Admissions Process

All admissions to graduate programs in the College and Graduate School of Education, Health, and Human Services are handled through the university's Division of Graduate Studies. Applications are available online and other forms associated with admissions can be obtained here.

Any application materials, including reference forms and letters, can be submitted online by attaching them to an email sent to Graduate Studies at gradapps@kent.edu.

Any hard copy materials submitted should be mailed to the Division of Graduate Studies, Cartwright Hall, 650 Hilltop Dr., Kent, OH 44242-0001 Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242 USA.

If you have any questions about the admission process you can phone the Division of Graduate Studies at 330-672-2661 or the Office of Graduate Studies at 330-672-2576.

Specific questions about Masters Degree applications can be directed to Valorie Adkins (vadkins@kent.edu, 330-672-0559) and questions about Doctoral Degree applications can be directed to Cheryl Slusarczyk (cslusarc@kent.edu, 330-672-0557).

Admission to the Masters in Education (M. Ed.) Program

Masters Degree applicants must have completed a Bachelor's degree. Admission requirements include:

• A completed application form
• A goal statement describing the applicant's reasons for seeking a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology.
• Official transcripts for all prior course work.
• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0.
• Two professional letters of recommendation.

Students whose undergraduate GPAs are below 3.0 can be admitted on probation, wherein they must obtain a letter grade of at least B (not B-) in all of their first three courses before they can continue with the program.

Admission to the Master of Art (M. A.) Program

Admission to the MA program includes all of the above requirements for a complete application, in addition to the MEd and the GRE. An applicant's GRE score is not the determining factor for admission to the program and will be considered as part of the entire application.

• A completed application form.
• A goal statement describing the applicant's reasons for seeking a Doctoral Degree.
• Official transcripts for all prior coursework.
• A masters-level grade point average of at least 3.5.
• Combined Verbal and Quantitative Graduate Record Exam scores of 1000 or better, and a score on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE of at least 4.0.
• Three professional letters of recommendation.
• An interview, in person or by telephone, with at least one faculty member in the program area.

English Proficiency

International students whose first language is not English must submit a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) documenting their proficiency with the English language. The minimum passing score on this test is:

• Written test: 525 (out of 677)
• Online test: 80 (out of 120)

Contact the Program Coordinator of Educational Psychology for further information about admission to a graduate program.

The Educational Psychology Program seeks qualified applicants from a diversity of relevant academic and employment backgrounds. Although preference is given to applicants experience and degrees in fields related to Educational Psychology, baccalaureate graduates with outstanding records are encouraged to apply.

Prior academic and professional experience will be evaluated on the basis of quality, relevance, and how recent the experience. Additional course work may be required if one's educational psychology background is limited. Although full-time students are preferred, part-time students will be considered for admission.

Part-time students should plan to spend at least one academic year in full-time residence.

Teaching Fellowships / Graduate Assistantships

Graduate students receiving appointments work closely with Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences (LDES) faculty in the design and delivery of instruction, the planning and implementation of research, and the preparation of reports and technical assistance to cooperating educational institutions and human services agencies.