Application Information
Psychology Graduate Program
Note: When applying, students must select the program that will be their major course of study. The department offers a terminal M.S. in Psychology with specialization in the mental health profession or a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology with specialization in one of two areas: Applied Biopsychology and Applied Developmental Psychology.
Requirements
MS in Psychology
Candidates may apply for the fall or spring semester. Applications received by May 1st will be considered for a fall semester admission; however, applications received by March 1st will be considered for scholarships. Applications received by October 15th will be considered for a spring semester admission. Applications received after these dates may still be considered, pending availability.
Masters degree applicants are required to have a minimum of 18 credit hours in psychology or related field (6 undergraduate classes) to be considered for admission. Among these hours must be introductory psychology, statistics, and experimental design and methods. Courses from a closely related program will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The remaining 9 hours may be psychology electives and should include some upper-level courses.
PhD in Applied Psychology
Doctoral candidate admission is restricted to the fall semester only and no provisional admissions are made. Completed applications must be on file by March 15th for initial acceptance and funding decisions. Applications received by March 1st will be considered for scholarships. Applications received after that date will still be considered, pending availability.
Graduate School Admission Requirements
Application Review
Although all applications are reviewed, applications that exceed an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 are substantially more likely to be accepted. Students with lower scores will be considered only when their record, experience, and recommendations indicate a high likelihood of success in the program. The department admits between 5 and 10 new students each Fall. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not currently required to apply but can be included for consideration. Applicants should include a curriculum vitae (CV) and a 1-to-2-page statement letter describing their research interests and goals.
Select a Specialization
When applying, students must select the program that will be their major course of study. The department offers a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology with specialization in one of two areas: Applied Biopsychology and Applied Developmental Psychology. Next, the applicant must select and rank at least 3 potential choices for a major advisor. After the initial review, at least one faculty member must be willing to accept the applicant into their laboratory and serve as the student’s major professor. Applicants are encouraged to directly contact the faculty members with whom they may wish to work to learn about opportunities and to determine if their research interests and goals are a good fit with that mentor and laboratory.
Financial Aid
Applicants will be considered for funding or scholarships, but this is not guaranteed. The most common source of funding is through teaching assistantships through the department or research assistantships through faculty grants. Twenty hours of work each week are typically required with both kinds of assistantships. Assistantships include a stipend and tuition waiver. Other common sources of student funding include fellowships and scholarships awarded by the Graduate School or external assistantships funded by outside agencies. All applicants are considered for financial assistance.
Housing
Most graduate students choose to live off campus. There are, however, dormitories and on-campus apartments.