Graduate
Admission Criteria
Students will be considered for admission who have completed a bachelor's or a master's degree.
Prior to applying for the program, applicants are encouraged to contact faculty with whom they would like to study and discuss the fit between the student's area of research interest and the faculty member's research program.
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission:
- All applicants must comply with University policies and admission requirements, e.g., application, fee, official transcripts, GRE/TOEFL scores (see Graduate Admissions).
- A bachelor's GPA of 3.5 or higher in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework based on a 4.0 grading scale. The completed degree must be in a field related to behavioral and community sciences, e.g., behavioral healthcare, human services, human development, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, public health, social work, counseling, education.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within five years of application with a preferred profile of scores at or above the 50th percentile on the three subtests: verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing.
- Evidence of written/analytical skills which will take two-forms: A writing sample, such as a major paper, thesis, or research paper of which the student is the sole author, and a personal goal statement of 2-3 pages that describes why the applicant wishes to obtain the Ph.D. in Behavioral & Community Sciences.
- Two formal letters of recommendation from faculty members or other professional personnel who have knowledge of the applicant's academic background, potential for success in graduate school, and commitment to a research career.
- Applicants with a master's degree may be eligible for admission to the program. Their transcripts will be evaluated to determine coursework that will be applicable toward the 90 hours of credit required for the doctoral program.