Clinical Psychology Graduate Program
The philosophy of training that guides the APA accredited1 Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology has evolved over the past 30 years. The program is different from traditional Ph.D. programs that solely prepare students for research and academic positions. The academic, clinical, and research experiences at CMU maintain a balance between training in science and practice. Throughout their academic, clinical, and research experiences students are provided with feedback, modeling, and mentoring that fosters the integration current theory, research, and practice. Upon graduation, students are prepared to pursue clinical or research careers.
The program follows a scientist-practitioner training model. The Clinical Psychology Program faculty believe that clinical training is a complex process that cannot be readily condensed or easily simplified. The optimal practice of Clinical Psychology rests on the integration of theory, research, and practice. Clinical learning involves instruction, feedback, self-monitoring, and modeling the behavior of experts.
Training is sequential, graded in complexity, and designed to prepare students for further training. The integration of theory, research, and practice is expected to evolve out of numerous exposures to this process. This integration not only deepens scholarly learning, but also develops effective clinical skills.
The Clinical Psychology Program faculty further believe that training should expose students to a variety of testable formulations, as opposed to a single theoretical model. Integration of theory, research, and practice is essential. The program seeks to attain this goal by modeling a scientific approach in both didactic and experiential coursework.
Admissions process
At present it is unclear whether funding will be in place to admit a class for the 2024-2025 academic year. We hope to know in early December 2023. At this time we will provide an application deadline. Please check back in this space to see whether we will be admitting a class, and if so, which faculty members will be admitting students to train under their supervision.
The Admissions Committee will consider the following components of the application: academic transcript, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and relevant professional and research experiences. Applicant research interests and professional goals are used to match each applicant with a clinical faculty mentor prior to admission. After an initial screening of submitted materials, the most qualified applicants will be invited to a virtual Open House to meet current students and clinical faculty. GRE scores are not currently required as part of the application for admission.
Curriculum
All students are accepted into the program on a full-time basis. Before arriving on campus, each student is assigned a clinical faculty mentor who aids the student in their passage through the program. Students entering with a BA/BS degree are required to complete approximately 104 graduate credit hours. Some courses may be waived based on prior graduate work, but no more than 30 credit hours can be transferred.
Deadlines
At present it is unclear whether funding will be in place to admit a class for the 2024-2025 academic year. We hope to know in early December 2023. At this time we will provide an application deadline. Please check back in this space to see whether we will be admitting a class.
Contact information
If you have any questions with regard to the application requirements please contact:
Department of Psychology, 989-774-3001
Central Michigan University, Clinical Psychology Programs
Sloan Hall 101, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Fax number: 989-774-2553
Application forms
1. CMU College of Graduate Studies application (required)
Complete and submit Central Michigan University's application form with all required application materials to the College of Graduate Studies. The Department of Psychology requires a Statement of Research Interest. Requirements can be found in the application. Transcripts should be sent to the College of Graduate Studies, Central Michigan University, 802 Industrial Drive, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858. They can also be sent electronically directly from your prior school to apply@cmich.edu. For an update on your application status, please call (989) 774-4444.
2. Letters of recommendation (required)
The online application requires three letter writers to electronically submit their letters to your application portal. You will need to provide their email addresses within your application in order for the system to automatically reach out to them.
3. GRE scores (optional)
GRE scores are currently optional. The subject portion of the GRE is not required. If you choose to, please submit your GRE scores in one of the following ways:
a) Request that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send an official copy of your GRE Score Report to the Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Sloan Hall 101, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859. The code for Central Michigan University is 1106; the Clinical Psychology Program Code number is 2001. OR
b) Submit a screenshot or pdf of your scores from your ETS account. If you are admitted you must submit an official Score Report that verifies the unofficial scores you submitted as part of your application.
4. Optional forms and information
You can read more about the King-Chavez-Parks (KCP) Fellowship by viewing the KCP website and then completing the KCP Future Faculty Fellows application.
We encourage all applicants to be familiar with APA's Rules for Acceptance of Offers for Admission and Financial Aid.
There are many excellent general resources that describe the process of applying to graduate school in clinical psychology. We recommend "Mitch's Guide", written by Dr. Mitch Prinstein.
Student forms
- Clinical Student Qualifying Examination Manual 2020-2021 (PDF)
- Clinical Authorization of Degree - Master's (PDF)
- Clinical Authorization of Degree - Doctoral (PDF)
- PSY 892/893 Practicum (PDF)
Thesis and dissertation manual and forms
- Thesis/Dissertation Manual (PDF)
- Thesis/Dissertation Forms (Office
of Graduate Studies website)
Student manuals
For past Student Manuals, contact the Department of Psychology at psy@cmich.edu.
References
Visit the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) website to review their guide for getting into Clinical Psychology graduate programs.
1American Psychological Association (APA) Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Telephone: 800-374-2721; 202-336-5979. TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123