Admissions and Application

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Request Information Frequently Asked Questions

Application Requirements

The following documents are required in order to process your application to the Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University. Please note that all required documents must be received by the School of Behavioral Health by December 1.

• Online application.
• Application fee: $50.
• Official transcripts sent directly from all colleges and universities you have attended. View details
• No GRE scores are required for application to either program.
• Three letters of recommendation submitted online (preferably from current or previous instructors).
• Personal statement: Required for 2025-2026 applicants; uploaded after application submission. View guidelines
• Curriculum vitae (CV): Required for 2025-2026 applicants; uploaded after application submission.
• TOEFL scores (international applicants):
  • Please complete one online application for the doctoral degree of your choice.
  • Complete the online application form. Be sure to include all information requested; you may also provide additional information that you feel would be useful in evaluating your qualifications.
  • Again, please do not mail your correspondence to any other department, program, or school as it may cause a delay in the processing of your application.

Transcript Information

• Official transcripts from the issuing institute can be sent electronically to: [email protected].
• All transcripts from all colleges/universities attended are required to be sent in.
• Transcripts may be mailed to: Admissions Processing, Loma Linda University, 11139 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA  92350. 

Personal Statements

You are required to submit a personal statement up to 1000 words in length (approximately 2 pages, single spaced, using 1-inch margins and 12-point font). Before starting the essay include the two bullet points below. These will not be included in the word count length.

• Using keywords or in one sentence, briefly indicate your area of interest.
• Which Department of Psychology faculty would you like to work with? If more than one, please rank in order of interest (#1-3).

Start of essay:

1. State your purpose in applying for graduate study.
2. Describe how your background, accomplishments, and life experiences led to your decision to pursue the graduate degree for which you are applying. Include any educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges or opportunities that are relevant to, or which prepared you for, graduate study in psychology.
3. Please expand upon your desired area(s) of interest and the faculty you would like to work with. If known at this point, include any of our department Specializations that are of interest to you (i.e., Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Health Psychology and Integrated Care, Clinical Generalist).
4. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that will allow the department to evaluate your potential contributions to the University's diversity mission. Contributions to diversity and equal opportunity can take a variety of forms, such as efforts to advance equitable access to education, public service that addresses the need of a diverse population, or research that explores inequalities.
5. To the extent you have defined them at this point, please describe your career goals and aspirations.

Admission Requirements

In addition to Loma Linda University and School of Behavioral Health and the Faculty of Graduate Studies admissions requirements, the following minimum criteria are preferable to be considered for a pre-admission interview:

• A bachelor's degree in psychology is preferred, but bachelor's degrees in other areas are considered.
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale or a master's degree GPA of 3.3 or higher from a regionally accredited graduate program.
• Structured pre-admission interview by invitation: The psychology department requires a structured pre-admissions interview.
• Recommendation letters: Three letters of recommendation from professionals unrelated to the applicant and qualified to assess the applicant’s potential for graduate education. A minimum of two letters are preferred from current or previous professors.

Any exceptions to the established GPA minimum criteria, or any other admissions criteria, are made at faculty discretion and grounded on faculty’s overall assessment of the applicant and his/her credentials (e.g., demonstrated record of scholarship and/or specialized research training, strength of the applicant's prior academic training/institution, strength of applicant’s letters of recommendation, and previous clinical experience).

Transfer Credit

Students accepted into the doctoral program who have previously completed graduate course work may request transfer credit in accordance with department, School, and University policy. Please contact the Chair of the department's Academic Affairs Committee for further information if you wish to request transfer credit.

Timeline

Each year the deadline for applications is December 1. Applications are reviewed by the faculty in December/January and invitations will be sent for an online interview day held in February. Offers of acceptance are made following interviews and this process continues until all slots are full. Applicants have until April 15 to make a decision about accepting an offer to enroll in the program. Applicants are reminded that all application materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, must be submitted by December 1. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to request that their transcripts be sent to LLU as early as possible in the application process, and that they provide ample time to recommenders to submit their letters of recommendation.

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