Please read all sections of this web site before making the decision to apply to the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (JDP). It is not permissible for applicants to meet only a few requirements. The Selection Committee, composed of faculty from both universities and all three specializations, looks for students who are highly qualified in all areas. All application material is first processed through SDSU, not UCSD. Do not send material to UCSD. Only students accepted into the JDP are required to apply to UCSD.
Deadline: December 1 is the deadline each year for the following fall. We are strict about the deadline. Please note that this is a receipt date, not a postmark date. If you do not mail your material until December 1 (we check postmarks) your file will be considered late and will not be reviewed by the Selection Committee. To expedite completion of your JDP file, you may forward as many items as possible in one envelope. Letters of recommendation may be signed by the recommender across the envelope seal and will be considered official provided the seal is unbroken. Most campuses will allow students to receive transcripts that the JDP and Graduate Admissions Office consider official as long as the registrar’s seal on the envelope remains unbroken. Occasionally a professor may be unable to submit a letter of recommendation on time. Occasionally a college may not send official transcripts in a timely manner. More commonly a student will take the subject GRE in the month of December. We can be slightly flexible about receiving material over which you have little control, provided the committee has not begun the review process. This does not, however, relieve you of the responsibility for ordering transcripts, taking the general GRE, submitting scores, requesting letters of recommendation, and mailing your material in time to meet the deadline. Do not wait for a late letter or transcript to arrive before sending your other application material.
We have tried to make it very clear that applicants are responsible for getting all material to the SDSU/JDP office by December 1. There are several ways you can avoid a late application:
JDP Application: We prefer that the application form is typed if you are unable to submit on-line. It is acceptable for you to handwrite it only if absolutely necessary. If your printing is not legible, however, your file will not be submitted to the Selection Committee. Please double check all typing and/or handwriting.
We notify applicants about their files by email. Since email is the fastest way to send information, it is incumbent upon the applicant to be sure that we not only can read your email address, but that you keep us updated on any changes.
Due to severe state budget cuts to California universities, we rarely return long distance calls outside San Diego County. It is best to email us at PsycJDP@sciences.sdsu.edu. We will appreciate your cooperation.
Track Selection: Students are selected by the selection committees that represent one of three specializations, or tracks. Prior to applying, you should spend some time thinking about the research you want to do in the JDP. You should be clear about the track into which your research interests fall. If it is clear that those interests fall in more than one track, you may list an additional track. Keep in mind, however, that files are first reviewed by the track you list first. Please refer to the program section in this web site entitled “Specialization” for a description of each track.
Faculty Listings: We have listed faculty by track specialization. Please choose faculty from the specialization track that is your first choice track; only choose faculty from other tracks if it is clear that your research area crosses over to another track. Faculty who are unlikely to take a new student in the year for which you are applying have an asterisk beside their names. The asterisk list can change from year to year depending on the professor’s preference. Do not put names of faculty under B.6 on the application who are not affiliated with the JDP. In other words, if a name is not on the faculty list, that person is not affiliated with the JDP.
GREs: It is important that you consult the Educational Testing Service (ETS) web site at www.gre.org as early as possible for comprehensive information. Order GREs sent to San Diego State University. It is not necessary at this time to order scores for UCSD unless you are also applying to a different program based only at UCSD. Again, all JDP application material is first processed through SDSU.
General Scores: You are expected to take the general GRE in time for us to receive your scores by the deadline. We require that you fax a copy of your ETS notice to the program office as soon as you receive it. The unofficial notice will suffice until the official one arrives. (Fax: 619-594-6780). Errors and delays have occurred in the past that make this necessary.
Psychology Subject Score: You are also expected to take the psychology subject test. If you are scheduled to take the subject GRE in December, please fax us a copy to the number listed in the above paragraph. The psychology subject GRE is a requirement—no exceptions. Check with the ETS web site listed above.
Prerequisites: If your degree is in an area other than psychology, please note that your application will not be considered unless you have taken the prerequisite courses on the Admissions page on this Web site. The program requires all applicants to have a foundation in psychology as preparation for doctoral-level work.
CSU Mentor Application: This is the required application for the SDSU Office of Graduate Admissions. The deadline is also December 1. It is preferred that you complete this on line. A $55 fee is required. To find our program on this application, there is a pull-down menu listing the programs. Look for ‘clinical psychology’ not simply ‘psychology.’ The 5-digit major code for clinical psychology on the CSU application is 20031. See this web address http://www.csumentor.edu/admissionapp/ for instructions.
Application Fee: The $55 application fee is part of the application to the SDSU Office of Graduate Admissions and that office will cash your check or bill your credit card irrespective of the status of your JDP application. The JDP does not charge an application fee.
Master’s Programs in Psychology: If you choose to apply concurrently to an SDSU master’s program in psychology, you need only submit the CSU Mentor application one time and pay the fee one time. Your file will ultimately be transferred to the appropriate place. The deadline at SDSU for psychology master’s programs is February 1. Consult the SDSU Psychology Department web site for application information. The MS in clinical psychology is available only to students already in the JDP. Please note that entry into an SDSU master’s program is, in no way, a stepping stone into the JDP. The programs are entirely separate. Also note that a master’s degree will not put you ahead in the JDP.
Foreign Applicants: You must check with your university to be sure your final transcript will be available and that it will show your degree award. You will not be admitted to the university without it. In certain instances, foreign applicants may be required to use an independent transcript evaluator. Any costs involved in such a requirement are the responsibility of the applicant. The JDP expects international students to read, write and speak fluent English in order to be prepared for doctoral work. Access the International Student Center web site at http://www.sdsu.edu/isc or by email at isc.reception@sdsu.edu for more detailed information about university requirements for international students.
TOEFL: TOEFL information is available at www.toefl.org. “All postbaccalaureate applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is not English, and whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English, must demonstrate competency in English. Those who do not possess a bachelor’s degree from a postsecondary institution where English is the principal language of instruction must receive a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Individual degree programs may prescribe a higher minimum score. Applicants taking the Computer-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language must present a score of 213 or above. Applicants must also submit a score for the Test of Written English (TWE). Individual degree programs may use the score on the TWE as an admission criterion or as an advising tool to identify students who may need further training in English.”
[Italicized items in this quotation are by JDP.] SDSU Graduate Bulletin
If you are not accepted: We sincerely appreciate your interest in our program. Although we understand that not being accepted can be very disappointing, we hope that you will not be discouraged from pursuing your professional goals. Since we cannot respond in detail to applicants who were not accepted, we ask that you keep in mind the following, particularly if you are considering applying again in a subsequent year.
