Admission to Graduate Standing - Classified
Students must meet the CSU requirements for admission to a master’s degree program. Please consult the Graduate Admissions section in this catalog for complete information. Applicants are rarely admitted with less than a 3.0 overall grade-point average. In addition, applicants who meet the following requirements may be considered for classified graduate standing upon development of an approved study plan:
- a 3.0 grade-point average in psychology;
- the following courses, or equivalent;
Lower Division
PSYC 101 - Introductory Psychology (3)
PSYC 201 - Introduction to Statistics in Psychology (3)
PSYC 202 - Research Methods in Psychology (3)
Upper Division
PSYC 341 - Abnormal Psychology (3)
PSYC 461 - Psychological Testing and Assessment (3) with a “B-” (2.7) or better (completed prior to admission or within the first semester)
PSYC 465 - Advanced Psychological Statistics (3) with a “B-” (2.7) or better (completed prior to admission or within the first year)
- satisfactory performance on both the General and Advanced Psychology tests of the Graduate Record Examination;
- three satisfactory letters of recommendation;
- meet the university’s Writing Proficiency Requirement;
- previous paid or volunteer work in a mental health setting, ideally supervised by a licensed clinician and may include an internship or field placement class;
- empirical research (outside of coursework) supervised by a professor. This may include independent study, honors thesis, etc.; and
- completion of a selection interview.
New students are admitted to the Master of Science program in the fall only. Those admitted will be selected in the spring from the most qualified applicants at the sole discretion of the M.S. Program Graduate Studies Committee. An interview of the finalists is required. In addition to the university application, a departmental application form, obtainable at psychology.fullerton.edu/academics/ms_prog.asp, must be completed.
University applications must be submitted online. The application deadline for submitting all materials, including GRE scores, is March 1. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Admission to Graduate Standing - Conditionally Classified
It may be possible for applicants who have minimal deficiencies in the prerequisite requirements detailed above, but who are otherwise highly qualified, to be admitted with conditionally classified graduate standing. Provisions must be made for removal of deficiencies prior to the granting of classified standing. For further information, consult the graduate program adviser.
Study Plan
The Master of Science in Psychology requires approved graduate work, including the completion and acceptance by the department of a written thesis that has been defended orally.
Students, in consultation with their program adviser, shall develop a study plan that will be submitted to the M.S. Program Graduate Studies Committee for approval. To be advanced to candidacy, students must receive a grade of “B-” (2.7) or better on all study plan courses and maintain a 3.0 grade point average overall.
Additional Information
Successfully completing coursework is not sufficient to permit continuation in the program. In addition, faculty judgment must be satisfied with respect to the student’s effectiveness and professional and ethical behavior in dealing with clients. Continuation in the program is contingent upon satisfactory performance in all aspects of the program as judged by the Graduate Studies Committee.
