Graduate FAQ

Master of Arts in Psychological Science at CSUSM

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read all of these questions and answers carefully before you make a decision about applying to our progam. A careful reading of these FAQs will help you determine if our program is right for you! 

• I want to be a clinical psychologist - is this the right program for me?

  If you want to use a Master’s degree as a steppingstone to a clinical doctoral (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) program, our program is indeed a good one for you. Doctoral programs (especially Ph.D.) are looking for students who have done research in psychology. Perhaps it is because our program emphasizes research skills that over 90% of our graduates who have applied to doctoral programs have been admitted.

  On the other hand, if you are looking for a program that trains you in counseling skills so that you can work as a therapist once you have your Master’s degree, ours is NOT the right program for you. Rather, you should consider our new Master of Science in Clinical Counseling program. Please go to the Psychology Department website (MS in Clinical Counseling Psychology Program) for more information about this exciting new offering.

• I want to be a school psychologist - is this the right program for me?

  No. Contact the School of Education if this is your interest. 

• Is this program a good fit if I am interested in applied behavior analysis (ABA) or becoming a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA)?

  It depends on your goals. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach involving the application of behavioral principles to bring about meaningful, socially significant changes in human behavior. Our MA program specializes in training students how to do research in psychological science, and some faculty conduct research related to ABA, including ABA as applied to autism. If your primary interest is research and scientific training in this area, our program may be a good fit. From a professional practice perspective, behavioral interventions may be delivered by board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), educators, clinical psychologists, or other qualified professionals with relevant training. Our program is not designed to prepare students to deliver ABA-based services and does not include the behavior-analytic coursework or supervised fieldwork required for BCBA certification (see linked website for current certification requirements). If your goal is to become a master’s-level mental health provider, you may also wish to explore our MS in Clinical Counseling Psychology Program, which includes training in evidence-based approaches (including some that are behaviorally-based).  

• Can I still be accepted into your program if I do not have a BA in Psychology?

  We expect our students to be prepared to start graduate level work immediately. Therefore, students who were not psychological science majors are unlikely to be accepted. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Excellent students who have majored in related fields such as biology, human development, or cognitive science, and who have taken courses in psychology, might be accepted if their applications are otherwise very strong. Those who have not majored in psychological science should have taken, at MINIMUM, the necessary lower division courses in psychology (Introduction to Psych, Psychological Statistics) and four upper division psychological science courses, including at least one upper division laboratory course in a psychological science. Obviously, the more courses you take in Psychological Sciences, the better.

• Can I apply or be admitted if I am still completing my undergraduate degree or prerequisite courses?

  Yes. Applicants may apply and receive an offer of admission while they are in the process of completing their bachelor's degree or prerequisite coursework. However, the MA Psychology program does not offer conditional admissions. All degree requirements, prerequisite coursework, and bachelor's degree conferral requirements must be completed before the start of the Fall semester. Admission is contingent upon successfully meeting these requirements and submitting final transcripts demonstrating completion. Applicants are discouraged from relying on summer coursework to finish their requirements. Failure to meet all requirements before the start of the Fall semester will result in the admission offer being rescinded.

• I am an international student. What are the requirements and what steps should I take if I want to apply to your program?

  Start by looking at the website for the Office of Global Programs and Services. The staff there can assist you! Please do not begin your application to our program until you have discussed your interests with someone in that office.

• Can I take your courses online or in the evening?

  No. All our courses are offered in the daytime, and they are face-to-face. Ours is not a program that can be completed with evening classes or online. Furthermore, the expectation is that you will be on campus most days of the week.

• I can attend full-time, but I plan to work 20+ hours a week to support myself. Will that be a problem?

  Yes, most likely it will. Our program demands your full attention and must be given high priority in your time budget. You will not be able to “fit school in” around a work schedule that is demanding. Most of our students do work a few hours a week, however.

• How long does it take to complete your program?

  Our program can be completed in two years, but most students finish in two and a half or three years. All of the required course work is completed in four semesters, but students tend to need extra time to finish the thesis. Nonetheless, most students can indeed earn their degrees in two years if they are motivated to do so.

• My GRE scores are low. What is your minimum?

  The GRE is optional. If you decide to take the GRE and you feel that your scores reflect your ability, please add them to the appropriate spaces in your on-line application. Rest assured, however, that you will not be penalized for failure to take the test or report your scores. 

• My grades are not very good. What is your minimum?

  We look for students who have primarily earned As and Bs in college. GPAs lower than about 3.3 give us concern. If you have been unable to achieve high grades in undergraduate courses, we have no basis to conclude that you can succeed in harder, graduate courses! However, occasionally an applicant has a good explanation for a low GPA. If you do decide to apply but have a low GPA, you should definitely address it in your statement of purpose.

• On the departmental application you ask us to name one+ faculty with whom we would like to study if accepted. Why is this important?

  Our program specializes in training students how to do research in psychological science. We require that you do an empirical thesis that takes at least two years to plan, carry out, and write. Therefore, you need the supervision of a research advisor right from the start. Also, we need to be sure that you are aware of the kind of research our faculty is able and willing to supervise. By asking you to carefully review the research programs of our faculty and then choose one or more whose interests match your own, you are more likely to be satisfied with us, and we are more likely to be satisfied with you! We do not accept students, even if they are otherwise qualified, if there is not a good research match with our faculty.

• What are you looking for in the applicants?

  We look for evidence that an applicant has the motivation, skills, and talent to become a scientist in the field of psychology. Very good grades and strong letters of recommendation are particularly important; research experience under the supervision of a faculty member is also important. We are looking for students who present themselves well by writing articulate personal statements in which they are able to identify their interests in psychological science and convince us that they are serious about and prepared for graduate study in a program like ours. Critically, we also look for a good “match” with our faculty, as explained above.

• What should the Personal Statement (statement of purpose) include?

  A good personal statement is essential to a competitive application, and a poor personal statement, or one in which there is obvious over-reliance on AI, can undermine the success of your application. The personal statement should focus on the ways in which you are prepared to handle our research-oriented graduate curriculum. You should identify your academic and personal strengths, pointing whenever possible to quantitative or otherwise objective information (e.g., GPA, GRE scores, awards won, conference presentations, etc.). You should also give a very clear indication of what research area(s) interest you, and what experience you have in those research areas (e.g., working in the laboratory of a faculty member or graduate student, summer research internships, etc.). Make sure you include an indication of which faculty member(s) you most want to work with, and why. It should also speak to your longer-range goals (e.g., doctoral study, community college teaching, etc.) Your statement should be extremely well written, free of grammatical errors, typos, etc., and should give us reason to believe that you have the maturity, skills, and motivation to succeed here. It should be clear from the statement that you have carefully read the on-line materials about our program such that you can speak directly to the ways that the CSUSM program fits your interests and goals.

• Can I start the program in the spring semester?

  No, you cannot begin in the spring. Each new group of graduate students starts in Fall.

• When are applications due?

  Applications are always due on February 1.

• About what percent of applicants do you accept?

  This past year, we accepted 25% of the 72 students who applied.

• How successful are your graduate students after they have completed the program?

  We’re so glad you asked! We are very proud of the success that our graduates have enjoyed.  We find that about 1/3 of our students decide they do indeed want to continue on at the doctoral level, and about 90% of those who have applied to Ph.D. programs have been admitted. Some of our students decide they want to teach at the community college level when they finish our program, and local community colleges have been anxious to hire our students in part because we have a required course (PSYC 680, Teaching of Psychology) that gives students teaching experience. Many other graduates of our program are now working in research positions, and some are in social services. 

• What does it cost to attend? Do you offer financial aid?

  Please visit this website Finanical Aid - Cost of Attendance to find the latest information about tuition and fees. The Office of Financial Aid (https://www.csusm.edu/finaid/contact_us.html) can help you investigate various sources of financial aid and scholarships. CSUSM does not offer tuition remission to grad students, but we do have partial teaching assistantships in our department that can help cover costs of living.

Still have questions?

Please review our MA program website or contact Dr. Alex Huynh, Associate Professor of Psychological Science and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Psychological Science (ahuynh@csusm.edu). (For Fall 2026 only, please contact Dr. Nancy Caine, ncaine@csusm.edu)