Admission Process

The admission process must be completed through the Graduate School.

Applicants can apply to one or both of our graduate programs in clinical or experimental psychology. Doctoral training programs must often plan several years ahead to assure that funding, practicum opportunities, and optimal class sizes are assured. The admission of significant numbers of advanced students can complicate long-term planning. Thus, applicants who have earned, or will earn, a graduate degree in psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, any related behavioral science field will be assigned to a separate pool for consideration of admission to either the clinical (MAC) or experimental (MAE) programs. The psychology department faculty makes a judgment each year regarding the maximum number of students we are able to accept from the clinical and experimental applicants possessing graduate degrees in psychology and related-disciplines. The clinical psychology program also offers two federally funded positions for qualified Native American applicants. Your eligibility for consideration in our Indians Into Psychology Doctoral Education (INPSYDE) program can be determined by contacting the director of this program (Dr. Doug McDonald). Minimum GRE and grade eligibility requirements may differ for applicants who qualify for the INPSYDE program.

Application Deadline: Applications must be postmarked before January 15th will be eligible for admission. The Admissions Committee review will begin within a week or two after the application deadline. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, and vita updates that are received after initiation of the Admissions Committee review will not be considered.

Initial Elimination Criteria:

Applicants to the clinical and experimental psychology programs will be eliminated from the initial admission review if their fail to meet any one of the following three criteria:

A. You must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or above; or a graduate GPA > 3.75 for applicants in the MAC or MAE pools

B. You must have an analytic GRE writing test score > 2.5

C. Your Verbal & Quantitative GRE scores must both equal or exceed the 30th percentile

Remaining application credentials are then quantified using a department admissions rating scale that attributes the following proportion of points to each area: GRE scores (26%); GPA (29%); scholarship (26%); and letters, autobiographical statement, and clinical experience (19%). The Admissions Committee will accept applicants most recent GRE scores. The GRE must be completed prior to the application deadline (January 15th), but the committee will proceed with unofficial GRE scores that are identified in a signed statement from an applicant until the official scores are received. GRE scores in excess of five years old will be rated, but applicants who are ultimately in a position to receive an offer of admission must first retake the exam and successfully meet the department’s minimum requirements with the updated scores. Applicants will be given the minimum points for the GRE subject subtest if it is not taken in time. Research productivity will be evaluated only for work completed in the general areas of psychology and behavioral science. The applicants final score will be averaged over the individual scores of all faculty raters. Each applicant must submit a copy of an updated vita which includes a concise summary of his or her clinical and research achievements.

Approximately 25 of the top applicants will be invited to visit the UND Psychology Department in March of each year for our open house. The open house begins early on a Friday morning and ends around noon on Saturday. An orientation meeting will be provided by department administrators along with a brief presentation by each faculty member regarding his or her research interests. Applicants will also be provided an opportunity to request individual meetings with faculty members of interest on Saturday morning. Faculty members may also initiate a meeting with individual applicants. Furthermore, each applicant will be required to complete an interview with two or more members of the Admissions Committee.

The 2004 Open House will be held on Feb. 24-25. You can attend the Open House by invitation only. Attendance at the Open House is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. Invitations to the Open House are extended at least two weeks before the scheduled weekend.

The Psychology Department will make efforts to select graduate students with research interests that are consistent with at least one faculty member who is willing to serve as a mentor if the candidate accepts our offer. Applicants should be aware that any number of faculty can increase their final ranking by allocating preference points to any particular candidate. These points will summate across faculty members so that applicants generating broad faculty interest will potentially move up in the rankings. While attendance at the open house is not mandatory, an applicant’s absence may diminish opportunities to meet with faculty who could potentially provide preference points in the final stage of the admissions process.

Brief Introductory Message From Department Chair

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