The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Appalachian State University is designed to transform graduate students into professional psychologists capable of applying evidence-based assessment and psychotherapy services to diverse populations, particularly in rural areas. The Psy.D. program consists of a minimum of four years of full-time, on-site training, plus a one-year pre-doctoral internship. The program does not offer part-time or distance education. As a new program, we are not able to transfer graduate credit from another program or waive requirements.
Priority review date for admission is December 1st. Applications that are not complete by the priority date risk denial of admission; however, if seats remain for the invitation only interviews in February, applications not complete by December 1st will be considered. New students are admitted one time annually during the fall semester.
- Admissions for fall 2024 are complete
- The application portal for fall 2025 consideration will open in October 2024.
Admission into the Psy.D. program is highly competitive and enrollment is currently limited to approximately six students per year. Applicants are selected for admission on the basis of their undergraduate and graduate grades, letters of reference, personal statements, applied and research experience, and a formal remote interview (by invitation only). As a Clinical Psychology program with an emphasis on training in a rural region, we are particularly interested in admitting students whose career goals include a focus on service to rural and underserved populations.
The program and Appalachian State University are committed to providing equal opportunity in education and employment to all students. The university does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment based on any factors unrelated to success in and match with the program, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. The program and university actively promote diversity among students and employees.
Sometimes applicants desire to schedule a meeting with the program prior to the application deadline and possible invitation for an interview. We are not able to schedule individual meetings with current or future applicants for this purpose. We strongly believe that all applicants should have an equal opportunity to gain admission and do not wish to offer any unfair advantage to applicants who have the resources to travel to our campus. We will announce some Q & A sessions for applicants soon.
Applicants must meet the criteria for admission to the Graduate School.
Preferred admissions requirements include:
- Earned bachelor's degree and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher
- For applicants with an undergraduate degree that is not in psychology, it is preferred that applicants have completed 15-18 credit hours in psychology (introductory psychology, statistics, research methods, and abnormal psychology are required for admission but not necessarily for application). The GRE Psychology test (https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/psychology) is recommended.
- Positive recommendations: Recommendation letters will ideally come from psychology professors and/or mental health professionals familiar with students' academic and/or professional and interpersonal competence. Letters from references who are familiar with doctoral training in psychology are strongly preferred.
- Applied and/or research experience
- Expressed commitment to providing clinical services to rural or underserved populations upon graduation
A complete application for admission will include:
- Graduate School application https://grad.appstate.edu/apply/
Login in for the first time and you will get to the Application Enrollment Page. Under Application Plans, choose: “Yes,” for “Do You Want to Apply for More than One Program?”; Choose “dual (Concurrent) Enrollment” for “I want to apply to __”; Choose “Clinical Psychology PsyD and Psychology MA” for “the dual degree program to which you wish to apply .” The application opens in September for the December 1st review date. See example here
- Official transcripts (from all universities attended)
- The GRE General Test is optional (will need to request a "waiver") for applicants with an undergraduate or last earned degree GPA of a 3.0 or higher. You may submit scores if you have them, and they will be considered by the admissions committee. Applications without GRE scores will be given equal consideration.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal statement describing professional interests, expectations from the doctoral program, and career goals (< 2 double-spaced typed pages). You should consider reflecting on some of the following areas in your statement:
- What experiences related to your education, employment, background, upbringing, and/or aspects of your identity prepare you to succeed in the PsyD program at Appalachian?"
- How do your professional goals match our program, including our focus on serving clients in rural and/or underserved areas?
- What characteristics do you possess that you believe are important to the practice of psychology?
- How does your clinical orientation/philosophy fit with that of our specific faculty members?
- How do your research interests fit with that of our faculty?
- If you believe that any part of your application does not accurately reflect your academic skills or preparation for graduate school in psychology, please address this in your personal statement.
- Three letters of recommendation
- Application fee
Top applicants will be invited for a formal remote interview on February 15th or 16th. Although attendance at an interview is not required for admission into the Psy.D. program, it is strongly encouraged for priority consideration. When possible, we will try to accommodate scheduling conflicts. Initial decisions on admission and financial assistance should be made by late March/early April and offers must be accepted by April 15th. Final admission will be contingent upon completion of a criminal background check that will be facilitated by the Graduate School for a modest fee.
We are a new program and submitted a self-study to APA for "Accreditation on Contingency Status" consideration. We were recently approved for a site visit (scheduled spring 2024). To support cohorts of admitted students through the sequenced program, until further notice, we will not admit applicants who request to have courses transferred or requirements waived.
Consumer Disclosure Information: Educational Requirements for Licensure in Psychology
Appalachian State University's doctoral program in Clinical Psychology program is designed to satisfy the educational requirements for licensure in North Carolina and prepares students to sit for applicable exams. However, requirements in other states may be different. PIease note that at this time Appalachian State University may or may not be able to determine whether the program meets requirements for psychology licensure outside of North Carolina. See information on program educational requirements for licensure under "status by state" as required by the U.S. Department of Education as well as this link from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. State requirements can change, so prior to enrolling, please contact the Program Director (curtinla@appstate.edu) if you have questions.
What kind of support is available?
All students will be offered a graduate assistantship in the total amount of $22,000/year for four years (dependent upon adequate progress in the program).
We abide by the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology guidelines for financial offers (see below):
Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology Guidelines for Financial Offers
Acceptance of an offer of financial aid (such as graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by an actual prospective graduate student completes an agreement which both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which the student accepts the offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to the above Resolution that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.
What is the tuition for graduate students at ASU?
Tuition (and fees) will be paid by students. View current tuition figures. Out-of-state tuition waivers are available on a competitive basis during the 1st year of study. Independent students may apply to establish NC residency for their second year.
How do I get financial aid?
Complete a Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) on the web at http://fafsa.ed.gov and list the schools you are considering on the form. You will receive an estimate of financial aid based on your current income.
Appalachian State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation. The department actively recruits diverse students