The admission process and requirements are outlined below. Please note, requirements differ by graduate program. It is important to refer to your program of interest (listed below) for specific requirements. To move forward with admissions, your next step is to start a Graduate application.
SGS Admission Process for Graduate Students
Admissions Requirements by Program
Clinical and Counseling (M.S.) Program
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources. Recent graduates are expected to submit at least one academic recommendation; professional sources should be in supervisory roles, references from family or friends will not be accepted. Applicants who completed college-level coursework over 5 years ago are not required to submit an academic reference. Two professional references will be accepted.
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Professional Goals Essay between 500-750 words (2-3 pages double-spaced) describing your academic and professional goals. Topics to be addressed in your essay:
- What personal values and experiences inform your choice to pursue a degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology? Discuss how your background and interests reflect the program’s goals to value human diversity and ethical and social responsibility.
- Discuss how the theoretical orientation(s) of the program (psychodynamic and family systems) resonates with your understanding of people?
- How does the curriculum (concentrations or generalist) in the Masters in Clinical and Counseling Psychology program fit with your professional goals?
Interview with the Department Chair, Director or Coordinator (for qualified applicants)
Writing sample as requested by the Department Chair or Director
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
Graduate Education Programs (Cert/M.Ed.)
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
Human Services Management (M.S.) Program
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Professional Goals Essay between 500-750 words (2-3 pages double-spaced) describing your academic and professional goals, your motivation to attend graduate school, and how you hope to contribute to your program and profession upon earning a Master’s degree.
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
MBA in Strategic Management
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
Montessori Education Programs
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Professional Goals Essay between 500-750 words (2-3 pages double-spaced) describing your academic and professional goals, your motivation to attend graduate school, and how you hope to contribute to your program and profession upon earning a Master’s degree.
Interview with the Department Chair, Director or Coordinator (for qualified applicants)
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
Organizational Leadership (M.S.) Program
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Interview with the Department Chair, Director or Coordinator (for qualified applicants)
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
School Counseling (M.S.) Program
Admission Requirements
Completed ONLINE APPLICATION
($55 fee; waived for CHC graduates and Information Session attendees)
Official sealed transcripts of all previous college and university study. (Applicants must have graduated, or anticipate graduating, from an accredited institution with a four-year bachelor’s degree)
Two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources. Recent graduates are expected to submit at least one academic recommendation; professional sources should be in supervisory roles, references from family or friends will not be accepted. Applicants who completed college-level coursework over 5 years ago are not required to submit an academic reference. Two professional references will be accepted.
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) describing all education, professional, work, and volunteer experience, and appropriate information regarding knowledge, skills, and abilities that will support your success in the program and profession.
Professional Goals Essay between 500-750 words (2-3 pages double-spaced) describing your academic and professional goals. Topics to be addressed in your essay:
- What personal values and experiences inform your choice to pursue a degree in School Counseling?
- Discuss how your background and interests reflect the program’s goals to value human diversity and ethical and social responsibility
- How does the curriculum (concentrations or generalist) in the Masters in School Counseling program fit with your professional goals?
Interview with the Department Chair, Director or Coordinator (for qualified applicants)
Writing sample as requested by the Department Chair or Director
Note: The Admissions Committee has the discretion to request additional information, if needed.
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program
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.
REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS (along with $60 application fee)
- All application materials are listed on the online application (https://admissions.chc.edu/apply). These include:
- transcripts, three recommendations, a 5-page essay, CV or resume, and graduate syllabi if advanced standing is sought.
- Graduates of CHC are not required to submit a CHC transcript.
- A printable version of the PsyD Recommendation Form may be emailed to PsyDapps@chc.edu if your references prefer to submit via email: Psy.D. Recommendation Form.
- Letters of recommendation should be from core faculty members and/or clinical supervisors who are familiar with the applicant’s skills and potential.
- At least one letter from a doctoral level instructor and/or core faculty member must pertain to the applicant’s academic performance and potential.
- At least one letter should pertain to the applicant’s clinical performance and/or 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.
- Letters of recommendation should be from core faculty members and/or clinical supervisors who are familiar with the applicant’s skills and potential.
- Official transcripts can be delivered to PsyDapps@chc.edu, or hard copies delivered to:
- Doctor of Psychology Program, Chestnut Hill College, 9601 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118.
- Applications for Year I admission (applicants with a bachelor’s level-degree) are considered on a rolling basis beginning mid-fall and continuing until the cohort is complete (usually mid-March).
- Applications for admission with Advanced Standing (applicants with a master’s level-degree in clinical/counseling psychology or a closely related field who completed foundational coursework) are due by January 15 in order to allow for syllabi review. The Early Consideration deadline is December 1.
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.)
Essays will be evaluated both for content and for writing style.
Personal Interview
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 (below) for more information.
Applicants currently enrolled in other doctoral programs:
The program will consider applications from those who currently attend or previously attended another doctoral program. In such cases, the applicant 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.
Eligibility to Apply to Year II with Advanced Standing
To be eligible to apply to enter the program in Year II with Advanced Standing, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
Master’s degree in Clinical or Counseling Psychology or a closely related field.
- Completion of a supervised master’s level field placement lasting at least three semesters for a total of 700 hours.
- 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.
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in group therapy equivalent to PSYG 717 Group Therapy.
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in multicultural issues in psychotherapy equivalent to PSYG 716 Culture and Gender in Psychotherapy
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in Human Development equivalent to PSYG 704.
- Two 3-credit graduate courses in Couple and Family Therapy where a systemic focus is the treatment approach.
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in Psychopathology equivalent to PSYG 703.
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in Research Design equivalent to PSYG 712
- One 3-credit graduate-level course in Ethics that covers the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association and that is equivalent to PSYG 713
Applicants who do not meet all of the above criteria are not eligible for admission with Advanced Standing but may apply to enter at Year I. Where applicable, consideration is given to admit applicants with advanced standing who may need no more than three courses prior to the start of the Year III course sequence.
Transfer Credit Policy
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 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 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 24 transfer credits for foundational and elective courses at the master’s 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.
For the following courses, transfer credit will be granted only if the student passes the corresponding Competency Examination (80% exam grade):
- PSYG 703 Psychopathology (exam requirement waived if course was completed with a grade of A or A-)
- PSYG 704 Development Across the Lifespan (exam requirement waived if course was completed with a grade of A or A-)
- PSYG 712 Research Design and Methodology (exam requirement waived if course was completed with a grade of A or A- .or if the applicant completed a single course in Research Design with a grade of B or higher and also completed a master’s thesis.)
- PSYG 713 Legal and Ethical Issues in Psychotherapy (exam requirement waived if course was completed with a grade of A or A-)
The following courses are eligible for transfer credit without competency examination:
- The Role of Culture and Gender in Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Group Therapy
- A Systemic Approach to the Problems of Adolescents
- Couple and Family Therapy (Systemic Focus)
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/ Director of Clinical Training and other members of the department.
Procedure for Evaluating Course Equivalence
- Student submits a syllabus, catalog description, and official transcript showing the grade for the course for which transfer credit is requested. Course syllabi from the semester the courses were completed must be submitted with the application. Courses will not be considered for transfer if a syllabus is not provided.
- 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.
- Transfer Credit Challenge Examinations are administered for grades of B or B+ on a case-by-case basis. These examinations are administered in May and June at a date to be announced. They are typically 2-3 hours in length. Applicants have one opportunity to pass each Competency Examination at at least 80%. Applicants 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 within their first year of enrollment.
Standardized Test Requirements
Applicants holding a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited institution are exempt from the standardized test requirement.
Applicants whose cumulative GPA from their undergraduate degree is 3.00 or above are exempt from the standardized test requirement.
For applicants whose cumulative GPA from their undergraduate degree is under 3.00, please submit official scores from:
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT) – Score Recipient Code 1609. For more information: www.milleranalogies.com
OR - Graduate Record Examination (GRE) – Score Recipient Code 2082. For more information: www.ets.org
Note: The GRE requirements do not apply to the PsyD program. The exam is waived for doctoral applicants.
International Requirements
In addition to all other application requirements, official transcript evaluations of degree(s) earned outside the United States are required for all domestic and international students (translation must be from a creditable organization such as WES or ECE).
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are required for all international students whose first language is not English unless they have successfully completed an approved ESL/FSL program.
Evaluation of Criteria
After all requirements are received, qualified applicants will be contacted by email to schedule a program interview with the Graduate Program Coordinator to arrange an interview.
Upon submission of all criteria, the application is reviewed by the admissions committee which includes the Director of Graduate Admissions, the Department Advisor, the Graduate Dean and, if applicable, the Director of Global Education. The applicant is notified of the decision regarding acceptance or non-acceptance. Decisions are based on the strength of required criteria; correlation of applicant goals with program goals; ability to contribute to a collaborative learning environment as demonstrated throughout the admissions process. This includes appropriate and professional verbal and written correspondence.
Application Deadlines
Chestnut Hill College has a rolling admissions policy for graduate applicants and will review documents as they are received. In order to allow time for the admissions review prior to registration, the committee recommends that a completed application is on file by the following dates:
- Fall Semester – July 1st
- Spring Semester – November 1st
- Summer Semester – April 1st
For questions or more information, please contact Graduate Admissions Team
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