Admissions Information and Requirements for Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

Notice for 2024/2025 Admission Cycle

Submission of GRE (general or subject) scores are not required to be considered for admission. Any scores that are submitted will not be reviewed as part of the application review process.

The following faculty members will be reviewing applications, interviewing applicants, and available to mentor incoming students in the 2025 admission cohort:

Dr. Christopher Conway, Dr. Andrew Rasmussen, Dr. Amy Roy, Dr. Barry Rosenfeld, Dr. Keith Cruise, Dr. Monica Rivera Mindt

The following faculty members may accept a student in the 2025 admission cohort:

 Dr. Elizabeth Raposa, Dr. Dean McKay

The following faculty members will not accept a student in the 2025 admission cohort:

Dr. Peggy Andover, Dr. Rachel Annunziato, Dr. Natasha Burke, Dr. Haruka Minami, Dr. Molly Zimmerman

Applying to the Doctoral Program

Students are admitted to the CPDP based on their interest in working with a particular faculty member. Students interested in working with a particular faculty member will indicate their interest in a primary mentor on their application and are strongly encouraged to expand on this interest in their admission materials. (See FAQ page that provides additional information on the mentors and major areas of study as well as other commonly asked questions about the CPDP admission process). Students are welcome to work with other faculty members connected to a Major Area of Study or based on student interest in faculty research activities that extend beyond the research of their primary faculty mentor. We support this flexibility recognizing that student interests can change during their time in the program. 

Applicants considering applying to the CPDP are encouraged to review student admission, outcomes, and other data contained here. While the number of applicants varies, the CPDP routinely receives between 600 to 700 applications annually with this number trending upward during the most recent application cycle. From these applications, faculty interview approximately 60 applicants and generally admit between 7 to 10 students each year. 

The CPDP has reviewed the educational requirements for licensure in all U.S. states and territories per new Department of Education regulations. We have determined that our program does not meet licensure education requirements for three states (California, Michigan, and New Mexico). While the CPDP meets the basic educational requirements for licensure, all three states require additional pre-licensure coursework/training that  are either (a) state specific (CA, MI) or (b) require completion of board specific modules (NM). Also note that licensure requires activities beyond the graduate education provided by the CPDP (i.e., supervised post-doctoral experiences) with each state mandating a different number of hours qualifying as supervised educational experiences (SPE) that varies by state. The Consumer Information Disclosure provides relevant information including a weblink to each state’s licensure statutes/regulations. 

Application Requirements

Applications for the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program are filed electronically through the online application. The application deadline is December 1, 2024.

Statement of intent
Statement of up to 900 words, submitting via the online application that provides a narrative response to the following question prompts:  

  1. What are your academic and career goals as a clinical psychologist? What is your ideal balance of clinical work and research? 
  2. How has your previous work (coursework, research, clinical opportunities) informed and/or prepared you to achieve these goals?
  3. How will Fordham’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program help prepare you to achieve these goals? 
  4. Which specific mentor or research lab is the best fit for your interests/goals, and why?

Supplemental Essay
Statement of up to 500 words, submitted via the online application that provides a narrative response to the following question prompts:

  1. How has your educational, professional, clinical, or personal (e.g., cultural, economic, or social) experiences prepared you to contribute to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program’s commitment to diversity and social justice?  
  2. How will the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program help you to learn and grow within the areas of diversity and social justice? 

Resume/CV
A resume or curriculum vitae detailing educational experience, research experience, presentation/publication experience, academic awards/honors, and other relevant skills and experiences.

Writing sample
A 12- 25 page writing sample in English, submitted via the online application (Word or PDF document) that is an original example of your academic writing from a college course or a piece of professional writing. Please do not send a collaborative or co-authored paper. We are interested in seeing your independent writing skills. 

Official transcripts

Please be sure to order official final transcripts from all previously attended institutions confirming degree conferral (if applicable) at least one month before the posted application deadline. Transcripts should be sent directly from your prior institution(s) via secure electronic delivery to the Office of Admissions at fuga@fordham.edu. If electronic delivery is not available, please request that your transcripts be submitted by postal service in a sealed envelope from the institution to: 

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Office of Admissions
Keating Hall Room 216
Fordham University
441 E. Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458

Please note: We strongly recommend that you upload unofficial copies of your academic transcripts to your application while the Office of Admissions awaits receipt of your official transcripts.

Please ensure that all official transcripts from previously attended post-secondary institutions are submitted in English, or are accompanied by a certified English translation. For academic transcripts from institutions outside the United States, applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain a course-by-course credential evaluation. Transcripts and credentials conversion information is available on the GSAS International Students page.

Three letters of recommendation
Submitted directly via the online application. Enter the following information for each of your recommendation providers: name, address, email address, phone number, and institution. Make sure you enter your recommenders' email addresses correctly so that they each receive an automated email instructing them on how to submit their recommendations online. Mark the waiver statement for each recommender you enter.

Application Fee: $80

Please note: GSAS provides some exemptions from the application fee and waiver can be requested through GSAS.

English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants whose native language is not English are required to complete and submit to GSAS prior to matriculation their official scores from one of the following accepted English language competency exams:

Official TOEFL, IELTS, DET, PTE Academic, or Cambridge English Qualifications scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (our ETS TOEFL score code #2259). 

Preferred minimum score requirements:

Exam Score
TOEFL iBT 100
IELTS 7.0 band score
DET 130
PTE Academic 68
Cambridge English Qualifications 185 Overall Score on the B2, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exam

Exemptions to the English Language Requirement

Exemptions from this requirement can be requested by the applicant in her/his application, or can be made in writing by the applicant to [email protected]. Exemptions are generally permitted for international applicants who:

  1. are native English speakers from countries where English is an official language; and/or
  2. have completed, within the past five years, at least two years of study at an undergraduate or graduate institution in the United States or in a country where English is the official language of instruction.

GSAS retains the right to request language evaluation from any applicant. The Fordham English Language Test (FELT), administered by Fordham’s Institute of American Language and Culture (IALC), may be required for those students whose English proficiency scores do not meet GSAS program requirements. Additional coursework may also be recommended by the IALC.

Students are permitted to register for two GSAS courses during the academic term in which they are completing any IALC-recommended coursework, which generally occurs during their first semester of study.

Please note: Tuition costs associated with the learning of English as a second language are the responsibility of the student and will not be covered by a GSAS tuition scholarship. GSAS merit-based tuition scholarships are not applicable to the costs of additional coursework recommended by the IALC.