Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program

• Overview
• Admission
• Curriculum
• Learning Outcomes
• Practice
• Faculty

Overview

Application Materials

1. Application fee of $65, plus Centralized Application System (CAS) fees
2. Personal Statement (one copy submitted as supplemental material in online application; limit to 1000 words) – Please include the information below:
   • Your research interests and experience. Please provide detailed information on your interests and the types of research projects in which you have participated, including your specific responsibilities.
   • Your clinical interests and experience. Please give us an idea of the types of clinical experience (volunteer or otherwise) in which you have participated. Please be specific concerning your responsibilities.
   • Clinical program faculty you feel match with your interests. The extent to which an applicant’s research and professional interests correspond to the interests of existing faculty is an important factor in the selection process. Please name the program faculty member(s) who best match your interests in your statement.
3. Inclusion and Diversity Statement (one copy submitted as supplemental material in online application; limit to 500 words) – Please include the information below:
   • Inclusion and Diversity. Describe how your background and experiences demonstrate your commitment and ability to engage with issues of diversity and inclusion and how those commitments might be reflected in your graduate school career and beyond.
4. Unofficial transcripts from every undergraduate and graduate institution you attended (upload PDFs as supplemental materials in online application).
   • Official transcripts from each institution are NOT required before the December 1st deadline, but will be required if you are offered admission to the program following interview day.
5. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae/Resume documenting previous educational, work, volunteer, clinical and research experiences (upload as supplemental form in online application).
6. TOEFL scores (for applicants with a native language other than English)
7. Three letters of recommendation
8. Clinical Program Survey Information
   • Click here to complete the clinical program survey questions
   • These questions are an essential part of your application. Your application will not be considered complete until these questions have been completed.

The GRE is not required for admission to the clinical psychology program. URI’s clinical psychology program is committed to providing an inclusive, equitable, and diverse place of learning. The GRE disadvantages students of color, women, and students of lower socioeconomic status. Further, the costs and logistics of taking the GRE have raised questions about equity of access for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and rural areas. Thus, the requirement of the GRE is inconsistent with the values of the clinical psychology program at URI.

No admissions materials should be sent via mail to the Psychology Department or to the Graduate School at this time. Applicants will be contacted for these materials following an invitation to Interview Day.

Selection/Interview Process

The admission team’s rating of the applicant’s credentials is based on their appraisal of the application materials. High scoring applicants (usually 25-30) are invited to complete a series of interviews with faculty and graduate students. A determination of whether interviews will be conducted in-person or remotely will be made in early January. Interviews will be conducted in late-January.

Typically, each invited applicant is interviewed by at least two faculty members in separate individual interviews and by graduate students in an informational interview. If the interviews are held remotely, this process is subject to change. The interview is an important part of the admissions selection process. Applicants are typically given at least two weeks’ notice if they are to be invited to interview. Failure to participate in interviews without prior notice of extenuating circumstance constitutes a withdrawal from the admissions process and the application will not be considered further.

Transfer Credit

If you are admitted to the Clinical Program and you have completed graduate work at another accredited college, university, or professional school you may:

1. transfer up to 30 credits if you have a master’s degree in psychology or a closely related area; or
2. transfer as many as one-fifth of the credits required to complete your degree plan if you do not have a master’s degree in psychology or a closely related area.

Transfer credit is granted only when the request is endorsed by the major professor and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Requests for transfer credit for course equivalency are typically reviewed and endorsed in writing by the faculty member who usually teaches the course at URI. Transfer credit for core content courses is limited to six credits (two courses). No decisions regarding transfer credit can be made prior to matriculation.

Financial Support

Traditionally, the URI clinical program has been extremely successful in providing financial support for its graduate students. We typically provide a minimum of four academic-years of financial support (i.e., tuition remission plus a stipend) as a teaching or research assistant. Additional detail on sources of financial support is found in the Clinical Manual. Financial support for graduate students is available from a variety of sources:

• Teaching assistantships
• Research assistantships (grant funded)
• Assistantships at the URI Counseling Center.
• Other Graduate Assistantships (e.g., URI Women’s Center)
• University Fellowships, Minority Fellowships, and Tuition scholarships as awarded by the Graduate School
• Tuition Assistance from the Clinical Area
• Conference Attendance Grants
• Other Support: The Graduate Student Association offers financial assistance to graduate student groups and individuals through its Assistance Program such as for thesis Binding