Do you offer a terminal master's degree?
We offer a single terminal master’s degree, which is the Masters in Applied Psychology.

Do I need to complete the video essay on the application?
Applications to our doctoral program are made through the admissions portal on the Graduate School website: https://grad.catalyst.uc.edu/apply/.  The Graduate School’s application allows applicants to upload an optional video. The Psychology doctoral program will NOT be using the video to make admissions decisions and, in fact, will not be looking at any video materials.  You are advised to skip this portion of the application.  All other portions are required.

Do you accept contingent applications?
No, we do not accept contingent applications.

Are background checks required for the doctoral program?
You are not required to complete a background check in order to apply to the doctoral program.  Should you be admitted to the clinical training program and indicate your intent to matriculate into the program, you will be required to complete a background check, the cost of which will be reimbursed.  We are required to conduct background checks prior to clinical students providing services in our departmental clinic, which is a mandatory training experience in the first year.

Do you accept part-time students to your doctoral program?  We do not offer a part-time doctoral program; all students must be devoted full-time to their training.

How recent do my GRE scores need to be?
Only GRE scores earned within 5 years of the application deadline will be considered.

Do you require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Psychology Subject Test?
No. The General Test is required; the Subject Test is optional. When you submit your application online to the Graduate School website, there will be a field for you to enter your subject test score. We would like to reiterate that the Subject Test IS NOT required for the Doctoral program in Psychology.

What school code do I enter in order to have my GRE scores sent to the University of Cincinnati?
School code: 1833. You do not need to enter an additional code for our specific doctoral program.

How long does it typically take to earn the PhD in Psychology?
On average, our clinical students complete their degrees in 6 years (including the internship year) and our experimental students in 5 years.

How can I find out what faculty are interested in recruiting students?
Click here for a listing of faculty that are potentially interested in recruiting.

Do I need to identify a potential mentor in order to apply to the program?
Our program is structured according to a mentor model in which students work primarily under one faculty member. Thus, it is to your advantage to review the interests of the faculty members who are recruiting students prior to applying. You may choose to identify a faculty mentor with whom you are interested in working with. However, you are not required to identify potential mentors in your application.

What is the deadline to apply?
The deadline to apply for the Doctoral Psychology program is December 5, and the deadline to apply for the Master’s of Applied Psychology program is January 15.

What information should be in my personal statement?
Your personal statement, which you will be asked to upload when you apply online through the Graduate School, can be structured in any way that you choose, but we suggest that you be sure to include descriptions of your relevant experience (particularly research experience), professional goals, and reasons for selecting this particular doctoral program. Typically personal statements are 2-3 pages long.

The Graduate School’s application portal has more than one application link listed. Which one should I choose?
The Doctoral Psychology program and Master’s of Applied Psychology program only accept incoming students for fall semester. Select the link that is listed under “Fall” for the upcoming year.

I have general questions about the field and/or questions about my specific situation.
If you are seeking general information about professional training in clinical psychology or about our department’s program specifically, please plan to attend a group meeting with Dr. Paula Shear, Director of Clinical Training. Anyone inside or outside the UC community is welcome to attend. These meetings will be small and informal and will be structured primarily as question and answer sessions. Click here for a schedule of upcoming open meetings.

If I already have a master's degree, do I have to complete the master's thesis requirement?
If you have completed an empirical thesis in another program, you may petition to have your thesis requirement waived; each thesis is evaluated on a case-by-case basis for comparability to our departmental requirements.

Can I get credit for graduate coursework completed at another institution?
Certain course requirements may be waived if you have completed similar coursework at another institution. However, clinical students are not permitted to exempt the core clinical coursework and all courses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

My undergraduate degree is not in Psychology. Can I still apply to the doctoral program?
It is preferred but not required that applicants have baccalaureate degrees in Psychology. At a minimum, applicants are required to have had one course in research methods in the behavioral or social sciences and one course in statistical methods. For the clinical program, applicants must have had a minimum of 24 quarter credit hours or 16 semester credit hours in non-introductory psychology courses, including the research methods and statistics courses mentioned above.

Where do I send my application?
Applications must be completed online through the Graduate School. If you have questions about applying to our program, please contact our Psychology Graduate Program at PsyGProg@uc.edu or by phone at 513-556-5539.

How do I arrange an interview for the doctoral program?
Interviews for admission occur in late February or early March and are by invitation.

Do you require an official transcript?
When you apply through the Graduate School site, you will be asked to upload an unofficial transcript from all colleges you have attended.  Official transcripts are only required upon acceptance into the Doctoral program in Psychology.