Application Process & Admissions Criteria

UT Tyler Psychology and Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Application Process & Admissions Requirements 

Firm deadlines for application are March 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. Admission is based on a holistic review of multiple criteria including (but not limited to) evaluations of an applicant’s academic potential, a written statement of purpose, and grade point average (GPA). 

Transcripts 

Submit complete transcripts reflecting the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree and any other relevant undergraduate and graduate coursework. Students who have not completed their Bachelor’s degree at the time of application should send their most recent incomplete transcript. Students should request that official transcripts be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. 

Transfer of Existing Graduate Credit 

Transfer of graduate credit from a regionally accredited institution is limited to 9 hours for master's degrees. All transfer credit must have been completed with a grade of “B” or better and approved by the degree-granting program. Transfer credits for courses completed prior to admission to UT Tyler should be evaluated and approved during the first semester. Since the restrictions placed upon transfer work may vary from program to program, each graduate degree student should refer to the section of this catalog that details the requirements of the proposed degree. Forms for this purpose are available online or in the Office of Graduate Admissions, HPR 248. 

Any request by the student for acceptance of graduate transfer credit should be directed to students’ faculty advisor. Transfer credit will not be evaluated prior to admission to the program. 

Departmental Application 

After applying to the Graduate School, students must also apply directly to the Department of Psychology and Counseling using our electronic application forms run through QualtricsTM. This includes the Psychology and Counseling Departmental Information Sheet, a Statement of Purpose, Evaluations of Academic Potential, a completed background check, and official copies of transcripts reporting all graduate and undergraduate coursework. 

• Departmental Information Sheet. Students should complete the Departmental Information Sheet as part of their departmental application. This form serves as a “cover sheet” for students’ application packets and provides the faculty review committee with pertinent, summative information (I.e., Name, Bachelors Degree Granting Institution, Cumulative GPA, etc.)
• Statement of Purpose. As outlined on the Departmental Information Sheet, students should write a Statement of Purpose with the following prompt: “Describe your future educational and career goals and explain how this program at UT Tyler would fit into these goals. How does the program correspond to your particular plans, needs, and previous background and experiences? Note: This should be a well-thought out response that is several paragraphs in length and reflects your sincere interest in the program. Please note that faculty reviewers will be considering both the quality and clarity of your document.
• Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of professional and academic recommendation are required. References should submit a formal letter using QualtricsTM. 
• Background Check. All applicants are required to submit a completed background check in order to be considered for admission. Students should use package code UM12bg within the electronic Castle Branch portal. There is a $45 fee associated with this background check. For additional information on the rationale of this application requirement, please read our Departmental Background Check Policy.
• Application submission. The entire CMHC application can be completed digitally. For more information, visit our admissions website or contact our Graduate Admissions Coordinator, Ceselie Tobin, ctobin@uttyler.edu. 

Admissions Decisions 

The CMHC faculty pride themselves in a holistic review of applicants and consider many factors when evaluating each student’s application. Great care and attention to detail is given to every student who applies to the program. Admission to the program is competitive. Only ~20 students each fall and spring are granted admission (full or provisional) to the program. Students will receive letters from the Graduate Admissions Coordinator outlining one of four admissions decisions. Students will have several weeks to accept or deny their admission and register for classes. 

• Full Admission: Students awarded full admission to the CMHC program can be considered to have met all admission criteria and are able to enroll in up to 9 hours of graduate coursework in their first semester.
• Provisional Admission: Individuals may be admitted provisionally to a graduate program before all admission documents have been submitted if they complete a graduate application and provide evidence of having completed or that they will complete a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculating in a graduate program. For an applicant to be eligible for provisional admission, the materials provided by the individual must provide persuasive evidence that the applicant is likely to meet the standards for full admission or conditional admission. Students who are provisionally admitted are allowed one semester to furnish all the materials needed for a program to make a decision whether to deny the applicant
• Waitlist: Students whose applications demonstrated great potential but were not selected for full admission are offered a place on the waitlist. The waitlist is comprised of a small group of applicants who will be re-evaluated by the admissions committee should spaces become available in the cohort.
• Deny: Students who fail to meet admission criteria according to the faculty review committee will be denied admission to the program. Because the reviews are completed in a holistic fashion, it is not customary for students who are denied admission to receive feedback on what his/her application was lacking. However, students are welcome to apply to the program again.