Information for Applicants

Application Due Date

Our application deadline is December 1st every year. We know that this is an early deadline, but we have selected it so that we can ensure that all of your application materials have been received and processed by the graduate school by the time we return from winter break (it typically takes the graduate school several weeks to scan in all of the documents, and then a few more weeks for the Director of Clinical Training to ensure the files are complete). If for some reason you are unable to complete your application by December 1st, or you have a part of your application missing, please contact the Director of Clinical Training, Dr. Michael Nadorff.

Full Disclosure Data

Applicants commonly wish to review our full disclosure data outlining what has happened with our recent cohorts of students as well as recent years of admissions. Data are updated once a year, typically around April 15th once the new cohort of students has committed to coming to MSU.

Student Admissions and Outcomes

Mentorship Model

Like most clinical psychology programs we work on a mentor model where each student is assigned to work with a primary research mentor. These mentors can come from our core or associate faculty. The following faculty members currently accept students in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program:

Faculty who accept clinical students

Background Checks

Given that psychologists commonly work with individuals who are at-risk or vulnerable it is important to ensure that all of our doctoral students are appropriate for conducting such clinical work. As such, we run background checks shortly after admission while processing your MSU employment paperwork. Should there be problems with the background check the Director of Clinical Training will work with the student to determine whether they are able to continue working in the program.

Personal Statement

In your personal statement we ask that you to tell us about you and your fit with the clinical psychology program, as fit plays a large role in successful applications. The statement should tell us which professor, or professors, you are hoping to work with as your primary research mentor and why that individual(s) is a strong fit for your graduate training. Furthermore, our program greatly values diversity, broadly defined. We believe that a range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Thus, we look for candidates who value diversity as well as add to our diversity whether it be due to your background, experience, or research emphasis. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the importance of diversity in their clinical training, and how diversity interacts with their research. Applicants are not required to describe or disclose experiences that directly relate to their identity. However, applicants are welcome to include them should they chose, and these disclosures will not negatively impact admission decisions.  Please limit your personal statement to a maximum of three pages.