Applying to the I/O program at The University of Akron

Students wishing to pursue a doctoral degree in I/O Psychology should apply to the M.A.-Ph.D. option if they have earned a bachelor’s degree or to the Ph.D. option if they hold a master's degree in psychology. Students wishing to pursue a terminal master’s degree should apply to the Personnel option. Minimum requirements for applicants are listed below:

• Students must have ALREADY completed all degree requirements prior to admission to a graduate program at The University of Akron (i.e., the student is simply waiting for the degree to be conferred, but all requirements are complete).

• Admitted students must provide the Department of Psychology with an official transcript, showing proof of degree conferral from the student's institution or an official letter of completion from their university registrar's office if an official transcript is not yet available. (This will clear the student for one semester until an official transcript can be obtained.) Students who do not provide proof of degree conferral before fall semester begins are not eligible to hold an assistantship/scholarship and will be unable to register for classes.

• Minimum general GRE scores of 550 (Quantitative and Verbal) for M.A.-Ph.D. and Ph.D. applicants and 500 for Personnel applicants. The Analytical Writing score is also taken into consideration, but there is not an established minimum.

• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25 for M.A.-Ph.D. and Ph.D. applicants; Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 for Personnel applicants; Minimum graduate GPA of 3.25 for Ph.D. applicants.

• The Psychology GRE subtest is not required but is strongly encouraged. All other qualifications being equal, applicants who provide a Psych GRE of 550 or above will be given preference.

• Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic work.

• Applicants are also asked to submit a brief statement of their reasons for choosing the field of psychology and The University of Akron, and they typically also include a vita.

• A psychology major or extensive background in psychology is preferred but is not required.

The standards listed above are minimum qualifications, prospective students are judged in a competitive manner. Because the number of openings is limited, the actual grades and scores of students who are admitted to the programs are typically higher than the stated minimums. In recent years, GREs above 600 have been the norm for our entering classes. In some cases of a single criterion below the minimum, compensatory information may be considered. Additional information about the application process is available on the Department of Psychology Graduate Programs "How to Apply" website.

Applications to the I/O program are due January 15th

Applications received by January 15th will be reviewed. The Graduate School recommends that applications be submitted 6 weeks prior to the department deadline for domestic applicants and 6 months prior to the application deadline for international students. However, EARLY SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION MATERIALS IS NOT REQUIRED BUT IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. Applications received up to and including January 15th will be reviewed.

Contact Information

Applicants should feel free to contact Susan White (Administrative Assistant, Department of Psychology) with any questions regarding their application.

Susan White
Assistant to Dept Chair / Graduate Admissions
Arts & Science Bldg, Room 341
Akron, OH 44325-4301
email: susanwhite@uakron.edu
phone: (330) 972-8367
fax: (330) 972-5174

Questions to Susan typically address the application process. Some of the common concerns of applicants that Susan can help with are listed below:

Receipt of application materials (documents submitted electronically, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, transcripts, etc.).
What should my statement of purpose (SOP) include? What is the SOP form?
Information from the Graduate School/online application conflicting with information from the I/O program.

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact the co-chairs of the I/O Psychology Admissions Committee with questions regarding the applicant evaluation and selection process.

Andrea Snell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
(330) 972-6711 (asnell@uakron.edu)
Aaron Schmidt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
(330) 972-6705 (aschmidt@uakron.edu)

Questions typically addressed to Dr. Snell and Dr. Schmidt include:

Should I apply to the MA-PhD program or the Terminal MA program?
What are the average GRE scores and GPAs of individuals typically offered admission into the program?
How are the various application materials used to select individuals into the program?
What makes the I/O program at the University of Akron unique?
What teaching opportunities are available to graduate students? Applied experiences?
May I send in my updated vita or my new GRE scores? Where should I send them?
I have a writing sample. Should I submit it?

Choosing which graduate program to apply to is a very important decision. Dr. Snell and Dr. Schmidt are happy to provide potential applicants with any information that may help guide this decision.

International Students

You will need to complete the supplemental form for international students available on the “Apply Yourself” system.

International students are required to contact the Office of International Programs at:

Office of International Programs
www.uakron.edu/oip
483 Polsky Building
Akron, OH 44325-3101
phone: (330) 972-6493
fax: (330) 972-8604

If you are a non-native English-speaker, you should provide a score on the TOEFL. This may be considered as a replacement for a GRE verbal score.

Admission to the I/O program is determined by the I/O faculty. However, in order for international applicants who are accepted into the program to enroll for classes and be assigned to assistantships, these students must register with the Office of International Programs.

International students are also strongly encouraged to contact Dr. Andrea Snell or Dr. Aaron Schmidt to ensure that the I/O program Psychology Admissions Committee has received the necessary documentation.