Minimum Admissions Requirements
All candidates, regardless of their route to admission will be selected based upon the evaluation of the following criteria:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (must be awarded prior to beginning the doctoral program). Applicants with a specialist degree(s) in school psychology will only be considered if they are graduates from the specialist program in school psychology at NSU’s College of Psychology to ensure consistency in the attainment of the program aims as well as the profession-wide and discipline specific competencies.
- A minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale OR a 3.5 graduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale based on a minimum of 18 semester hours that must be completed by the end of the fall semester prior to beginning the doctoral program.
- Eighteen semester hours of coursework in psychology OR a score of 297 or higher on the Graduate Record Examination, Psychology Test. The GRE Psychology test is recommended, but not required.
- Three credit hours in statistics (examples of acceptable statistics courses include: Introduction to Statistics, Probability and Statistics, Statistical Methods in Psychology, Inferential Statistics, and Quantitative Psychology). A course in research methods/design will not satisfy this requirement.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for admission.
- Please see GRE requirement announcement below.
- Statement of Professional Goals. As part of the application, you will be asked to share your professional and career goals. This statement of your goals will help us to get to know you beyond the documents you provided. In no more than five hundred (500) words, please tell us the following:
- Your interest in pursuing the Psy.D. in School Psychology program and how this interest is relevant to your career and professional goals.
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended and/or agency evaluation of foreign degree for determination of U.S. equivalence (including Canadian transcripts).
- Curriculum vitae/resume.
- Three recommendations/evaluations. As part of the admissions process, you are required to have three recommendation/evaluation from faculty, academic advisors, and/or clinical supervisors who can speak to your potential to successfully complete a clinical psychology doctoral program. Each recommender will receive an email with a link to your application, where the recommender will complete the form electronically.
Once NSU receives your application processing fee, you’ll be able to enter each recommender's email address. They will then receive an email with a link to your application. After clicking on the link, your recommenders should complete your recommendation/evaluation. Please note that recommenders are not able to upload a PDF of their recommendation.
Prospective students who meet the above requirements must also be selected to be interviewed in order to determine appropriateness for the program.
The standards required for admission reflect concern for the safety and well-being of clients whom its graduates will eventually serve in clinical/school situations. Candidates for the degree must possess, with or without reasonable accommodation, multiple abilities and skills including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities. Moreover, intrapersonal, communication, behavioral, and personal attributes including empathy, emotional self-awareness, and emotional maturity are similarly crucial for success.
The above pre-requisites are necessary for an applicant to be considered for a doctoral program. Higher GPA and (optional) GRE scores indicating greater potential to complete doctoral-level work, will enhance an application. Other factors considered include: (1) previous courses taken, (2) previous clinical and research experience, (3) evidence of interest in psychology, (4) the applicant’s statement of professional / career goals, and (5) the recommendation/evaluations.
Routes to Admission
The Psy.D. program requires a minimum of a three-year, full-time academic residency (or the equivalent thereof). The doctoral program has three routes to admission. Candidates may apply:
- Following completion of a bachelor’s or master’s degree;
- Following completion of all of the coursework (73 credit hours) with the exception of internship in the specialist program in school psychology at the College of Psychology; or
- Following completion of the specialist program in school psychology at the College of Psychology.
It is important to note that specialist students and doctoral students share many of the same courses required for state of Florida certification as a school psychologist and national standards consistent with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Given the considerable overlap within the curriculum, grade point average and academic standing is cumulative across the programs. Regardless of the route to admission, all candidates must complete at minimum two years of doctoral coursework at the institution and one year of doctoral internship. A sample model curriculum for each route to admission is provided in this handbook.
GRE Requirement Announcement
The Department of Clinical and School Psychology is proud to welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our faculty admissions committee reviews each application to determine whether the applicant’s stated goals align with the program’s academic and professional objectives.
During the application review process, the faculty admissions committee places strong emphasis on the applicant’s coursework, grade point average, letters of recommendation, statement of professional goals, individual interview, research experience, and potential to be successful in the program and beyond.
Applicants to the School Psychology Psy.D. program, are not required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. However, the faculty admissions committee encourages applicants to submit GRE scores if they believe the scores will enhance their overall application.
Questions about the admissions process are welcomed at gradschool@nova.edu | (800) 541-6682 ext. 27563 | (954) 262-7563.
The following information is required as part of the application:
- Complete online application form.
- Application fee of $50 (in U.S. dollars). Once the application is completed and the application processing fee has been received by NSU, students will be able to upload supplemental documents to Supplemental Documents on their user profile.
- Statement of Professional Goals
- Curriculum Vita or Resume
- Three recommendations/evaluations. Once the application processing fee has been received, applicants will be able to enter their recommender's email addresses. After submission, an email with a link to the applicant's application will be emailed to the recommender. The recommender will complete the form electronically. (NOTE: Recommenders are not able to upload a letter of recommendation.)
- 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 click here for further information. *
- National Certification in School Psychology (NCSP), state certification, and/or state license - submit photocopies of each (Advanced Standing Applicants Only).
- International Student applicants should submit English proficiency scores, if applicable. International Students click here for further information.*
| Please mail transcripts to: | |
|---|---|
| Nova Southeastern University Enrollment Processing Services Attn: College of Psychology P.O. Box 299000 3300 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328-2004 |
For International Students: Nova Southeastern University Attn: Enrollment Processing Services 3300 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328-2004 |
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 Faculty Admissions Committee has reviewed all completed applications, it will invite a select group of eligible applicants to participate in an Interview Day.
- Applicants must have submitted their completed application and all required documents on or before the application deadline date in order to be considered for an interview.
- For the Fall 2025 entry term, interviews will be conducted via Zoom.
| Interview Days (Zoom) |
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Transfer of credits will be awarded when the course being evaluated meets all of the following criteria:
- It is a doctoral level course taken at an APA accredited program.
- Only courses that meet the criteria defined by the APA Standards of Accreditation as Category 1, Category 2, or Category 4 in discipline-specific knowledge will be considered for transfer. Specifically, these are: History and Systems of Psychology, Cognitive Aspects of Behavior, Affective Aspects of Behavior, Biological Aspects of Behavior, Developmental Aspects of Behavior, Research Methods, Statistical Analysis, and Psychometrics.
- No transfer credits may be applied to pre-practicum, practicum, internship, research, theses, or electives.
- It was completed no longer than five (5) years before the candidate’s first enrollment in the program.
- A grade of B or higher was received. A grade of P (Pass) or CR (Credit) or other such grades cannot be accepted as equivalent.
- The course is not offered solely in an online format.
Candidates requesting transfer of credit must submit a written request for transfer along with supporting documentation to the doctoral program administration. The candidate must provide the Program Director with a syllabus and catalog description of courses for which transfer is sought. Faculty members evaluating transfer courses will consider the quality/rigor, currency, standardization, and fairness of the method of establishing the knowledge of courses being evaluated. Faculty members evaluating transfer courses may require the candidate to provide further documentation and supporting material such as class notes and may request that they meet with the student to obtain clarification. The resulting evaluations are reviewed by the Director of Training who makes the final determination.
Transfer credits are not taken into account when computing the candidate’s grade point average. The maximum number of transfer credits that will be applied toward graduation is fifteen (15). Although credits awarded beyond this number may be used to excuse a candidate from a particular course, an equivalent number of elective courses must be taken in order to fulfill the degree requirements.
Federal Regulations require that veteran candidates MUST report all prior credit and training, and that the school MUST evaluate such and grant credit as appropriate, with training time and tuition reduced proportionately and with the Veterans Affairs and candidate so notified.
Credits earned at Nova Southeastern University are transferable only at the discretion of the receiving school.
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 welcomed. 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. Applicants may be subject to a background check upon acceptance into the program.
Candidates 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 candidate will not be allowed to continue class attendance. Financial aid will not be disbursed to a provisional/conditional candidate until he or she has been fully admitted as a regular candidate (i.e., all admissions requirements have been approved by the college/program admissions office). Candidates who have an unpaid balance 30 days from the start of the term will be assessed a $100 fee.
The university welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. Applications are reviewed after all required documents have been received. No waivers of the admission policies stated above will be offered.
During the admissions process, all prospective students are required to disclose convictions of any criminal offense in any city, state, or country, other than minor traffic offenses. Prospective students are required to disclose any time they have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to a criminal offense; had adjudication of guilty withheld for a criminal offense; participated in a first-offender or pretrial diversion program, or its equivalent, or committed any offense where the records have been sealed or expunged, including criminal offense committed as a juvenile. Driving under the influence is not a minor traffic offense for purposes of this policy. Prospective students also are required to disclose any pending criminal charges filed against them and disclose if they are currently incarcerated or will be incarcerated upon or during enrollment at NSU. Subsequent to submission of admission applications, prospective students have a continuing duty to disclose all of the above. Failure to disclose, omitting, or providing false information relating to any of the above may result in rescission of admissions offers or disciplinary action against a student, up to and including dismissal from NSU.
While enrolled at NSU, students have a continuing duty to disclose all of the above, along with any arrest or pending criminal charges within 10 days of any arrest or charges being filed. Students must notify the assistant dean for Student Development of any arrests or pending criminal charges. A failure to timely disclose any arrests or pending criminal charges may result in disciplinary actions against a student up to and including dismissal from NSU.
NSU’s College of Psychology’s clinical, school, and counseling programs maintain affiliation agreements with health care and community agencies and may also place students within the NSU Psychology Services Center (PSC). These affiliations allow for student clinical training experiences required in the programs. Trainees will be required to undergo Level 2 background and drug screenings.
Please note that the university and affiliate sites have a zero-tolerance policy for drug use. Testing positive for illegal or illicit drugs, including marijuana (even if prescribed or certified by a physician), or a controlled substance for which the individual does not have a prescription, would constitute a failed test and as such, could invalidate the placement/match and result in a referral for further action. (Updated Feb 2022)
It is important to note that many agencies with whom the NSU College of Psychology partners for practicum/internship/post-doctoral residency program placements require that students show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (including recommended boosters).
Not being vaccinated may eliminate some placements as an option and in turn disrupt the sequence of training, delay program progression, and/or timely degree completion.
Questions may be directed to the appropriate program office. (Updated Feb 2022)