Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
The Boston College Psy.D. program combines rigorous clinical training with engagement in the psychological humanities, philosophy, history, anthropology, design thinking, and the arts. Informed by APA Standards of Accreditation, this program is designed to prepare entry-level health service psychologists. We are actively recruiting our first cohort for Fall 2027; admissions information will be published in August 2026. The application deadline will be January 1, 2027.
Accreditation Status
The Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Boston College has submitted an application for 'intent to apply' status to the American Psychological Association. Once recognized by the APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA), this status serves as a formal declaration and public notice that the program intends to seek accreditation in the near future. It is important to note that "intent to apply" is not an accredited status and does not constitute a judgment by the CoA regarding the current quality of the program. This designation is a document-based review valid for a maximum of three years, effective from the date of the Commission's acknowledgment.
Following recognition of this status, the program plans to transition to formal accreditation in accordance with a strategic development timeline. During the second year of the program (Spring 2029), the program intends to submit a comprehensive self-study and request a site visit to apply for "accredited, on contingency" status. This accredited status is granted to programs that demonstrate educational quality consistent with the Standards of Accreditation (SoA) and the capacity to meet all standards once students have matriculated and begun clinical practicum evaluations. The program then aims to apply for full accreditation after its inaugural cohort successfully completes their full-time clinical internships. To move from "contingent" to "fully accredited," the program must submit a second self-study and host a subsequent site visit to provide required outcome data for students and graduates within five years of the initial contingent grant. Through this phased approach, Boston College ensures it maintains stable resource allocation and rigorous training in the practitioner-scholar model while meeting all mandatory APA disclosure and compliance requirements.
Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-5979
TDD: 202-336-6123
Fax: 202-336-5978
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Contact
Email WoodsPsyD@bc.edu for more information.
Practitioner-Scholar Model
Focus on evidence-based clinical training with sustained engagement in psychotherapy and the psychological humanities. The program emphasizes a progressive, competency-based approach to clinical training, ensuring you develop the necessary skills for direct client work.
Intentionally Small Cohorts
Connect with and learn from a curated selection of peers and faculty in a relational and mentorship-driven setting.
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At a Glance
Curriculum
The Psy.D. program includes 118 credits completed over five years through coursework, supervised clinical practica, a predoctoral internship, and a capstone project. The program prepares graduates to be health service psychologists.
Year 1: Establishing a Clinical and Theoretical Foundation
You'll establish the program’s foundations in psychological science, ethics, assessment, research, psychotherapy, and the psychological humanities.
- Introduction to Psychological Humanities
- Lifespan Development
- Psychotherapy Skills: Humanistic Therapy & Motivational Interviewing
- Research Methods, Statistical Analysis, and Psychometrics
- Psychopathology in Context
- Psychological Assessment I: Clinical Interviewing, Collaborative Assessment & Psychotherapeutic Assessment
- Psychology of Cognition, Motivation & Emotion
- Introduction to Ethical Clinical Practice
- History & Systems of Psychology
- Psychotherapy I: Psychoanalysis
- Advanced Topics in the Psychological Humanities: Identity & Difference
Year 2: Beginning Practicum and Advancing Clinical Training
You'll enter supervised clinical work and begin translating coursework into the concrete skills of interviewing, assessment, formulation, intervention, and supervision.
- Psychological Assessment II: Cognitive & Neuropsychological Assessment
- Psychotherapy II: Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches (CBT, DBT, ACT)
- Brain, Body & Experience
- Practicum Supervision I
- Psychotherapy III: Theories of Personality
- Advanced Psychological Assessment III: Personality & Integrative Assessments
- Group Psychotherapy
- Advanced Topics in Psychological Humanities: The Human Drama: Ritual, Play, Performance
- Psychopharmacology for Psychologists
Year 3: Advancing Clinical Specialization and Research
You'll develop greater clinical independence and integrative judgment, holding more complex cases while connecting practice to research, culture, theory, and lived experience.
- Advanced Topics in the Psychological Humanities: Psychology and the Other
- Psychotherapy IV: Relational & Experiential Approaches
- Advanced Practicum Supervision II
- Psychotherapy V: Trauma & Depth-Oriented Approaches to Therapy
- Social & Community Psychology
- Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, and the Art of the Case Study
- Advanced Topics in the Psychological Humanities: Psyche, Soul, Person: Conceptions of Personhood
Year 4: Specialization and Capstone Project Research
You'll consolidate your advanced professional identity through specialized clinical training, peer consultation, capstone scholarship, and preparation for internship.
- Psychotherapy Theories VI: Historical-Cultural and Liberatory Approaches
- Advanced Topics in Psychological Humanities: Madness: Literature & First-Person Accounts
- Capstone Project I
- Advanced Case Formulation: Practicum Supervision III
- Psychotherapy Theories VII: Spiritual and Existential Approaches
- Seminar in Professional Practice: Teaching, Supervision and Consultation
- Capstone Project II
- Advanced Case Formulation: Practicum Supervision III
- Capstone Project III
Year 5: Clinical Internship & Capstone Project Completion
You'll complete your clinical internship while finalizing your capstone project.
- Clinical Internship I
- Internship Capstone Project IV (Finalization)
Note: These courses are subject to change. For up-to-date information, view the course catalog.
Distinctive Features
Practitioner-Scholar Model
Learn foundational and advanced clinical skills while learning to work across various types of evidence and treat interpretation, history, culture, and meaning as central to psychological knowledge.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Engage in sustained psychotherapy work that is integrated with philosophy, theology, and the humanities—producing clinicians who can engage with the full depth of human experience.
Relational Training
Benefit from advanced instruction in psychodynamic, existential-humanistic, and other integrative therapies, meeting the demand for relational and meaning-centered approaches.
Supportive, Reflective Community
Grow through close mentorship and intellectual engagement with a small, carefully selected cohort.
Mission-Driven Education
Grounded in Jesuit, Catholic values and the traditions of holistic education and ethical discernment, you'll train to approach mental health not only as a clinical task but as an ethical, relational, and social endeavor.
Studying at BC
Enjoy the benefits of Boston College, a nationally recognized research institution, home to the Center for Psychological Humanities & Ethics, and a leader in formative education.
Faculty
Courses will be taught by BC faculty from across the University, including from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development and the Woods College of Advancing Studies.
Acting Program Director
Justin M. Karter, Ph.D.
Acting Program Director, Psy.D. Program
Justin is a doctoral-level Licensed Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, an APA-accredited program, and completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the University at Albany. Justin currently serves as President of the Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology (APA Division 24) and was the recipient of the 2024 Sigmund Koch Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. His scholarship examines historical and cultural formations of mind; activist and lived-experience communities (C/S/X), and how mental health discourse shapes institutions and identities.
Associated Faculty
Application Information
PrintWe are actively recruiting our first cohort for Fall 2027; admissions information will be published in August 2026. The application deadline will be January 1, 2027.
Application & Requirements
Requirements
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in psychology, social sciences, humanities, or a related field
- A preferred minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. The program uses holistic review and considers academic trajectory, rigor of prior coursework, graduate-level work if applicable, research experience, writing ability, clinical or human service experience, and professional potential.
- Completion of prerequisite coursework or approved equivalents, including at least 12 credits of undergraduate or graduate coursework in psychology or closely related psychological science
- A demonstrated capacity for reflective and relational engagement, consistent with the interpersonal demands of clinical training
- Evidence of academic readiness for doctoral-level study
Application Timeline
We are actively recruiting our first cohort for the Fall 2027; admissions information will be published in August 2026. The application deadline will be January 1, 2027.
Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
Provide a CV or résumé detailing your academic background, employment, clinical or human services experience, supervision or mentorship roles, professional development, and any scholarly or creative work.
Upload this to your online application.
Statement of Purpose
Submit a 550–750-word reflective personal statement articulating your motivations for pursuing doctoral training in clinical psychology, specific interests in depth-oriented practice, and reasons for selecting Boston College’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Upload this to your online application.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit three letters of recommendation. At least two letters should come from academic instructors, clinical supervisors, research supervisors, or professional mentors who can speak to your intellectual ability, maturity, interpersonal capacities, writing, and potential for doctoral-level clinical training.
Letters must be sent directly from recommenders either through the online application portal or directly to Woods College. We will not accept letters that are not in a sealed envelope mailed or those that are not submitted through the online application portal directly by recommenders.
Transcripts
Transcripts from each college or university in which you were enrolled are required.
Please mail transcripts to:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
If your academic institution provides electronic transcripts please indicate wcasadm@bc.edu as the recipient.
Boston College Alumni and Current Students
Your BC transcript must be formally requested from the Office of Student Services and submitted to the Woods College. Woods cannot request or access transcripts independently.
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) | Center for Educational Documentation (CED) | The Evaluation Company (TEC) | World Education Services Inc. (WES) |
Interviews
Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a structured interview process with program faculty and/or the admissions team. The interview process may include individual interviews, group interviews, and a program preview component. Interviews assess interpersonal readiness, ethical awareness, communication skills, reflective capacity, and fit with the program’s aims.
Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted directly.
Standardized Tests
GRE scores are not required. If you wish to send GRE scores, the Woods College code is 7534
For students who do not have the required prerequisite course work, you may submit scores to the GRE Psychology subject test.
Writing Samples
Please submit an academic writing sample of approximately 5–15 pages that demonstrates your ability to write clearly, think critically, engage scholarly sources, and develop an organized argument.
We encourage you to submit a paper previously completed for a college or graduate course. The sample may come from psychology, the humanities, social sciences, theology, philosophy, literature, anthropology, or another relevant field. If submitting an excerpt from a longer paper, include a brief note explaining the larger project and identifying the section included.
Please remove instructor comments, grades, and any identifying information about students, clients, patients, or research participants. The sample must represent your own work and may not be composed, paraphrased, or substantially revised using generative artificial intelligence.
Additionally, applicants may complete a proctored writing sample during the interview process. This sample allows the program to assess critical thinking, clarity of expression, and written communication in the applicant’s own voice.
Program Costs
The Psy.D. program is a 118-credit course of study designed to be completed over five years. Tuition for the 2026–2027 academic year is $1,550 per credit hour. To maintain a high standard of clinical training and faculty support, students should assume an annual tuition increase of 4%. Other institutional fees support essential clinical assessment materials and campus resources.
Financial Aid
We're committed to helping you affordably achieve your educational goals. Financial aid and payment plans are available for students taking a minimum of six credits per semester. To be considered for federal student loans and other aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Financial aid counselors are available to meet throughout the process.
Center for Psychological Humanities & Ethics
Boston College is home to the the Center for Psychological Humanities & Ethics, which enriches both theory and practice by exploring the rich intersections of psychology and the humanities. The center convenes international conferences, runs a lecture series, offers credit-bearing continuing education courses and practitioner-oriented professional development, oversees grant-funded projects and initiatives, and disseminates research through Routledge/Taylor Francis and various academic and popular outlets.