Doctoral Psychology Program FAQ

All materials for the doctoral psychology program must be submitted by December 1, 2023.

Unofficial scores should be sent to graduateadmissions@adelphi.edu as soon as possible and will be placed within your application for review. Your official scores should reach us by December 15, 2023.

1. Applicants must submit GRE general exam scores (The GRE subject exam has waived for the fall 2024 application cycle) GREs have to be taken within five years of the anticipated entrance date into the program.
2. A minimum GPA of 3.5 is strongly preferred, and quality of undergraduate education, as well as academic awards and honors, will be considered. Graduate degrees will also be factored in.
3. Applicants should have majored in psychology, or at least have completed a minimum set of five psychology courses, including (1) introductory or general psychology, (2) statistics, (3) research or experimental methods, (4) abnormal psychology or psychopathology, and (5) developmental psychology.
4. Applicants will be evaluated with regard to (1) research experience in the form of assistantships or honors theses and/or (2) clinical experience, including volunteer or paid work in a psychiatric hospital, a clinic in which psychological services are provided, crisis intervention center, peer counseling, or other similar “help” oriented activity.
5. Applicants will be evaluated with regard to (1) letters of recommendation and (2) their personal statement. In the personal statement, applicants should describe their research interests and link these interests to Derner faculty members with whom the applicant has interest in working.
6. Other life or work experiences (including unique achievements and backgrounds) will also be considered.

1. The GRE general exam scores are required
2. The GRE subject test in psychology has been waived for the fall 2024 application cycle

Use Adelphi University’s code 2003 for all applications.

If you have an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university and you submit a full transcript from that university, you will not have to take the TOEFL. The TOEFL minimum score is 550 paper-based and 213 computer-based, and these scores cannot be more than two years old.

Each year, we receive about 300 applications and choose a class of 20 to 25 students.

Fee information can be obtained from our One Stop Student Services site.

Yes, you may apply online. Please note all applications must be submitted through PSYCAS. Please follow the specific instructions provided for the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology’s doctorate in clinical psychology.

Letters of recommendation should be from individuals who can evaluate the quality of your prior academic performance and your scholastic potential, as well as your personal characteristics. For more information on submission of letters, please contact the Graduate Admissions office via graduateadmissions@adelphi.edu.

Very important. The match determines which Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology faculty members will serve as your advisers. Please review our faculty and contact them with your questions.

No. The research practicum, like the clinical practicum, is an integral part of the doctoral clinical psychology program and required of all students.

Yes, interviews are held in February. At that time, you will have an individual and group interview. You will also have an opportunity to meet with some faculty, current students, and alumni.

We have developed a Teaching Fellowship Program. Many teach several courses while completing doctoral requirements. Doctoral students are paid at the same rate as adjunct faculty for courses taught. This is in addition to graduate assistantships.

The University does not have housing on campus for graduate students. Students may choose to live off campus through Adelphi’s Off-Campus Housing Service.

We will contact you in March and invite you to attend an open house in late March or early April where you will have another opportunity to meet faculty and current students.

Let us invite you first. Because we receive a large number of applications, our policy is to first evaluate the applications and then invite the most promising applicants to interview in person. Of course, if you have any questions about the program or your application, feel free to email Felicia Colavito, our graduate studies administrator, at fcolavito@adelphi.edu. Once accepted, you may come to observe a class at our Garden City, New York, campus and arrange to meet with a professor.

Students generally complete the program and internship in six years, although some are able to do so in five years.

Yes, our program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association continuously since 1957.