graduate FAQ Page
 

Do you offer a Masters degree/have a Masters program?
Our program is strictly a Ph.D. program. Students earn a Masters degree enroute to the Ph.D. We do not have a separate Masters program.

When is the Deadline to apply for admissions?
The deadline for full financial consideration is January 15 each year. If that date falls on a weekend, the deadline will be the following Monday. Applications received after January 15th will only be considered if there are positions available.

Do you have spring or summer admissions?
No, we only admit graduate students for fall, there are no spring or summer admissions.

Is the Department of Psychology accredited by the APA?
Yes

What are the requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program?
GRE general and subject exams
3 letters of recommendation
Psychology Graduate Application
Letter of intent/statement of purpose
Transcripts
Formally apply to UNM (UNM Application)
$40.00 fee

What are the criteria for admissions?

  1. GRE scores (including psych subject)
  2. GPA
  3. Correspondence between the student’s interests and the strengths of our program and faculty.
  4. Letters of recommendation


What are the minimum GRE and GPA requirements for admission into your graduate program in psychology?
You must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 to apply to UNM graduate programs. In addition, Psychology applicants should have a subject GPA of at least 3.5 and GRE scores in the 500's.

What are the average GRE scores and GPA?
For clinical scores, click here. For non-clinical scores, click here.

I do not have a degree in Psychology but am interested in your program what do you recommend?
Adequate preparation for graduate training includes at least 15 semester hours in psychology, of these at least one course should be in statistics and one in research or a psychology laboratory.

I completed a graduate program/courses, how do I know whether these courses transfer to UNM or to your program?
Previous graduate coursework can be applied towards our graduate program if approved by the faculty, the graduate coordinator cannot look at previous coursework and notify applicants of which courses will transfer. The faculty will review your coursework if you are admitted to the program and request that they review for transfer.

Is your program full-time or part-time?
It is a Full-time program. There are no online or correspondence coursework is available at the graduate level. Students are expected to work in the department 10-20 hours/week depending on their assistantship.

Does the Department of Psychology fund their graduate students?
Every student admitted to our program will receive financial support in the form of an assistantship (research, graduate, teaching), which includes a tuition waiver, and health insurance. Students are guaranteed 5-years funding as long as they remain in good standing.

Where can I find information on the GRE?
Call 1-800-GRE-CALL (1-800-473-2255) or visit the web page at www.gre.org.

I do not have the psychology Subject scores and cannot take them on time. What do I do?
Submit a petition to waive GRE Subject. Be advised, this could affect your admission status. The GRE Subject exam is required by ALL applicants.

I have a Masters degree, do I still need to take the GRE?
The GRE Subject exam is required by ALL applicants.

What graduate level programs do you offer?
Our graduate program consists of the following areas of specialization or concentrations:
Clinical, Cognition Brain and Behavior (Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavioral Neuroscience), Evolution, Developmental, Health Psychology, and Quantitative Psychology.

Where can I obtain an application package?
Applications are available online at: http://psych.unm.edu, call (505) 277-5009, OR email advising@unm.edu.

I want to go to graduate school in psychology. What steps should I be taking now to increase my chances of being admitted?
The American Psychological Association web site provides some useful information on this topic. In addition, here are some suggestions that will help:

  1. Maintain a high GPA. One of the important deciding factors in graduate program selection is GPA. How high your GPA needs to be depends on the school you are applying to and the specialty area you select.
  2. Do well on the GRE. GRE scores are critically important. Again, standards vary from program to program. You might consider purchasing one of the numerous GRE preparation manuals or enrolling in a GRE prep course.
  3. Get research experience. Graduate schools value hands-on experience, which is why many look to see if the student has participated in some form of research outside the standard classroom. At UNM students may enroll in a 499 course to obtain research experience with the professor of their choice.
  4. Letters of recommendation are important. The better a professor knows you, the more personalized their letter can be. Working with professors through 499 courses is a good way for professors to get to know you personally.


What is the difference between counseling and clinical psychology programs?
In general, counseling psych programs are more oriented to training academic counselors for college/university counseling centers. What's unique about counseling programs is that you'll get training both in psychotherapy and academic/career counseling. Clinical psychology is focused on training you to become a psychotherapist. The clinical PhD degree is generally very focused on research, although clinical PhD students are still trained to be licensed psychotherapists. The clinical PsyD degree, on the other hand, is focused almost exclusively on psychotherapy training, so there's little research involved. Counseling PhD programs may or may not be research oriented--it really depends on the program you attend and what you make of it. In general, clinical psych programs are significantly more competitive, but counseling programs can also be quite selective.

What makes the distinction between clinical and counseling degrees really confusing is that there are plenty of counseling psychologists who decided not to work in academic settings, and so are employed alongside clinical psychologists in hospitals, mental health agencies and private practice. Of course, there are also a few clinical psychologists who work in university counseling centers; so as you can see, the distinction is blurry. One reliable difference, however, is that clinical psychology students are almost never trained in academic counseling.

On line articles on the clinical vs. counseling:
http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_73.asp
http://www.div17.org/Students/difference.htm

How long will graduate school take?
Masters programs should take 2-4 years. Doctoral programs may take from 4 to 7 years, but 5 years is a good estimate. Many doctoral programs will include a Masters degree.