Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an appropriately certified foreign institution.
- An undergraduate degree grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0).*
-or- - A graduate GPA of 3.25 (on a scale of 4.0).*
- Interview with a member of the program’s core faculty.
*On rare occasions, an applicant with a grade point average lower than the stated admission requirements may be considered for admission if the applicant provides documented evidence of interest, ability, and aptitude for doctoral study in clinical psychology. All admission exceptions must be documented, and the program admissions committee must recommend the applicant to move forward in the admissions process.
Application process
- All PsyD applicants must complete and submit an admission application through PsyCas.
- Admission Application Fee through PsyCas
- Personal/professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession. Your personal statement should be 2-3 pages. While what you address in this paper can take a variety of forms, the faculty have found that the strongest personal statements contain the following:
- how you came to the decision to become a clinical psychologist
- your short and long term professional goals as related to being a clinical psychologist
- why you believe Augsburg is the best choice to meet your goals
- strengths & weaknesses, which ideally includes personal qualities that will contribute to your success in clinical psychology & qualities that will require development
- Current Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume (or career summary)
- Three completed Applicant Recommendation Forms
- Official academic transcripts from all degree granting institutions. *Additional transcripts may be requested to review post-baccalaureate degrees as well as relevant coursework and/or to satisfy psychology foundation course requirements. See below regarding international transcripts.
- Completion of an interview with a member of the program Admissions Committee.
- Optional Admission Material: Applicants may submit their scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
After applicants have completed their applications, they will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee to determine an invitation to interview. Applicants will be notified of their Interview Day by the Admissions Counselor. For those travelling and needing information on nearby hotels and special rates, see Hotels page.
Non-Degree-Seeking Students in the PsyD Program
The PsyD program allows non-degree-seeking students to take no more than two courses (and no more than 6 semester credits) without being admitted to the PsyD program. See the Augsburg University Non-Degree-Seeking Students Policy for details. Non-degree-seeking students are admitted on a case-by-case, space-available basis and must have completed all course prerequisites.
Committee Decisions
All applicants will receive written notification of the Admissions Committee’s decision. Admissions Committee decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.
International Transcript Evaluations
Augsburg requires an evaluation of credentials for any transcript(s) from an institution outside of the United States.
This evaluation should include the following:
- Analysis of credentials to determine if your degree is equivalent to an accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree.
- Course by course evaluation to show your complete course listing with credit values and grades received for each course.
- Calculation of grade point average to demonstrate your cumulative grade point average using the standard U.S. grading system, i.e., A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0.
- Translation to English (if applicable)
Evaluations can be accepted from World Education Services, SpanTran Pathways – Augsburg University, Educational Credential Evaluators, or any NACES accredited organization. Learn more about NACES and find a list of accredited evaluators at NACES.org
Pending Undergraduate or Graduate Degrees
Our faculty are willing to review the files of applicants whose degrees are pending provided there is only one or two semesters pending at the time of application. Make sure your most recent term is posted to your transcript prior to submitting through PsyCas.
Foundation Courses
Augsburg University requires applicants to successfully complete, with a “B-” or better, five undergraduate or graduate courses that serve as a basic foundation for course work in clinical psychology. Several of these courses serve as direct prerequisites to the PsyD courses. The following three courses are required:
- *Introduction to psychology or general psychology
- Abnormal, psychopathology, or maladaptive behavior
- Statistics or research methods
- Two additional courses in the field of psychology must also be completed.
Students must complete foundation courses before they matriculate in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program
* This course may be waived if the applicant has completed a Bachelors or Master degree in Psychology.
*On rare occasions, an applicant with a grade(s) lower than the stated foundation course requirements may be considered for admission if the applicant provides documented evidence of interest, ability, and aptitude for doctoral study in clinical psychology. All admission exceptions must be documented, recommended by the program admissions committee, and approved by the program chair.
readmission to the PsyD
If students withdraw from the program, students must file a Readmission form through the Registrar’s Office to be readmitted. Students in this position should also make sure to contact the Program Director during this process.
If students are dismissed by the program, it is important to note that readmission to Augsburg University’s PsyD program following dismissal is extremely rare, and requires exceptional circumstances. Dismissed students should not assume that they will return to Augsburg University’s PsyD program, and should instead pursue goals outside of the PsyD Program. If choosing to reapply, students need to follow the same process application process as new applicants.
Re-applying students are expected to address, in a separate essay, (1) reasons for dismissal and (2) the steps taken to address and change behaviors that led to the dismissal in their application. A fourth letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with the circumstances surrounding the dismissal is also required. In a personal statement, we expect an explanation for why returning to Augsburg’s PsyD Program (rather than pursuing a degree in another doctoral psychology program) is necessary to meet career goals. Simply waiting and reapplying is not sufficient to warrant readmission.
If admitted following a dismissal, it is not guaranteed that courses previously taken in Augsburg’s PsyD Program will apply to the degree upon readmission. Courses from the previous tenure in Augsburg’s PsyD program will be evaluated on an individual basis.