PSY.D. Admissions

Psy.D. Application Form Psy.D. Recommendation Form
 All materials should be sent to:
Graduate Admissions
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118

The minimum requirements for admission to the Psy.D. Program are as follows: 

• Bachelor’s degree with 12 undergraduate credits (four courses) in psychology, which must include General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Statistics, and one additional course in psychology, all completed with a minimum grade of B. Applicants with bachelor’s degrees must enter via the M.S./Psy.D. track. 
   
  OR 
 

• Master’s degree in clinical and/or counseling psychology or a closely related field. These applicants may be eligible for admission directly to Year II of the Psy.D. program 

Requirements for entry to Year II with advanced standing: 

The following requirements apply to applicants seeking to enter with Advanced Standing in Fall 2013: 

• Master’s degree in Clinical or Counseling Psychology or a closely related field 
 

• Completion of a supervised practicum lasting at least two semesters during the master’s program. Applicants who are unable to meet this requirement are not eligible for admission to Year II. 
 

• Three 3-credit graduate-level courses that cover theories and techniques of psychotherapy, all completed with a grade of B or higher. Course syllabi must be submitted with the application. These courses are considered pre-requisites for Year II doctoral courses and are not counted towards the credit requirements for the Psy.D. degree. Applicants who are unable to meet this requirement are not eligible for admission to Year II. 
 

• One 3-credit graduate-level course in multicultural issues in counseling and psychotherapy equivalent to PSYG 532 Culture and Gender in Counseling and Psychotherapy, completed with a grade of B or higher. A course syllabus must be submitted with the application. Applicants who do not meet this requirement may apply for admission to Year II but if admitted they must take PSYG 532 prior to the end of Year II unless an extension is granted by the Chair. If the course was taken at another institution and is eligible for transfer credit (see policy on Transfer Credits below), it will be counted towards the credit requirements for the Psy.D. degree. 
 

• Two 3-credit graduate-level courses equivalent to the eligible electives taken in Year I of the Psy.D. Program (see Curriculum). Course syllabi must be submitted with the application. Applicants who do not meet this requirement may apply for admission to Year II but if admitted they must complete these courses prior to the end of Year III unless an extension is granted by the Chair. These courses will be counted towards the credit requirements for the Psy.D. degree. If these courses were taken at another institution and are eligible for transfer credit (see policy on Transfer Credits below), they will be counted towards the credit requirements for the Psy.D. degree. 
 

• Completion of the following courses, or their equivalents, all completed with a grade of B or higher: 


• PSYG 503 Psychopathology 
• PSYG 510 Research Design and Methodology 
• PSYG 512 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy 
• PSYG 514 Development Across the Lifespan: Individual and Family  

Applicants who have completed these courses at Chestnut Hill College (CHC) within the past seven years may transfer these courses into the doctoral program. Applicants who have not completed these courses at CHC within the past seven years may apply to transfer equivalent graduate-level courses completed at another institution. See Transfer Credit policy below. Course syllabi are required for any course not taken at CHC for which transfer credit is desired. If the course is not deemed to be equivalent to the corresponding course offered at CHC, the student may be eligible for entrance to Year II but must complete the course at CHC with a grade of B or better prior to the end of Year II (their first year of enrollment in the Psy.D. program assuming they have been admitted with Advanced Standing). If the course is deemed to be equivalent (content overlap of at least 80%) to the corresponding course offered at CHC, in order to be granted transfer credit for the course the student must pass a Competency Exam (similar to the cumulative final examination in the course) with a grade of B (80%) or higher. Students who are admitted to Year II but who do not pass the Competency Examination in any of the courses listed above must complete the course(s) at CHC prior to the end of Year II. 

Competency Examinations are available only for the courses listed above. Students are eligible for the Competency Examination only in those courses that meet the criteria for equivalence as outlined below. Competency Examinations are administered at Chestnut Hill College in May and June at a date to be announced. They are typically 2-3 hours in length. Students have one opportunity to pass each Competency Examination. Students who do not pass the Competency Examination on the first attempt will not be granted transfer credit for that course and must complete the course at Chestnut Hill College. 

Applicants who are not eligible for admission with Advanced Standing may apply to enter the Psy.D. program at  Year I. Students who do not wish to take the Competency Examinations and/or who have not completed at least four transfer-eligible courses are not eligible for admission to Year II and instead should apply to Year I. 

A catalog course description and syllabus is required for any course for which transfer credit is requested. Courses must be substantially similar in content and coverage to the corresponding course at Chestnut Hill College. Similarity is assessed by the faculty by comparing the syllabus to the syllabus of the course taught at Chestnut Hill College.  

To be considered for transfer credit, the course grade must be “B” or above. Online courses are not eligible for transfer credit. Only three-credit graduate-level courses for which letter grades were assigned are eligible for transfer. Pass/Fail courses are not eligible for transfer. Courses must have been completed within seven (7) years of application to be eligible for transfer. 

The program will accept up to 21 transfer credits for foundational and elective courses at the 500-600 level for students who are admitted to Year II and up to 12 transfer credits for students who are admitted to Year I. See the list below for courses eligible for transfer credit. 

The program will also consider transferring up to 18 credits for courses at the 800 level and above if (1) the course was taken in another APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology and (2) the course was completed within seven years of enrollment at CHC. Transfer credit will not be given for internship. In order to transfer credits from practica, the applicant must submit a written evaluation by the practicum supervisor as well as a detailed accounting of the activities performed and the number of hours spent in each activity.  This material will be evaluated and a decision made by the Chair in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training and other members of the department. 

• Student submits a syllabus, catalog description, and official transcript showing the grade for the course for which transfer credit is requested. 


• This information is reviewed by the Chair or a designated member of the department faculty who has experience in the area covered by the course. 


• The faculty member compares the syllabus and catalog description to the syllabus and catalog description of the corresponding course at Chestnut Hill College. If there is “substantial similarity,” which is defined by coverage overlap of 80% or more, and if the official transcript grade was B or above, the course is eligible for transfer credit. If either one of these criteria is not met, the course is not eligible for transfer credit. 


• If it is not clear if the criteria for “substantial similarity” are met, then the reviewer will request that the student submit additional information, such as copies of the course texts or other readings, or copies of graded assignments, tests, or papers. In some instances the student may be required to obtain a written statement from the instructor of the course that explains in detail how the required content was covered in the course. 

Courses eligible for transfer credit: 

PSYG 532 Culture and Gender in Counseling and Psychotherapy 

Up to two of the following elective courses:  

• PSYG 530     Group Therapy 
• PSYG 542     Career Development and Counseling 
• PSYG 602     Play Therapy 
• PSYG 604     A Systemic Approach to the Problems of Adolescents 
• PSYG 618     Human Sexuality and Marriage 
• PSYG 622     Introduction to the Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Trauma 
• PSYG 630     Foundations of Addictive Behaviors  

Any of the following courses, provided the student has completed an equivalent graduate-level course at another institution AND also passes the Competency Examination with a grade of 80% or above in the course for which transfer credit is desired: 

• PSYG 503 Psychopathology 
• PSYG 510 Research Design and Methodology 
• PSYG 512 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy 
• PSYG 514 Development Across the Lifespan: Individual and Family 

NOTE: While doctoral classes are normally scheduled between 12 Noon and 10 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students admitted to Year II who must complete additional foundational or elective courses at the 500-600 level may be required to take these courses on days other than Tuesday or Wednesday.  

• Application Form with non-refundable application fee 
• Transcripts of all previous graduate and undergraduate college coursework 

  NOTE: Official transcripts should be sent to the applicant in a sealed envelope with the registrar’s name signed across the seal.  Do not open the official transcript envelopes.  If the seal has been broken, the transcript is no longer official and will not be accepted as part of the application packet.  

Standardized Test Scores

• Applicants with bachelor's degrees and applicants with master's degrees from programs other than Chestnut Hill College must submit GRE General Test Scores.
• Applicants with a master's degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College may submit either GRE General Test Scores or MAT Scores.
• Test scores must have been taken within five years of the date of application.
• TOEFL, TSE (Test of Spoken English), and TWE (Test of Written English) Required of all applicants for whom English is not the first language.  

Three Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be from faculty members and/or clinical supervisors who are familiar with the applicant's skills and potential. At least one letter should pertain to the applicant's clinical  performance and/or potential, and at least one letter must pertain to the applicant's academic performance and potential. For applicants seeking advanced standing, one of the letters of recommendation must be an evaluation from a practicum supervisor or a supervisor at a work placement in a mental health setting. Complete and sign the top portion of the recommendation form before forwarding it to the individual who will provide your reference. Ask that the letter be returned to you in a sealed envelope. The person completing the recommendation should sign over the seal of the envelope flap. Do not open the sealed envelope when it has been returned to you. 
 

Personal Essay 

In an essay of approximately 1200 words (5 double-spaced pages), please address each of the following topics: 

• What unique qualifications do you believe make you suited to a career in professional psychology? 
• How does the Psy.D. Program at Chestnut Hill College fit with your professional goals? Please be as specific as possible. Discuss the match between your interests and those of the doctoral  faculty (see faculty biographies) 
• One of the objectives of the Psy.D. Program is to foster “an understanding and appreciation of cultural factors relevant to the delivery of psychological services to a diverse client population.” Please discuss your background and interest in the topics of diversity and serving diverse populations, specifically addressing how you can contribute to the Psy.D. Program’s commitment to training students who will be competent to provide services to an increasingly diverse population of potential clients.  (The Program adopts APA’s definition of “diversity,” which includes but is not limited to the following characteristics: age, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.)  

A personal interview with members of the faculty is required.  Invitation to the personal interview is extended to selected applicants after review of the submitted materials.  At the interview applicants will be required to disclose any past criminal history.  In some cases an applicant may be required to undergo a criminal background check.   

Transfer Credits 

A catalog course description and syllabus are required for any course for which the applicant wishes to request transfer credits. These materials must be submitted with the application if the applicant wishes to be considered for admission directly to Year II. Syllabi and course descriptions are not necessary for graduate courses completed at Chestnut Hill College. See the policy on Transfer Credits (above) for more information.  

Applicants currently enrolled in other doctoral programs: 

Applicants who currently attend or who previously attended another doctoral program must submit a letter from the Chair of the program indicating that the student either is in good standing or left the program in good standing.  A full application packet is required.  

Admissions Selection Criteria: 

Each of the above criteria (test scores, undergraduate GPA, master’s GPA, recommendations and writing) is assigned a point value.  Applicants whose overall total points meet the standards set by the program faculty are invited for an interview.  Admissions decisions are made after the interviews are completed.  Prior clinical experience, professional presentations, publications, and other indicators of achievement in the field of psychology will also be taken into consideration when evaluating applicants.  Following the interview, applicants may be offered a space in the entering class or a decision regarding acceptance or rejection may be deferred until a later date.  Applicants may also be placed on a waiting list, referred to the master’s program, or rejected. 

Application Deadline: 

The Psy.D. program accepts applicants for the fall semester only. The program accepts applicants to Year I on a rolling admission basis until the entering class is filled. Candidates applying to Year I are encouraged to submit their applications by January 15^th. The application deadline for Year II is January 15^th. All candidates whose applications are completed by January 15th will be notified of their status by April 15^th. It is recommended that the applicant submit all materials except for the test scores as a complete packet. If that is not possible, the application form with fee must accompany the first materials submitted.  Incomplete application packets cannot be considered. 

Admission Deposits

Applicants who wish to accept an offer of admission must submit a deposit of $500 by April 15^th. This deposit is non-refundable after April 15^th. The deposit will be credited against the tuition for the first semester of enrollment. Applicants who fail to submit the required deposit on time will forfeit their place in the entering class.  

 
Questions about admissions to the Psy.D. program should be directed to:  

Jayne Mashett
Director of Graduate Admissions
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
215.248.7020
mashettj@chc.edu