Admission

The Emory Psychoanalytic Institute accepts applications for psychoanalytic education and clinical training from a wide variety of individuals. In order to be accepted into the Institute, an applicant must be suitable to become a psychoanalyst, eligible for admission and ready to begin the program.

The evaluation of suitability involves the careful assessment of elements necessary to become an analyst. A fundamental requirement for psychoanalytic work is a firm and enduring commitment to responsible and ethical patient care. An applicant suitable to become an analyst should possess certain character traits and ethical values: integrity, inherent honesty, maturity, flexibility and strength of character. In addition, the applicant should demonstrate a capacity for self-observation, self-monitoring and the ability to maintain appropriate interpersonal boundaries.

The Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute recognizes the eligibility requirements of the American Psychoanalytic Association. Three groups are considered to be automatically eligible, if the Institute has also deemed them to be suitable and ready to begin the program. They are:

• Doctors of Medicine or Osteopathic Medicine who have graduated from an accredited medical school, and are in or have completed a psychiatry residency program and are licensed in the jurisdiction in which they practice.
• Mental health professionals who have completed a doctoral level degree from an accredited mental health clinical program that are licensed in the jurisdiction in which they practice.
• Mental health professionals who have graduated from an accredited mental health degree program with a clinical master's degree. This must be a degree generally recognized as the highest clinical degree within the specific mental health profession. These individuals must also have completed two years of post degree didactic seminars and two years of weekly clinical supervision approved by the Institute.

The Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute considers suitability to be the central issue in a person becoming a psychoanalyst. The Institute thus accepts applications from individuals who may not fully meet the formal eligibility requirements set forth by the American Psychoanalytic Association.

For the Institute to begin full clinical education of such individuals, there is an additional pre-requisite. An application for a waiver of eligibility must be submitted to the American Psychoanalytic Association and approved by that body. Some examples are:

• Mental health professionals who have graduated from an accredited mental health degree program with a clinical master's degree, where that degree is the highest degree generally recognized in the specific mental health field but who have not completed an approved subsequent two-year program of didactic study and weekly supervision.
• Individuals who have satisfactorily completed the degree of Doctor of Medicine or of Osteopathic Medicine but who are not planning to complete a residence training program in psychiatry.
• PhD's in non-clinical scholarly disciplines whose scholarly work will be enriched by psychoanalytic education and possibly full training.
• Individuals who do not possess the highest recognized clinical degree but who are in the later stages of completing the expected educational and clinical pre-requisites such as a medical student or PhD candidate.

The above are examples only. Other individuals may also be deemed suitable to become psychoanalysts and are encouraged to apply to the Institute. The suitability and readiness of such applicants will be carefully considered on an individual basis.

In the case of an individual deemed suitable who does not automatically meet the American Psychoanalytic Association's eligibility requirements, the Institute will work with that person to enhance his or her preparedness through a pre-matriculation curriculum and/or clinical supervision. When the Institute deems the applicant both suitable and ready to begin candidacy, the Institute will apply on behalf of the applicant for a waiver of eligibility requirements from the American Psychoanalytic Association.