Clinical Psychology MA Program

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 clinical adult psychology, clinical child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, forensic psychology, health psychology/behavioral medicine, and policy.

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.

We are proud of the outcomes of our graduating students. Most seek to ultimately pursue a doctoral program in clinical psychology. While some students are accepted into doctoral programs immediately upon graduation, a majority go onto research coordinator or research assistant positions, as they continue to build their CVs for doctoral applications. 61% of our graduates are accepted into clinical psychology doctoral programs within 2 years of graduation. We expect that number to rise over next few years as more graduates are applying to doctoral programs.

About the Program

Goals

The goals of the Clinical Psychology Master of Arts Program are to:

Develop foundational competencies in research design, analytics and ethics within academic clinical psychology
Explore major areas of study within academic clinical psychology
Understand educational and career opportunities within academic clinical psychology

Prerequisites

The MA program was designed for a variety of students, including students who:

Are not yet ready to apply to a PhD program, but are considering doing so in the future
Wish to improve their competitiveness for a PhD program
Are interested in exploring a career in academic clinical psychology
With interests in related fields for which a background in academic clinical psychology may be of value

The following criteria are most desired in MA applicants:

Undergraduate grade point average of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale
An essay describing interests in and preparation for the MA program
Three letters of recommendation
For international students, Test of English as a Foreign Language scores
Interest in exploring a career in academic clinical psychology

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.

Curriculum

View the Sample Course Schedule.

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.

Courses

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.

Proseminar

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).

Research Lab Experience

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:

Substantial participation (i.e., authorship level) on one or more empirical studies submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
First author submission of one or more peer-reviewed poster/oral presentations at regional, national or international conferences
A comprehensive review paper that is submitted to and graded by the research mentor
A grant proposal (e.g., F31 style) that is submitted to and graded by the research mentor

For more information the curriculum and degree requirements for the PhD program, please review the MA Program Student Handbook.

Tuition & Financial Aid

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.

Additional information on financial aid is provided through our Chicago Office of Financial Aid and through the& financial aid pages of The Graduate School’s website.

How to Apply

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.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our program eliminated the GRE General Test for admission to the 2021-2022 class. In an effort to maximize holistic review and move toward greater equity and fairness in our admissions process, we will continue to NOT accept or consider GRE scores for applications submitted this year for the 2022-2023 class. Applicants should NOT submit their GRE scores through ETS nor report their scores in the application portal or on their CVs or personal statements. We will revisit our GRE policy annually.

1. Complete the online application form.

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.

2. Please DO NOT request that ETS submit official GRE scores!

3. TOEFL Scores

The Graduate School requires that students demonstrate a certain level of English language proficiency prior to an admission offer. The Graduate School will accept the submission of TOEFL test scores through their at home testing service to meet this requirement. This option is only available while testing centers are closed due to the impact of COVID-19. If you are unable to complete a TOEFL or IELTS exam, please inform the program to which you have applied. The Graduate School's Office of Admission and Recruitment will work directly with programs/departments to offer guidance to individual applicants.

NOTE: The Graduate School does not require English language testing scores from those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.

4. Submit all supporting documents.

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:

Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors, preferably psychologists, who are familiar with your academic or research work. All recommendation letters must be submitted online by your recommenders. We do not accept recommendations through the mail.

Transcripts

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.

Statement of Purpose

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):

Discuss how your background, life experiences, educational preparation, research experience and clinical exposure have contributed to your decision to pursue this degree at this point in your life.
Indicate what you hope to obtain from your MA degree, and what you ultimately want to do after graduating from our program.
Discuss your specific areas of interests in clinical psychology. You are welcome to discuss your alignment with specific research or clinical emphasis offered in our program and, if applicable, specific faculty members.

You are encouraged to submit abstracts or reprints as supplementary uploads. Please write succinctly (one to two pages, single-spaced, in a 12-point font).

Recruiting Faculty

The MA program includes 98 faculty members who provide instruction, research mentorship and professional development in the clinical psychology MA and PhD programs. We plan to recruit a class of approximately 10 students for the year 2022-2023 (beginning in Summer, 2022). The following faculty are recruiting students:

Christina Boisseau, PhD

Dr. Boisseau is seeking a student with interest in OCD/anxiety disorders with at least 2 semesters of prior research experience as an undergraduate beyond data entry. Desire to pursue PhD in Clinical Psychology is a plus.

Forensic Neuropsychology Laboratory

Drs. Michael Brook and Robert Hanlon are looking for applicants who have a passion for research at the intersection of behavioral science, violence prevention, forensic mental health, and social justice. Competitive applicants will have demonstrated an ability to work in multidisciplinary research teams, and experience conducting supervised research including familiarity with the scientific method and a working knowledge of digital research tools (e.g. REDCap, EndNote, SAS, R). Applicants from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in clinical psychology are encouraged to apply.

Andrea Graham, PhD

Dr. Graham is seeking a student with an interest in digital mental health and eating disorders and/or obesity, who can contribute to research on designing and evaluating digital interventions particularly for health care settings. Past research experience is encouraged, or leadership experience that could be applied to working collaboratively on a research team.

Health Disparities and Public Policy

Drs. Linda Teplin and Karen Abram are 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.

Diana Medina, PhD

Dr. Medina is seeking a student with an interest in health psychology, specifically cardiovascular behavioral medicine and/or sleep medicine, interested in pursuing a PhD following the completion of the master’s program. Applicants from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in clinical psychology are encouraged to apply.

Angela Pfammatter, PhD

Dr. Pfammatter is looking for a student enthusiastic about weight management and/or mHealth research. The student should have either experience in the conduct of a clinical trial or a great interest in learning. Students will join a team during the third year of the EVO study and will be expected to screen participants for eligibility, be trained as a health promotionist, or be trained to conduct virtual health assessments. Students will also participate in weekly organizational, writing, and lab meetings. A successful applicant will have some human subjects and scholarly writing experience.

Siobhan Phillips, PhD

Dr. Phillips and the Exercise and Health Lab are looking for applicants with an interest in physical activity promotion and developing digital health interventions. Priority will be given to applicants will have prior human subjects research experience in the fields of kinesiology, exercise science, cancer survivorship, mHealth or health behavior change.

Heather Risser, PhD

Dr. Risser is seeking a student with research lab experience, strong writing ability, interest in parenting & child welfare/child mental health, and some experience with standardized intervention delivery such as DBT.

Emily Rogalski, PhD

Dr. Rogalski is seeking a student to engage in aging and dementia research projects focused on Alzheimer’s dementia, primary progressive aphasia (PPA), frontotemporal dementia and SuperAging. Characteristics of competitive applicants include a strong research interest and experience in cognitive and clinical neuroscience, neuropsychology, neuroimaging (MR and PET), speech-language therapy, statistics, use of technology in assessment and care, and/or experience neuropsychological test administration. Evidence of research productivity (i.e., abstract or manuscripts) is preferred.

Tiffany Taft, PsyD

Dr. Taft is seeking a student with specific interests in health psychology / behavioral medicine with emphasis on chronic medical illness experiences. Some experience in coordinating research studies is preferred, including recruitment and data management, as this will be a large part of their lab responsibilities. Ongoing research studies the student will be involved in include clinical trials testing the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions delivered via tele-medicine to improve outcomes for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other chronic illnesses affecting the digestive tract. Strong writing and literature review skills are also preferred as opportunities to contribute to peer reviewed manuscripts and conference abstracts will be available.

Darius Tandon, PhD

Dr. Tandon is interested in students who have interests in perinatal mental health, implementation science, prevention, and intervention research.

Contact Us

Please direct all questions to the admissions Assistant at clinpsych@northwestern.edu or 312-908-8262.