— Admissions — Application Requirements — School Psychology (PsyD)

Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology
Application Requirements

Graduates of PCOM's Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in School Psychology program will be fully prepared to assume the role and responsibility of a school psychologist at an advanced level with specialized training in advanced assessment practices and application of cognitive-behavior therapy.

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Admission Requirements

PsyD in School Psychology program requirements

Program applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field at a regionally accredited college or university, with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Admissions Committee evaluates applicants on a number of factors. These include: a commitment to working with children and families, past academic performance, letters of recommendation and the corresponding PCOM recommendation forms, 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, 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.

PsyD in School Psychology course prerequisites

Applicants must have completed, prior to admission the following foundational coursework:

6 credits of English
6 credits of Math
15 additional credits of Psychology coursework

Transcripts will be carefully reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

Transfer Policy

A school psychology program candidate who currently holds a graduate degree in psychology or a related field may be eligible to have up to 30 credits or graduate work transferred towards the PsyD degree program. Eligibility for course transfer is as follows:

Each course must have been taken in an APA-accredited or NASP-approved program within a 7 year period.
A grade of “B” or better is required for each course.
A syllabus for each course must be submitted for Program Director review.
At least 2 graded assignments (per course) must be submitted for Program Director review.

An exam may be completed to demonstrate content knowledge.

It is the discretion of the program director as to which courses can be transferred based on the above criteria.

What else do I need to apply to the School Psychology PsyD program?

Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:

Official transcript(s) of all undergraduate and graduate course work
Official scores from the GRE General Test (PCOM institutional code for GRE – 2662)
Three letters of recommendation (if not already submitted through GradCAS)
Curriculum vitae or resume
A general autobiographical statement explaining you interest in this academic program as it relates to your career goals (in 500 words or less)
Writing sample (preferably graded)

Application Process

How to apply to the Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology (PsyD) program

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) participates in GradCAS, the centralized application service for graduate study.

Prospective graduate students may submit their application through a secure web server, GradCAS, which is similar to a "common app". In order to connect your general GradCAS application to PCOM, visit the ADD PROGRAM tab, search for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and select your program of interest from the list. Also, be sure you complete the fourth quadrant of PCOM custom questions and click SUBMIT when completed. Be advised that your full GradCAS application must be e-submitted, completed and verified to be considered for admission to PCOM.

Need help using GradCAS?

GradCAS instructions can be found on the GradCAS Applicant Help Center and the GradCAS Quick Start Guide. Additionally, you may contact GradCAS Customer Service.

Where do I send my college transcripts?

Official college transcripts from all colleges/universities schools attended must be sent directly to:

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Office of Admissions
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131

Where do I send my letters of recommendation?

Letters of Recommendation can be sent through the evaluator portal on GradCAS or directly to PCOM Admissions in PDF format to recommend@pcom.edu. Recommenders can be directed to our "For Recommenders" page for guidance.

What are the next steps?

Once your application has been downloaded from GradCAS, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process.

Admissions Process

What happens after I apply to the School Psychology PsyD program?

The PsyD program utilizes a rolling admissions policy, so applications will be considered throughout the year as they are received. Students will be accepted into the program until the desired class size is achieved, therefore it is recommended for candidates to submit applications early. Classes begin in the summer term.

The Admissions Committee screens applications, invites some applicants for an interview and to submit a writing sample, evaluates the applicants and selects the new students. As an applicant to PCOM's Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology program, you are responsible for ensuring that all admissions materials are completed accurately and submitted in a timely manner.

Due to COVID-19, we will conduct online interviews only for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle at all PCOM locations.

Following completion of the admissions process, each applicant is notified of the Admissions Committee's decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment.

Background check requirement

In effort to foster the safety and well-being of the entire campus community, as well as to ensure that students accepted to PCOM will be permitted to perform clerkships/internships required to successfully complete their degree requirements, PCOM requires all first year students to complete a criminal background check prior to matriculation. All students must have their criminal background checks processed through a PCOM vendor of choice. The Admissions Office will send notification of the process after confirmation of enrollment and must have this information on file prior to orientation; students will not be allowed to start classes without this information.

Prior to enrollment, all candidates are required to complete PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation (PDF).

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at admissions@pcom.edu.