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Are mindful people better at regulating their emotions?

Emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and so on often need to be "regulated" for us to behave in healthy, adaptive ways. How can people better regulate their emotions when stressed? read more...

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Can we help children with ADHD succeed in school?

Adolescents with ADHD often experience significant problems in school, such as failing grades and low achievement test scores. Can we predict these problems before they occur? read more...

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Why do African American youth trade cigarettes for cigars?

Many youth perceive cigars to pose fewer health risks than cigarettes. But, is this true? read more...

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Are cultural issues important in rehabilitation medicine?

Many health problems and disabilities disproportionately affect ethnic minority communities. But what can rehabilitation specialists do to change that? read more...

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Is religious counseling effective?

Many religious people say they want religious counseling. But is it effective? And, if it is not available, is secular counseling less effective for religious people than religious counseling? read more...

Admissions

Deadline for receipt of all admissions material is Dec. 1st.

Overview

Although a master’s degree is awarded in progress toward the doctoral degree, only students who are seeking the Ph.D. are considered for admission. At the present time, the clinical program is admitting seven to nine new graduate students per year. Because of the large number of qualified applicants, the standards for admission are high and competitive.

The tables below present GRE scores and GPA’s for students admitted over the last few years and the selection ratios for those years. As can be seen from the table, scores obtained by admitted students on the Graduate Record Examination are well above average with GPA’s generally in the B+ range. Occasionally, an applicant who is substantially below the average in one of these areas is admitted on the basis of impressive compensating strengths in research, productivity or experience. Minority applicants may be considered under a similar minority admissions procedure, which gives increased weight to professional recommendations and evidence of promise in research and clinical work.

Each application is reviewed by the program’s Admissions Committee, which is composed of clinical faculty members and graduate students, and then is specifically reviewed by the faculty member(s) whose work is most closely aligned with the applicant’s self-described research and clinical interests. A central consideration during admissions decisions is the degree of fit between an applicant's research and clinical interests and those of a particular clinical faculty member, thus it is vital to state your research interests and proposed program track clearly in your personal statement. The final phase of admission entails in-person interviews with appropriate faculty and current graduate students.

Graduate Student Support

Financial. Annual job placement of students is the responsibility of the department's Graduate Committee, which attempts in each instance to enhance the student's career development as well as meet his or her financial needs. There are multiple sources of financial support within the university: teaching assistantships and instructorships for the department, clinic assistantships, university fellowships, grant-funded research assistantships within the department and at the medical school, and loans from the Office of Financial Aid. Some students also receive funding from their community clinical placements in their fourth year of study. In recent years students have been financially supported for at least four years.

How to Apply

Information about the application process can be obtained at the VCU Graduate School Web site. Interested applicants should visit the graduate school's admissions page to download an application or have one sent via mail. No separate application is necessary for the department or clinical program. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1. For questions related to admissions please contact the clinical psychology program at clin-psy@vcu.edu.

Who Will Potentially Admit a Student for the 2012/2013 Academic Year

Additional Admissions Information

Do I have to submit a separate application?

No, you do not need to submit a separate application to the Clinical Psychology program. The Graduate School application will suffice.

Are GRE Subject scores required?

No, only GRE General scores are required for admission.

What is the program code for forwarding GRE scores to VCU?

5570.

If I take the GRE twice, will you take the best set of scores? 

Yes, we will take the best verbal score and the best quantitative score.

Should I identify a faculty member I would like to work with in my application letter?

Yes, it is recommended that you identify at least one faculty member whose research area interests you.  Faculty members who are accepting new students for next year and their research areas are found on our website

More Information

For additional information about the Clinical Psychology program, refer to the full listing of FAQs found in this section of the Web site.