Graduate School and Beyond

The author of your textbook states that APA-accredited PhD programs admit only 7% to 16% of applicants, while APA-accredited PsyD programs admit between 40% and 50% (Pomerantz, 2024). The textbook gives a list of ways to be prepared so that you can have a competitive edge (Pomerantz, 2024. pp. 12–15):

• Know your professional options.
• Take, and earn high grades in, the appropriate undergraduate courses.
• Get to know your professors.
• Get research experience.
• Get clinically relevant experience.
• Maximize your GRE score.
• Select graduate programs wisely.
• Write effective personal statements.
• Prepare well for admissions interviews.
• Consider your long-term goals.

All students who complete a doctoral program in clinical psychology also complete a one-year pre-doctoral internship, in which they are placed into a clinical setting under the supervision of one or more licensed clinical psychologists. These internships are very competitive, and the application process can be a bit intimidating, but most students find a placement, which is the final phase before being awarded a PhD or PsyD (Pomerantz, 2024).

After a PhD or PsyD has been earned, most states require a postdoctoral internship ("postdoc") before they will administer a license. This typically involves another year of supervised experience before sitting for the licensure exam, called the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP, sometimes called the "E triple P"). You must sit for this exam and pass it, along with whatever other tests your individual state requires (usually a state exam on laws and ethics; Pomerantz, 2024).