Psychological Science M.S. Admissions

Admissions Procedures

The Psychological Science M.S. degree program is individually tailored to meet each student's needs and goals. Because it is primarily a tutorial program with a strong emphasis on independent study and one-to-one faculty/student interaction, the number of students admitted each year is quite limited. In addition to GPA, admission decisions are heavily based on the personal statement which should detail the applicant's research interests and educational goals. Persons wishing to apply to this program should examine the listing of the current research interests of the faculty to determine which instructor would best match or support their needs. Students should identify three (3) faculty members with whom they would be interested in working. Prospective students are encouraged to contact faculty ahead of time to determine if they are accepting new students into their research labs for the upcoming academic year.

Applications may be submitted any time after early October for the cohort that begins the following fall. Applications will be considered until all open positions are filled. To maximize your chances of admission and your chances of being considered for available GA positions, please ensure that all of your application materials are received by the Graduate School by our February 1 priority deadline.

Please note: All materials must be submitted and received by the UTC Graduate School before your application can be viewed and considered by the program director.

 

To be considered as an applicant, you must: 

  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Have completed a college-level statistics course and research methods course, preferably within the behavioral and/or social sciences.
  • Have undergraduate research experience.
  • Be able to demonstrate computer literacy, particularly with respect to Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Have successfully completed at least one psychology course.
  • Submit three letters of recommendation.
  • Submit a personal statement. Personal statements should describe the student's career goals, research interests and a faculty member who can serve as their mentor. Our program focuses on a mentor-based approach.
  • Have a minimum grade point average of 2.7 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all undergraduate work taken prior to receiving the baccalaureate degree or 3.0 in the senior year. In a typical year, the average GPA of admitted applicants is 3.4.
  • Work through the application process for the UTC Graduate School:
    • Go to the UTC Graduate School's online application system and follow all instructions as you work through the various required components. Note that the graduate application process details can be found on the lower right-hand portion of this screen.
  • To be considered for Graduate Assistant (GA) funding, applicants must also complete and submit a GA Application.

 

For more information:

Dr. Jill Shelton, Graduate Program Director
Psychological Science MS Degree Program
Psychology Department (2803)
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37403
Office: 540 McCallie Avenue, Room 378
Phone 423-425-5246

Psychology

Psychology