Department of Psychology

David King Hall, Room 2003
MSN 3F5, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444

Dr. Deborah Boehm-Davis (Chairperson) Phone: 703-993-1398

Departmental Admissions Forms

Psychology M.A. Departmental Form

Psychology Ph.D. Departmental Form

The George Mason University Application is required for all applications and you can download it from the Office of Admissions website at http://admissions.gmu.edu/onapps.asp

Frequently Asked Questions by Psychology Graduate Applicants

Q. What address should I mail my application materials to?

Send your application materials with the application fee to:

College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Graduate Admissions Office, MSN 2D2
College Hall C119
4400 University Drive
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444

Applicants may also apply online from the Office of Admissions webpage at http://admissions.gmu.edu/grad/

Q. What are your application deadlines?

A. Ph.D. Programs:
* Applications for the Ph.D. programs in Applied Developmental Psychology and Clinical Psychology are due December 1.

* Applications for the Ph.D. program in Industrial Organizational Psychology are due on December 15.

*Applications for the Ph.D. programs in Biopsychology and Human Factors/Applied Cognition are due January 1.

M.A. Programs:
* Applications for the M.A. in School Psychology are due Janaury 15.
* Applications for the M.A. in Applied Developmental, Biopsychology, and Industrial-Organizational Psychology are due February 1.
* Applications for the M.A. in Human Factors/Applied Cognition (HFAC) are due March 15. Late applicants to the HFAC program will be considered on a space available basis.

Q. If my application is submitted past the deadline will I still be considered?
A. You may still apply. However, please note there are NO guarantees that faculty will consider late applications.

Q. What is the status of my application?
A. Graduate Admissions processes all applications. Students should contact them at (703) 993-2409 or email them at chssgrad@gmu.edu Graduate Admissions will only forward COMPLETE applications to the Department.

Q. Do you require the GRE General Test? What about the GRE Subject Test in Psychology? Where do I send my GRE Scores to?
A. The General GRE is required for all applicants. It must be no more than five (5) years old. The Clinical Ph.D. program recommends (but does not require) the Psychology Subject test in addition to the General test. If multiple tests have been taken, we look at the best scores overall. GRE scores are automatically sent to the College/University you choose on your registration form.

Q. How do I know if George Mason (or any other school) is the right school for me?
A. You should read the web pages thoroughly of the schools you are interested in attending. Find out as much information about the Department, their teaching methods, research philosophies, and overall attitudes towards scholarship and training as you can. It is particularly important that you identify your research/professional interests early and thoroughly review the current research interests of the faculty. If your research/professional goals do not match up well with a particular school, it is unlikely that you would be a good match for their program and ultimately become dissatisfied with your experience. Unfortunately, many students skip this part and we must decline admission to highly qualified students because their interests do not match those of the faculty.

Q. Does my application need to be submitted in one packet, or can my letters of recommendation be sent separately?
A. The Admissions Office prefers that you submit all your materials in one packet. However, they recognize that some recommendations will arrive separately. Any recommendations that have been sent directly to you should be forwarded to Admissions unopened with the signature of the recommender across the seal.

Q. What is GMU’s institution code?
A. Please use the number 5827 when asked for an institution or department code.

Q. I forgot to add something to my application, what do I do?
A. Immediately contact Graduate Admissions at (703) 993-2409 or email them at chssgrad@gmu.edu and let them know. Then mail the document ASAP. We encourage you to submit the missing documentation but want you to know that late application materials may affect your chances for admission.

Q. Are there any forms for Teaching Assistantships (TA’s) or Research Assistantships (RA’s)?
A. No. We assume all of our applicants wish to be considered for Departmental aid. Students should know that the majority of our money goes to the Ph.D. students with limited amounts going to the M.A. students.

Q. Do you require two (2) writing samples?
A. No. However, when writing the Goals Statement, share with us why you are interested in the program area and why you are interested in GMU. Write about your short term and long term goals and what you expect to accomplish within the next few years.

Q. My grades/scores are just below the requirements, should I still apply?
A. We encourage all interested students to apply. However, we do adhere to any stated minimum grade point averages and/or GRE scores. For specifics on these requirements, please visit the webpage that describes the program you are applying for.

Q. When will a decision be made on my application?
A. Here are the tentative deadlines regarding admissions applications. We will do our best to adhere to this schedule:

SHOULD I APPLY FOR A MASTER’S OR DOCTORAL DEGREE?

Identifying a graduate program to apply to entails many more considerations than most students realize. First, you
need to decide if you want to apply for a master’s or a doctoral degree. Although there are exceptions, the master’s
degree is generally targeted at individuals who want to work in a specified field within psychology, but who are not
interested in research. Our master’s programs provide students with a “tool kit” that they can take with them to a
job. All of them, however, are grounded in research and theory.

If you are unsure of your commitment to research, we encourage you to consider the master’s program where there
are opportunities to perform research and find out if that is something you want to pursue further.

You should also know that there are differences between graduate programs, both in academic goals and practical
philosophies. In deciding on which schools to apply to, you should spend a significant amount of time thinking
about your own goals and directions, and use that knowledge to weigh differing graduate programs before you
decide where to apply. If at all possible, make an appointment to speak with you undergraduate faculty adviser
and/or professors to seek out their assistance.

HOW SHOULD I SELECT A SPECIFIC GRADUATE PROGRAM?

The primary consideration in selecting a graduate program is that it offers coursework and research related to your
area of interest. For example, if you are interested in counseling psychology, Mason is not the place for you as we
do not offer a graduate program in counseling psychology. Most programs have detailed web pages that
prospective applicants will be expected to review thoroughly. Cold-calling programs for information that is
accessible via the web does not reflect well on you as a potential applicant. Graduate programs encourage
prospective applicants to ask questions, but expect that the prospect has also done their homework. As trivial as it
may sound, it is important that you realize that once you have made the decision to pursue an advanced degree, the
first day of your career has begun and first impressions are important.

Once you know that a university offers the program in which you are interested, you should consider other factors.
You should consider, for example, basic facts such as whether they offer the specific degree (masters or doctoral)
that you seek, whether your scores (GPA, GRE) are in the ballpark of those students they accept, location, and cost.
However, there are other issues you should consider. For example:

• Do you work full-time and need a degree program that accommodates your schedule? While some
graduate programs offer evening/weekend classes or even distance learning options, other follow a more
traditional route with daytime lectures, labs and study groups.

• Is an internship with hands-on-experience the key to your success? If so, ensure that the program has such
a program.

• Do you dread the idea of writing a formal thesis? If so, perhaps a doctoral program is not for you.

WHAT ARE SOME OF MASON’S SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS?

The doctoral program at Mason works on an “apprenticeship” model, where students work side by side with their
faculty mentors. Thus, doctoral students in mason’s programs are expected to attend on a full-time basis, leaving
little time (and energy) for employment (other than graduate teaching and/or research assistantships). Masters
students are encouraged to attend full-time but some programs do have course schedules that permit students to
study part-time. Most MA programs also have opportunities for internships; only a few programs have a
requirement for a master’s thesis. If you are considering a doctoral program in the future, getting involved in
research is critical. Information on course offerings and times, the potential for internship placement and credits as
well as any requirements for completing a thesis can all be found on the web. In addition, each psychology
program at George Mason has a handbook posted on the web that provides both prospective and current students
with specific guidelines and requirements for that program.

WHAT ARE THE ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS?

Grades/GRE Scores. When it comes to admissions requirements, most prospective applicants are most worried
about their GPA and GRE scores. Although these are important, they are not the only, or most important, criteria
for admission. Although grades and scores are predictors for future success; recommendation letters, personal
statements, perceived fit and previous research experience are also closely reviewed when evaluating each
application. There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to the numbers. If you are significantly below the
numbers shown for our recent admissions years of 2006-08, you are unlikely to be offered admission. However,
having scores at or above the values shown below is not a guarantee that you will be admitted to the program.
Please note the range in the qualifications for our doctoral programs. The most competitive programs (clinical and
industrial/organizational) are at the higher end of this range.

Fit to our program. Even if your scores are higher than those shown in the table above, you may not be offered
admission to our program. How is that possible? Well, look at the number of students who apply and the number
who enroll. We are a highly selective program and many of the 650-plus students who apply have numbers at or
above those listed above. So, then, how do we choose from among those students who meet our GPA/GRE
requirements? Phrased another way, “How does a Harvard graduate with perfected GPA/GRE scores get denied?”
The answer is that their research interests do not match those of the faculty in the program they applied to or they
are not the most qualified applicant who wants to work with a specific faculty member. For the master’s program,
it is sufficient to be generally interested in the field of study to which you apply. For the doctoral program it is
more complex. Because of our apprenticeship model and our focus on research, if research is not something you
are interested in pursing, we are not the right “fit” for you. Further, an applicant’s interests need to “fit” with one of
our faculty member’s interests. To determine this, refer back to the webpage and look at the current research
interests of the faculty, read their biographies or vitas and evaluate it against your own personal research interests.

In summary, conducting research on the graduate programs you are considering applying to will help you determine
if a given program meets your educational needs while also giving you an idea what to expect from the admissions
process all the way through to fulfilling the degree requirements. We hope that you find yourself a “fit” to our
program and we look forward to receiving your application.

Department Homepage