Counseling
Announcements
Please use this page if you are applying to the on campus or online programs in Mental Health (MS), Family Therapy (MS), School Counseling (MEd), and Rehabilitation Counseling (MS).
The minimum requirements to apply are:
- At least five undergraduate social science courses (psychology, sociology, anthropology etc).
- At least one year of human services experience which can include volunteer or research experience.
- A distinguished undergraduate transcript with at least a 3.0 GPA. If your GPA is less than 3.0, please discuss the reasons in your personal statement.
If you are applying to the on campus or online programs, please send the following information to the office of graduate admissions by January 2nd (their address is listed at the bottom of the page):
- A completed application and fee. Click here for an application.
- 3 letters of recommendation where at least 1 letter should be from a person who knows your academic work. We strongly recommend getting letters from professors whenever possible.
- A statement of purpose detailing your goals, professional experience, and reasons for applying to the program. Your essay should consist of your reasons for wishing to pursue graduate study in 300 words (part 1). Then, indicate your specific interests and discuss the kind of work you would like to do in your intended field in at least 1,200 words (part 2).
- Official undergraduate and graduate official transcripts from all the universities you attended. All transcripts must be official and sealed.
- We require the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test from all applicants. We do not accept the MATs. The Psychology GRE test is not required. We can only waive the GRE requirement if you have an accredited master's degree in a closely related field such as psychology, counseling, sociology, criminal justice, or social work etc. If you are unsure if your master's degree qualifies please email Dan Torres at csp.admissions@umb.edu.
- All School Counseling applicants who want licensure in the state of Massachusetts must complete the MTEL test (Communication & Literacy Skills---reading and writing) by the application deadline or any time before the end of their first semester at UMass Boston. If you reside in another state, please confirm with your respective state's licensing board.
- Please include an updated résumé.
- We will email a select number of applicants for an interview. The interview consists of a group interview and an individual interview with a faculty member. Please make sure to add csp.admissions@umb.edu to your contact list. Many students never find our email because it ends up in their spam inbox.
Please note: Students may apply even if they do not meet the aforementioned requirements, however, their chances of admissions is diminished. We count volunteer, research, and internship experience in our human service requirement. Also, we do not have a minimum GRE score, nevertheless, if your Verbal or Writing GRE score is very low then it may be prudent to send a sample of a graded paper.
For online applicants only: If you are applying to the online version of the program, please be aware that your start term should be summer (e.g. Summer 2013). If you put start term fall (e.g. Fall 2013), you will be taking summer courses as a non-degree student which means you will not be eligible for financial aid until the fall semester. The starting term and program cannot be changed once the application has been submitted. Thank you.
All application materials must be sent to UMass Boston's Office of Graduate Admissions at:
The Office of Graduate Admissions
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA. 02125-3393
Still have questions? Please email Dan at csp.admissions@umb.edu
