Admissions

In addition to the application requirements listed on the GW programs website, review the Professional Psychology Program’s application guidelines. All supporting documents should be uploaded to your application or sent directly to The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences at [email protected].

Application Deadline: December 1

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Evaluation of Applications

The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants on a number of factors:

Academic performance
Strength of recommendations
Clinical experience/interest
Prior professional work experience
Integrity, motivation, maturity, professionalism, and personal ethics
Undergraduate and/or graduate coursework in psychology and a statistics course

Interviews

If your application is rated as being a good fit for our program, you will be invited to attend an applicant orientation and interview with faculty.

Acceptance of Admission

The program director will notify you of your application status via email. You will subsequently be asked to respond by email and postal mail to an admission letter from the graduate dean.

Waitlist

Due to the competitive nature of our applicants and limited number of acceptances offered per year, you may be placed on a wait list. You will be notified via email or telephone of your status from the program director.

Transfer Credit

On a case-by-case basis, students may receive approval for up to 27 graduate transfer credits. Previously earned graduate credits in standardized core content areas (e.g., statistics, research methods, biological bases) are more likely to be approved than program-specific clinical courses. Due to carefully sequenced clinical training, students with transfer credits will not be able to reduce the overall number of semesters of required training.

Transfer credits are not reviewed prior to program admission. Transfer credits of admitted students are approved by the program after review by the student’s advisor and the instructor of the relevant course. Incoming students should petition their advisors for such credits early in their first semester. Approval of a large number of credit hours in transfer credits, i.e., approaching 27 credits, is likely to occur only in cases of previously earned doctoral degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I send my application materials?

All application materials should be uploaded to your online application. Questions? Email the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences at [email protected].

I cannot find the PsyD Application.

Please choose Columbian College of Arts and Sciences as your school and "Professional Psychology" as your Field of Study (rather than Clinical Psychology). That will then enable you to choose Psy.D. as your degree.

Is the GRE required? How do I send my scores?

The GRE general test is optional. To have your GRE scores reported to us, you must provide the institutional code (5246) for The George Washington University to the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Please leave the department field blank, you do not have to submit a departmental code.

Do I need to submit transcripts from every university I've attended?

Yes, transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Exceptions to this policy may be made for study abroad transcripts that were part of your bachelor's degree program and high school dual-enrollment programs completed prior to your beginning your bachelor's degree.

Can I apply without a degree in psychology?

Yes. Applicants without a psychology degree should in their essay discuss how they have acquired the background knowledge and clinical experience necessary to prepare them for graduate level work in psychology.

What prerequisite courses are required to apply?

We require all applicants to have completed a college level course in statistics and have significant background in psychology. We recommend that incoming students have completed introductory psychology, abnormal psychology, history and systems, research methods and lifespan development psychology courses. Preparatory courses may be taken as non-degree courses at any accredited university.

How much clinical experience is required to begin the program?

We strongly encourage applicants to have gained clinical and “hands on” experience in some capacity; however, there is no minimum clinical experience required to apply. Clinical experience can include completing volunteer work such as: mentoring, working in a community mental health center, hospital, or hotline. When you apply, be sure to include evidence of clinical experience in your application essay and perhaps have a recommendation from a supervisor who has observed you working with patients or students.

How many students enroll each year?

Recent cohort sizes can be found on the Admissions Outcomes page and have averaged in the mid 20s.

Does the program offer any funding?

Our program is able to offer limited funding to some incoming students. There are a handful of merit scholarships which all applicants are automatically considered. In addition, our program offers opportunities (typically to advanced students) to become teaching assistants. There are also several paid part-time job positions available to students in our program (e.g. working in our clinic). Job positions are advertised to students at the start of the school year.

While our program does not offer full-tuition graduate assistantships, there are opportunities to secure external funding, fellowships and assistantships through The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowship. Additionally, The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences offers funding assistance through the Minority-Serving Institution Award to qualified students who have graduated from an eligible minority-serving institution (MSI).

In all, many students support themselves through a combination of scholarships, grants, part-time work and student loans. For general inquiries on types of University funding, please contact GW Financial Aid.

Does the program offer funding for military-affiliated students and veterans?

There are several scholarships available to military-affiliated students, available from the George Washington University (GW), from Military and Veteran Services, and from outside sources. GW's Military and Veteran Services Office website has additional information about military benefits, including the GI Bill®. Please feel free to reach out to them with specific questions by phone 202-994-9570 or email [email protected].

Our program has trained a number of military veterans and welcomes applications from those who have served. We are proud that two of our students won the prestigious and highly competitive Tillman Scholarships. We have also had several students win Army or Navy health profession scholarships that supported their training to become successful military psychologists.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.

Can I work a full-time job while in the program?

For all students, we recommend students work no more than 20 hours per week. Some students have part-time jobs, often with flexible hours. We do offer a reduced-load option which allows students to pursue their degree with a reduction of one course per fall and spring semester with the intention of completing coursework in four years rather than three, followed by the required internship year. Students participating in the reduced course-track are still considered full-time students.

Do you accept transfer students?

Yes, we do accept transfer students/credits. On a case-by-case basis, students may receive approval for up to 27 graduate transfer credits. Previously earned graduate credits in standardized core content areas (e.g., statistics, research methods, biological bases) are more likely to be approved than program-specific clinical courses. Due to carefully sequenced clinical training, students with transfer credits will not be able to reduce the overall number of semesters of required training. Rather, entering our program with transfer credits will allow the student to take more electives or a reduced course load on certain semesters. The program has certain classes that must be taken during certain semesters, which precludes students skipping years.

Further Questions or Suggested FAQ Items?

Please ask us at [email protected], we welcome your inquiries!