Ph.D. Program in Clinical-Community Psychology

Offered Jointly by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Alaska Anchorage

The University of Alaska system continues to face serious financial challenges due to the State of Alaska’s extreme fiscal shortfalls. In light of these challenges, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) - University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Joint Clinical-Community Psychology PhD program will likely undergo structural changes.  The UAF Chancellor announced that during the academic year 2016-2017,  the UAF portion of the joint program will undergo early program review for significant structural changes over the next year that may involve “elimination, consolidation, or refocus."  This announcement was a result of the unanimous concurrence of both UAF and UAA Provosts and Deans that “given the seriously impacted budget the administration will be recommending to the UAA and UAF Chancellors and, after due process, the UA Board of Regents, that the UAA/UAF Joint PhD Program be restructured to eliminate the UAF portion of the program. Most likely, the program will be discontinued at UAF.  The program will continue at UAA.  Consequently, the program will no longer admit students to the UAF campus, but will continue admitting students only at the UAA campus. 

The Commission on Accreditation has confirmed our program's full accreditation status with the American Psychological Association.

If you have any questions, please contact UAA Program Director, Dr. James Fitterling at 907.786.1580 or via email at jfitterling@alaska.edu or UAA Program Coordinator, Anissa Hauser at 907.786-1640 or via email at aehauser@alaska.edu.

Admissions

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 and UAF catalogs.

•  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.

• 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 at least one of the following: personality, clinical psychology, social psychology, or community psychology. All prerequisite courses must be completed by June 30 prior to matriculation.

New Application Procedures for Fall 2017 Admissions

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

• Graduate Application for Admission -
  Apply to the University of Alaska Anchorage - ONLY! 
  
  To apply to the Joint PhD program, go to https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/admissions/  and click the How to Apply link and follow the links for the Fall 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 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.
  
  All items must be submitted and the application completed and submitted by January 15the to be forwarded to the Admissions Committee for review. 
   

• Official Transcripts
  
  Official transcripts need to be received under separate cover from all post-secondary institutions attended and degree-awarding since high school. 
  Request that official transcripts be sent by your prior universities directly to the UAA Office of Admissions. 
  If you are submitting official transcripts rather than directly from the university, please make sure the envelopes are sealed and have not been opened; otherwise, they are not considered official.
   

• Letter of Intent (see additional guidelines)
  
  A detailed letter of interest and intent following the guidelines above 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 (see additional 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). Each letter of support must also be accompanied by a Reference Rating Form. Applicants will submit the names and contact information for three references within the Application for Admission and applicants must waive the right the review the letter of recommendation for each recommendation. 
  
  If referees are unable to submit their letter of recommendation and the reference rating form, please instruct them to submit their letter as directed in the email they received from the UAA Office of Admissions and they can email their reference rating forms directly to the Ph.D. Program Coordinator at aehauser@alaska.edu. 
   

• 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 Identify History Summary through the FBI, as outlined on their Identification Record Request webpage at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks. 

Students 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.   

In addition to completing the identity history, students must complete the Program Question page within the Application for Admission that contains program's the Disclosure Statement.  The disclosure statement will accompany the student’s application to the Ph.D. program and it must disclose all criminal convictions as well as substance abuse and or other social/emotional problems.  Disclosure of this information does not automatically preclude admission.  However, students must have no recent history of impairment due to alcohol or substance abuse which may hamper their ability to complete the program in a professional and ethical manner.  The Ph.D. Admissions Committee will, in its discretion, deny an applicant admission if it finds that the applicant’s history of felony or misdemeanor convictions make the applicant unsuitable for the practice of psychology.  The committee will consider the type, number and recency  of any convictions.  Notwithstanding the above, a person who has been convicted of a felony crime against a person within the ten years before the date of application is unfit for admission to the program and will be denied.  

• 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 include copies of GRE scores to the UAA Office of Admissions.
   

• UAA Master of Science, Clinical Psychology Option   
  Applicants admitted into the Ph.D. program have the option of obtaining the UAA M.S., Clinical Psychology degree en route to the Ph.D.  Those who are invited to the interview and are interested in obtaining the M.S. degree are asked to bring with them the UAA Application for Admission (Do not apply on-line, applications and payment will be processed after applicants have been admitted to the PhD Program).  Application for Admission will only be processed for those who are admitted into the Ph.D. program. 
   

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.

Student Handbook

Course Descriptions

Application F.A.Q's

Graduate students are admitted into the program to begin in the Fall of each academic year. 

For the Fall 2017 Admissions, ALL applicants must apply for admission at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  

All application documents MUST be received by the UAA Office of Admissions by January 15.

Admission Reapplication Process:  Applicants who are reapplying to the program will be required to submit an entirely new application.  If there are specific items that would be difficult to replicate, applicants may request that the original be retrieved from the initial file.

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Department of Psychology

P.O. Box 756480
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775

telephone 907.474.7012
fax 907.474.5781

University of Alaska Anchorage
Department of Psychology

3211 Providence Drive, SSB 303
Anchorage, Alaska 99508

telephone 907.786.1640
fax 907.786.1669