Admissions and Financial Aid

Application for Admission to the PsyD Program

To start your application journey, visit Xavier University's Online Application.

All admissions-related questions should be directed to Mack Maynard, Director of Academic Programs:

maynardm3@xavier.edu
513-745-1053
3800 Victory Parkway, Elet Hall ML 6511 - Cincinnati, OH 45207

Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort will open on August 1st, 2025 and will remain open until December 1st, 2025.

GRE test scores are waived for applicants seeking admission for Fall 2026. GRE scores will not be considered for admission.

Applications must be complete by the deadline date of December 1 and must include these items:

Official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities attended are required. These should be submitted electronically to Xavier University, or to Director of Academic Programs at address below.
Three Letters of Recommendation.
Resume or CV
Personal Statement
A non-refundable $35.00 application fee is required to complete application.
Applicants from foreign countries or have not completed college-level coursework in English will have additional requirements related to language proficiency, financial support, etc.

Admission Criteria

The applicant must possess a bachelor's or master's degree or their equivalent from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants are welcome to apply during the final term(s) of their bachelor's or master's, as long as the previous degree will be complete prior to beginning the PsyD. The prior academic record must indicate ability and preparation necessary for pursuing graduate studies.
The minimum prerequisite for the doctoral program is 15 semester hours of undergraduate courses in psychology. These must include courses in general psychology; introductory statistics from a psychology, mathematics, or statistics department; psychological research methods; and six semester hours in other undergraduate psychology courses. Pre-requisites can be in-progress at time of application.
Grade Point Average (GPA)- A minimum 3.0 required in previous undergraduate and/or graduate program(s). Overall GPA and GPA in psychology courses are both assessed.
Research experience. This may reflect anything from collecting data to publication in refereed journals.
Work experience. Work relevant to clinical psychology will be of special interest.
Three Letters of reference. Letters from academic/research sources receive the greatest weight, although those describing other types of experience are also considered.
Writing skills. The applicant's ability to write as reflected in the Personal Statement is also taken into account.

The admissions committee considers many variables. The entire set of credentials presented by the applicant is considered. However, a low standing on one criterion (e.g., GPA, Experience, etc.) does not automatically mean rejection, nor does one very high standing on one criterion mean automatic acceptance.

Admissions Process

Submitted applications will be reviewed in December/January and interviews for those extended the invitation will be in February.

Each fall, the Psy.D. program admits a cohort of 16-18 students. Offers of admission will follow the interview process and accepted applicants will have until April 15th to confirm their desire to accept and make a $500 non-refundable tuition deposit to confirm their spot. This will be credited toward fall tuition.

Once the cohort maximum has been reached, the cohort will be closed for further enrollment. Any student who was offered admission and did not confirm prior to the closure will be permitted to defer admission to the next cohort year. The Director of Academic programs will communicate regularly with accepted students regarding status of cohort.

If an admitted student has not already completed a psychological tests and measures course during previous coursework, they are required to complete it the summer prior to beginning the PsyD program. It is offered through Xavier as an online-asynchronous course, or students can complete it at another institution if course description is approved.

Funding & Financial Assistance

The School of Psychology strives to fund all first-year PsyD students with Graduate Assistantships (GA) providing partial tuition credit and an hourly position. Specific offers of funding will be communicated with offers of admission. Applicants will be considered for all available assistantships based on admission application. Additional materials are not required.

Continued funding in Years 2, 3, and 4 is not guaranteed, but available based on performance and interest. Various streams of funding throughout these years are available, including:

GA positions to assist with first-year Intelligence Assessment and Clinical Interactions courses
TA positions for undergraduate statistics courses
A number of clinical practicum placements during Years 2-4 are paid positions.
- Most students complete one practicum placement at Xavier's Psychological Services Center (PSC) which provides both hourly pay for clinical work and tuition credit.
Students in Year 3 and 4 are eligible to work as adjunct instructors for undergraduate courses such as Intro to Psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Psychological Disorders
Various GA positions available through Xavier's central offices, including Institutional Research, Libraries, Student Affairs, etc.

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 be able to apply a portion of the previous graduate work toward the fulfillment of the doctoral degree requirements. The allowable number of transferable hours will vary and transfer evaluations will not occur until a student has been accepted. In all cases a minimum of 75 hours of the required 120 must be completed at Xavier. Courses taken more than six years prior to entering the doctoral program will normally not be accepted for transfer.