Program Requirements and Application Process

GRADUATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCESS – 4 STEPS

Application deadline is December 1 for admission the following fall.
The Department of Psychological Sciences will waive the GRE requirement for applicants seeking admission for fall 2023. You are welcome to submit your GRE scores; if you choose to do so, that information will be used in admissions decisions. However, full consideration will still be given to applications that do not include GRE scores.

PART I:  REVIEW PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Admission Policy for Graduate Training
The department encourages applications from students showing evidence of superior potential for graduate study. This includes a broad undergraduate preparation, a minimum of 60 hours of undergraduate coursework average of at least "B" (3.00), a minimum of 18 semester hours of credit in psychology that includes one course in statistics (or its equivalent), experience in psychological research (e.g., a course in Research Methods, working in a research laboratory, or completion of a thesis or other research project), and satisfactory scores on the verbal, quantitative, analytic portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Please note, the GRE requirement will be waived for the next graduate admissions cycle (applications due December 1, 2022 for Fall 2023); please see our FAQ for more information.

For international applicants, Kent State requires evidence of English language proficiency. Applicants must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 587 (94 on the computerized version) or a minimum MELAB score of 82.

Over the past five years, we have averaged approximately 320 applicants per year, with the clinical and experimental programs each admitting about 10 students annually. Each class has been quite diverse on several characteristics. Our students have come from undergraduate institutions from California to New York, and have typically included some non-traditional students. Approximately 25 percent of those admitted have been minority or international students. The gender composition has averaged about 65 percent women and 35 percent men. Average GPA has typically been above 3.6 and average GRE scores typically above the 50th percentile.

It is the policy of the department to admit only those students whose goal is a Ph.D. and who the Admissions Committee considers likely to complete the doctorate. The M.A. degree is viewed as a step toward obtaining the Ph.D. Although estimates of attrition are difficult to provide since many personal (non-academic) and unforeseen factors may be involved in a student's leaving the program, less than 5% of the students who enter the program subsequently have not earned their Ph.D.

Only students who are interested in full-time graduate study are considered for admission. Graduate students in psychology must accumulate a minimum of 24 credit hours within the calendar year. Students unable to maintain this level of academic activity are not considered for graduate work in the department. Students are expected to enroll in courses during the summer as well as during the academic year.

Excerpts from the Admission Policy for Graduate Standing:

• We admit only for full-time graduate study.
• We admit only applicants who are pursuing a Ph.D.  The M.A. degree is obtained as one of several requirements for obtaining the Ph.D.

PART II:  REVIEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here to visit our FAQ for Prospective Students webpage.

PART III:  APPLY FOR GRADUATE STUDY AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

Click here for admissions criteria and to start your application for Graduate Studies.

PART IV:  Email information sheet to the department of Psychological sciences

Click here for the departmental information sheet.

For more information or to check on the status of an application:
Telephone: 330-672-8536
FAX:  330-672-7932
Email: gradpsyc@kent.edu