Admission Requirements
Entering students begin work in our program each fall. To receive full consideration for fall admission, submit your application materials no later than February 1 that year.
To be considered for admission we require:
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree with a satisfactory grade point average;
- Some undergraduate psychology courses, including at least one statistics and one experimental methods course;
- Satisfactory scores on the general GRE, Psychology area GRE score optional
- (official score reports required);
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty members familiar with previous academic performance and potential for graduate work;
- Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs attended;
- Completed application forms, including a statement detailing goals for graduate study and beyond, research interest and experience, and how the Program can help meet these goals.
Direct your questions about admission to the program to the Program Director: Dr. Sherry Serdikoff (serdiksl@jmu.edu)
Apply online now!
Assistantships
We have very successful in helping our students secure assistantships on campus. All assistants are expected to work 20 hours per week in exchange for a stipend, which is paid in semi-monthly installments and a tuition waiver for 9 credits of graduate coursework (a typical full-time course load) each semester.
There are a number of Graduate Assistantship (GA) positions available in the Department of Graduate Psychology. You do not need to submit any additional application for these positions; you will be considered for these positions automatically if you indicate interest in an assistantship on your application.
However, several other options exist as well. In order to maximize your chances of receiving support, you should pursue all of the following.
1 - Submit an application for Federal (and State) Financial Aid. You may not be aware but the criteria for determining financial aid eligibility are different for graduate students than for undergraduate students. It is very likely that you will qualify for financial aid as a graduate student EVEN IF you did not qualify as an undergraduate student. Please consult the Spring 2008 Financial Aid Newsletter posted on the JMU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships web site (http://www.jmu.edu/finaid/wm_library/spring_newsletter.pdf), which contains important information about applying for aid in 2008-09. The 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Submit the FAFSA at the same time you submit your JMU application to ensure that the Department of Education receives your FAFSA in a timely fashion. Your receipt of state grant funds may depend on filing your FAFSA early. If necessary, you may estimate your income and make corrections later. For information about all the options, please inquire to our Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at (540) 568-7820 or fin_aid@jmu.edu.
2 - Apply for an Assistantship with the Centennial Scholars Program. This program provides a financial aid package that covers the full billable cost to attend JMU in the form of grants. These funds cover tuition, fees, room and board for a maximum of two years for graduate students. You can find links to the Centennial Scholarship Application and information on the available Assistantships on the Application page of their web site at: http://www.jmu.edu/centscholars/application.html.
3 - Create an application on the JMU Job Link web site, search the site regularly for any Graduate Assistant (GA) positions for which you are qualified and, submit an application for them. Although there are a number of GA and TA positions available through the Department of Graduate Psychology, there also are many others in other departments on campus that may be a good match for you. New positions are added every day; the more other you check the more likely you are to identify suitable options.
