FAQ for M.S. in Clinical Research Methods

No, there is no minimum requirement for either GRE scores or undergraduate GPA. However, based on applicants to our other programs in the Psychology Department, we anticipate that the top applicants will have GRE scores above the 60th percentile on each subtest and an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.30. These thresholds are not “minimum standards”, but rather reflect the competitive nature of this program. The minimum GPA for admission to Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is 3.0, however, students with a GPA below this may be accepted if their other qualifications compensate for their low GPA.

Yes, although some applicants may only want to apply to the MS program (and can do so directly online), others may apply to the PhD program in Clinical Psychology and indicate that they would like to be considered for the MS program if they are not offered admission into the Clinical PhD program. Indicating an interest in the MS program will not influence decisions regarding your application to the Clinical PhD program.

If I Complete Fordham’s MS Program, Do I Have A Better Chance Of Admission Into Fordham’s Clinical PhD Program?

Students may wonder whether the MS is either required or a helpful stepping stone for admission into Fordham’s Clinical PhD program. That is not the intent of this program. CRM students will not be considered for the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. There are several reasons for this practice, including our desire to minimize competition between programs and students. Programs where the “top” Master’s students are accepted into PhD programs foster the type of competition that is both counterproductive and contrary to the principles of our faculty and program. Instead, we anticipate helping students gain acceptance into top doctoral programs around the country and will do so by providing the coursework, research experience and mentorship that promising students often need. Moreover, students who have had the benefit of mentorship from one of our faculty are often better served by moving onto a second mentor in order to develop a broader range of skills, experiences, and training. Therefore, applicants should not enroll in the CRM program if their primary goal is acceptance in Fordham’s Clinical PhD program. Rather, they should enroll if the nature of this program fits their career goals.

Any Fordham faculty member is potentially eligible to serve as a mentor for students in the CRM program, but we anticipate that most students will be mentored by a member of the Clinical program. It is NOT necessary to contact individual faculty members to ask if they are accepting students. You may also identify multiple faculty as potential mentors. Please refer to the Department of Psychology webpage for more information on our full-time faculty members.

Please review GSAS’s Academic Policies and Procedures Guidebook to review our policy regarding transfer credits.

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, although most students are admitted in the Spring (March-April) and enter the program in the Fall of that same year. Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify topic areas that they hope to study, and may want to specify potential research mentors among the Department faculty (although we also utilize some external mentors, so research focus and mentorship is not limited to full-time faculty).