HSP Application Information

Application Deadline:

The application deadline is December 1, 2024 for Fall 2025.

Where to Apply and Send Documents:

Apply online at the UMBC Graduate School website.

Electronic Transcripts should be sent to gradschool@umbc.edu.

Paper versions should be mailed to the UMBC Graduate School:

The Graduate School
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Faculty mentor and interest match:

• The HSP program utilizes a mentor model. All students are admitted with a primary research mentor assignment. Applicants should confirm the faculty with whom they would like to work are accepting new students.
• Applicants may identify up to two faculty members who will serve as their faculty mentor. Please see HSP Faculty to learn more about each faculty member’s research interests.
• Applicants are expected to write a personal statement. Statements are typically from one to three pages (single spaced), though they may be shorter or longer as the applicant believes is best.
• In the statement, applicants should make sure to indicate how their: 1) interests align with the faculty mentor(s) they have identified and 2) interests, experiences, and/or future goals align with the HSP program’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Applicants who do not have a degree in Psychology should explicitly specify their preparation and foundational knowledge necessary for admission into a doctoral program in Psychology.

GPA:

• The minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 or higher; > 3.2 is preferred.

• Graduate School Application – Apply online to the UMBC Graduate School.
• Personal Statement
• Transcripts – Unofficial transcripts can be used for admission considerations, however you will be required to submit official transcripts if you are admitted.

• Resumé or CV

• Reference Contact Information – Enter the contact information (name, email address) for 3 Letters of Recommendation.  References are professors or professionals that can speak to your professional experience or educational background. The reference form is sent to your desired references via email only after you have submitted your application.
• International Applicants – More information can be found on the Graduate School’s International Applicant Requirements page.

GREs:

• The GRE General Test is not required and will not be considered as part of any application to the Human Services Psychology Program. There is no mechanism allowing an applicant to provide these scores as they will not be accepted in the application process.
• The GRE Subject Test in Psychology is not required. It is not typically allowed to be included with one exception. If an applicant does not have a degree in Psychology or the applicant’s GPA for the degree is less than 3.20, the applicant may submit test scores for the GRE Subject Test in Psychology as one of many possible ways to demonstrate preparedness to begin study in a doctoral program of Psychology. Please see the FAQs document for other methods of demonstrating preparedness to begin study in a doctoral program of Psychology.

Writing Sample:

• • Occasionally, applicants have provided examples of papers and/or studies they have written.
  • This is not required, but if an applicant wishes to provide this, it should be uploaded in the online Graduate School Application section that is labeled “Additional Admissions Documents.”

• All students admitted to the HSP doctoral program receive a commitment of five years of funding as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant and/or other Graduate Administrative Assistant.
• Funding includes a 9-month stipend, tuition support, and health insurance. To remain eligible for funding students must remain in good academic standing and make (or have their advisor make on their behalf) a documented credible effort to obtain external funding (e.g. grants, fellowships, outside GA position) for at least two of those years.
• For the 2024-2025 academic year, the 9-month stipend for a first-year HSP / ADP PhD student was $24,454.
• The 2025-2026 stipend level is established during the Spring 2025 semester, and may include a cost-of-living adjustment.
• Student loan information is available through UMBC’s Office of Financial Aid

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dean’s First-Year Fellowship.

For both the 2025 and 2026 incoming classes, the HSP program will select one incoming student to receive a special fellowship from the Dean’s office which will include a 12-month stipend (First-Year). All admitted students will be considered for this fellowship, which will be awarded on the basis of information provided in the admissions application and interview process.

Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE)

The HSP program participates in UMBC G-RISE, which offers fellowship support and supplemental academic and professional development opportunities for highly qualified applicants. G-RISE is funded through a training grant from the National Institutes of Health and aims to prepare a diverse pool of scientists for careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Advancements in Integrated, Culturally and Linguistically Competent Behavioral Health Services for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults in Maryland’s Underserved and Rural Communities (ADVANCE / AVANCE Maryland).

The HSP program offers a number of fellowships to advanced doctoral students studying in the Clinical Track along with focused training opportunities to support and enhance their capacity to serve culturally and linguistically diverse youth and young adults. ADVANCE / AVANCE is funded by a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and is a collaborative project with the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

• Applicants who meet the criteria highlighted above are invited to interview with the HSP Faculty following the first-round review – Visit Day.
• Applicants invited to Visit Day will be contacted in late January for availability and scheduling.
• Interviews will be held virtually Wednesday and Thursday February 5th and 6th, 2025. (Due to scheduling constraints individual faculty may need to conduct interviews on Tuesday February 4th or Friday February 7th.)
• Formal admission offers to the program are typically extended within two
  weeks following Visit Day (ideally the week of February 17).
  • If you attended Visit Day and have not heard from us within two weeks, please contact your inviting faculty mentor if you are entertaining an offer from another program.

Notification of applicants declined admission ideally takes place in two phases:

1. 1. Applicants who are not appropriate or competitive for the program are ideally notified at some point following the first round review.
   2. Applicants deemed acceptable, but not ranked highly enough following Visit Day to warrant an offer are notified after all admission decisions have been made.

The HSP program adheres to the CUDCP Policy for Graduate School Offers and Acceptances

• The HSP program is committed to training psychologists to serve a diverse population
  and welcomes applicants from diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and sexual
  orientation/gender identity backgrounds.
• All applicants to the HSP program receive a comprehensive evaluation by a minimum of two faculty members (usually the individuals with whom the applicant expressed interest in working) on the following dimensions:
  1. Compatibility of applicant’s goals and interests with the purposes and values of the program.
  2. Ability (relative to expected graduate school performance). (In general, we seek students with GPAs >3.2 but consider the entire application and the student’s life circumstances in making these evaluations).
  3. Preparation (relative to expected graduate school performance), including coursework, evidence of independent scholarship, supervised research, and practical experiences.
  4. Strength of support letters, personal statement, and maturity.
  5. Interest match with faculty member/potential mentor.

Policy on Acceptance of Prior Graduate Coursework:

On the basis of previous graduate coursework, matriculated students can petition to waive specific program requirements, providing a rationale for the waiver along with relevant course syllabi. Such waivers must be approved by the student’s advisor, the HSP program director, and the faculty member who teaches or oversees the course in question.

Depending on how many classes are waived, matriculated students may require less time to complete the program, or may have time to take additional courses of interest. Additional details can be found in the HSP Handbook that is available on our website.

Program Completion Rates:

The median time to degree completion, including internship, is six years for students in the APA-accredited Clinical track (including students taking combined training in Clinical and either Behavioral Medicine or Community Psychology). The expected time to degree completion for HSP students who are not in the Clinical track is 4-5 years. Students who are admitted with a master’s degree may be able to complete the program requirements faster than students who enter with a bachelor’s degree. However, having completed prior graduate coursework does not guarantee more rapid completion of the HSP program.

Frequently Asked Questions about graduate courses:

• We do not offer online courses.

• Applicants cannot take HSP graduate courses prior to admission to the program.

• Admissions are for Fall only. We do not enroll new students in Spring semester.

• We do not accept non-degree seeking students.

Matriculation Rate

• The matriculation rate is 8.5%