Minimum Admission Requirements

The following are general university requirements that must be met to be considered for admission to the Ph.D. Program in Clinical-Community Psychology with Rural, Indigenous Emphasis:

• Compliance with the University Requirements for a doctoral degree and admission to graduate studies as detailed in the current UAA catalog.
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree (B.S. or B.A. or B.Ed.); major in Psychology or related field preferred.  All requirements for bachelor's degree must be completed by June 30 prior to matriculation.
• Minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B).
• Minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average in your major and in all Psychology courses.
• Coursework in the areas of abnormal psychology, statistics, research methods, and biological bases of behavior (e.g., behavioral neuroscience). All prerequisite coursework must be completed by June 30 prior to matriculation.  

Application Procedures

Application portal opens October 1st. 

Application Deadline is January 15 - ALL application documents MUST be received by the Application Deadline.  

• Graduate Application for Admission - Visit the UAA Admissions site  and click the “how to apply” link, read over the information under the Graduate tab and follow the links to Start an Application. 
  
  Once the Application Profile has been created the application for admission is ready to be initiated.  For the Program Selection page choose the following options:
  Level - Graduate
  Campus - Anchorage Campus
  College - College of Arts & Sciences
  Major - Clinical-Community Psychology
  Degree - Doctor of Philosophy
  Select the semester you plan to attend classes - Choose the Fall semester
   
  Complete the remaining Application Sections and once the application is completed and submitted, a checklist of the following required supplemental items will show up in your application portal. 
  
  When the supplemental list shows up, applicants need to hover over each item and click on the item to open up another window to choose the file to be uploaded (i.e., from the desktop) for the document to be uploaded to the checklist.  Supplemental documents may also be emailed to admissions@uaa.alaska.edu if issues with uploading the supplemental documents occur. 
  
  All items must be submitted and the application completed and submitted by January 15th to be forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review. 
• Official Transcripts - Official transcripts need to be received from all post-secondary institutions attended and degree-awarding since high school. 
• Letter of Intent (Letter of Intent guidelines) - A detailed letter of interest and intent following the guidelines provided must be submitted. This letter of intent requests information on clinical and/or community experience; research experience; interest in Rural and Indigenous Psychology; and a personal statement describing your professional goals and interests. 
• Professional Vita - Professional vita, including documentation regarding academic, research, and professional experiences; special projects and activities; and recognitions or honors. 
• Reference Letters (Reference Letter guidelines) - Minimum of three professional references (preferably curriculum or research advisors, major course instructors with whom the students had contact in more than one course, and/or supervisors). 
• Criminal Background Check - Applicants must complete an Identity History Summary and a disclosure statement. The first national-level history summary must be submitted by students invited to a personal interview at least two weeks prior to the interview.  The required history summary must be initiated and completed by the student through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Ph.D. Program will not accept a copy of a history summary performed by another agency.  As obtaining a history summary may take 2 to 3 months, it is recommended that students mail in their first request at the same time as submitting the program application. International students should submit their VISA background check in lieu of the FBI Identity History Summary.  

Complete the Identity History Summary through the FBI, as outlined on their Identification Record Request webpage. 

Applicants are advised that if they do not receive a report back from the FBI two months after having filed the request, they check on the status of the request.   

• Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) - GRE scores are not required for admission to the Ph.D. Program. However, candidates who believe their GRE scores are more indicative of their potential in the Ph.D. program than their GPA are encouraged to submit them.  If you opt to send us these scores, please submit copies of GRE scores to the UAA Office of Admissions. 
• UAA Master of Science, Clinical Psychology Option   
  

  Students offered admission into the Ph.D. program have the option of obtaining the UAA M.S., Clinical Psychology degree en route to the Ph.D.  Students should contact the Program Coordinator before submitting the M.S. application for admission.

International Students 

Per federal certification standards, international students who need a visa to study in the United States that is sponsored by the school (F-1) are ineligible to be admitted for Ph.D. programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

International students sponsored by federally approved agencies, such as IIE through the Fulbright program, may be eligible for these programs based on the admission standards and practices of the academic program.

International visitors on other visas such as a work or religious sponsored visas may be eligible for these programs based on the admission standards and practices of the academic program if they supported by to do so by their visa current sponsor; however, these visitors must remain loyal to the primary purpose of their visa and may at no time be eligible to transfer the purpose of their visa to be one of which would that would require the sponsorship of the University of Alaska Anchorage as F-1 visa students.

International Students are also required to submit the following items:

• TOEFL or IELTS
  (Minimum TOEFL  score required is 80 internet-based, 213 computer based, 550 paper-based.  Minimum IELTS score required is 6.5)
• Transcripts
  A WES evaluation is required for international transcripts, showing that a baccalaureate degree posted from an institution attended in another country is equivalent to one earned in the United States, and with a course by course evaluation.
  
  An applicant from Canada is advised to contact UAA’s Office of the Registrar to inquire if a particular institution is recognized as equivalent to the United States grading system, before ordering a WES evaluation. To contact UAA’s Transfer Credit Evaluations, please email:  transfer@uaa.alaska.edu.

Western Regional Graduate Exchange (WRGP) Information

The Western Regional Graduate Program makes high-quality, distinctive graduate programs available to students of the West at a reasonable cost. As part of the Student Exchange Program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, WRGP helps place students in a wide range of graduate programs, all designed around the educational, social, and economic needs of the West.

Through WRGP, residents of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible to enroll in available programs outside of their home state at resident tuition rates. Students need not meet financial aid criteria.

To receive WRGP tuition status at UAA, students should complete the WRGP application and submit to UAA Office of Admissions.