Fall 2027 Application Deadline
Applications Due on Dec. 15, 2026
Only one application cycle is offered each year for admission the following fall.
Completed applications, including three letters of recommendation, are due online via Cal State Apply by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. GRE scores are also not required.
Minimum Prerequisites to be Considered for Admission
- Completion of a bachelor's degree
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completion of prerequisite courses with a letter grade of B or better
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
Note: Meeting these prerequisites does not guarantee admission. Applications that are completed by the due date are reviewed by the Psychology Graduate Committee for a limited number of positions. All offers are approved by the Psychology Department.
Applying to a Graduate Program
- Apply to the University as a Graduate Student through Cal State Apply.
-
- M.A. Applied Behavior Analysis
- M.S. Psychology – MFT – Behavior Analysis track
- M.S. Psychology – MFT – Counseling track
- M.A. Psychology – General
- Complete all sections of the program application, which includes:
- Transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
- Personal statement
- Open-ended questions
- Letters of recommendation
- Document upload
- Submit your application!
Transcripts
You can submit transcripts electronically, but they will be unofficial.
Students should request official transcripts from their institution. Then, the institution will email Graduate Studies directly with a link to access the transcripts. All transcripts submitted electronically should be emailed to: graduate_school@csustan.edu, not submitted through the online application. If your institution mails you an original (hard) copy of your transcript in the sealed envelope, you should mail the sealed envelope to the Graduate School.
California State University, Stanislaus
Graduate School, MSR 240
One University Circle
Turlock, California 95382
| No Transcripts Required if: | Transcripts will be Required if: |
|---|---|
| You attended (are attending) Stanislaus State for your bachelor’s degree. | You completed (will complete) your bachelor’s degree from another university. |
| You previously sent Stanislaus State the transcripts from transfer schools and have not taken any other courses there since they last sent transcripts. | You took any classes from another college or university since transferring to Stanislaus State. |
Prerequisite Courses
You will need to enter the institution, course number, completion status, completion date, and grade for each prerequisite course for the program that you are applying to (see Prerequisite Table in the next section).
The completion status options will include completed, currently enrolled (fall), enrolled (winter or spring), and plan to take in the future. You will also write the completion or anticipated completion date; if you are unsure, write NA. Write IP (in progress) for your grade if you are currently enrolled in a course for fall, winter, or spring; if you plan to complete the course in the future write NA. Note that courses are listed according to the course numbers listed at Stanislaus State. Course numbers and course descriptions vary significantly depending on the university.
All prerequisites should be upper-division courses, typically offered to juniors and seniors. In most cases, courses from junior colleges will not fulfill prerequisite requirements.
| Course | M.A. Applied Behavior Analysis | M.S. MFT Behavior Analysis Track | M.S. MFT Counseling Track | M.A. General |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Methods and Design Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3000 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Applied Behavior Analysis or the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3700 or PSYC 4720 |
Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Additional Psychology course with a behavior analytic component Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3610, PSYC 3700, PSYC 4720, PSYC 4725, PSYC 4750 or PSYC 4790 |
Yes | No | No | No |
| Abnormal Psychology Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3350 |
No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Counseling Theory Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3790 |
No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Counseling Techniques Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 4770 |
No | Yes | Yes | No |
Please read course descriptions below to determine if the course you took is a good fit for a prerequisite substitution.
If you are unsure whether the course you have taken is equivalent to the course listed, do not include it, as incorrect entries may negatively impact your admissions review. You are welcome to contact program directors to help you determine exact course equivalents. In addition, you may upload course syllabi for non-Stanislaus State courses in the document upload section of the application.
Experimental Methods and Design
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3000 or equivalent
This is an upper-division course that covers both research methodology and data analysis.
Applied Behavior Analysis or the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3700, PSYC 4720 or equivalent
This is an upper-division course in applied behavior analysis or the experimental analysis of behavior that covers operant and respondent conditioning and application of principles to experimental research or assessment and treatment of behavior problems.
Upper-Division Psychology Course with a Behavior Analytic Component
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3610, PSYC 3700, PSYC 4720, PSYC 4725, PSYC 4750, PSYC 4790 or equivalent
These are additional courses that explore the application of learning theory to various situations. If you took both a class in applied behavior analysis and experimental analysis of behavior, you can list one above and the other here.
Other topics include applied behavior analysis in the classroom and in education settings, research seminars in behavior analysis, using behavior modification for self-management, clinical behavior analysis, organizational behavior management, behavior analysis in public health and behavioral assessment.
Abnormal Psychology
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3350 or equivalent
This course may also be called Psychopathology, Psychology of Mental Disorders or something similar. This course focuses on clinical symptoms, dynamics of neuroses and psychological pathology. It usually covers various aspects of the study of abnormal behavior, including history of abnormality, diagnoses and treatment options.
Counseling Theory
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 3790 or equivalent
This course may also be called Clinical Psychology. This is an upper-division course that surveys the history of the field of counseling or clinical psychology, detailing founding theorists such as Freud, Rogers, Skinner and others, and the clinical techniques pioneered by each.
Counseling Techniques
Stanislaus State equivalent: PSYC 4770 or equivalent
Though this course is not typically offered at other universities, this may be called Clinical Psychology Techniques or something similar. This is a clinical skill-based course that introduces the skills necessary for effective therapeutic practice, including active listening skills as well as beginning intervention practices.
Note: This should be a separate three- or four-credit course from PSYC 3790, Introduction to Counseling Theory. These are two separate courses.
Prerequisite FAQs
You can list the course information and write IP (in progress) for the grade.
If your grade has not been posted before the application is due, you can list the course information and write IP (in progress) for the grade.
If you are not currently enrolled in the course, select “plan to take in the future” and write NA for the grade.
If you believe you completed courses at another university that are equivalent to the listed prerequisites, contact the corresponding program director with the courses you took.
The Psychology Graduate Committee will determine whether the course meets our prerequisite requirements (e.g., covers essential topics/materials).
You can complete the prerequisite courses at any university if the course meets our content requirements. We encourage you to seek feedback from the Psychology Graduate Committee before enrolling in a course to ensure that the content is equivalent.
You can also enroll in a course at Stanislaus State through Continuing and Professional Education's Open University during the regular semesters, or Summer/Winter Session options (if offered).
You must complete the prerequisite courses to be fully admitted to the program. If you are accepted to the program but you are missing one or more prerequisite courses, you will be given a conditional status and must complete the prerequisite(s) by the end of your first semester in the program. We strongly encourage students to complete all prerequisite courses prior to beginning graduate coursework (e.g., during the spring or summer term) and avoid completing prerequisite course(s) concurrently with graduate coursework in the fall.
Document Upload
Personal Statements Should Include:
- Reason(s) why you are interested in pursuing graduate training in this field
- Your understanding of the professional role of someone who obtains this degree.
- Why you are applying to this specific program at Stan State, rather than a similar program at Stan State, or at another university.
- What training, expertise, and skills you have obtained that make you an excellent candidate for this program.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Personal Statements
Please DO NOT use generative artificial intelligence (AI) or plagiarism when constructing your personal statement.
This includes use of AI-powered writing assistance programs such as Grammarly, Apple Intelligence, Google Gemini, Chat GPT, and others, and/or representing another person’s work as one’s own. Note that your personal statement will be screened for use of generative AI and plagiarism. If the graduate admissions committee finds reason to believe that AI or plagiarism was used to create your personal statement, review of your application may be affected.
Consequences may include disqualification or academic penalties to be determined at a later point.
If you completed courses at another university (other than Stanislaus State) that you believe satisfy the prerequisite equivalencies, you may upload a course syllabus for each course here for review.
All applicants must submit a Research Outline and a Letter of Support from a Thesis Chairperson.
You must identify an advisor who agrees to serve as your thesis chair (contingent on acceptance) prior to applying to the program. After consultation with the proposed Thesis Chair, create a Research Outline that includes the following information:
- A description of a sample problem you might choose as a thesis.
- A proposed sequence of courses.
You will also submit a Letter of Support from the faculty member stating that they agree to serve as the chair of your master's committee and will direct the research for your chosen project.
NOTE: Chairperson must be consulted before application and research outline are submitted.
Application Submission
Applications due December 15, 2026
All materials, including completed letters of recommendation must be submitted by December 15, 2026 deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that your recommendation letters are submitted by your recommenders by the deadline. The Psychology Graduate Committee will not review applications completed after this date.
- List any academic honors or awards you have received.
- Describe any research experience you have outside of classes (e.g., as a research assistant, honors thesis).
- List any relevant conference presentations and publications that you are an author.
- Briefly describe your current research interests.
- List all jobs, paid or voluntary, relevant to psychology including start and end dates. Describe your duties. If you are unsure if an experience is relevant, please include it, and the graduate admissions committee will determine its relevance..
- Indicate any other information you would like considered in the evaluation of your application.
- Indicate your career plans after receiving your degree.
- Enter GPA.
- Do you plan to be a full-time or part-time student? (Full-time / Part-time)
- Prerequisites.
Three letters of recommendation are required. In the application, you will submit the name, relationship, and email for each recommender. You should formally ask each recommender if they agree to write you a letter prior to submitting their information.
- Recommendations should be from persons who know the quality of your academic and/or professional abilities and potential. Specifically, these recommenders should be able to attest to your skills which are relevant to this graduate program. Recommenders may have observed you in academic, community, professional or volunteer positions.
- Common recommenders are college professors, researcher supervisors, or supervisors at an agency that provides counseling or behavior analysis services to the community.
- Once you have saved an electronic recommendation, an email request will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.
Please ensure your recommendations are submitted by December 15, 2026.
Next Steps
- Visit the What’s Next? Page.
- The Psychology Graduate Committee will review all completed applications at the beginning of the spring semester.
- The Psychology Graduate Committee will invite a select number of applicants to an interview.
- After all interviews are completed, the Psychology Graduate Committee will make final recommendations and request approval from the Psychology Department Faculty.
- After the Psychology Department Faculty approves the Psychology Graduate Committee recommendations, decision letters will be sent to all applicants.
- Accept: Congratulations! Your letter will indicate that you are admitted to the graduate program.
- Wait List: Your letter will indicate that you are not admitted to the graduate program, but you may be considered if a position becomes available.
- No Offer: Your letter will indicate that you are not admitted to the graduate program.
- Please note that acceptance is not guaranteed. Furthermore, acceptance rates vary each year and are dependent on the number and quality of applicants.
Contact Information
If you have general questions about graduate admissions, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at Graduate_School@csustan.edu or contact Mary Pires, at mpires3@csustan.edu.
Schedule appointments with faculty directly through psyc.setmore.com or on Warrior Connect (available to current Stanislaus State students only).
| Can Assist with: | Contact | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General application questions | Dr. Katie Wiskow | Graduate Academic Director | kwiskow@csustan.edu |
| Marriage and Family Therapy program questions | Dr. Anita Pedersen | Graduate Clinical Director | apedersen1@csustan.edu |
| Behavior Analysis program questions | Dr. Shrinidhi Subramaniam | Graduate Behavior Analysis Director | ssubramaniam@csustan.edu |
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Dr. Kurt Baker | kbaker@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Yamini Bellare | ybellare@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Ziyang Jin | zjin2@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Anita Pedersen | apedersen1@csustan.edu |
| Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Vincent Campbell | vcampbell2@csustan.edu | |
| Dr. Bill Potter | Psychology Department Chair | wpotter@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Shrinidhi Subramaniam | ssubramaniam@csustan.edu | |
| Dr. Katie Wiskow | kwiskow@csustan.edu |
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Dr. Aletha Harven | aharven@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Victor Luevano | vluevano@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Esteban Montenegro-Montenegro | emontenegro1@csustan.edu |
| Dr. Gary Williams | gwilliams1@csustan.edu |
You can schedule appointments with faculty directly through psyc.setmore.com or Warrior Connect. Warrior Connect is available to current Stanislaus State students only.
Updated: October 07, 2026