Psychology Department

Counseling Graduate Program

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Counseling Graduate Program > M.S. in School Counseling

Admissions Requirements

The following constitute the minimum requirements necessary for an applicant to receive serious consideration for admission:

  1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  2. Minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all undergraduate work or strong evidence of recent academic achievement.
  3. Satisfactory performance (preferably a combined score of 1000 or higher) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. GRE registration information is available at www.gre.org.
  4. Successful completion of nine (9) undergraduate credits in psychology or related social sciences.
  5. Successful completion of coursework covering inferential statistics and research methods. Applicants are encouraged to include with their applications catalog course descriptions of the coursework covering this material. This coursework may be part of, or in addition to, the nine (9) undergraduate credits in psychology or related social sciences.
  6. Completed Graduate Application, available in paper or online formats at www.newpaltz.edu/graduate/steps.html. In the "Statement of Objectives" section, applicants should include relevant material demonstrating how their academic, professional, and personal experiences make them strong candidates for graduate training in counseling.
  7. Two official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
  8. Three letters of recommendation. Recommenders should address the relevant academic, professional, and personal experiences that make the applicant a strong candidate for graduate training in counseling.
  9. Optional: Inclusion of supplemental materials (resume/vitae, papers, other relevant written materials, etc.) that enhance the applicant's case for admission.
  10. International Applicants: The TOEFL is required of all international applicants and any applicant whose undergraduate degree is from a country where English is not the main language of instruction. The required minimum TOEFL score is 550 (213 computer based/80 internet based). TOEFL registration information is available at www.toefl.org.

All application materials should be submitted to the Graduate School, as per the instructions on the Graduate Application.

Application Information

Application Materials

Application Deadlines

  • The M.S. in School Counseling degree only admits students for the fall semester. Application review begins February 15 and continues until the class is filled. For best chance of fall admission, applications should be completed by February 15. Applications received after February 15 will only be reviewed if openings in the fall class remain.
  • Assistantships and other funding information *: Funding opportunities for graduate students in the school counseling program.
  • Admission to SUNY New Paltz is based on academic qualifications, without regard to race, color, sex, disability, age, marital status, or religion.