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Completing Your Folder

The department prefer students begin their programs in the Fall semester.  A limited number of admissions will be accepted for the Spring semester as space permits.

Your application folder must be complete before you are considered for admission and before an interview can scheduled.  The Graduate School must receive all of your application materials no later than February 17 for Summer/Fall admission 2006, and September 22 for Spring 2007.  admission.  

Your file should include:
- an application for admission
- all transcripts from previous colleges or universities attended
- three letters of recommendation (two from academic professors and one can come from a job-related
    source - please note that exceptions may be made for non-traditional students who graduated more
    than ten years ago)
- scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- your personal statement
- recent photo (optional, but it will help our memories in the future if we are asked to write a letter of
    reference, etc.)

All application materials should go directly to:
The Graduate School
State University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA 30118
They will provide us with a copy of your file when it is complete.
 

The Personal Statement
Your personal statement should be semi-autobiographical.  It should include "where you are" in your life and how you got there, your interests in psychology and related areas, and why the State University of West Georgia program is of special interest to you.  It should be concise, yet as revealing of yourself as possible.  Your statement should also include your motivation for attending a humanistic program as opposed to a program in mainstream psychology.  An average length is usually about four pages.
 

Interviews
Besides the admission requirements for the Graduate School of the State University of West Georgia, the Psychology Department uses for its selection purposes a personal interview with the student.  These interviews are crucial in the selection process.  The purpose of the interview is to assess the candidate's maturity, personal growth potential, academic and professional goals and their "fit" within the program.  Once your application file is complete, you may be contacted by telephone by the graduate student coordinator to schedule an interview.  Applicants who are invited for interviews will meet with a committee composed of two faculty members and the graduate student coordinator.  The interview lasts between thirty and sixty minutes.  In order to be considered for Summer or Fall admission, interviews must be completed by 14 April 2006  For Spring admission, interviews must be completed by 17 November 2007.
 

Admission Test Scores
All students applying for admission to Master's degree programs at the State University of West Georgia must take the appropriate admissions test.  The School of Arts and Sciences (Psychology Department) will only accept scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Admission is based on the following formula:
For Regular Admission:  A 2.5 grade point average on all undergraduate work taken and an 800 combined total on the GRE Aptitude (verbal and quantitative sections).
For Provisional Admission:  The undergraduate grade point average multiplied by 100 and added to the student's verbal and quantitative scores on the GRE must equal 1000.  In no event may the undergraduate grade point be less than 2.2 or the score on the GRE be less than 700.
When Offered:  The GRE test, including special test dates in the Atlanta area, is normally offered in late October, early December, January, late February, late April, and mid-June, with registration about three weeks before the test.  A computer GRE test is offered throughout the year.  The Graduate School office can send you a brochure for the GRE.  The brochure includes application forms, exact dates and times of the test, fees and sample questions.  For these brochures, write the Dean of the Graduate School, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia 30118, or telephone 770-836-6419.