UTC RAVE Alert

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 and GRE scores, 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. 

Applications may be submitted anytime after early October for the cohort that begins the following fall. Best practice is to plan on submitting your application by mid-February to ensure that all of your application elements are received by the Graduate School by our March 1st priority deadline. Applications may still be considered after this point if positions are still available. Please note that applying after the priority deadline will decrease your chances of being considered for available GA positions.

 

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 an official score (not over five years old) for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). 
  • 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; GRE scores and GPA are combined into a single admissions index. 
  • 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.
    • Note that applying to the UTC Psychological Science program requires completing an application to the UTC Graduate School (via the link above) and then completing the program-specific application that you can access by clicking here. This process is also clearly detailed in the online application system.
  • 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
Research Concentration
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