Admissions

The process of applying to a graduate school often entails asking a lot of questions to ensure that you pick the school that's right for you. We realize this and have provided some frequently asked questions below for Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology's master's and doctoral programs. Since these are by no means exhaustive, please feel free to e-mail us with any additional questions you may have. Or call us at 646.592.4380.

Yes, if an applicant is accepted and chooses to attend a program, they are expected to complete their outstanding prerequisite requirements prior to beginning class in the fall semester. Prerequisites can be completed at an accredited institution. Online institution credits are not acceptable.

No, a student can apply to any of our doctoral programs directly from having earned a bachelor’s degree. In some cases, a Master’s degree is advised as good way for prospective applicants to develop more experience (both clinical and research) in the field.

No, Ferkauf accepts and considers applications from applicants of diverse academic backgrounds. However, for all those applicants from non-psychology (or other related fields) academic backgrounds, we require that they fulfill all our listed prerequisite courses prior to beginning class in the fall semester, if accepted. Please see our “Pre-application Information” (PDF) above for the list of prerequisites.

• Applications are submitted using the PSYCAS application module. For more information on PSYCAS (as administered through the APA and Liasion) please visit American Psychological Association website.
• A complete application to the Ferkauf Gradaute School must include the follow basic information:
  • Official Undergraduate Transcript (submitted through PSYCAS or mail/email)
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation (submitted through PSYCAS or mail/email)
  • 2-3 page Personal Statement (submitted through PSYCAS or mail/email)
    (Please write about yourself and your experiences that you believe make you a suitable applicant. Additionally, please tell us what draws you to the field, and to our program in particular. If there are specific faculty whose research area is of interest to you, please indicate.)
  • Curriculum Vitae or Resume (submitted through PSYCAS or mail/email)
  • General GRE exam scores (sent electronically through ETS)
• Any materials that are emailed or mailed can be sent to the follow address:
  • Email: ferkaufadmissions@yu.edu
  • Mail: Office of Admissions, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology; Yeshiva University; 1165 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461

No, applications will only be accepted for one doctoral program per yearly admissions cycle. Applicants are welcome to apply to both 1 doctoral program and the Mental Health Counseling program. (See application for details).

No, in some cases applicants may be offered acceptances to both the Mental Health Counseling MA and a doctoral program. Each program has a unique admissions committee; therefore, an acceptance to one program does not influence the admissions decision of the other program.

There are no official GRE “cut-off” scores for admission to any of our programs. The figures below are subject to change based on the application pool from year to year. Applicants are encouraged to aim for these minimum scores in order to remain competitive in the application process.

No, applicants are accepted to Ferkauf based on our desired class size and the strength of their own application and interview performance. Faculty advisors are assigned after acceptance is offered.

Interviews for admission into the doctoral programs take place during late January through the end of February.

No, each admissions committee selects applicants for interviews from the application pool, based on their respective admissions criteria.

Applicants being considered for an interviewed will be email and called to schedule an interview date and time during the period of mid January to mid February.

The deadline for all final decision notifications is April 1st.

A $500.00 tuition deposit must be made or postmarked by April 15th in order for a student to officially join the incoming class.

• Payments by credit card - please call Admissions Office: 718-430-3820
• Payment check or money order- must be postmarked by April 15th

Some applicants may receive an offer of admission to the MHMA program, regardless of whether or not they applied to the program. The Mental Health Counseling Program reviews many applications that are submitted to the doctoral programs and chooses to offer admission to those applicants that meet all the criteria of admission to the program. In these instances, an offer of admission to the MHMA can be used as a secondary option to the doctoral program; however, it is a valid acceptance and must be responded to by the April 15th deadline.

Ferkauf Graduates of the Mental Health Counseling program practice in a variety of settings, including independent private practice, community mental health agencies, managed behavioral health care organizations, integrated delivery systems, hospitals, employee assistance programs and substance abuse treatment centers. Our graduates are highly skilled professionals who provide a full range of services including assessment and diagnosis, psychotherapy, treatment planning and utilization review, brief and solution-focused therapy, alcoholism and substance abuse treatment, psycho-educational and prevention programs, and crisis management. Graduates of our program get jobs as Mental Health Counselors, Psychotherapists, Child/Adolescent counselors, Community Counselors, Substance Abuse and Addiction Counselors, Emergency Mental Health Therapists, Life Transitions Counselors, Group Counselors, Behavioral Health Counselors, and Outpatient Mental Health Therapists.

Applications, including all related documents, must be received by February 15th of each year for Fall admission.

In some cases, applicants to Ferkauf who do not receive acceptances to one of our doctoral programs are given an alternative acceptance to our Mental Health Counseling program (MA) for their consideration. These candidates are invited to an Open House in May where they can meet with the MHC Program Director, members of the MHC Faculty and current MHC Students – to learn more about the program and have their questions answered.

All students in our Ferkauf Mental Health Counseling MA program can apply to our doctoral programs upon completion of the MA degree. These students are also given a guarantee of an interview with the admissions committee of each of the doctoral programs.

The Ferkauf Mental Health Counseling MA program is a terminal degree, and each student's individual MA coursework will vary depending on their electives and interests. The PhD and PsyD programs' coursework also varies, depending on the electives and focus of the individual doctoral student. Ferkauf’s policy is to include all of the MHC coursework on the students transcript, but this does not mean that the time to complete a doctoral program is necessarily shortened/that the student will take fewer credits toward the doctoral degree. The determination of how many and which specific courses need to be taken to earn the doctorate is an individual one, made by the student in consultation with their doctoral program director. Applicants who have an MA from another institution may be able to transfer up to 12 graduate credits towards their doctoral work in consultation and approval from their doctoral program director.

There are limited scholarship funds each year. After you have been admitted to the program you can discuss the possibility with the Admissions Office and the Office of Student Finance. At the end of the first year, MHC students can then apply for additional scholarship funds for their second year.

Mental Health Counseling is a distinct profession with national standards for education, training and clinical practice. New York Mental Health Counselors Association is the state organization that represents the interests of the clinical counselors of New York.

Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling students have a multitude of opportunities for fulfilling the required 600-hour supervised field placement/internship experience. New York City offers many advantages for counseling students with a diverse array of community based Mental Health Counseling institutions and agencies. Ferkauf keeps an active directory of contacts where previous Mental Health Counseling Students have fulfilled their experiential requirement. Ferkauf is also very fortunate to have many of our alumni working in these many agencies who are familiar with our graduate training which gives our Mental Health Counseling Students an advantage.

A typical courseload for an MHC graduate student at Ferkauf would be 12-15 credits (4-5 graduate courses per semester). Generally classes are scheduled for 2 full days per week during the semester. Typically graduates are working at their field placement sites an additional 2 days (15 hours) per week.

Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling program covers all the core areas of counseling as recommended by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs including:

• Diagnosis and psychopathology
• Psychotherapy
• Testing and assessment
• Group counseling
• Human growth and development
• Counseling theory
• Supervised practicum and internships

Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling program is registered with the New York State Education Department as a program that meets the educational requirements for LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) licensure. Upon graduation from Ferkauf, MHC graduates will then need to register for a limited permit to complete three thousand hours of post-master’s-supervised experience and pass a licensure exam, before they are officially a LMHC. New York State has one of the most comprehensive licensure laws in the country.

Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling program prepares graduates to work in direct clinical mental health settings with clients. Social Work graduate education is focused on either MSW or LCSW tracks. Licensure requirements for mental health counselors are equivalent to or exceed those for clinical social workers. For more information on social work please refer to Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiller School of Social Work.

Graduates of the Mental Health Counseling program who ultimately establish their own private practices can establish relationships and contracts with most of the major insurance companies who accept LMHC's as part of the treatment plans for their clients.

After graduating from Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling program you will need to fulfill a minimum of 3,000 hours of post-master's-supervised experience in order to be licensed. At Ferkauf we work closely with the Yeshiva University Counseling Center to assist our graduates with employment opportunities. 90% of our graduates have found their first positions by the time of graduation, and at least 95% have found employment by 6 months following graduation.

The national exam that New York State requires for Licensed Mental Health Counselors is the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE). At Ferkauf we assist our graduates with information and practice exams to assist them with their preparation for this exam.

Ferkauf meets the national educational requirements for licensure with training in the following areas:

• Human growth and development
• Social and cultural foundations of counseling
• Counseling theory and practice and psychopathology
• Group dynamics
• Lifestyle and career development
• Assessment and appraisal of individuals, couples, and families and groups
• Research and program evaluation
• Professional orientation and ethics
• Foundations of mental health counseling and consultation
• Clinical instruction and a minimum of one-year supervised internship or practicum in mental health counseling

Ferkauf’s Mental Health Counseling program is a 2 1⁄2 year program. The first year emphasizes the theoretical basis of Counseling; the second year has more of an emphasis on practicum counseling experience and the final 1⁄2-year provides an opportunity for a rich array of MHC electives which can help our students focus on specialized areas within the counseling profession. (Examples of electives include: Neuropsychology Basic Principles; Counseling in Public Settings; Crisis Counseling; Sexuality and Gender Counseling; Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy Principles for Counseling; Principles of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for Counseling; Couples and Family Counseling; Counseling with Children and Adolescents; Grief, Loss and Bereavement Counseling; Attachment Across the Lifespan; The Resilient Counselor; and Psychopharmacology). Students coming to our MHC program with previous graduate coursework may be able to transfer up to 12-credits and therefore be able to complete the program within two years working closely with the MHC Program Director to ensure all program educational and experiential requirements have been met.

Contact the Ferkauf Office of Admissions at 718.430.3820 or ferkaufadmissions@yu.edu with any questions regarding your application.

We offer three:

1. Clinical Psychology Program (PsyD)
2. Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Program (PhD)
3. School-Clinical Child Psychology Program (PsyD)

Each program is designed to be completed in five years. Students must complete four years of course work (including externships) and a full-time internship in their fifth year.

Applications, including all related documents, must be received by the following dates:

• Clinical Psychology Program (PsyD): January 1
• Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Program (PhD): January 15
• School-Clinical Child Psychology Program (PsyD): January 15

No. However, all applicants are expected to have taken roughly 15 undergraduate credits in psychology, including statistics, experimental and abnormal. Other prerequisites apply.

Yes. Our Parnes Clinic is an outpatient facility where students treat patients from the community and receive training and supervision.

Yes. GRE scores must be received by the application deadline stated above for each program. Our Institution Code is 2995.

In 2020, 96% of students obtained APPIC member internships.

Contact the Office of Admissions at 646.562.4380 or ferkaufadmissions@yu.edu with any questions regarding your application.