Application to a Graduate Program

In Fall 2013 the Department of Psychology will begin using an online application system, allowing for the electronic submission of all components of our application including letters of recommendation. Please wait until this system is available on this website before submitting any materials.

Materials mailed to the Department will NOT be included in your online application packet.

The required qualifications and application materials will be the same as that shown below.

 Deadline for receipt of applications is December 15.

Applications received after this deadline will be considered at the discretion of the faculty.

In general, admitted applicants have:

• Preparation in research methods, statistics and experimental psychology or equivalent.
• At least a 3.25 undergraduate GPA, with a mean of approximately 3.80.
• Scored in the 70-80th percentile (or above) in Verbal, 60-70th percentile (or above) in Quantitative and 4.5 or above on the Analytical Writing sections of the GRE.

Occasionally, strong applicants are admitted conditionally upon completion of these required prerequisites.

Prospective applicants should also note that the graduate program in Psychology at Portland State University does not provide training, prepare for licensure in, nor offer degrees in Clinical or Counseling Psychology.

Admission to a graduate program within the Department of Psychology is a two-step process for both Masters and Doctorate Programs.

Step One: All Applicants Must Complete

To get started online, one must complete a Graduate application to Portland State University.

Step Two: All Applicants Must Complete

Applicants must also obtain a departmental application (PDF). This may be downloaded or obtained by contacting the psychology department, either in writing, or by telephone. The application may be made to either the doctoral (Ph.D. in Applied Psychology) or the terminal masters degree (M.A. or M.S. in psychology) programs.

Applicants should provide the following documents with their applications:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
• Use GRE institution code 4610 with department code 2016.
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals knowledgeable about the applicant's abilities (preferably from faculty members at colleges or universities attended). Download the Letter of Reference Form (PDF).
• All official undergraduate transcripts sealed from schools attended.
• A 500-word statement of academic and professional goals, including interests working with particular faculty.
• The psychology section of the GRE is not a requirement, however it is recommended for students who feel their GPA is not the strongest feature of their applications.

Deadline for receipt is December 15. Your application and personal statement must be received by this date. We understand that letters of reference, official GRE scores, and transcripts come from other sources and may arrive after December 15.

Applications received after this deadline will be considered at the discretion of the faculty.

For Regular Postal Mail, send your application to:

Department of Psychology--PSY
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751

ATTN: Psychology Graduate Applications

For UPS/FedEx Deliveries ONLY, send your application to:

Department of Psychology

ATTN: Psychology Graduate Applications