Admissions
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Eligibility Criteria for Admission
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program, candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
- A baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited institution;
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the last 60 semester credits (or equivalent);
- A minimum of 15 semester hours (or equivalent) of course work in psychology, including an introductory or survey of psychology course and four other psychology courses;
- At least one 3-credit course in statistics from any discipline;
- At least one 3-credit course in research methods in the social sciences;
- For International Applicants: A score of 550 (paper based) on the TOEFL (other equivalent TOEFL scores: 79 internet based and 213 computer based; the IELTS equivalent is 6.0.
Applicant Selection Process
UH Hilo MA Counseling Psychology Early Decision (Pilot) Program
For the 2025 application cycle, the UH Hilo MA Counseling Psychology program will be piloting a new early decision program. The early decision program is an application option for current University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Psychology students or alumni who have earned (or will soon earn) a BA in Psychology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. To be considered for the Early Decision program, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria above and must submit a completed application (including 3 recommendations and all official transcripts received by the Graduate Division) by November 1, 2024.
Early Decision applicants will receive their admission decision in December and will be asked to provide their Intent to Enroll decision by mid January.
Priority Application Deadline is January 17, 2025 and the Final Application Deadline is February 28, 2025.
This means that applications that are submitted and are complete by the priority deadline will be reviewed first. Any applications that are submitted after the priority deadline and become complete before the final deadline will be reviewed but considered on a space-available basis.
New students are accepted for Summer semester only.
Complete applications are applications that have a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation and all official transcripts from current and prior institutions have been received.
Complete applications that meet the minimum requirements are reviewed by the Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee, which uses multiple criteria for the assessment of applicants. Admission is selective and is based on the following factors:
- Personal Statement,
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae,
- Letters of Recommendation,
- GPA (last 60 semester hours)
- Interview Responses
The Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee reviews applications and selects candidates for a phone/video interview. Based on the entirety of information garnered from the application materials and the interview, the admissions committee determines whether the applicant will be offered admission to the program.
If you have questions about the applicant selection process, you may read the Admission Policies and Procedures (PDF)
Acceptance to the program is competitive, and meeting all the minimim requirements does not guarantee that the applicant will be admitted.
Admission Status
The applicant's admission status is valid only for the semester to which the applicant is accepted. Applications for students who do not register or who withdraw from the University are voided but retained for a period of one (1) year. Students may reapply for admission the next year by submitting a new application and application fee.
Apply Here
For a comprehensive guide on applying to the program, please visit the Graduate Division Admission Guide for Counseling Psychology.
We encourage you to read our FAQs about Admissions for further information about the applying to the program. If you have additional questions, you can contact the UH Hilo Graduate Division:
UH Hilo Graduate Division
Attn:
200 West Kāwili Street
Hilo, HI 96720-4091
Tel: (808) 932-7927
Email: hilograd@hawaii.edu