Admission and Application
Admission Criteria
The admission committee considers many variables. The entire set of credentials presented by the applicant is considered. However, a low standing on one criterion [e.g., grade point average (GPA), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) score] does not automatically mean rejection, nor does one very high standing on one criterion mean automatic acceptance. Students with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
- The applicant must possess a bachelor's or master's degree or their equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. The prior academic record must indicate ability and preparation necessary for pursuing graduate studies.
- The minimum prerequisite for the doctoral program is 18 semester hours of undergraduate courses in psychology. These must include courses in general psychology, introductory statistics, research methods, mental measurements, and six semester hours in other upper-division, undergraduate courses.
- Grade Point Average (GPA) -- undergraduate and/or graduate. Overall GPA in a degree program and GPA in the psychology courses are both assessed. Special note is made of honors courses or programs.
- The General Test portion is required for all applicants. The Psychology Subject Area test is required for applicants who do no have an undergraduate degree in psychology; it is recommended for applicants who have a psychology major.
- Research experience. This may reflect anything from collecting data to publication in refereed journals.
- Work experience. Of special interest is work relevant to clinical psychology.
- Letters of reference. Letters from academic/research sources receive greatest weight, although those describing other types of experience are also considered.
- Compatible interests. Compatibility of the applicant's interests with those of the faculty is considered.
- Writing skills. The applicant's ability to write, as reflected in the Statement of Purpose, as well as in technical writing shown in published research, is also taken into account.
Admission Process
Requests for application forms are made to the assistant director for enrollment and student services, department of psychology at Xavier University. Applicants from foreign countries or who completed their degree overseas are required to submit transcripts evaluated by World Educational Service, a financial statement, a sponsorship letter, and official TOEFL scores as well as the following:
Applicants should see that the department of psychology receives the following items before the deadline date of Jan. 15.
- A completed application form.
- Non-refundable $35.00 application fee.
- One official transcript from all previous colleges and universities attended.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A written statement reflecting a commitment to psychology, and plans after completion of studies.
- Official test scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) -- General Test (required) and Psychology Subject Test (recommended).
- An application for possible financial assistance.
- Any other information that might aid in the selection process.
Students in the program are not automatically considered candidates for the doctoral degree. Only after successful completion of the first two years of the doctoral curriculum and being awarded the MA degree in psychology, students are admitted as candidates for the Psy.D. degree.
Please be advised that the deadline for applications is January 15.
Program Costs:
The program typically consists of 4 years on campus and 1 year on Internship for a total of 114 credit hours. Tuition changes each year.
Tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year will be $690.00 per credit hour. Twenty-seven credit hours are required for the fall and spring semesters for the first year. For the academic year 2008-09 the tuition will be $18,630.00.
For students admitted after Fall, 2006 the total credit hours for the Internship year is 3 hours (1 credit hour per semester). During the Internship year students are considered full time students and elegible for financial aid because this training is required for our program.
There are assistansthips that our students may receive through the department of psychology and other University offices. Practica may be paid.
For 2007-2008, 56% of our students received assistantships for an average of $10,634.00.
83% of second through fourth year students have a paid practica.
Time to Completion:
The majority of our doctoral students complete their program within five years. Four of those years are generally on campus and the fifth year is typically the Internship year.
Students are considered admitted with advanced standing if 20 or more hours were transferred from a previous graduate program.
Time to completion statistics table
Students completing the Program:
- In less than 5 years: 15 of 99 graduates = 15%
- In 5 years: 58 of 99 graduates: 59%
- In 5.5 years: 8 of 99 graduates = 9%
- In 6 years: 10 of 99 graduates = 11%
- In 7 years: 3 of 99 graduates = 3%
- In more than 7 years: 2 of 99 graduates = 3%
The Xavier program was accredited in May, 2001. Since that time 128 students have been admitted to the program, of whom 15 (12%) left for any reason.
Transfer Credit
The following are guidelines for the transfer of graduate credit to the doctoral program.
Students accepted into the doctoral program, already holding a master's degree in a field akin to clinical psychology, may expect at least a portion of the previous graduate work to be credited toward fulfillment of the doctoral degree requirements. The allowable number of transferable credit hours may vary, depending on prior education. Post-master's hours normally transfer only from institutions granting a doctoral degree. In all cases, a minimum of 75 hours of the required 114 hours for the doctoral degree must be completed at Xavier University.
Petitions for transfer of credit will be evaluated individually and will only be granted with the recommendation of the department chair and approval of the dean of the College of Social Sciences. Courses graded on the pass/fail basis, or the equivalent, are generally not accepted as transfer credit. Exceptions may be granted on petition of students who have demonstrated exceptional performance at the prior institution.
All decisions regarding the acceptance of graduate credit will be made by the dean in consultation with the department chair and the student's advisor by the end of the first year, or by the time 12 credit hours have been completed. Courses taken more than six years prior to entering the doctoral program at Xavier University will normally not be accepted for transfer.