Clinical Child Psychology Program Admissions
About Us
The Clinical Child Psychology Program at the University of Kansas offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology. The Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association as a training program in the area of Clinical Psychology with a Child Emphasis.* The Clinical Child Psychology Program does not admit students interested in pursuing only a Masters degree. Our admitted students will be eligible to obtain the M.A. en route to the doctoral degree.
Applications for Fall 2025 are now closed.
Applications are made through the Clinical Child Psychology Program. All completed applicant files are reviewed and incoming students selected by a committee consisting of program faculty and a student representative and chaired by the Director of the Clinical Child Psychology Program.
The essential requirements for admission are a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and a record of achievement that shows a strong promise of success in the program's course work and activities in research and clinical work. Applicants should have at least 15 hours of college credit in psychology, including statistics and research methodology. The psychology subject GRE is accepted for non-psychology majors with under 15 hours of psychology credits.
Required Application Materials:
- Copy of transcripts from all previous universities, schools or colleges attended. For the online application you may upload a scanned copy of your transcript (unofficial)*.
*If you are offered an admissions interview, at that time we will request the official transcripts to be sent to our graduate admissions office.
- Personal vita or resume. Please include all relevant occupational experience (professional, military, or teaching experience, including assistantships).
- Professional Statement: A typed, three-page maximum, statement of professional goals and interests to explain (a) your specific interest in psychology, (b) your professional goals, and (c) why KU CCPP is appropriate for your doctoral training.
- Personal Statement: The Clinical Child Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), and we are committed to upholding the APA’s guiding principles of accreditation. This includes developing student competencies in individual and cultural diversity, which is required of all graduates of accredited programs. The program seeks to build a diverse student body and future clinical child and adolescent psychologists reflective of our community and our nation. In this attachment, please share with us your life experiences or personal characteristics that are concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that would contribute to the Clinical Child Psychology Program.
- Three letters of recommendation from the persons listed on application.
- Please visit English Proficiency Requirements to learn more about our requirements for non-native speakers of English.
Special note: GRE scores are no longer required and will not be considered with application materials
General Info on CCPP Admissions
Each application to the KU CCPP is reviewed by a committee of three core faculty (which will include your mentor of interest) and a student representative. In early January, the CCPP faculty and student representative will meet to select the top candidates of the application pool.
These selected applicants will be invited to interview with the program in a Zoom format.
*Please note upon invitation to interview, interviewees will be asked to provide official transcripts. Official transcripts are required before an offer of admission can be extended.
Interviewees should plan for a full day. They will meet as a group with the program director, individually with all CCPP faculty members, and students within their lab of interest. A student social hour will also be held for all interviewees.
The CCPP has been able to fund 100% of our graduate students every year for the past 15+ years. Student funding comes from Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Assistantships, Graduate Fellowships, as well as research and training grants. These positions typically offer full time tuition and fee coverage plus a competitive stipend.
For current tuition and fee rates at KU, please visit the KU Tuition and Fee Calculator. Please also view our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data page for statistics on the coverage of our previous and current CCPP students.
The Program complies with the Kansas Board of Regents policy in which the University of Kansas conducts background checks for felony convictions to facilitate employment decisions that are in the best interest of university students, employees, resources and overall mission statement. These include Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, and other employment situations in which graduate students are placed. Applicants to the KU Clinical Child Psychology may be asked to provide details on any criminal convictions on their records.
Licensure Eligibility
Students who complete the Clinical Child Psychology Program at the University of Kansas are eligible for licensure in Kansas and Missouri pending completion of required licensure exams and postdoctoral supervision experiences, and may be eligible for licensure in other states and territories. KU's licensure programs strive to maintain accurate and up-to-date information about the educational requirements for licensure in U.S. states and territories. However, regulations are subject to change and varying interpretations. In addition to possible changes in educational requirements, licensure often includes additional requirements, such as specific examinations and additional training or practicum hours. It is highly recommended that students seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency before beginning an academic program to ensure that they know what is needed to obtain the license/certification/registration in the state in which they intend to practice and/or seek licensure.
Technical Standards
Earning a degree from the CCPP requires mastery of a coherent body of knowledge and skills. Doctoral students must acquire substantial competence in the discipline of clinical psychology as specified in the American Psychological Association (APA) Standards of Accreditation and must be able to relate appropriately to clients/patients, fellow students, faculty and staff members, and other health care professionals.
Combinations of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, intellectual, and communication abilities are required to perform these functions satisfactorily. These skills and functions are not only essential to the successful completion of the Clinical Child Psychology Doctoral Program, but they are also necessary to ensure the health and safety of clients/patients, fellow students, faculty and staff members, and other health care providers.
In our APA-accredited program, we are committed to a training process that ensures that graduate students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work effectively with members of the public who embody intersecting demographics, attitudes, beliefs, and values. When graduate students’ attitudes, beliefs, or values create tensions that negatively impact the training process or their ability to effectively treat members of the public, the program faculty and supervisors are committed to a developmental training approach that is designed to support the acquisition of professional competence. We support graduate students in finding a belief- or value-congruent path that allows them to work in a professionally competent manner with all clients/patients.
For some trainees, integrating personal beliefs or values with professional competence in working with all clients/patients may require additional time and faculty support. Ultimately though, to complete our program successfully, all graduate students must be able to work competently, ethically, and professionally with clients placed in their care. Professional competencies are determined by the profession for the benefit and protection of the public; consequently, students do not have the option to (1) avoid working with particular client populations or (2) refuse to develop professional competencies because of conflicts with their attitudes, beliefs, or values. Importantly, this policy is specific to the training, competencies, and responsibilities of a health service psychologist. As part of their clinical training, all trainees will consider the ways in which client/patient values, beliefs, and preferences should be integrated within evidence-based psychological practice. They will also learn to examine and resolve issues related to the care of specific clients/patients in a manner consistent with the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.