Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology

Suffolk's APA accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology provides systematic and cumulative training in the core competencies students need to pursue careers in practice, research, or academic settings. Our program requirements reflect our adherence to the scientist-practitioner model and emphasize the value we place on evidence-based clinical work and practice-informed research. We are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program and in the broader community and we strive to prepare students to respectfully and effectively work with diverse individuals and groups.
The overarching aim of our program is to prepare students for entry-level practice in clinical psychology. We draw from a scientist-practitioner model that emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between science and practice and underscores the value of practice that is evidence-based, and evidence that is practice-informed.
In pursuit of this aim, we have developed measurable goals that students in our program must meet in order to successfully complete the program. The required coursework, training, and experiential activities we offer to help students meet these learning goals as well as their relationship to the American Psychological Association's Profession Wide Competencies are outlined in Appendix A of Clinical Program Student Manual.

Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary work. Admitted students enrolling in the program will need to have official transcripts, including proof of degree conferral, on file prior to their first class.
Completion of core, foundational courses that demonstrate academic preparation for doctoral-level coursework in psychology (Required: Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods, Statistics, Recommended: Coursework in the biological, cognitive, social, and developmental bases of psychology)
Although the GRE Psychology Subject test is not required, applicants who have not completed an Introductory to Psychology course may submit official the GRE Psychology Subject test instead
Research Methods and Statistics coursework can be from psychology or a related field
Goal statement (essay)
Curriculum vitae
Two letters of recommendation (Learn more)
Official GRE scores (General Test)
Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE-Academic scores (international students only)
Interview, by invitation
Goal Statement: Special attention should be paid to the personal statement, which should describe relevant background experience (in both research and clinical settings), academic interests, professional goals, and potential mentors. Applicants should emphasize aspects of their experience and professional goals that closely align with the overarching aims of the program and the specific mentors with whom they would like to work. As the program is dedicated to training culturally responsive psychologists, we encourage applicants to address any interest and/or experiences related to diversity and social justice.
Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation should be written by faculty members with whom you have studied or from people with whom you have worked professionally (preferably a direct supervisor from previous work experience in a research or clinical position).
Students enrolling in graduate programs must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or an equivalent degree granted by an institution in another country (as determined by the Office of Graduate Admission).
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Suffolk welcomes both the TOEFL iBT and TOEFL Essentials. To be considered for full admission, a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80, with no subscore lower than 17, or a minimal TOEFL Essentials overall band score of 8.5, with no subsection below 8, is required. Suffolk University's code for TOEFL test scores is 3771.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 6.5 (with no subscore below 6.0) is required to be considered for full admission.