Skip Navigation College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Home
  • Undergraduate Programs
  • Graduate Programs
  • Faculty and Staff
  • News and Events
  • Contact Us

Graduate Programs


Program Prerequisites
Graduate Writing Requirement
Application Materials and Information


Prerequisites

The following prerequisites (or their equivalents) are required upon entrance to each prospective program:

M.A. Child Development
Introductory Psychology
A course in Child Development
Psychology Statistics

M.A. General/Experimental
Introductory Psychology
Psychology Statistics
Experimental Psychology

M.S. Industrial/Organizational
Introductory Psychology
Psychology Statistics or Applied Business Statistics
Experimental Psychology

The following courses (or equivalent) are recommended:

Management & Organizational Behavior
Industrial Psychology -OR- Human Resources Management

M.S. Clinical/Counseling
Introductory Psychology
Psychology Statistics
Experimental Psychology
Personality or Introduction to Psychotherapy
Abnormal Psychology

Graduate students will be required to pass (or to have passed) the upper-division writing requirement before being fully classified into a graduate program. For more information refer to the current CSUSB Catalog of Programs.


Graduate writing requirement

Graduate students will be required to pass (or to have passed) the upper-division writing requirement before being fully classified into a graduate program, unless an earlier completion is specified for a particular program. The requirement can be satisfied through one of the following means:

  1. Completion, with a grade of "B" (3.0) or better, within seven years prior to acceptance into the program of one of the following courses: EDUC 306, ENG 306, HUM 306, MGMT 306, NSCI 306, or SSCI 306 (all graduate and post baccalaureate students, regardless of citizenship, whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English and have a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL, or a minimum score of 213 on the Computer Based TOEFL, who fail to achieve a "B" (3.0) or higher in one of the 306 courses will be required to retake any 306 class), or
  2. Completion, with a "B" (3.0) or better, of an equivalent advanced expository writing course at another college or university within seven years prior to acceptance into the program, or
  3. Satisfactory completion of the Writing Requirement Exemption Examination (WREE) offered at the university.
  4. See Acceptable Documentation for Waiver of the Graduate Entrance Writing Requirement


APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applying for admission is a two step process:

Step One: University Application

Step Two: Psychology Department Application

All information and forms must be received by Admissions and the Psychology Department by the appropriate deadlines to be guaranteed consideration for current academic year admission. It is your responsibility to be sure all information is received. All applicants whose files are complete by the appropriate dates will be reviewed and considered for admission to classified status. Late applicants may be considered if there are openings and will be notified by letter as to their acceptance or non-acceptance into their respective programs.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Program Spring Quarter Fall Quarter
M.A. Child Development No Spring admission March 2, 2009
M.A. General/Experimental March 2, 2009 April 1, 2009
M.S. Industrial/Organizational No Spring admissions March 2, 2009
M.S. Clinical/Counseling No Spring admissions February 2, 2009

If you have any questions please send email to: psycapps@csusb.edu

STEP ONE: University Application:
Send the following materials to:
Attention: Admissions Office
California State University San Bernardino
5500 University Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397


  1. A copy of your university application for graduate admission.
  2. Statement of Purpose
  3. 1-2 page typewritten description of your preparation for graduate study, goals for the graduate training program, and professional aspirations following receipt of the Master's Degree.
  4. Psychology Department Information Form (enclosed in application packet - listed below).
  5. Three (3) letters of recommendation (enclosed in application packet - listed below).
  6. Two should come from instructors who know the quality of your academic work. These letters should be from people who can make relevant comments on your likely success in a graduate Psychology program.
    Letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the writer (or placement file) to the Psychology Department.
  7. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores are:
  8. NOT REQUIRED when applying to the psychology graduate programs, but may be included to enhance your application, particularly for non-psychology majors. Students in the Master of Arts in General/Experimental Psychology Program are required to take the GREs (analytical and quantitative sections) before being fully classified in the program (they may be taken in the first or second year).
California State University, San Bernardino is a GRE Testing center. Information about the GRE can be obtained by writing directly to:
Testing Information
California State University San Bernardino
5500 University Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397
or by calling (909)537-5041.

Thank you for your interest in our Graduate Programs!
For further information, please refer to the current CSUSB Catalog of Programs.


Application Packets