PCOM's Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program, offered at our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania location, trains health services clinical psychologists who are well-grounded in fundamental and general training. They are prepared to deliver essential services to today’s diverse populations, particularly the underserved.
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A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required to apply to the Clinical PsyD Program at PCOM. We will consider exceptional applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree only; but most applicants to PCOM’s Clinical PsyD Program also possess a master's degree in mental health counseling, psychology, social work, psychiatric/mental health nursing, counseling, school psychology, family therapy, or pastoral counseling from a regionally accredited institution in addition to a bachelor’s degree.
Individuals with degrees in other fields will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Students with exceptional performance at the bachelor's level are able to apply to the program without having completed a master's degree. Bachelor's level applicants must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a psychology GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Students who have completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in a related field are able to apply to the program. Competitive applicants at the master's level will have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.3 or higher. Competitive post-master’s students also earn an undergraduate Psychology-major GPA of 3.5 or better from a regionally accredited college or university.
In order to ensure that the program courses be taught at the highest possible level, applicants must have completed during undergraduate or graduate education the following courses prior to admission:
The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants on a number of factors. These include past academic performance, letters of recommendation (at least one letter of recommendation should be from a doctoral-level psychologist), the content and writing style of autobiographical essays, prior work history and volunteer experiences, research activities and publications, presentations at workshops or conferences in psychology or a related field, membership in professional organizations, and personal and professional presentation in the interview. Intellectual ability, academic potential, strong writing skills, emotional stability, maturity, integrity, motivation and high ethical standards are necessary for successful program completion and acceptance into the professional community.
This academic program operates on a rolling admissions basis. The application closes on Friday, August 15, 2025, but an early application is highly recommended.
New students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is achieved.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) participates in PSYCAS, the centralized application service for graduate study in psychology.
Beginning in September, prospective graduate and doctoral students in psychology may submit their application through a secure web server, PSYCAS.
In order to be considered for admission to PCOM, your full PSYCAS application must be:
Please read the PsyCAS website regarding application status and verification to ensure you have given your PsyCAS application ample time to be verified.
Instructions on how to use PSYCAS can be found here.
Once PCOM has received your application from PSYCAS, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process. Note that there is no institutional application fee to PCOM.
Note that in order to be verified in PSYCAS, official college transcripts from all colleges/universities/schools attended must be sent directly to:
PSYCAS
P.O. Box 9138
Watertown, MA 02471
Three letters of Recommendation can be sent through the evaluator portal on PSYCAS or directly to PCOM Admissions in .pdf format to recommend@pcom.edu. At least one letter of recommendation should be from a doctoral-level psychologist.
Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:
The PsyD in Clinical Psychology program utilizes a rolling admissions policy. Thus applications will be considered throughout the year as they are received and all required materials have been submitted. However, the Faculty Committee on Admissions will use two priority deadlines to evaluate completed applications. The deadlines are December 30, 2024, and March 31, 2025. New students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is achieved. It is therefore recommended for candidates to submit applications early. Classes begin in the fall term (early September).
The Admissions Committee screens the applications, invites some applicants for an interview, evaluates the applicants, and selects the new students. Following the completion of the admissions process, each applicant is notified of the Admission Committee's decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment.
Interviews for this program will be offered both virtually and in-person for the 2024-2025 application cycle.
As an applicant to PCOM's Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program you are responsible for ensuring that all admissions materials are completed accurately and submitted in a timely manner.
The College requires a criminal background check for all program applicants and enrolled students. The PCOM Office of Admissions will facilitate a criminal background check prior to matriculation processed by a PCOM vendor of choice. Subsequent criminal background checks can occur during enrollment, including but not limited to, when the student is conducting internships, clerkships, clinical coursework, or other types of coursework that occur off campus. Should you be charged, convicted of, or plead guilty or no contest to a misdemeanor or felony crime after the date of your original application submission, you are required to notify the Dean of your program in writing within 10 business days of the occurrence. This communication should be sent by certified mail to the Dean at the address on the acceptance letter.
Prior to enrollment, all candidates are required to complete the College's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation (PDF).
Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at admissions@pcom.edu.
PCOM Admissions
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
Toll Free: 800-999-6998
Local: 215-871-6700
Fax: 215-871-6719
Email: admissions@pcom.edu
Twitter: @PCOMAdmissions
“The PCOM meaning expands outside of the classroom, clinical rotations and career pursuits. PCOM's values are not only seen in its advocacy efforts in the community but also in the families and friends who support students following their dreams.”
Emily Fannick, PsyD '24
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