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Graduate
Studies > Prospective
Students
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS
We welcome your interest in the
University of Southern Maine. Please refer to the
following instructions when completing the application
process. Please return all application materials to the
appropriate Graduate Office.
Applicants to the College of Education
and Human Development,
the School of Music, and Manufacturing Systems, return this
form to:
University of Southern Maine
Office of Graduate Admissions
134 School Street
Gorham, ME 04038-1088
(207) 780-5306
Applicants to all other
programs, please return this form to:
University of Southern Maine
Office of Graduate Admissions
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
(207) 780-4386
Application Deadline
Complete and return your application
form in
duplicate to the appropriate office by the application
deadline published in the graduate catalog. Applications
are not acted upon until all materials have been received by
the appropriate office. It is the applicant's responsibility
to insure that all necessary materials are received by the
application deadline. Once submitted, application materials become the property of
the University and will not be returned.
Application Fee
Include a $50.00 check, payable to the
University of Southern Maine. This
is a nonrefundable fee.
Interviews
Some programs require an interview as part of the
admissions process. You will be contacted if an interview is
required.
Transcripts
Submit two copies
of official transcripts from all previous college and
university work (including USM and all other campuses of the
University
of
Maine System
) directly to the appropriate graduate admissions office.
Recommendations
Using our recommendation
form, have three
recommendations sent to the appropriate office. References
should be from individuals who are qualified, through direct
experience with your academic or professional work, to comment
on your ability to undertake graduate study and your chosen profession. Recommendations must
be received either directly from the recommender or forwarded
by you in sealed envelopes with the recommender's signature
over the seal. Giving addressed, stamped envelopes along with
the recommendation forms facilitates prompt response from your
recommender.
Standardized
Examination Scores
Have official test scores sent to the appropriate graduate
office directly from the testing service. Refer to the
appropriate section of the Graduate Catalog for specific
program requirements for standardized exams. (In some programs
this requirement is waived for applicants with an applicable
advanced degree.) Allow one month for scores to arrive.
Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Applicants whose native language is not English are
required to submit TOEFL test scores. (This requirement is
waived for applicants who received their undergraduate degree
from a college/university in the
United States
.)
SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Applicants to the College
of Nursing and Health Professions must submit:
(a) A completed Program Selection Form;
(b) Evidence (photocopy) of Registered Nurse licensure status,
including: the number, state, date of issuance, and
active/inactive status of each license held (if applicable).
College of Education and Human
Development special instructions for applicants by
program.
- ETEP
applicants should consult the ETEP Handbook for Prospective
Students at www.usm.maine.edu/cehd/etep
or by calling (207) 780-5306.
- Special Education
Applicants to the Special Education program must submit proof of
teacher certification. The certification may be in any
area or from any state.
- Educational
Leadership program applicants should submit evidence
of at least three years of teaching experience.
- PsyD in School
Psychology program
applicants are required to complete two additional components
beyond the standard University application to graduate study. In
addition, applicants must submit a Documentation of Professional
Experiences in table form as shown
via this link. The PsyD program requires an interview of all
finalists as part of the admissions process. You will be
contacted if an interview is required.
Applicants to the
Stonecoast MFA in Creative
Writing
are required to submit a writing sample of your
fiction, poetry or nonfiction. (Popular Fiction
for this program does not include romance or children's
literature.) Submitted material should be clearly marked to
indicate the specific genre in which a student is applying.
Send copies only, not originals. For Fiction, submit a short
story or novel excerpt, maximum of 20 pages. For Poetry,
submit a maximum of ten poems. For Creative Nonfiction, submit
an excerpt from a memoir, a personal essay or a piece of
literary journalism, a maximum of 20 pages. (Creative
Nonfiction for this program does not include book reviews,
letters, feature journalism or job-related
documents such as memos, legal briefs, etc.) For Popular
Fiction, submit a piece of science fiction, fantasy, horror, a
mystery, or a thriller, maximum 20 pages.
Applicants to the Ph.D. in Public Policy
are required
to submit a Statement of Research Interest. In
your statement, applicants are asked to describe your
professional goals and how doctoral study in public policy at
the
Muskie
School
will help you achieve them.
Additionally, describe your professional and/or
research experience and how they help prepare you for doctoral
study in public policy. In
light of your professional goals and the mission of the PhD
program, please describe your current research interests
and/or the research you would like to pursue as part of
doctoral studies in public policy at the
Muskie
School
. This portion of
the statement may take a number of forms, including
identifying specific questions of public policy that you wish
to assess or previous works in a field that have inspired your
interests in doctoral studies in public policy. Be as clear
and specific as possible about your research interests. The
suggested length for the statement is a maximum of 5-7 pages
double spaced, minimum 10 point font.
If we receive application materials such as test
scores or recommendations before your application arrives, we
will keep them in a holding file to add to your folder once
the application is submitted. If you choose to collect all
application materials yourself and mail or deliver everything
to us at once, do not open
any official transcripts or
recommendation letters. Once submitted, all application
materials become USM property and will not be
returned.
ESSAY
INSTRUCTIONS
for Question
17 of "Application for Admission to Graduate Study"
Certificates of
Advanced Study
A brief essay
(500-700 words) which includes the applicant’s reason(s) for
pursuing advanced graduate study: the proposed focus of the
applicant’s program, including specific courses if known; and
an explanation of how the proposed program fits the
applicant’s personal and professional goals.
College of
Education and Human Development applicants
Extended Teacher
Education Program (ETEP)
Consult the ETEP Handbook for Prospective Students at www.usm.maine.edu/cehd/etep
or by calling (207) 780-5306
Master of
Science in Adult Education
Please submit a personal narrative addressing the
following topics: relevant educational and experiential
background, reasons for wanting to be in a helping profession,
commitment to the field, reasons for seeking admission,
personal philosophy, and strengths and weaknesses.
Master of
Science in Counseling
Counselor
Education: Please submit a narrative in the form of an
autobiography that relates the experiences which have led to
an interest in counseling, and the counselor education
program. The essay should be limited to three typed,
double-spaced pages.
Master of
Science in School Psychology
School
Psychology: Please submit a personal narrative addressing
interests, professional goals, educational and experiential
background, philosophy, and
personal strengths/weaknesses that relate to your proposed
field of study.
Master of
Science in Special Education
In place of the standard essay question, in two or three
pages, please describe:
1. Describe why you are
enrolling in this program.
a. What goals do you have for yourself by obtaining a
master's in special education in this concentration?
b. What is at least one aspect of your teaching that
you feel you will strengthen through earning this master's?
2. Describe your past experience with youth, either in
teaching or in another capacity.
a. What did you learn about youth through this
experience?
b. What did you learn about yourself through this
experience?
Psy.D. in
School Psychology
Two essays are
required and should be sent with your
application. For Question 17 of "Application for
Admission to Graduate Study" all Psy.D. applicants must answer
both of the following questions:
1. The USM School Psychology Program embraces a
behaviorally-based model for assessment and
intervention. Briefly describe your understanding of
behavioral theory and how comfortable you are working with
that model.
2. Describe what is meant by the term
"evidence-based practice." What role should
evidence-based practice play in the delivery of school
psychological services?
M.F.A.
applicants
Please submit a one to
two-page essay describing your writing background, your
reasons for attending the M.F.A. program, and your goals
following graduation. (This essay is in addition to your
writing sample.) Additionally, all applicants need a
500-750 word statement discussing the work of at least three
writers in the genre in which you are applying who have
influenced your own writing. This statement may involve
close readings, critical analysis, and/or a more personal
discussion of why and how you value these writers. Ideally,
it should convey a sense of the literary heritage in which
you situate your own work and of your skill as a reader.
Occupational
Therapy
No writing sample
is required with the submission of the application
School of
Business (M.B.A. and/or M.S.A.) applicants
In a brief essay
(300-500 words), please state your reasons for pursuing
graduate business and/or accounting education, your
professional goals, and how you think this program of study
will contribute to these goals. Make sure to touch on
the following points, as applicable: performance in outside
activities, evidence of creativity and leadership, and record
of accomplishment.
Social Work (M.S.W.) applicants
In an integrated
essay format (approximately four to six pages in length),
using headings and not an outline, please address the
following questions:
1. What are the
reasons you want to be a social worker?
2. How do the
mission and goals of the M.S.W. program at the University of
Southern Maine School of Social Work fit with your
career goals? (See:
http://www.usm.maine.edu/swo)
3. Describe your
experiences with diversity, discrimination, and/or
oppression.
4. What social
issue is of particular concern to you, and why?
All other
applicants
Type a brief
essay (300-500 words) stating your reasons for pursuing
graduate study, your professional goals, and how you think
this program of study will contribute to these goals. You may
include a statement of any special interest you would like to
pursue in your study. (This essay must be included to
complete your application.)
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