Program Mission: The Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology is designed for students with career interests in clinical, counseling, or community psychology.  Students with interests in these areas are recommended to complete course work which facilitates the development of clinical skills and competencies.  These courses cover the areas of psychological assessment, therapy, and research, including completion of a thesis.  A two-semester internship in an approved agency setting under both agency and academic clinical supervision is in the second year.

Admission Requirements: To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all of the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (see “Admission to Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs”).  A limited number of students are accepted each year and admission to the program is competitive.  Prior to consideration for acceptance, students must provide evidence of admission to the Graduate School and completion of the GRE (General) test.  Three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s potential for successful completion of graduate work must also be submitted.  In addition, students must meet at least one of the following requirements in order to be considered for admission:

• A 3.0 grade point average in all undergraduate courses and a 3.25 GPA in undergraduate psychology (based upon a 4 point scale).
• A minimum composite score (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) of 1500 on the GRE.

In the unusual situation where a student does not meet the specific entrance requirements, but believes he or she warrants exceptional consideration, the student may petition the Clinical Psychology Committee for consideration.

Applications and other supporting data should be submitted to the Graduate School prior to March 1 for consideration for admission the following fall semester. To gain admission, applicants must present a transcript from an accredited institution approved by EIU showing the completion of twenty semester hours of course work in psychology.  The following courses are required for admission: statistics; experimental psychology; abnormal psychology; learning or behavioral management. Courses considered critical and strongly recommended include: tests and measurement;  personality theory; developmental psychology  (child or adolescent). Deficiencies in course work must be made up prior to or concurrently with the graduate program.  Petitions for waiver and/or substitution may be made to the departmental clinical psychology committee.

Study Plan Approval: The study plan shall be approved by the departmental clinical psychology committee and filed with the departmental graduate coordinator prior to the final semester of study.