • English Proficiency. International students whose native language is not English also must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS academic). To be considered official, test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to Ohio University. A TOEFL-iBT of 80 or higher is recommended. The minimum IELT is 6.5 across all bands. More information on English Proficiency.

For more information about the clinical psychology admissions process, please see Organization of the Clinical Section.

Note re application fees: The Psychology Department does not provide partial or full fee waivers for applications to our graduate programs. However, we encourage all who apply who are members of the following organizations to consider checking them, as they are known to compensate applicants for application fees for graduate training programs: AmeriCorps, BUILD Program, COMPASS, CORO Fellows, FAF, Fleet Fellows, Gates Millenium Scholars and Alumni, GEM, IIE/Fulbright, IIPP, IMSD, IRT, JSI, Leadership Alliance, LSAMP, MARC, McNair, Mellon Mays, NSF-REU, NYC Urban Fellows, Peace Corps, PPIA, Questbridge, RISE, SINSI, Truman Fellows, U.S. Military, or Yellow Ribbon Program.

NOTE: It should be noted that every applicant who receives and accepts an offer of admission to the clinical program is subject to a background check during their first year in the program. The background check is intended to identify potential risks that might impede placement at health, education, and human service practicum sites and on internship. A background check that reveals a felony conviction could result in immediate dismissal from the program; other infractions may prevent a student from being able to successfully complete selective training experiences and/or the program.

See more information about Ohio University's graduate admission requirements.

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Please read instructions carefully and fill out the application completely, including sections on prior experiences.

Make sure to follow the directions on the "U.S./Permanent Resident Graduate Application Checklist" or "International Graduate Checklist" for additional materials that should be submitted.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applying for admission in the fall semester is Dec. 1 of the previous calendar year.