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Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission to a doctoral program in clinical psychology, the applicant is required to present evidence of scholastic ability, significant interest in the area of psychology for which admission is sought, personal stability, interpersonal sensitivity, and sound moral character. Minimum requirements include a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution; a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale or a 3.5 graduate-level grade point average on a 4.0 scale based on a minimum of 18 semester hours, which must be completed by the end of the fall semester; three semester hours of statistics; 18 semester hours in psychology; a three-credit-hour experimental psychology course is recommended. The requirement for 18 semester hours of course work in psychology will be waived with a score of 600 or higher on the Graduate Record Examination, Psychology Test. The complete Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical writing) are required. A combined score greater than 297 for GRE verbal and quantitative is preferred. The GRE Psychology Test is recommended, but not required.

The standards required for admission keep in mind the safety and well-being of clients whom its graduates will eventually serve in clinical situations. Candidates for the degree must possess, with or without reasonable accommodation, multiple abilities and skills including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and intrapersonal, communication, behavioral, and personal attributes including empathy, emotional self-awareness, and emotional maturity. Achievement of the minimum requirements above is necessary for an application to be considered for a doctoral program. Higher GPA and GRE scores indicating greater potential to complete doctoral-level work will enhance an application. A combined GRE verbal and quantitative score greater than 297 is preferred. Other factors include:

  • previous courses taken, especially quantitative for Ph.D. and biological for Clinical Health and Clinical Neuropsychology;
  • previous clinical and research experience;
  • evidence of interest in psychology;
  • the applicant’s personal statement; and
  • three letters of recommendation

Personal interviews are required on Interview Days (held in December and February). Completed applications and all supporting documents (as listed below) must be complete and received in the graduate admissions office by January 8th for consideration for admission beginning the following fall. Students are admitted only once per year for classes starting in the fall semester.

Application Procedure

The following information is required as part of the application:

  1. Complete online application form.
  2. Application processing fee of $50 (in U.S. dollars) made payable to Nova Southeastern University. Once the application is completed and the processing fee has been received by NSU, students will be able to upload supplemental documents to Supplemental Documents on their user profile.
  3. Statement of Professional Goals: A statement of your professional experiences, including a description of your clinical experience, research experience, and those aspects of psychology in which you have the greatest interest; additionally, describe briefly your professional goals.
  4. Curriculum Vitae or Resume.
  5. Three academic or professional letters of recommendation. Once the application processing fee has been received, students will be able to put in Recommender's Email Addresses. They will receive an email with a link to the student's application, where the recommender will fill out the form electronically and upload the recommendation letter.
  6. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities you attended need to be mailed directly to Enrollment Processing Services (EPS), including agency evaluation of foreign degrees for determination of U.S. equivalence (including Canadian transcripts). International students should visit http://www.nova.edu/internationalstudents for further information.*
  7. GRE scores (GRE Code: 5516)
  8. International Student applicants should submit English proficiency scores, if applicable. International Students should visit http://www.nova.edu/internationalstudents/prospective/i20.html for further information.
Please mail transcripts to:
Nova Southeastern University
Enrollment Processing Services
Attn: College of Psychology
3301 College Avenue P.O. Box 299000
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33329-9905		 For International Students:
Nova Southeastern University
Attn: Enrollment Processing Services
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33329-9905

Official electronic transcripts must be sent to electronictranscript@nova.edu
 NOTE: EXTERNAL INSTITUTIONS ONLY.

If you have any questions about the admissions process, call (954) 262-7563 / 800-541-6682, 27563 (a-s-k-m-e), or email to gradschool@nova.edu.

International Students are encouraged to contact the Office of International Students Services at (954) 262-7240 or 800-541-6682, ext. 27240 or by email at intl@nova.edu.

How to Apply

To access a step-by-step guide on the application process, click here.

After the application files are reviewed, a select group of eligible applicants will be invited to attend an in-person interview in December or February. The Office of Admissions will notify eligible applicants, by email, if they have been selected to attend one of the Interview Days.

Please note that an in-person interview is required for admission.

The standards required for admission keep in mind the safety and well-being of the clients graduates will eventually serve in clinical situations. Candidates for the degree must possess–with or without reasonable accommodation–multiple abilities and skills including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities and intrapersonal, communication, behavioral, and personal attributes including empathy, emotional self-awareness, and emotional maturity. These are further defined in the center's student handbooks.

In accordance with the guidelines established by the American Psychological Association, accepted applicants have until April 15 to respond to our offer, although earlier notification is desired. Applicants who accept our offer must send a required deposit of $1,000 by April 15 to secure their place in the program. This nonrefundable fee is credited toward the first semester's tuition. You may be subject to a background check upon acceptance into the program.

Students may be provisionally admitted to a degree-seeking program based on a review of unofficial transcripts or other specific program admission requirements. However, this admission includes a condition that final and official documents and requirements must be received within 90 calendar days from the start of the term. If these final and official documents and/or requirements are not received by that time, the student will not be allowed to continue class attendance. Financial aid will not be disbursed to a provisional/conditional student until he or she has been fully admitted as a regular student (all admissions requirements have been approved by the college/program admissions office). Students who have an unpaid balance 30 days from the start of the term will be assessed a $100 fee.

All transfer credit must be awarded during the student's first academic year in the doctoral program. Consideration will be given only to doctoral-level courses taken within the past five years and before matriculation in the doctoral program. Request for first semester courses must be made during the summer before July 20, and may be done through the mail or by making an appointment with the director of academic affairs that is responsible for awarding these credits. Request for all other transfer credit must be made during the fall, before September 30. The maximum number of credits transferred that will be credited toward graduation is 15. Coursework submitted must meet all the specific criteria outlined in the center catalog. No transfer credits may be applied to pre-practicum, practicum, internship, or electives. Courses from terminal master's degree programs are not transferable. See the College of Psychology student handbook for additional information.

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