Students
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What Does It Take To Get Into Graduate School In Psychology?
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Once you have decided to pursue a career in psychology, the next step is to complete graduate training. If you are a high school student, a strong college preparatory program is an excellent start. Some high schools offer an introductory psychology course, which may provide an overview of the field. If you are in an undergraduate program, it is a good idea to gain a solid background in core psychology courses including introductory psychology, experimental, and statistics. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is not always a requirement to enter a graduate program, especially if you have taken a variety of psychology courses. However, at least a minor in psychology is highly recommended.
After you have made the decision to pursue graduate school, the next step is to research your options. A good starting point is to determine your specific areas of interest by talking with your academic advisor, psychology professors, or psychologists in your community. There are also a variety of books and publications that provide information about graduate programs in psychology. Once you have identified programs that match your interests, request catalogs and brochures. You may also check Web sites, which often provide the most current information about programs. A composite source of graduate program information is also available though the American Psychological Association (APA) at www.apa.org. Take the time to consider your choices carefully.
A further consideration in selecting potential programs is accreditation. In the field of psychology, specialized accreditation is granted by the APA Committee on Accreditation and applies only to doctoral programs, internships, and postdoctoral residency programs in health service areas of professional psychology. Many internship sites require that applicants be from an accredited program, as do many employers. Graduating from an accredited program also makes the process of applying for licensure and membership in the national registry much easier.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for admission to a graduate program. Plan to take the GRE the fall prior to your expected admission date to a graduate program. Although programs vary in the weight attached to scores and minimum scores required to be considered for admission, successful applicants typically score well above 500 on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE. Determine if your GRE scores are acceptable for the programs you are considering. You may also wish to find out if your grade point average is similar to that of successful applicants in the programs that interest you. Some programs have a minimum grade point average that is necessary for consideration. When you have decided if you wish to pursue a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, created a list of potential programs, and taken the GRE, you are ready to begin the application process.
The next step is to contact programs and request an application and financial aid information. Most applications will require the following information in addition to an application fee: letter of intent, letters of reference, transcripts, and GRE scores. Some programs also require a personal interview, which may be completed in person or by telephone. Be sure to spell-check and grammar-check all forms and information carefully. It is also a good idea to have someone else read through your information to ensure it is complete and thorough.
The final step in this process is one of the most difficult: being patient while you wait for programs to contact you! You will usually be notified of your acceptance or rejection before April 15. Most programs ask that you accept or reject an offer in writing by a given deadline.
By Leslie Jones
University of Missouri, Kansas City
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