Clinical Psychology Admission information

The Clinical program admits new students to a program of full-time study once a year at the beginning of the fall semester. All application materials should be submitted to the Admissions Office of the Graduate School by December 1. 

Identify Potential Faculty Advisor(s) 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review faculty profiles carefully and identify faculty members whose research interests align with their own. Admission to the program requires the availability of an appropriate faculty advisor, and not all faculty members will be inviting applications in a given admissions cycle. Please consult the list of faculty accepting students for the upcoming year before applying. Applicants who identify a faculty member accepting students will receive full consideration  for admission.

To determine whether specific core clinical science faculty are inviting applications for the current application cycle (starting the program in Fall 2027), see below:

Who should apply?

We value diversity in all its forms and actively promote a culture of inclusion and respect. Students from under-represented racial/ethnic populations and disadvantaged backgrounds, first-generation college students, veterans, students with disabilities, and people who identify as a sexual or gender minority, are encouraged to apply. Admitted students from underrepresented groups may be eligible for additional fellowships (specifically see the Clark Diversity Fellowship), awarded by the graduate school on a competitive basis. The University also offers an application fee waiver to various applicants. Students in need of fee waivers who are unsure of their eligibility are encouraged to contact the Graduate School directly.

GRE Requirements

As part of a recent review of our admissions process, the Clinical Psychology PhD program has decided to reintroduce the GRE General Test (Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing) as one component of a holistic application review. The GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required. 

We recognize that concerns have been raised regarding standardized testing, including questions related to equity, access, and representation. Our program previously shared (and continues to share) many of these concerns and, for a period of time, did not require GRE scores.

However, recent changes in higher education, including substantial grade inflation, increased variability in grading practices across institutions, widespread use of pass/fail grading during the pandemic, and reduced comparability of transcripts across applicants, have highlighted the value of including an additional standardized data point in our admissions process. How we use GRE scores (holistic review) at BU:
  • GRE scores are not used as cutoffs or automatic screening criteria 
  • GRE scores are considered alongside all other application materials 
  • No single metric determines admission decisions 
  • Applicants are evaluated contextually and holistically 
GRE scores are considered as one component of a holistic review and are weighed alongside undergraduate academic performance, research experience, letters of recommendation, the personal statement, and other required materials.

In some cases, GRE scores may help highlight strengths not fully reflected in GPA or prior educational opportunities. In other cases, differences across application materials may prompt a more individualized review. Applicants are welcome to provide context regarding any aspect of their academic record or testing history that they feel is important for the admissions committee to consider.

Score validity

Educational Testing Service (ETS) will not release GRE scores that are more than five years old. Applicants whose scores exceed this window will need to retest in order for official scores to be submitted.

Test format

The GRE General Test transitioned to a shorter format in September 2023. The Clinical Psychology program considers scores from the longer and shorter versions of the test as equivalent. Applicants who took the longer format do not need to retest, provided their scores remain within the five-year validity window.

Submitting scores

The Graduate School requires official GRE score reports at the time of application submission. Self-reported scores will not be accepted. Applicants must request that ETS send official scores to 麻豆社 using institution code 2535. Because ETS score delivery can take several weeks, applicants should arrange for scores to be sent well in advance of the December 1 application deadline to ensure their application is complete and eligible for review.

Planning ahead

We recommend that applicants take the GRE General Test several months in advance of the December 1 application deadline. Testing early allows time to reschedule if extenuating circumstances arise, to retest if desired, and to ensure that official scores reach the Graduate School by the deadline.

Fee reduction

Applicants with financial need are encouraged to explore the , which provides GRE fee vouchers to eligible test-takers, including those with demonstrated financial need, those who are unemployed, and members of programs serving underrepresented groups in higher education. The Department of Psychology is not able to provide test fee waivers or reimbursement.

More information on applying

麻豆社 is ranked among an elite group of institutions that achieve the highest Carnegie Classification, Very High Research Activity (鈥淩1鈥) and, as such, prior research and scholarly activities are weighed heavily.

Following review of the application components due on December 1, some applicants will be invited to participate in interviews. Please note that some labs (but not others) conduct preliminary phone/zoom interviews with select applicants prior to in-person interviews. In either case, the goal of these interactions is to provide mutual opportunities to better determine a match between the applicant, prospective advisor, and the clinical program. Indeed, just as we utilize interviews as part of our evaluation process, applicants are encouraged to identify the strengths of our training program in relation to their own training and career goals. We remain committed to ensuring that applicants who participate in interviews will have a broad range of interactions with faculty and graduate students.

Admissions offers are extended after evaluation of all applications has concluded. We make every effort to update all applicants as to the status of their admissions decision as quickly as possible, and in accordance with laid out by the .

If you have questions about applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs, in general, please consider visiting .