Graduate Admissions for Clinical Psychology

Our program has made the GRE General Test optional for those applying Fall 2024 (application deadline: 12/1/2023). You are NOT required to submit GRE scores, and applications without GRE scores will be given full consideration. You may choose to submit scores if you have them, and they will be considered by the admissions committee.  In our current method of evaluating applicants, a relatively strong GRE could be used to offset a relatively lower GPA, but you would not be penalized for a low or unsubmitted GRE score. 

ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Admission decisions are made by the department faculty and forwarded to the dean of the graduate school for final approval. Only applicants for full-time enrollment toward the Ph.D. will be considered. We do not accept applications for part-time enrollment or to complete a terminal master’s degree. We review applications only once each year for admission the following August.

 

Admission to the Clinical Program at The University of Mississippi, as at other APA-approved programs across the country, is extremely competitive. We receive approximately 100-125 applications each year for the clinical program. From this group, the clinical faculty select approximately 30 for on-campus interviews. These interviews usually occur in February, and we extend interview invitations in December. We consider these on-campus interviews to be an important source of information for applicants in making informed decisions about where and how they will spend the next several years of their lives. While on campus, applicants have the opportunity to observe firsthand what graduate training at The University of Mississippi is really like. Applicants usually interview with 3 faculty; meet with other graduate students; tour the campus, department, and the Psychological Services Center; and attend two informal dinner gatherings. Applicants are informed of admission decisions thereafter, and those offered admission are required to notify us of their acceptance of our offers by April 15. We typically admit around 8 students annually. The Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data table on this website contains information about students who have most recently applied and been admitted to our program (number of applications received, average GPA and GRE scores of students beginning the program, etc.).

 

Admission to the program is based on a mentorship model with input from other faculty. We evaluate applicants using conventional admissions criteria and assessment of “fit” between the applicant’s research interests and those of his/her prospective faculty mentor. We also make efforts to attend to applicants’ ability to contribute to diversity and diverse perspectives.

 

We seek to admit applicants who have a strong track record of academic achievement and scientific commitment. Academic achievement is evaluated based on GPA, GRE scores (optional), honors/leadership, letters of recommendation, and history and rigor of prior coursework. Scientific commitment is gauged via a record of presentations and/or publications and prior involvement in research labs and/or grant-funded projects. Because we are a scientist-practitioner program, applications from students who have been involved in empirical research are evaluated more favorably than those from students with no such involvement. Similarly, we prefer letters of recommendation from academic psychologists who can better assess a student’s potential for success in an academic environment. Those applicants with clear interests in the research areas supported by our faculty are more likely to receive offers of admission.

 

We do not have absolute cutoffs for grade-point averages, and we do not require a psychology major, though a strong academic record and background in psychology are characteristic of most students we admit. The most competitive applicants have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, GRE scores above the 50^th percentile, and a prior track record of significant involvement in psychological research. Students with lower scores on these measures who have strong backgrounds in research, particularly those with publications, also receive favorable consideration. Our faculty and graduate students recognize the value of a diverse student body and a supportive educational environment that affirms the value of cultural diversity, and thus we encourage applications from members of ethnic minorities, other groups traditionally underrepresented in academia, and those who would contribute diverse perspectives to the program. Our department’s Diversity Statement is located here: https://psychology.olemiss.edu/diversity-statement/. We do not require the GRE Psychology Subject Test.

 

We nominate some of the students we admit each year for Graduate School Recruiting Fellowships. These fellowships are selectively awarded to admitted students for academic excellence or to enhance access to graduate education, and they come with an additional $3,000 stipend each year for the first 4 years in the program. More information about the Graduate School Recruiting Fellowships can be found at  https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/prospective-students/financial-aid-information/

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Students apply to the psychology graduate programs through the Graduate School.  The entire application process is completed online, and is initiated by clicking the Graduate School link. Detailed instructions are presented below and should be followed carefully. There is a checklist at the end of this document to make sure your application includes all required materials.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Applying to the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology 

ALL application materials are due by December 1.

Applying Online at the Graduate School’s Website

1. Go to https://apply.olemiss.edu/graduate/ and create account.
2. Click “New Application”
3. Complete application using the left sidebar as a guide.
4. You will need to upload supplemental documents and enter in recommender contact info prior to submitting the application. If needed, you can save your progress and log back in and pick up where you left off.

*Supplemental documents include 1) a Personal Statement (required), 2) your CV/resume (required), and 3) optional 3^rd document such as a writing sample.

 Your personal statement should address the following (in no more than 2 pages):

• Your reason(s) for pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology
• A discussion of how your background led to your decision and has prepared you to pursue graduate education in psychology. This may include, but is not limited to:
  • Your academic preparation for your proposed field of study
  • Your research experiences
  • Personal experiences that have uniquely prepared you for graduate school or that sparked your interest in psychology
  • Relevant volunteer or paid work experience
• An explanation of why the University of Mississippi is a good fit for your graduate education, addressing:
  • Your current research interests
  • The name(s) of faculty with whom you would like to work
  • The match between your goals and the orientation/aims of the clinical program (https://psychology.olemiss.edu/clinical-program/) and our commitment to diversity (https://psychology.olemiss.edu/diversity-statement/)

Once you submit your application, it will take 24-48 hours for your recommenders to be contacted and your application to be uploaded in the database. Recommenders will receive an auto-generated email to submit their recommendation on your behalf. Do NOT have them fax, email, or mail letters to the department directly.) Keep track of your application number. You will be sent an email confirming submission and a link to “Track your application”.

5. Official transcripts should be sent to the Graduate School using the following address:
   University of MS Graduate School
   54 Galtney-Lott Plaza
   PO Box 1848
   University, MS 38677
   Official electronic transcripts from domestic (US only) institutions may be sent to gschool@olemiss.edu. Only transcripts received directly from the college/university will be considered official. (Do not send junior/community college transcripts.)
6. Official test scores should be sent directly to the Graduate School.

Contact ETS and request for your scores to be sent to us electronically.

The institutional code for the University of Mississippi is 1840.

GRE– Department code: 5199 *GRE is NOT required but may be submitted if you wish

TOEFL – Department code: 99

*The Graduate School must receive your official transcripts and official GRE scores. It is your responsibility to ensure that your official transcript(s) and official GRE scores are sent to the graduate school. See instructions here: https://gradschool.olemiss.edu/prospective-students/items-to-send/

 

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION BEFORE YOU SUBMIT. ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION, THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IS UNABLE TO CHANGE INFORMATION.

Additional Information about the application process:

The Application Fee is $50.00

MAKE SURE THAT YOU SUBMIT ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS BY THE DEADLINE. *This includes all letters of recommendation, GRE scores, transcripts, etc. Incomplete applications are unlikely to be given full consideration.

CHECKLIST OF APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

___ Graduate School Application
___ Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
___ GRE official score reports (GRE is NOT required for those applying this Fall)
___ 3 letters of recommendation (uploaded separately by recommenders)
___ Personal Statement
___ CV
___ Optional third document (eg, writing sample)