Graduate School

A bachelor’s degree in psychology prepares students for a wide variety of psychology and non-psychology related jobs in both the public and private sector following graduation. However, jobs as a professional clinical psychologist usually require an advanced degree. If you are thinking of going on for a research-focused career in psychology, we usually recommend the BS since this route offers extra research experience.

A master’s degree (either MA or MS) in psychology allows students to work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist (i.e., in a clinic or institution), do certain levels of counseling (e.g., Marriage and Family Therapy) or to teach and/or counsel at colleges in California. Masters programs sometimes do not require GRE scores for admission especially if your GPA is high. Admission is based on GPA and letters of recommendation. Internship and volunteer experiences usually provide an additional edge in getting into the better master’s programs. A master’s degree (like CLU’s Master in Clinical Psychology) can be an advantage in getting into a Ph.D. or Psy.D. Program because it demonstrates your ability to do graduate work and research. If you are using a master degree as a stepping stone to a Ph.D., you should focus on creating a good thesis and/or participating in other independent research while in your master’s program. Ph.D. programs, looking at students with master degrees, place heavy emphasis on the quality of their research. CLU offers two Masters Programs. See your faculty mentor for more information about CLU’s master’s programs. If you plan to continue on to a Ph.D. in a particular field after obtaining a master’s degree, we recommend choosing a master’s program that relates to said doctoral program.

The Psy.D. is meant to prepare students to become professional licensed psychologist (make sure that a chosen Psy.D. program is accredited by the APA). Admission to these programs is competitive, and good GRE scores are essential along with field and good letters of recommendation. We recommend the Clinical Practicum (PSYC-494) and/or the Applied Psychology Practicum (PSYC-430) as well as any other field experience you can get (e.g., Internships) in order to make your application to a Psy.D. program competitive. Competencies to emphasize include: Written and Oral Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Cultural Perspectives, Critical Thinking, Values and Judgment, Interpersonal Skills, Empirical Methodology and Field Specific Knowledge. Also, be sure to check the application requirements for Psy.D. programs as there are many that require applicants to have both a bachelors and master’s degree before applying.

Cal Lutheran offers one Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program.

You may receive a Ph.D. in vast variety of fields of psychology. Experimental areas include Social, Developmental, Cognitive, Learning, etc. (too many to list). A Ph.D. in experimentalpsychology prepares a student primarily for university or college teaching/ research or work in the private sector. Admissions are competitive and require excellent grades, high GRE scores and great letters of recommendation. In addition, you should consider (if you qualify) doing Honors in Psychology, which requires a thesis and completing the BS in Psychology. Research and/or field experience is necessary in order to be competitive. In addition to the required courses for the major, suggested undergraduate courses to prepare for admission to an experimental program include: Principles of Learning and Memory (PSYC-315), History and Systems (PSYC-340), Cultural Psychology (PSYC-417) Human Cognition (PSYC-421), Sensation and Perception (PSYC-450), Research Practicum (PSYC-495), and courses in your area of interest. Check to see what the schools you are applying to require. Particularly important competencies to acquire are: Written Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Critical Thinking and Empirical Methodology, and Field Specific Knowledge.

A Ph.D. in clinical psychology prepares a student for licensure as an independent practitioner as well as a career in academia. These graduate programs are impacted and highly competitive. Admission is based heavily on GRE scores, GPA, field and research experience, and excellent letters of recommendation. In addition to the required courses for the major, suggested undergraduate courses to prepare for admission to a clinical program include: Principles of Learning and Memory (PSYC-315), Theories of Personality (PSYC-325), Psychological Assessment (PSYC-330), and History and Systems (PSYC-340), Cultural Psychology (417), Child Psychopathology (PSYC-422), Counseling and Psychotherapy (435), Applied Psychology Practicum (PSYC-430), and/or Clinical Practicum (494). Particularly important competencies to acquire are: Written Communication, Oral Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Critical Thinking, Interpersonal Skills, Empirical Methodology.

If you are interested in a Ph.D. Program, we would suggest a GRE preparation course (i.e., Princeton Review), getting as much field and research experience as possible while an undergraduate, and a rigorous set of courses. You might also consider an emphasis area related to your field of interest in Psychology.

These degrees are not granted by psychology departments, but psychology students interested in counseling rather than research often go into these graduate programs. Both are licensable in California, and most other states, and allow practitioners to engage in private practice. The MFCC (Marriage and Family Counseling) is usually a two-year degree and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) is a three-to-four-year degree.

Letters of recommendation requested by graduate schools ask about a student’s motivation to complete the degree, maturity and judgment, intellectual capability, creativity, writing and communication skills. We need to know you in order to write more than a perfunctory letter – so share your ideas and activities with us, don’t just be a face in a class. When you request a letter of recommendation, please refer here for our detailed information guide.