SPBS on FacebookSPBS Admission Matrix
The School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences (SPBS) bases admission decisions on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant. Students must also meet the University graduate admission requirements described on the Graduate School Requirement Website.
- GRE scores for Verbal and Quantitative tests
- Cumulative undergraduate GPA
- Grades received in major coursework
- Program prerequisites
- Writing sample (Letter of Intent)
- Three letters of reference
- Field Experience or Skill sets
- Counseling Interview
Quantitative Components
| Low | Moderate | High | ||
| GRE | ||||
| Verbal * | Below 50th Percentile | 50th - 65th Percentile | Greater than 65th Percentile | |
| Quantitative | Below 50th Percentile | 50th - 65th Percentile | Greater than 65th Percentile | |
| Low | Moderate | High | ||
| GPA | ||||
| Undergraduate Cumulative | Less than 3.00 | 3.01 - 3.50 | 3.51 and above | |
| Psychology GPA | Less than 3.00 | 3.01 - 3.50 | 3.51 and above | |
| Grades in Psychology Courses | C or lower | B | A | |
| Program Prerequisites ** | 0 - 2 met | 3 - 4 met | All courses met | |
Scholarly Components
| No to Low Evidence | Moderate Evidence | Strong Evidence | ||
| Letters of Reference | ||||
| Number from Faculty (one is required) | 0 | 1 | 2 or more | |
| Indicators: | ||||
| Concrete statements of scholarly potential | ||||
| Concrete statement of behaviors related to academic success | ||||
| Indications of match with UWF | ||||
| Indications of work habits (perseverance; self motivated) | ||||
| Letter of Intent | ||||
| Writing style/mechanics | ||||
| Clear statement of goals | ||||
| Clear match between goal and UWF program | ||||
| Match between student interest and faculty interest/focus | ||||
| Statement of motivation for academic work | ||||
| Low | Moderate | High | ||
| Related Experience | ||||
| Evidence of research within field | ||||
| Evidence of service (e.g., volunteer, work experience) within field | ||||
| Skill set (e.g., technology) |
Additional Requirements
| Counseling Interview Rating | ||||
* For those applicants who can demonstrate that English is their 2nd language, a passing TOEFL score may be used to enhance the GRE Verbal score.
** Department Prerequisites: PSY2012 - General Psychology; STA2023 - Introduction to Statistics; PSY3213 and PSY3215 – Research Methods I and II; at least one 3000/4000 psychology course in area of interest and other psychology courses that are a prerequisite for a master's level course (i.e, EXP4404 - Psychology of Learning)