McKay School of Education > CPSE > Ph.D Program > Admissions

PhD Program: Admissions

Application Procedure

The office of Graduate Studies has an online application available at http://www.byu.edu/gradstudies/admissions/onlineapp.php.  It is strongly recommended that applicants apply online, as application processing is more efficient and most applicants are able to check the status of their application. Paper application forms are available from the Office of Graduate Studies (B-356 ASB) or the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education (340 MCKB) if hard copy is preferred.  All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office by January 15. Applicable portions are forwarded by this office to the CPSE Department. All students are admitted for fall semester.

Application Materials

All applicants must submit the following application materials:

• Application for Admission to Graduate Study
• Honor Code Commitment and Confidential Report
• Three letters of recommendation
• Information for the CPSE Department (including a statement of intent)
• Two official transcripts from each institution attended
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general portion test scores (within the past 5 years)
• Non-refundable application fee

All international applicants who have not received a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution of higher education must complete the TOEFL. The minimum TOEFL score requirements for the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education are the same as the university minimum score requirements. For more information on the TOEFL, follow this link: http://www.byu.edu/gradstudies/FAQ/faq7.exams.php  In addition, international students must submit a Financial Certification Form and Contract of Support.

Additional Preferences and Recommendations

• GRE scores above 550-600 on both verbal and quantitative sections and above 3.0 on the analytical writing section are preferable. (Additional information on the GRE may be obtained at their Web site, www.gre.org).
• GPA’s will be computed on the most recent 60 hours of course work. A GPA of 3.4-4.0 is considered  competitive.
• Applicants may be invited to the campus for individual interviews and group activities. Assessments and interviews, together with academic and professional experience,  assist administrators and faculty in evaluating characteristics deemed necessary for successful performance in the field of counseling psychology.

Prerequisites to Admission

Students admitted to the doctoral program typically have completed either a bachelor’s degree in the social/behavioral sciences or a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related area. Students who are otherwise qualified but lack specific background course work may be admitted provisionally to the PhD program, but during their first year in the program they will be required to take the classes in which they are deficient . The opportunity to continue in the PhD program beyond the first year will be granted to students who successfully complete the required background course work and receive satisfactory end-of-semester evaluations .