Clinical Psychology MA Program

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

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
• Scores on the Graduate Record Examination for verbal, quantitative and analytical scales above the 60th percentile; the Psychology Subject Test is not required
• 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.

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.

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 (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.  

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. 

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).