Only the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE General Test are considered. The Analytical Writing section is not considered.

The Educational Testing Service, who administers the GRE, retains scores for five (5) years. Therefore, if they have retained a score within their system and it is recorded by the Graduate College, that score can be used in lieu of the “waiver” ranking used, which equates to approximately 1000 (500 verbal and 500 quantitative).

That depends. There are three major scenarios. First, if an application is submitted and a GRE score is waived, we have no way of knowing what the score might have been if taken previously or could be if taken again. Therefore, we insert a Verbal GRE score of 475 and a Quantitative GRE score of 480, totaling 955. Second, if the GRE is sent or contained within the current system, that score is used, whether it is lower or higher than the above-mentioned scores. Third, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) only maintains GRE scores for five years. Therefore, scores older than five years are not accessible. The applicant would have to consider whether retaking the GRE would benefit their overall ranking.

If you choose to apply with a low GRE score, your application portfolio will be reviewed and considered in its entirety. However, when making your decision whether to retake the GRE or not, please keep in mind the competitiveness of our Program and that only top ranking students are recommended for acceptance.

The Graduate College will automatically deny your application. Their letter to you will indicate if you are in a position to request an appeal. Instructions will be included in that letter.

Not necessarily. Our Program has become increasingly competitive and in order to accommodate our current students and meet our CACREP Accreditation faculty-to-student-ratio standards, we are only able to accept a limited number of applicants. Only those top ranking students per the number of spaces will be recommended for admission.

Yes. In addition to the GRE and the GPA, we evaluate the qualitative parts of the portfolio: the Statement of Aspiration, your previous experience as evidenced by your Resume, and the information gleaned from the Recommendation Forms. All factors are taken into consideration when evaluating the portfolio.

We begin reviewing immediately after the deadline, and are unable to accommodate late submissions. However, you can submit an application at any time. Any application received after the admission deadline will be forwarded to the following semester for review. Therefore, if you have a strong desire to enter the program in a specific semester, you must adhere to the deadlines

That varies greatly! If a student attends on a full-time basis, the MA degree (Community Counseling, 61 hours; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling, 61 hours; School Counseling, 55 hours) generally takes about three years or a little more to progress through the course work, practicum, and internships. We recommend that you take the sample degree plans and plot your own individual plan.

However, many factors impact the time required to complete a program. The number of courses taken any given semester can vary for each student. Some students take more classes during the summer than other students. Life events may occur that change a student's plan. The Professional Counseling Program faculty members recognize that students are eager to graduate and work as professional counselors. However, please consider that people assimilate knowledge and skills at different rates. We suggest each student move through the program at a pace that makes it most likely that s/he will be knowledgeable, skillful, and ultimately successful.
 

Nine credit hours is considered full time. Students must get permission from the Program Coordinator to enroll for 12 credit hours!

You will note that the sample degree plans are in “Levels.” These are NOT semesters, but the levels will help you know the general order in which to take courses. Generally one level can overlap with another, but always pay close attention to prerequisites. Please refer to the    Graduate Catalog  or the Courses Offered section of our website, which will provide you with the prerequisites, if any, for each course.

In the fall and spring semesters, classes generally are offered at 3:30-6:20 and 6:30-9:20. In the summer, we offer some classes over a 10-week session and some classes over 5 weeks, pending faculty availability. Summer classes generally are offered from 10:30-2:30 and 5:00‑9:30. Class schedules are available at the CATSWEB page of the university website. This link contains the most current schedule of classes available.

Depending upon the speed with which you want to progress through the program, you might be able to take most but not all classes at your preferred campus, as we typically schedule courses on a rotation basis between San Marcos and Round Rock. However, students who want to quickly progress through the program will need to take classes at their second-choice campus in order to move more efficiently through the program.

At this time, and for the foreseeable future, no online courses are being offered.

Perhaps. First, any course transferred in must be a graduate level course, taken during the past 6 years, not already used toward another degree, and have been earned at a regionally accredited university.

The Graduate College allows 6 hours. However, if you are working towards the MA in the Professional Counseling Program, you can often transfer up to 12 hours. If your courses are reviewed and approved (see previous question/answer), the Graduate Advisor makes a transfer request for you to the Graduate College.

No. Only those individuals who have been officially accepted into the Program can take courses.

After a bachelor’s degree is conferred, you can only take graduate level courses to raise your GPA.  Since you are unable to take Counseling Program courses prior to acceptance, if you wish to attend Texas State, you may wish to take other graduate courses as a non-degree seeking student. To do this you will need to submit a new graduate college application, $10 application fee, and a non-degree seeking form with approval from the department you wish to take courses. You would need to contact the individual advisor for the program in which you are hoping to apply.

Yes. Applications for the Department of CLAS are available during the spring semester for the following fall/spring academic year. The Student Affairs office may have positions during a student's first year. Check their website. Occasionally additional assistantships are offered, so if you are accepted into the program, watch for an announcement in the student listserv.

This information is not available within the Professional Counseling Program/CLAS Department but through the Graduate College. Please check the Scholarships and Financial Aid Office for information regarding student scholarships.

Paid internships are scarce but allowable. Please be advised that interns are ultimately responsible for securing their paid or unpaid internship sites.

No. The Graduate College in conjunction with the Program requires the GRE. Other tests, such as the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the MCAT, cannot be substituted or considered in lieu of the GRE.

Unless an international student has earned a degree from an accredited United States university, the Graduate College requires a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the GRE.

If you have additional questions, first go to our website at http://www.txstate.edu/clas/