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Getting Into Psychology Graduate School

Before applying to a graduate school in psychology, consider these useful tips.

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Entry into psychology graduate schools can be competitive. Most psychology graduate school programs look for a competitive score (above 1200) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a GPA above 3.3, and volunteer or paid experience in the field. To maximize your chances of getting in:

  • Gain experience in the field: volunteer in a local hospital or clinic to gain practical experience.
  • Work closely with your advisor: your advisor will guide you through the admission process.
  • Community service: leadership roles will give you the chance to prove your abilities.
  • Academic research: volunteer in a research lab and write about your results.
  • Stellar letters of recommendation: get letters of recommendation from faculty members, physicians, or community leaders who know you well and have supervised your work directly.
  • Excellent communication skills: convey in your application and interview why you're a superb choice and wholly qualified to undergo training to become a psychologist.

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Master's Level Prerequisites

Coursework prerequisites for master's programs in psychology generally include experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, mathematics, social sciences, biological and physical sciences.

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Doctoral Level Prerequisites

Some doctoral programs require applicants to have a master's degree in psychology. Other doctoral programs allow students to enter the program with a bachelor's degree and work directly on a doctoral degree. Coursework prerequisites generally include experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, mathematics, social sciences, biological and physical sciences.

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Spotlight Schools

Walden University

At Walden, you'll benefit not only from our unique distance learning delivery models, but from the personal attention of our world-class faculty, and from a highly customized program that is directly related to your career goals.