How do I apply for the program?

• To apply for the IO MPS program, you will need to complete your online application and submit the following required documents:
  • CV/ Resume
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Letters of Recommendation (2)
  • Transcripts
  • TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE (for international students only)
  • Supplementary Application
  • Optionally, you can also include: writing samples, description of work experience or research, and a portfolio 
• The program code is: MPIO
• More information for the application can be found here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/application-process
• A step-by-step guide to the graduate application can be found here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/application-process/step-step-guide-applying
• Here is a direct link to the graduate application portal: https://terpengage.force.com/community/CustomLoginPage?GradApp=True

When can I start my application to the IO MPS program?

• The admissions cycle for our Spring and Fall 2023 cohorts is now closed. Applications for 2024 cohorts will open in July 2023.
• A step-by-step guide to the graduate application can be found here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/application-process/step-step-guide-applying

Where can I find the supplementary application? 

• The Supplementary Application for our program can be found here. 

When are application deadlines?

• The admissions cycle for our Spring and Fall 2023 cohorts is now closed. Applications for 2024 cohorts will open in July 2023.
• Domestic students are eligible to apply during the Spring and Fall admission terms. 
• International students are eligible to apply during the Fall admission term only. 

When do classes start for the Spring and Fall 2023 admitted cohorts? 

• The Spring 2023 cohort will begin classes on February 27, 2023.
• The Fall 2023 cohort will begin classes on August 28, 2023.

Do I need the GRE to apply for the IO MPS program? 

• We do not require the GRE or GRE-Psychology entrance exam as part of the application for the IO MPS program. 

Is there a minimum grade point average required for admission to the IO MPS program?

• The Graduate School requires a minimum standard GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all undergraduate courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university. 
• In certain instances, we have admitted students below a 3.0 average if the remainder of their application is exceptional. We look at applicants holistically, which includes their transcripts, statement of purpose, resume/ cv, work experience, and letters of recommendation. 
• International applicants: Applicants with international credentials must submit in the original language those academic records that are not written in English. Such credentials must be accompanied by a literal English translation. Both must be submitted at least six months prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which the applicant seeks admission.

How should I approach my Statement of Purpose?

• We garner information about an applicant from the different parts of your application package: transcripts, resume/ CV, letters of recommendations (2), and very importantly, your statement of purpose. Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell us about who you are beyond your academic background and grades. 
• Your statement should address the following questions: 
  • Tell us your personal narrative - your story of why you're pursuing IO and what brought you to this point. What are your reasons for undertaking graduate study at University of Maryland's MPS IO program? What do you plan to do with this degree?
  • What life experiences have prepared you to pursue a graduate degree at a large, diverse institution, such as UMD? You may care to include things like your community and family background, whether you are the first person in your family to pursue a higher education, or other factors that you feel would contribute to the diversity of our academic community. 
  • You may also wish to give the graduate admissions committee some examples of your determination to pursue your goals, your initiative and ability to develop ideas, and/ or your capacity for working through problems independently as well as within a team. 

I have been out of school for a while and have been working for a number of years. Can my letters of recommendation be from a professional source? 

• Yes! Letters of recommendation are required to be from academic and/ or professional references. We do not consider letters of recommendation from personal sources.
• If you graduated years ago and don't have an academic reference, that's okay - you may choose recommenders who can speak to your professional work. 

Where should I have my letters of recommendation sent?

• The online application allows recommenders to easily upload Letters of Recommendation onto your online application. 
• Please do not send Letters of Recommendation to the Department of Psychology. 
• If your recommender has not uploaded their Recommendation by the deadline but would still like to send one in, please have them reach out to us at iomps [at] umd.edu. 

Do I have to send official transcripts and degree certificates for graduate admission?

• The online application requires applicants to upload a scanned copy of their official transcripts/diplomas in English. Official (paper) transcripts can also be sent to:

          The Graduate School (Admissions), University of Maryland

          2123 Lee Building

          7809 Regents Drive

          College Park, MD 20742

Are there specific required prerequisite courses that I would need to take before applying for the IO MPS program?

• There are no specific prerequisite courses required to apply for the IO MPS program. Students who have taken any psychology, statistics, or research methods classes in their undergraduate studies or other graduate programs may find that experience beneficial. However, we do not require them. During the first term, we start with the basics of IO psychology and the basics of data management and statistics- this means that students with no prior psychology research or statistics experience can succeed. 

When will I get my admissions decision?

• Our Spring 2023 admissions decisions will be sent out by February 15, 2023. Fall 2023 admissions decisions will be sent out by May, 5, 2023. *International applicants will receive admissions decisions by April 28, 2023.

* For each admissions cycle, we aim to send out decisions as soon as possible prior to the end date. Please note that due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to provide specific details on individual admissions decisions.

Can I apply with an application fee waiver?

The IO MPS program is unable to offer application fee waivers at present. There may be other options that applicants can take advantage of:

• There are some graduate preparatory programs that offer an application fee waiver. These include programs such as McNair, SACNAS, SROP, etc. If you have participated in any of these programs and have an application fee waiver to UMD graduate programs, they can be applied to the IO MPS application. Complete application fee waiver information and eligibility requirements can be found here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/feewaiverinformation
• UMD accepts applications for Free App. Eligible students with financial burden that qualify for FreeApp should fill out the form on the Free App site and send an email to FreeApp [at] umd.edu with the subject line: "FAFSA FreeApp Eligibility" and provide documentation of need from FAFSA in the email. *Please note that FreeApp is available for Domestic applicants only. 

Does the program provide funding?

The IO MPS program is presently unable to provide funding for students. We do share opportunities for assistantships to current students, but these are not guaranteed. Information about jobs and assistantship at the university can be found at ejobs.umd.edu, and more information on general funding can be found at https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding.

International Student Admissions

I am an international student. Do I need to take the TOEFL?

• Yes, unless you received your undergraduate degree in a country where English is the predominant language. Per the International Office, students who will be awarded a degree from the U.S., United Kingdom, Anglophone Africa, Anglophone Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Commonwealth Caribbean prior to enrolling in the University of Maryland are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS.
• You can find more information regarding requirements here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency-requirement

* Please note that, per the Graduate School, students enrolled in the IO MPS program through the Office of Extended Studies are not eligible for conditional enrollment with an English language condition. 

I have a 3-year Bachelor’s degree through my undergraduate institution. Am I eligible to apply for the program?

• Applicants must have earned the equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree. If a four-year degree has not been earned, this requirement may be satisfied through the undergraduate school to supplement previous college-level coursework, or with a graduate-level program of at least one year. If you will be awarded a Master’s degree by the time you would begin graduate study at the University of Maryland, or your 3 year Bachelor’s degree was earned in a country with 13 years of pre-university formal education, then you are eligible for graduate study. We will also consider those with a 3 year Bachelor’s and a Post Graduate Diploma from a nationally recognized institution to be eligible.
• If your sole qualification is a 3 year Bachelor’s from a country with 12 years of pre-university education, and your degree would not qualify you for admission to an academic graduate program in this country, then you are not eligible to apply to the Graduate School. If your 3 year Bachelor’s would qualify you for admission to academic graduate programs in the country in which it was earned, then you are welcome to submit an application which will be reviewed by the department to determine whether you are a strong enough candidate for an exception to be made.
• For more information, please contact The Graduate School at gradschool [at] umd.edu. 

Is the University of Maryland’s IO MPS program a STEM program?

• The IO MPS program is currently not designated as a STEM program for 3-year Extended Optional Practical Training (OPT) purposes. 

How should I submit my transcripts as an international student?

• You must upload a scanned copy of all previous degree and diploma transcripts issued in the original language with a literal English translation. 
• If you have already earned your degree but your transcript does not state that the degree was conferred, please also upload a copy of your degree certificate. 

I am an international student, and I've been admitted into the IO MPS program. What is next?

• The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) will contact you to verify your visa status and to collect the financial documents required to receive Form I-20 or DS-2019, which you will need to obtain a student visa. 
• ISSS is also an excellent resource for international students. They are available for virtual visits or chat sessions to answer individual inquiries and host events for international students.

What is the IO Apprenticeship Program (IOAP)? 

• The IOAP is a program hosted by the UMD IO MPS to provide prospective applicants interested in IO psychology and UMD's IO MPS program an inside look into our program. Participants will get an opportunity to: observe a real class in the program, meet a current student, an alumnus of the program, and the program director. Our goal is to provide any individual interested in the UMD IO MPS an opportunity to learn more about our program. 
  • Note: we have currently paused all class observations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continuing to offer IOAP apprentices all other aspects of the program set up as virtual meetings. 

How can the Apprenticeship program help me?

• The IOAP will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of:
  • the kind of education and training our program provides
  • a day-in-the-life of our graduate students
  • what kind of job opportunities may be available to you after graduation
  • how the UMD IO MPS program could be the right fit for you

Who is the Apprenticeship Program for?

• The IOAP is for any individual interested in IO psychology and learning more about UMD's IO MPS program.

I live out-of-state. Can I still participate in the Apprenticeship Program?

• Yes! You will be able to participate in all the one-on-ones in the IOAP- virtual zoom rooms will be set up for your meetings with current students, alum, and the program director. 
• However, the Observe a Class component will require students to come to the UMD campus and observe in-person. This is primarily because of the interactive and collaborative nature of our classes, the essence of which is difficult to capture by virtually listening in to the classes. Due to distance or other circumstances, if you are unable to come to campus to observe a class, we will still set up your one-on-ones to participate in the IOAP.
  • Note: all class observations have been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is it free to participate?

• Yes, of course! The IOAP is free and accessible to any prospective applicant interested in the IO MPS program. 

Do I need to submit an application to participate in the Apprenticeship Program?

• There is no formal application that needs to be submitted. You will only need to let us know that you would like to participate and provide some basic information, such as: your name, email, intended start term, and how you heard about our program. 
• You can let us know that you would like to participate by filling out the IOAP interest form.
• There is currently a waiting list for the IOAP. The next cycle open to new applicants will meet in Fall 2023.

Can I choose what class to observe?

• We are not taking requests to join specific classes. All IOAP participants will be assigned a class to observe.

Do I have to participate in the Apprenticeship Program to apply for admission into the IO MPS program?

• Absolutely not! You can directly apply for admission into the IO MPS program without participating in our Apprenticeship Program.

Will participating in the Apprenticeship Program improve my chances of admission?

• Participants of the IOAP will not be given special consideration during admission. 
• It is possible that participating in the IOAP could give you a better understanding of our program, which may affect how you approach your application, statement, and/ or other materials submitted for consideration for admission. 

What should I do after participating in the Apprenticeship Program?

• We hope that you enjoyed participating in the IOAP! Our goal was for you to learn how we approach education and training of IO psychology and how we prepare our students to practice IO in the workplace, as well as what opportunities could be available to you after graduation. 
• If you loved our program as much as we do and felt that the UMD IO MPS is the right fit for you, please apply for admission! 
• Our Spring and Fall 2024 application cycle will open in July 2023.