Program Admission

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Admit Terms and Deadlines

Students will start the program in the Fall.

This degree program does not admit students during the winter and summer semesters.

Completed applications, including Graduation Record Examination (GRE) scores, letters of recommendation, and transcripts, must be received by February 1 for consideration. If the first falls on a weekend, materials will only be accepted the next business day.

Once the admission quota is full, students will be placed on a waiting list until spaces become available.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements: Applicants who meet all requirements will be given priority consideration.

1. Academic ability as measured by Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing scores on the GRE. In keeping with other programs in the state and with national criteria, admission typically includes a minimum score around the 50th percentile on the Verbal and Quantitative sections and a minimum score of 4.0 on the writing section. Scores on the GRE Advanced Psychology Test are not required and will not be used in decisions. GRE scores must be submitted directly to PSYCAS.
2. Achievement in undergraduate or graduate work. Undergraduate GPA of approximately 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. Successful applicants typically present with higher GPAs.
3. Academic background in psychology. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 20 undergraduate semester hours in psychology, including a course in statistics and a laboratory course in research methods/experimental psychology.
4. Personal qualities that predict success in graduate study and professional placement after graduation. To evaluate these, each applicant must submit three letters of recommendation. Personal qualities will also be evaluated in the context of an interview for those who pass the initial file review and are invited to the interview day(s).
5. Fit between applicant and faculty interests. A personal statement is required describing the applicant’s interests. We will be particularly interested in students with research and/or clinical experiences that are a good fit with faculty areas of expertise.

Application

Your application will be submitted using PSYCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and use the PSYCAS Portal link on the Psychology Department’s Graduate Admissions Information page.

Application materials submitted to PSYCAS include:

• Personal statement (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
• Essay related to fit with the program (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
• Diversifying Psychology Essay (instructions available within PSYCAS) – 500 words.
• Writing sample (typically a research paper).
• Curriculum vitae or résumé
• Three letters of recommendation

Transcripts

Applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions they attended beyond high school. Transcripts must be submitted directly to PSYCAS. Transcripts sent to EMU will not be accepted as official, and the application will not be considered complete. (Applicants should allow 2-6 weeks for PSYCAS to process transcripts.) For additional information regarding transcript submission, please see the PSYCAS website.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Questions and concerns should be directed to:

Psychology Department
Eastern Michigan University
341 Science Complex
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
psy_xgrad@emich.edu
734.487.1155

Department Information

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Psychology 341 Science Complex, 734.487.1155

Natalie Dove, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

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Chong Man Chow, PhD, Experimental Program Coordinator, 361A Science Complex, 734.487.2037

Degree Requirements: 30 hours

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The program requires 30 graduate credit hours, with at least 24 in psychology. All students who apply should seek a faculty advisor or mentor to act as their sponsor. Students who are still determining a mentor choice, applying from another campus, or unfamiliar with the faculty may be assigned a temporary mentor by the coordinator of the program. The program is highly individualized, and the mentor supervises the student’s training, research, and master’s thesis. Should a student’s interests change, a new mentor may be selected with approval from faculty members and the general experimental program coordinator.

Credits earned under non-degree student status do not automatically apply to the degree program’s requirements. 

Critical Graduation Information

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Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

• A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
• No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
• Residency Requirement:
  • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere). 
  • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
  • Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
• Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
• Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
• The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
• Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.