School Psychologist Certification

Admission Requirements

• Equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in psychology OR a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits in psychology, including a course in statistics and an experimental/research methodology course. Please note: an introductory course in psychology does not count toward the minimum credit requirement, though it might be needed as a pre-requisite to other psychology courses.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees: Please visit the international applicants page to review U.S. degree equivalency information.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
  • Applicants with a GPA between 2.7 and 3.0 will be considered for admission if other aspects of their application indicate strong potential for success in the program. However, a GPA of 3.0 or above is recommended. Applicants with a GPA below 2.7 will not be considered for admission.

Application Checklist

• Application Deadline: For Fall semester admission only. Priority deadline: March 15.
  • Applications completed by March 15, including all required supplemental materials, will receive priority review and an admission decision by April 30th.
  • Applications received after March 15th will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the program is full.
• Online Application: Submit application and $60 non-refundable fee (or waiver if applicable).
• Transcript: One from each college attended.
• Essays/Personal Statement: Articulate clearly, concisely, and in specific terms your relevant academic, research, and psychology-related experiences and interests.
  • Please describe how you came to your decision to pursue school psychology and how you see yourself working to facilitate the educational and behavioral health of school-aged populations.
  • Finally, you may also highlight any additional strengths that will make you an excellent candidate for our program, as well as explain any areas of relative weakness in your application (e.g., if your GPA is below the recommended minimum or your performance in a course was suboptimal).
• Letters of Recommendation: Two letters, preferably from faculty familiar with your work.
• Sample of written work related to the field(s) of psychology, particularly in your desired area of concentration. This might be a paper written for a previous course, an original research project summary, or some other original writing that was prepared and completed prior to this application process.
• Resume/CV: Required
• Standardized Test Scores: GRE General Test; optional if your overall undergraduate GPA is at least a 3.3 or have completed a master’s level degree
• Interview: All applicants who are selected to proceed to the next stage of the admissions process following review of their applications, must complete an admissions interview with program faculty.
  • The Psychology Department will hold pre-selected interview days for this program.
  • Interviews are conducted virtually via Zoom with two faculty members and/or the Director of the Clinical MA Program.
  • After selecting an interview date, candidates receive a confirmation email from the Psychology Department (gradclinical@montclair.edu) with additional details and program materials. Interviews allow the admissions committee to learn about each candidate’s background, interests, and goals, and to assess readiness for graduate study, clinical placement, and written communication.