Application

A group of graduates from the Masters of Psychology program at the Class of 2026 ceremonies

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.

Applying to a Graduate Program

Apply to the University as a Graduate Student through Cal State Apply.
Add a Graduate Program
- 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
- Transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
- Personal statement
- Open-ended questions
- Letters of recommendation
- Document upload
Submit your application!

Transcripts

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.

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

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.

Document Upload

Required: Personal Statement

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

Optional: Supplemental materials

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.

MA General Program

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.

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. For questions about the status of your application, email Mary Pires at mpires3@csustan.edu.

Can Assist with:	Contact	Role	Email
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	Email
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	Email
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	Email
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.