Application for admission to the Midwestern State University Graduate Program in Psychology is made through the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School (Apply Here).
The Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School or Graduate Recruiter will provide the applicant with all necessary application materials upon request, including the Scholarship Application Form. These completed forms, together with transcripts of all undergraduate work and Graduate Record Examination scores, are to be returned to the Office of the Graduate Dean (Graduate Dean) who will pass them to Psychology Department Graduate Coordinator for review.
The Department of Psychology will use a rolling admissions policy. Beginning the first Monday of October and continuing until the program is full (8 students per class), applicants meeting the admission standards will be accepted in the order of completed applications. Early applications receive priority over later applications. Applicants close to the minimum standards may be placed on a wait list (wait list applicants typically receive offers beginning in April).
Some students require leveling work (may not have had psychology as a major or minor) which is to be completed during the Spring semester prior to first Fall semester of the graduate program. Two slots (of the 8) for conditional acceptances are available; however, the students must be conditionally accepted by the end of November so they can enroll in Spring classes.
Unless special arrangements have been made with the department chair (e.g., licensed therapist needing a specific class for Texas licensure), no student will be allowed to enroll in any graduate psychology course unless one has applied for admission and been accepted into the program.
Admission standards are somewhat flexible, but the following guidelines are used in making admission decisions:
- Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Preferred undergraduate degrees are in Psychology (major or minor), Sociology, or Family Life Sciences. Non-Psychology majors can anticipate leveling work. An evaluation of the applicant's transcripts will be completed by the Graduate Program Coordinator, and any leveling work will be noted in the conditional acceptance letter.
- Undergraduate background.
Applicants should have completed course work in the following areas of 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.)
- Unconditional admission.
In order to be admitted unconditionally to the graduate program in psychology, the applicant should present an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher and competitive scores on the Graduate Record Examination (taken within five years from the date of the application). In addition, the applicant must have completed all or most of the undergraduate courses listed above. GRE scores are not the sole criterion for consideration of applicants nor are they the primary criterion to end consideration of applicants. All factors are considered in the admissions process, but are not specifically weighted.
Students who are not eligible for unconditional admission may be admitted on a conditional basis at the discretion of the Psychology Department. Removal from conditional admission status depends upon completion of all assigned undergraduate leveling course work and acceptable performance in the program.
Leveling: four undergraduate courses (general psychology, statistics, learning, and one clinically oriented course) are completed during the spring semester, and then the applicant is fully admitted for the following fall semester pending a "B" or higher in all of the leveling courses. No financial support is provided during leveling work.
- Continued enrollment in the graduate psychology program is dependent upon continuing satisfactory performance in three areas: academic, assistantship (if applicable), and clinical (when applicable) as discussed below.
Students are expected to participate actively in classes and in relevant extracurricular training opportunities, and to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher. It is further expected that students will receive no more than a single grade lower than a B.
Performance of Graduate Assistants is evaluated by the student's supervisor. Research Assistants are expected to work reliably with minimal prompting by the supervisor and to perform assigned tasks in a timely and satisfactory manner. Graduate Teaching Assistants are expected to conform to all university and program standards, policies, and procedures in the performance of their teaching duties.
Clinical skills are monitored by all clinical faculty members who are in a position to do so. These evaluations include readiness for initial practicum assignment, performance within clinical practicum settings, and observations of behavior outside the practicum.
Deficiencies in any of the three evaluation areas will prompt a General Performance Appraisal of the student, at which time deficiencies will be outlined, corrective actions specified, and a timetable established for completing these corrective actions. Failure to rectify deficiencies in a timely and acceptable manner will result in dismissal from the program.
Michael A. Vandehey, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Graduate Coordinator
Midwestern State University
Psych Off: 940-397-4026
Psych Fax: 940-397-4682