The Clinical Psychology Master of Arts (MA) Program within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is intended for students interested in pursuing a career in academic clinical psychology. The MA program is designed to provide a foundation in academic clinical psychology at the graduate level, while also allowing students to gain educational and research exposure to major areas of study within clinical psychology, including adult psychopathology and treatment, health psychology/behavioral medicine, clinical child and adolescent psychology and clinical neuropsychology and behavioral neuroscience.
The MA program is embedded in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program, with coursework and lab work completed alongside PhD students. Although students in the MA program are welcome to apply to the PhD program, the MA program is not intended to be a "gateway" into the PhD program.
This MA program does not include clinical training and is not intended to prepare students for clinical practice. Given the academic and research focus of the MA program, the degree will not lead to licensure for independent practice. For those interested in master-level programs that prepare students for licensure and practice, please visit the MA in Counseling Psychologyand the MS in Marital and Family Therapy at The Family Institute at Northwestern University.
The goals of the Clinical Psychology Master of Arts Program are to:
The MA program was designed for a variety of students, including students who:
The following criteria are most desired in MA applicants:
Please note that the above criteria are desired, but not required. The MA program will consider mitigating circumstances when conducting holistic reviews of applicants who may not meet all of these criteria.
View the Sample Course Schedule (PDF).
The Clinical Psychology Master of Arts Program is designed to be completed within five quarters (Summer I, Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer II). This 15-month program is timed to facilitate students’ applications to doctoral programs in clinical psychology or related fields.
The MA program requires at least 17 units for graduation. Students are required to take the Research Core, including Research Methods/Statistics (three units), Advanced Research Methodology (one unit) and Scientific and Professional Ethics in Psychology (one unit).
In addition to these required courses, students are expected to select between five to eight elective courses across the Fall, Winter, Spring and/or Summer II quarters. Elective courses can include courses at the foundational, bases of behavior or clinical level, as well as courses in one or more of the emphases or major areas of study. MA students have the freedom to take any courses in the PhD program as long as they meet the prerequisites for the courses.
Finally, in addition to the graded courses, students are expected to register for at least one research unit for every quarter as part of their Research Lab Experience. The research core and elective courses can be reviewed in detail on the PhD Program Curriculum page. Please note that not all courses are offered every year, and therefore specific courses may not be available during a student’s residency in the MA program.
All MA students participate in the weekly Career Development Proseminar for the first four quarters of the MA program. The Proseminar orients students to the program, introduces students to various mentors and labs across Northwestern, explores career options in academic clinical psychology, refines interests in academic clinical psychology and prepares students for the next steps in their careers (e.g., developing applications for PhD programs or preparing for interviews).
Students engage in a Research Lab Experience for at least 10 hours a week. Through the Research Lab Experience, the student will work with their research mentor to complete a Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is the culmination of the Research Lab Experience provided by the research mentor, providing the final evaluation of the student’s research competencies. Examples of capstone projects include:
For more information the curriculum and degree requirements for the PhD program, please review the MA Program Student Handbook (PDF).
Information on tuition can be found at tuition and fees page on The Graduate School’s website.
All students admitted to the MA program receive a Graduate Scholarship that provides a 45 percent tuition remission for each of the five quarters of the program. The Graduate Scholarship is provided in acknowledgement for MA students' time devoted to the Research Lab Experience.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the final deadline of May 1. Offers will also be made on a rolling basis until the incoming cohort class is completely filled. Applicants may be asked to do a phone or video interview before an offer is made for admission. Onsite interviews will not be conducted, nor will individual tours of the program be provided to applicants; however, interested applicants are always welcome to visit the campus.
To apply, complete the three steps listed below.
Online applications will open in September. Deadline for receipt of completed applications and supporting materials for the MA program is May 1, although applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and offers of admissions will also be made on a rolling basis until the cohort is filled.
To begin the application process, read the instructions and complete the application on The Graduate School website. In the Personal Information section on Page 1, choose “Clinical Psychology: MA (C30MA)” as your Academic Program from the pull-down menu (Select "Feinberg School of Medicine" to find it faster).
The nonrefundable application fee must be paid via credit card at the time of application submission; it will not be processed without payment and the fee cannot be waived. See additional information regarding the application fee.
The online application program will ask you to identify a faculty member that you may be interested in working with during your Research Lab Experience. Identifying a faculty member may help us determine your alignment with the MA program; however, this is optional and you will not be held to working with this faculty member if admitted to the program. Further, specific faculty may not be available to provide a Research Lab Experience during your residency in the Program. Assignment to a lab for the Research Lab Experience will be determined in the first month of the program. Please make certain to review the faculty list on the page to see who may be available for your Research Lab Experience. We cannot guarantee an assignment to a specific lab for MA students.
The following General Record Examinations (GRE) scores are required for consideration to the Clinical Psychology MA program:
Please have your official GRE scores sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to The Graduate School (TGS, institution code 1565, department code 2001 optional). The Psychology Subject Test is not required to apply to our MA program.
You can self-report your scores as part of the online application; however, official GRE scores are required for final consideration.
For international students, valid Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required unless you have, or will have, completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution where the primary language is English. We cannot waive this requirement. Please have your TOEFL scores sent by ETS directly to TGS using code 01. If you have taken the IBT TOEFL exam, please request that your scores be sent to the graduate office (versus undergraduate) and then select the program name that most matches Clinical Psychology. If no match is available, you may choose option 99.
You will also need to submit the following supporting materials to complete your application. All of the supporting documents must be submitted online; paper or "hard" copies will not be accepted for the application. Please include the following supporting documents in your online application:
Transcripts from each postsecondary institution you attended are required for your application to be complete. You must upload scanned versions of your official transcripts online. We no longer will accept paper copies in the mail.
If you are accepted into the program, TGS will require that you submit official paper copies of your transcripts (including degree awarding transcripts) directly to its admission office. TGS will compare the official transcripts received via mail to the versions uploaded during the application process to ensure that no tampering/fraud occurred. Any student found to have submitted false documentation during the application process will be immediately dismissed. Registration holds will be placed on any student’s account if their official transcripts are not received by the end of the first quarter of enrollment.
Please include the following information in the statement of purpose essay you complete as part of your online application (please disregard the instructions listed on the application for the Statement of Purpose):
Tina Boisseau, PhD: Seeking a student with interest in OCD/anxiety disorders, at least 2 semesters of prior research experience as an undergraduate beyond data entry, a desire to pursue PhD in clinical psychology, and solid letters of recommendation
Brian Feinstein, PhD: Seeking a student with an interest in bisexual stigma and health to assist with projects related to the health of bisexual male youth (e.g., a qualitative study, an intervention study) and identity management among bisexual adults (e.g., a survey study , a daily diary study). The student must: be comfortable with topics such as sexual orientation, behavior, and health (e.g., HIV); be able to work independently and collaboratively; have excellent communication and skills; and have excellent attention to detail. Preferred (but not required): previous research experience including experience with LGBTQ populations, literature reviews, qualitative data analysis (e.g., coding), basic descriptive analyses in SPSS, and writing manuscripts for publication.
Andrea Graham, PhD: Seeking a student with interest in eating disorders and/or obesity, and ideally with an interest in designing and testing digital behavioral interventions for these problems.
Emily Lattie, PhD: Seeking a student who is interested in digital mental health programs for healthcare and university settings. Student should be eager to learn and have good time management skills and past research lab experience (or experience in leadership roles).
Linda Teplin, PhD, and Karen Abram, PhD: Seeking a student who is interested in the needs of underserved populations, the impact of incarceration on individuals and families, and/or child and adolescent development and resilience. Competitive students will have some research experience, familiarity with field studies, and training in research methods. We value the ability to work in a team setting, meticulousness and resourcefulness.
Please direct all questions to the admissions Assistant at clinpsych@northwestern.edu or 312-908-8262.