Admissions Process and Criteria

Application Deadline: January 15

Notification of Interview: January 22

Interview Day: February 1, 2025

Admissions Interview Process

To help both the candidate and the program discern fit and readiness, we have developed an admissions interview procedure that involves individual interviews with faculty, group meetings, and a writing prompt.

How We Notify You of the Decision

All applicants are notified of admission decision by email within two weeks after interview day.

If You Are Accepted

If you are offered admission, you must notify the Graduate Counseling administrative assistant of your enrollment decision by email within 15 days of your receipt of the acceptance letter.  If we do not hear back from you by then, we will assume that you have declined the offer of admission, and your application record will be withdrawn.

Deferral of Admission

Applicants who are notified of admission have the option to defer their enrollment for one year.  Those considering deferment are asked to counsel with the program director as well as complete an application for deferment form. 

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission is granted to a limited number of students each fall semester who come just below the requirements for unconditional admission, but who otherwise demonstrate the ability and motivation to adequately perform graduate level work. At the end of the fall semester their admission status is reviewed by the faculty and a decision is made to either lift the conditional status, extend the conditional status, or deny continuing enrollment.

Requirements

Expectations include an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00, references indicating clear support for graduate work, a clear and relevant essay, and the ability to present oneself clearly and effectively in the interview. Additional factors given consideration in the admission decision include undergraduate field of study, performance in previous graduate level study, related counseling work experience, and other evidence of success in academic and professional endeavors. The admissions committee may make exceptions to admission requirements in special cases.

Enrollment and Class Size

Program enrollment is limited in order to maintains a 10:1 student to faculty ratio. Part-time students are encouraged to apply. Part-time status is defined as taking less than nine semester hours in a semester.

New students are admitted for the fall semester. The application deadline is March 1. After this deadline, the admissions committee will continue to review applications if space remains available.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credits may be considered for inclusion in the program of study upon the approval of the director of the program. A grade of “B” or better must be earned in courses requested for transfer credit. Courses considered for transfer credit must be applicable toward a comparable degree at the institution offering the course. Application for consideration of transfer credit taken more than five years before the date at which the student is admitted must be accompanied by substantial documentation of prior work and evidence of continued and current competence. Transfer credit taken more than ten years before the date at which the student is admitted may not be used to satisfy degree requirements. No practicum or internship credits are eligible for transfer credit. Decisions with respect to number of transfer hours accepted will be handled by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis, but normally a maximum of 12 hours of credit obtained from an accredited college or university may be applied to the degree.

2-Year vs. 3-Year Track

Students are recommended to complete their degree following a 3-year curriculum track, however an intensive 2-year curriculum track is available for their degree. Students interested in the intensive 2-year track must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and will submit a supplementary statement specifying why the intensive 2-year track is the best fit for them. The supplementary statement may highlight previous academic success, professional experience, personal development experiences, and additional information the applicant believes to be relevant.