Psychology Department - Middle Tennessee State University

Admissions Process

Admissions Process

Requirements. Requirements for unconditional admission to the School Psychology Program are a GRE score of 900 (Verbal + Quantitative; GRE Psychology Subject Examination is not required) and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00. However, if an applicant meets minimal admission requirements, entry into the School Psychology program is not automatic as students are selected from a pool of qualified applicants. Each year the number of students admitted depends on the availability of adequate faculty supervision. The projected number of admissions to the School Psychology Program is approximately 12 students per academic year. Applications for admission are reviewed in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

Applicants who do not meet either or both the GRE and GPA criteria may be considered for conditional admission. Students admitted conditionally must achieve a 3.25 GPA during their first semester in the program to meet their admissions conditions.

The School Psychology Program requires that students be fully admitted prior to enrolling in required core courses. Non-degree seeking students may not enroll in required core school psychology courses, except by special permission of instructors.

Notice of Nondiscrimination
Middle Tennessee State University, in its educational programs and activities involving students and employees, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or age. Furthermore, the University does not discriminate against veterans or individuals with disabilities.

Application process. The application process contains two major parts: a) application to the Graduate School; and b) application to the School Psychology Program. These will need to be completed before any student is accepted into the School Psychology Program. The deadlines for complete applications are as follows: March 1, for fall semester and October 1, for spring semester. Late applicants who meet admissions criteria may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Application to the Graduate School
1. Complete an Application to the Graduate School and submit, with the application fee, to Graduate Admissions. Graduate school applications may be obtained by one of the following methods: (a) Call: 615-898-2840, 1-800-331-MTSU (in Tennessee), 1-800-433-MTSU (outside Tennessee); (b) email: graduate@mtsu.edu; (c) online at http://www.mtsu.edu/graduate or; (d) forms can be found in the back of the Graduate Catalog.
2. Submit official transcripts of all college work to Graduate Admissions.
3. GRE scores should be sent to Graduate Admissions. Expect up to 6 weeks for official GRE scores to arrive at MTSU. The Code for MTSU is 1466. To register to take the GRE, you may call the MTSU Counseling and Testing Center at (615) 898-2670 for test dates and a registration bulletin or Sylvan Learning Center at 1-800-853-6773 for the nearest center, or 1-615-790-8775 for the center located in Franklin, TN; or 1-615-860-9110, for the center located in Rivergate, TN.) You may wish to visit the GRE on line.
Application to the School Psychology Program: Submit the following materials in a single package to the School Psychology Admissions Committee at MTSU Box 87, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Materials can be downloaded from the School Psychology Program website http://www.mtsu.edu/schoolpsychology
1. Supplemental School Psychology Program Application
2. 3 References: Have your references complete the School Psychology Program Reference Form. It is recommended that at least two references should be completed by faculty who can attest to your academic abilities. The third reference can be completed by someone who has supervised your work, or a colleague. Please ask the people completing these forms to seal them in an envelope and sign their name across the seal. Include all three in your packet sent directly to the School Psychology Admissions Committee.
3. A curriculum vita that includes your educational, employment, research involvement, volunteer activities, references, and awards/scholarships.
4. A statement of purpose. Please include why you are interested in the field of School Psychology and the program at MTSU, and describe your professional goals. Statements typically are 2-3 pages long.
5. Copies of all of your college transcripts (unofficial copies are fine)

Admissions Decision Process. The School Psychology Program Admissions Committee review all complete files and make admissions decisions. This process is separate from the Graduate School admissions process. While you may meet the criteria for admissions to the Graduate School and have received a letter of acceptance in to the Graduate School, this does not guarantee admission into the School Psychology Program.

If accepted into the School Psychology Program, you will be required to return a postage-paid postcard within two weeks of notification of acceptance to reserve a place in the program. This admits you into the M.A. portion of the school psychology program. You will need to complete paperwork for admission later on in your studies (typically prior to beginning your third year) to be admitted into the Ed.S. portion of the program. You will be assigned a student mentor to assist in answering your questions. You also will need to schedule an appointment with the School Psychology Program Coordinator, Dr. Jim Rust, to help you complete a candidacy form and work out a class schedule. You should familiarize yourself with the graduate catalog in effect at the time of your admission to candidacy (program of study). Prior to enrolling, meet with the program coordinator to discuss your program of study.

Respecialist Candidates. Students with a Masters degree in psychology or counseling may apply for the Ed.S. in order to re-specialize. The application process is the same as for M.A. students except that they apply for the Ed.S.

The respecialist's program is individualized based on past coursework, MTSU program goals, NASP training domains and Ed.S. course requirements. Where appropriate, re-specialists use classes from their prior training to substitute for our guided electives. All traditional students complete our full program including all guided electives.

Transfer Students. Students with prior graduate course work either from MTSU or another institution will have their transcripts reviewed by the School Psychology faculty to determine if any of the coursework can be utilized toward the requirements for the school psychology program (M.A./Ed.S.). Transfer students follow the same application process as described in the Application process section of the student guide.

Adding an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) specialization. School psychology students may seek additional coursework in applied behavior analysis (ABA) in two ways. They may add classes to their Ed.S. candidacy form consistent with the ABA specialization offered through the Clinical Psychology M.A. program or they may seek admissions into the Clinical Psychology M.A. program and, if accepted, may complete the ABA track in that program. Note- if students choose to add the ABA specialization to their school psychology program, this will increase matriculation time. Currently Dr. Ujcich-Ward handles advising for ABA training at MTSU. She has agreed to assist our students who wish to add that specialization during their Ed.S. coursework.

Registering for Classes and Paying Your Fees

Information on how to register for classes and pay fees is outlined each semester in the MTSU schedule book available online at the MTSU web page www.mtsu.edu. Graduate Studies may not approve any further retro-active course registrations if the request is made AFTER the census date each semester. Students need to be properly registered at the appropriate time. Effective with the Fall 2002 semester, the Business Office will begin imposing a $100 late fee during late registration each semester thereafter. See http://www.mtsu.edu/bursar/index.php for important fee and schedule information.