Admissions Questions:

Do I have to be a psychology major to apply to your program?

No. There are certain courses that are required for students to be admitted into the graduate program. Specifically, applicants should have completed the following courses in psychology with a grade of C or better: introductory psychology, statistics, learning, experimental psychology, and one or more courses in the clinical area of psychology (e.g., clinical, abnormal, personality). (Note: It may be possible for some of these courses to be completed as leveling work at Midwestern, and in some cases, while the student is enrolled in graduate psychology courses.) Students who have not majored in psychology have generally been as successful as other students in the program.

On what are admissions decisions based?

Admission decisions are influenced by a variety of factors.  The following guidelines are used by psychology department in making admission decisions:

Undergraduate Performance

Certainly, a student's undergraduate GPA is an important factor in the admission process, as past behavior is a strong predictor of future behavior.  A students degree need not be in psychology, but non-majors can anticipate a substantial amount of leveling work. Applicants should have completed the following courses in psychology with a grade of C or better: introductory psychology, statistics, learning, experimental psychology, and one or more courses in the clinical area of psychology (e.g., clinical, abnormal, personality). (Note: It may be possible for some of these courses to be completed as leveling work at Midwestern, and in some cases, while the student is enrolled in graduate psychology courses.)  

Graduate Record Exam Scores

All applicants will complete the Graduate Record Exam.  Students scores across all three sections will be evaluated for admission.

What is the total number of students enrolled in your program?

We have funding for 18 students in the program. We typically run between 14 and 18 students. This results in a faculty student ratio of about 1:3.

Number of Graduate Students who Graduated

Graduated during the academic year of 2020-2021: 8

2019-2020: 5

2018-2019: 7

2017-2018: 9

Percent of admitted students who graduated:

2015-2021: 89%

Number of Students Currently Enrolled

Total number of students enrolled including first years, second years, and students completing a thesis:

Academic year 2021-2022: 14

How many students apply to your program each year?

Number of applications:

2020-2021: 14 

2019-2020: 10

2018-2019: 14

2017-2018: 25

2018-2019: 24

 

After making our 8 initial offers, we generate a wait list. Historically, we go 2-4 deep into our wait list.

How many students are accepted each year?

Because we do not accept students who we cannot fund, the number of new students is limited to 8 per fall. We no longer accept students in the spring due to licensing changes that occurred in Texas as of September 1, 2017.

What is the average GPA of admitted students?

The average undergraduate GPA of students admitted in the last seven years is approximately 3.47.

What is the average GRE score of admitted students?

Over the past seven academic years, the approximate GRE scores are as follows:

Verbal - 149

Quantitative - 147

Writing - 3.75 (most student earn a 3.5 or 4)

Do your graduates pursue doctoral education?

Approximately a quarter to a third of our students pursue doctoral education. In fact, our graduates have an excellent record of acceptance into doctoral programs (e.g., Bowling Green State University, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, Texas Women's University, Florida State University).

Faculty Demographics

The department has six full-time faculty and one adjunct faculty who teach graduate courses. 

Full-time faculty: 4 males

Adjunct faculty: 1 male, 1 female

Ethnic Origin: All current faculty identify as Caucasian. 

Only 3.6% of graduate classes (currently 1) are taught by an adjunct faculty. 

Application Questions:

What is the deadline to apply?

The department of psychology has moved to a rolling admissions procedure. Applications will  be reviewed beginning the first Monday of October. When a student meets the department's requirements, they will receive an offer. Students close to the minimum standards will be placed on the wait list. Applications will be reviewed until the program is full. Early applications will receive priority over later applications regardless of the student's academic achievements. Students needing to complete leveling work should apply in the fall and no later then November. If conditionally accepted, the applicant must enroll in courses during the spring and/or summer I semesters. Conditionally accepted students automatically are admitted into the program if they earn a "B" or higher in all of the leveling courses.

What do I need to do to apply to your program?

Three pieces of information are required for application:

  • This can be done online at the following website: Graduate School-How to Apply
  •  You will need to complete the GRE and send your scores to Midwestern State University.
  • You will need to send transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended.
  • Additional information (i.e., personal statement, letters of recommendation, vita) may be submitted by applicants for consideration.

Is there an application fee?

The fee information can be found on the Graduate Studies website: How to Apply

To whom do I mail my application?

Dr. Michael Vandehey

Graduate Program Coordinator

C/O Sierra Trenhaile

Office of the Graduate Dean

3410 Taft Blvd.

Wichita Falls, TX 76308

What should I say in my personal statement?

Personal statements are not required.  However, their inclusion can be helpful. Although there are many formats for writing personal statements, we are primarily looking for three pieces of information: your professional goals, your background/preparation for graduate studies, and why you are interested in the MA in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at MSU.

How many letters of recommendation are required?

Letters of recommendation are not required.  However, you may request up to three letters.  Although you may request letters from numerous people attesting to a variety of strong characteristics, we are most interested in letters from faculty who can attest to your academic ability and who can speculate on your academic potential.

Do my letter writers need to complete a supplemental form or do they just provide a letter of support?

Not at this time.

Do you conduct interviews?

We do not conduct interviews. However, we have had several students come to MSU for a site visit during which they have introduced themselves to faculty. Additionally, a site visit allows applicants a chance to ask specific questions and get a feel for the program.

How can I schedule a site visit?

There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you can schedule an official campus tour through MSU Admissions. This is a good way to get a general feel for the campus.

Second, you can contact the Graduate Office. The campus tour through the admissions office is generally geared towards undergraduate students. The Graduate Office will likely be able to arrange a tour that will provide you more information about graduate studies at Midwestern.

Third, you can always come to campus for an informal, self-guided look around. However you decide to visit, be sure to contact Dr. Vandehey, the Psychology Graduate Coordinator, ahead of time informing him of your visit so that he can be sure to meet with you and arrange for you to meet briefly with faculty and current graduate students.