The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to evaluate students' ability to integrate the core clinical and non-clinical course material from the first two years of study into comprehensive responses demonstrating organizational skills, analysis, synthesis, and differential thinking. The examination is given annually and is scheduled after the first two years of study, with satisfactory completion of the academic requirements for degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and the approval of the Student Academic Review Committee and the Program Director. The Qualifying Examination is a Program-based competency and evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. Satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Examination is necessary in order to advance to Doctoral Candidacy and to complete the Clinical Psychology program. 

Students failing the Qualifying Examination will be allowed one retake the next time the examination is offered. Students failing the Qualifying Examination will be given feedback and resources to help them prepare for retaking the examination. Satisfactory passage of all required competency gateways, including the Qualifying Examination, is required for satisfactory academic progress. Failure on the retake exam of the Qualifying Exam is considered grounds for dismissal from the Program.