Clinical Psychology PhD Program Admissions

The application for our 2025 cohort is NOW OPEN!

Interested in learning more about our program? Use the link below to receive important program updates, unique insights into the PhD program, as well as the opportunity to learn and connect with our current faculty & students.

INQUIRE HERE

International Students

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for those for whom English is not the native language. Minimum score for paper test is 600; computer test, 250, internet test 100.

Or, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test can be taken. An overall score of 7.0 is required with minimum sub scores per section also being 7.0.

If you attended a non-US or non-Canadian college, university, or graduate school, a course-by-course evaluation of your international college and university transcripts is required. Several third party organizations provide this service to international students, but we prefer WES (World Education Services). The credentials evaluation must be received in our Admissions office by the application deadline to ensure consideration of your application.

Applying with a Master’s Degree and Transfer of Credits

Some applicants to the clinical psychology PhD program may have completed a master’s degree at another institution. If the master’s degree program did not require an empirical thesis, students must complete a thesis in our program (and, as result, a second master’s degree). If a student’s prior degree was in a psychology program and included an empirical thesis that is approved by the PhD program faculty, the clinical program also accepts the student’s previously earned master’s degree and, as such, the student is not required to complete another master’s degree in our program. Also, the student may be permitted, upon clinical PhD program faculty approval, to complete the in-residence program requirements in three years (as opposed to the required four years in residence for all other students).

A maximum of 15 semester hours of non-thesis graduate credit can be transferred toward the MS. If the student completed an empirical Master's Thesis that was accepted by the PhD faculty, the student may also transfer up to 12 thesis credits. If a student has earned a master’s degree prior to enrolling in the Pacific University clinical psychology PhD program and is required to complete a second master’s degree in our program (see above), 15 credits may be applied to the MS program of study. These credits must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution, the student must have received no less than an A grade, and must have been taken within four years immediately preceding admission to the PhD program.

Accreditation

The PhD program has been Accredited by the APA Commission on Accreditation (see the APA Accreditation website for further details). Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: 
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/about/coa/
202-336-5979 | apaaccred@apa.org 
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation