ETSU PhD Admission Requirements

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NOTE: The process of approval for the program was such that our call for application materials could not be issued until relatively late in the year. Many potential applicants may not have been aware of the GRE Psychology Subject Test requirement, and are now discovering they will not be able to take it before the application deadline due to issues of GRE subject test availability. Therefore, for this year, we will accept applications without the GRE Psychology Subject test. The GRE General scores must be submitted per the stated requirements.

Applicants to the MA/PhD degree program at ETSU are evaluated once each year only, for admission in the fall semester; applicants for spring admission are not considered. All application information must have been received by February 1st for a candidate to be considered for admission. Students are admitted from two applicant pools, dependent upon level of preparation. All applications are considered with the expectation that the applicant will pursue the PhD. The two applicant pools are as follows:

1. Students holding a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution will be considered for the MA/PhD program. Students admitted to the Clinical Psychology PhD program complete the requirements for an MA in Clinical Psychology as part of their PhD requirements.

2. Students already holding the MA or MS in psychology from a regionally accredited institution may also apply to the MA/PhD program. The master’s degree must be commensurate with the MA program in Clinical Psychology at ETSU and involve the successful completion of an empirically-based thesis project. Students possessing a master's degree without an empirically-based thesis will be required to complete an empirically-based thesis before being admitted to doctoral candidacy.

2. A grade point average of at least 3.00/4.00 in undergraduate and/or graduate level work overall and in Psychology courses;

3. A minimum of 18 semester hours in undergraduate psychology, including courses in quantitative methods, experimental design, personality, history and systems, and abnormal psychology. Students lacking some of these prerequisite courses, but presenting an exceptional undergraduate record, may be granted graduate admission, but they will be expected to remove all undergraduate deficiencies during their first academic year;

4. GRE scores (Verbal, Quantitative, Written Analysis and Psychology subtest) are required for application and are taken into account in the admissions process;

5. Letters of recommendation from at least three persons familiar with the applicant's academic background and aptitude for graduate study and future performance as a psychologist;

6. A personal statement of 500-1000 words indicating the applicant's academic experiences, research interests, and career goals. Prior undergraduate research interests and involvement are weighted heavily as is an interest and commitment to working in a rural and/or primary care setting;

7. A willingness to be interviewed by members of the admission committee, should that be required.

Students with graduate credit earned at another institution, upon matriculation at ETSU, may petition to have these credits applied toward their degree requirements at ETSU. While such credits are not automatically transferred and must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training and the School of Graduate Studies, a maximum of 9 semester hours earned elsewhere could be applied. See the ETSU Graduate Catalog for more details. For students who have attained a master’s degree elsewhere, a maximum of 48 semester hours may be applied toward the MA/PhD degree requirements.