Master's Degree Admissions

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Applicants who do not have a 2.5 overall GPA must enclose a letter asking for special consideration, in which they provide evidence of an ability to complete graduate studies successfully. Without such a letter, applicants who fail to meet eligibility requirements may be automatically denied.

Successful candidates will be selected on the basis of overall quality of all required application components (GPA, test score, recommendations, and personal narrative).

Application Materials
Candidates should submit all application materials to the USM Office of Graduate Admissions, PO Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300.

A complete application consists of:

• A submitted online graduate admission application
• An application fee of $65.00 made payable to USM
• Two sets of official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including USM
• Three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s knowledge of current scholarship, capacity to connect theory and practice in posing and solving educational problems, achievement of excellence in educational practice, and demonstrated capability and motivation to engage in advanced graduate study. Recommendations must be received either directly from the recommender or forwarded by the applicant on the official recommendation form (pdf) and in sealed envelopes with the recommender’s signature over the seal.
• In addition to the general admission requirements of the University, applicants to the Educational Psychology master’s program must provide a narrative essay that answers this question: “Why do you seek training in applied behavior analysis?” This narrative is evaluated in terms of clarity of expression, grammatical construction, and other facets of English composition, as well as the quality of information given about the following: how the study of behavior analysis aligns with your professional goals and your understanding of and commitment to the field of applied behavior analysis.
• Your current resume
• A certification of finances (international students only)
• Submit GRE or MAT scores (see "Testing Requirements below)
• Submission of official TOEFL scores (if English is not first language)

Testing Requirements: Applicants to the education psychology program must take the MAT or GRE. One of the tests must be taken within five years of application. For those taking the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) you must have earned a score of 390 or above. For the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) you must have earned a score of 290 or above combined verbal and quantitative scores on (this requirement is waived for applicants already holding a graduate degree, except for admission to the Psy.D. program); and have earned a score of at least 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), 79 or higher on the Internet-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test for students whose native language is not English.

Applicants who did not score 390, on the MAT or 290 combined on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE must enclose a letter asking for special consideration, in which they provide evidence of an ability to complete graduate studies successfully. Without such a letter, applicants who fail to meet eligibility requirements may be automatically denied.

Transfer Credit: Students admitted to the Master of Science in Educational Psychology  program can request permission to transfer up to 6 graduate credits toward the Psy.D. in school psychology, M.S. in educational psychology, or Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis (CABA). In order for credits to be eligible for transfer, they must meet the following criteria:

1. The credits must have been earned as part of a graduate course (e.g., 500 level or higher) offered at a U.S. institution of higher learning accredited at the time the credits were earned by a regional and/or national accrediting body and recognized as accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
2. The credits must have been earned for a course which is equivalent in content covered and skills developed to one required in the student’s USM program of study.
3. The earned grade for the course must be a B or higher (GPA equivalent of 3.0).
4. The credits must have been earned within 3 years from the date when transfer credit is requested.
5. The credits must not have been applied to any previously earned degree.
6. For students seeking certification for BCBA, any applicable course(s) must be transferred from a program that is approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
   Transferred credits will be noted on the student’s USM transcript and counted toward the student’s degree or certificate program of study. To request transfer of credit(s), a student must submit the course syllabus/i and official transcript(s) showing the course grade(s) for the course(s) already taken to the school psychology program coordinator. The coordinator will refer the request to the program faculty with expertise in the content area to determine if the credit transfer is approved. Once approved, the program will notify the USM Registrar to enter the official transfer onto the student’s record.