Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Psy.D.
About the Program
Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus
Credit Hours: 114-124
Entry Term: Fall
The APA-accredited doctorate program in clinical psychology at Georgia Southern University (GS) is a full time, day program offering a course of study leading to the Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree. The program’s curriculum prepares graduates for the practice of psychology with a special focus on practice in rural areas. Coursework and training prepare students for licensure as a psychologist, with an emphasis on educating emerging psychologists for the underserved areas in the state of Georgia and adjacent regions in the Southeast.
The Psy.D. program originated from a longstanding and dire need for licensed psychologists in rural, underserved areas of the United States, most specifically in the rural south. This mission is consistent with Georgia Southern University’s commitment to serve the needs of the southeastern region of the country. The program trains students according to the practitioner-scholar model. Students are taught to become generalists who will be effective in the delivery of psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and psychological consultation services in rural areas. Consistent with the framework of a generalist approach, the curriculum, beginning with foundational courses, strives to create and maintain a dynamic and integrative program, emphasizing behavioral, cognitive, existential, family systems, humanistic, and psychodynamic orientations.
The program is designed to foster the intrapersonal and professional development of students. This process is aimed at helping the students cultivate balance within their personal and professional growth. In addition to academic requirements, students are encouraged to take initiative and responsibility for personal and professional growth through independent readings, interaction with fellow students and faculty, attendance at colloquia, and additional elective research and practica opportunities. The PsyD is a professional degree, and focuses on the development of applied practice skills. Because the program is an integral part of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences in a regional university, doctoral students engage in all aspects of scholarly inquiry, including substantive qualitative and quantitative research, and professional membership and discourse in state, regional, and national organizations.
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Regular Admission Requirements
A committee of faculty will determine admission based on the following:
- A successful completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Students’ academic record will be evaluated based on official transcripts from all previous enrollments in higher education.
- Grade Point Average (GPA): A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.30 is required for consideration. The average undergraduate GPA of successful applicants for the Fall 2022 class was 3.76 (on a 4.0 scale).
- A minimum grade of B in the following undergraduate courses: Psychological Statistics, Research Design, Abnormal Psychology
- Record of having taken at least two of the following courses: Personality, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Learning and/or Cognition, Health Psychology, Tests and Measurement, Theories of Psychotherapy, Psychology of Substance Abuse.
- Three letters of recommendation from former professors or appropriate employers/advisors.
- A written statement of professional goals. Please describe why you want to pursue doctoral training in clinical psychology. Also, describe how Georgia Southern University’s program is a good fit. Finally, please list three (3) Statesboro campus psychology faculty whose research interests are a match to your own. Of these three, please include at least one clinical faculty member and one faculty member who is not clinical. This statement should be 500 words or less in length.
- A current Curriculum Vitae or Resume.
- Optional: Submission of a writing sample of past work provides an opportunity to showcase your writing skills, tone, and style. The sample should be no longer than two double-spaced pages. Consider submitting an excerpt or passage from a research paper or writing assignment for class, a manuscript, or other relevant works.
Based on a review of the application materials, the Admissions Committee will select top candidates for an on-campus interview. Interviews are mandatory for admission into the program. The Admissions Committee will contact top candidates with details regarding on-campus interview dates and procedures.
The PsyD program seeks a diverse applicant pool. We welcome applications from under-represented ethnic minorities, women, applicants with disabilities, first-generation college graduates, and non-traditional students.
*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service and must be a course by course evaluation and include a GPA. (www.naces.org)
Deadlines
Fall
December 15*
Spring
Does not admit
Summer
Does not admit
*The application and all required documents listed on the “admissions requirements” tab for the program must be received by the deadline. If all required documents are not received by the deadline your application will not be considered for admission.
Program Contact Information
C. Thresa Yancey, Ph.D.
Director of Clinical Training, Professor of Psychology
psyd@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-5704
Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st St., NE, Washington, DC 20002
202-336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
APA Accreditation Site
Last updated: 2/9/2024