Competitive Applicants for Clinical Masters Programs

Competitive applicants for clinical/counseling masters programs will typically meet at least the criteria below. Note that meeting the following criteria does not guarantee your admission to any program.

Criteria

• GPA: 3.0 or higher, though a 3.5 or higher is helpful
• GRE Scores: 1000 or higher (Verbal + Quantitative)
• Research Experience: Generally much less important than for doctoral programs. Having work published in a scientific journal is likely to be quite helpful. Presenting scientific work at professional conferences, though less impressive than publication, will also help your application. Working on any type of research, even if it is not published or presented formally, is likely to add to the strength of your application.
• Letters of Reference:You will need at least three very solid references. At least two should be academic references in nearly all cases. It is helpful if your references can attest to the traits listed in the linked document. You will also find my policy on letters of reference within the document.
• Clinical Experience:Clinical experience can only help your application, though likely to a lesser extent than the above factors. Some masters programs place a reasonably high value on clinical experience.
• Other Experiences:Most programs place little weight on the types of unrelated experiences you have compiled. It can be helpful to list these experiences on your resume, but do not expect them to help your application very much.

Note that these are only rough estimates, as programs tend to vary somewhat in their expectations. However, it is likely safe to say that if you do not meet the above credentials, you are unlikely to gain admittance to the majority of clinical/counseling masters programs.

Disclaimer: The content and opinions represented in this site are not necessarily those of Metropolitan State University. The site author, Dr. Glen Spielmans, is solely responsible for the site's content.