Psy.D. Program Admission Application Requirements and Information

Clinical Program Admission Application Requirements and Information

The Wright Institute admits a select number of highly qualified students each year for the fall trimester. Applications submitted on or before January 5 will be notified of their admissions status by April 1. Applications received after the January 5 deadline will be considered on a space-available basis. Such applications will be reviewed as quickly as possible, but a response before April 1 cannot be assured.

The Wright Institute expects to receive applications through the online application system. You do not need to complete your application in one sitting. Please read instructions carefully. After your application has been submitted you will not be able to make changes.

Transcripts, reference letters, and other materials will not be returned; once submitted, they become the property of the Wright Institute.

Read an updated list of frequently asked admissions questions here.

The Wright Institute maintains an active policy of equal opportunity in all its admissions. The Institute encourages applicant diversity in terms of race, creed, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual preference, age, disability, and marital status.

Admission Requirements

  • Submission of a completed online application for admission.
  • Curriculum vitae (resume): include your employment during the periods of time that are not covered by your academic history (or which coincide with it), paid work, volunteer work, military experience, and other pertinent information.
  • Statement of purpose: This is a self-reflective essay describing your purpose in pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the Wright Institute. Indicate how professional goals developed from past interests and experiences. Be sure to include scholarly interests and clinical experience. This document should be four to six pages (1,500 words maximum), typed, double-spaced.
  • Supplemental essay: Please share skills, special interests, areas of expertise, or anything else about yourself that you would like us to know that may not be apparent in your resume/CV or personal statement, and that may or may not be connected with the field of clinical psychology. This document should be one page (300 words maximum), typed, double-spaced.
  • Three letters of recommendation. We prefer letters from employers, supervisors, and professors (not including relatives). You will be able to send your recommenders an electronic invitation through the online application. In that invitation, they will receive instructions on how to upload their letter of recommendation.
  • You must hold or expect to hold prior to the beginning of classes a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. school accredited by one of the regional accrediting organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). For applicants educated outside the U.S., please see "Additional Requirements for International Applicants" below.
  • The Wright Institute Admissions Department requires unofficial transcripts from each accredited college or university where you earned credit, even if you did not earn a degree. We do not require official transcripts during the application process. If coursework is still in progress, you must submit a current transcript, and send an additional transcript to verify completion.

    Please do one of the following for each school you attended. If you send the same transcript in multiple formats, it may delay processing your application:

    • Preferred method: Upload your transcript(s) directly to your application. You will not have the option to upload transcripts after submitting your application. Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial. If an offer of admission is made and you choose to enroll in the program, official transcripts will only be required from schools where you earned a degree.
    • Request an official electronic transcript through your previous school(s). Use the school’s registrar or recorder of records to send official transcripts directly to The Wright Institute at transcripts@wi.edu.
    • Request an official hard copy transcript from your previous school(s). We ask that you only do this in cases where electronic transcripts are not available. In this case, please request that the registrar or recorder of records mail transcripts to:
      The Wright Institute
      Attn: Admissions Dept.
      2728 Durant Ave.
      Berkeley, CA 94704

    Degrees received outside the United States or Canada must be verified and evaluated for academic equivalence. We prefer course-by-course evaluation reports from World Education Services www.wes.org, which provides us with a verified copy of the official transcript(s). Evaluation reports from companies that are current members of NACES are acceptable. Your application will not be considered complete until we receive this document. A certificate of completion or diploma will not take the place of a transcript, which must include a detailed list of all courses taken.

  • A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required for admission. Applicants that do not meet our minimum GPA requirement can still be accepted under exceptional circumstances. Appeals for waiver of this requirement should be made through our online application.
  • GRE scores will remain optional for Clinical (PsyD) Program applicants for enrollment in the 2024-2025 academic year. If you wish for us to use your GRE scores in the review process and if you have taken the GRE in the past five years, you do not need to take it again. Contact the GRE Board at 1-888-473-7267, or www.ets.org/gre, and ask to have your test scores sent to the Wright Institute. The Wright Institute's GRE code is 3057.
  • An application fee of $50, which is non-refundable. Payment can be made by credit card, check or money order (payable to The Wright Institute). Credit card payments are preferable. Application fee waivers are available for applicants facing financial barriers, as well as for participants or alumni in good standing of the following service organizations: McNair Scholars, Gates Millennial Scholars, and Peace Corps in-country volunteers. To request a fee waiver, please contact admissions@wi.edu prior to submitting your application.
  • There are three prerequisite courses:
         Statistics
         Human Development
         Theories of Personality or Abnormal Psychology

    Students who have earned a bachelor or master's degree in psychology are exempt from the human development, and theories of personality or abnormal psychology requirements.

    These do not need to be completed prior to admission. If admitted into the program, you may complete these courses during the spring or summer before you enter the program. The Wright Institute must receive transcript evidence of your completing the courses prior to August 31 in order for you to matriculate in the fall.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants:

  • Non-native English speakers must submit valid TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or Duolingo English Test (DET) scores, which must not be more than two years old.
    • A PDF copy of your unofficial score report can be uploaded to your application in order to expedite the review process. However, if you are admitted and you choose to enroll, we will require an official score report directly from the testing authority.
    • The Wright Institute school code is 9787.
    • Exceptions:
      1. Applicants with a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university are exempt.
      2. Applicants with the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree from a non-U.S. college or university of recognized standing, where all instruction is in English, are also exempt.
    • Minimum score requirements:
           TOEFL: Paper-based test - 550
           Computer-based test - 80
           IELTS: Overall band score - 6.5 out of 9.0
           DET: Minimum score - 110
  • If you are currently residing in the US and are not a US Citizen or Permanent Resident, please specify your immigration status on the application.
  • Download and complete a Wright Institute Certification of Finances form (available by clicking here and in the Admissions Office). All international students who need an F-1 Student Visa must show evidence of guaranteed funds to cover their tuition, fees, and living expenses. A bank letter or monthly account statement showing the proper amount of funds (or more) is required. Please make sure that the statement or letter clearly indicates the account holder's name, the currency type, and the account balance.
  • Official transcripts must be translated into English by an official translator.
  • Degrees received outside the United States or Canada must be verified and evaluated for academic equivalence. We prefer course-by-course evaluation reports from World Education Services www.wes.org, which provides us with a verified copy of the official transcript(s). Evaluation reports from companies that are current members of NACES are acceptable.