Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need to take the GREs ?
Yes. You need to take the GRE General Test which includes Verbal, Quantitative and Analytic Reasoning tests and the GRE Subject Test in Psychology. Information about the exams is available at the ETS website, www.ets.org/gre. Please make sure that you schedule the test sufficiently early to allow time for us to receive your score.
I work full-time and am interested in attending the ADP program part-time. May I do so?
We rarely, if ever, admit part-time students. We have found that such students do not have sufficient time to devote to their studies. Although some of our classes are offered in the evenings, many are offered during the early or late afternoon. In addition, being successful in the program requires more than completing courses. Students must have sufficient time to be involved in research, some thing which is quite time-demanding.
Do you offer financial support for students in the ADP program?
We try, and generally are able, to offer financial support to all students in the program who want such support. Often, however, we cannot guarantee such support to all interested students at the time we offer admission. Students awarded full support receive a stipend of about $14,500, tuition remission for up to 10 credits a semester, and student health insurance. They are expected to work 20 hours a week.
I want to become a licensed psychologist. Can I do so with a Ph.D. in ADP?
After completing a post-doctoral internship, graduates of the ADP program are eligible to take the licensing exam in Maryland. Note, however, the ADP program is not a clinical psychology program. The program will not prepare you to become a clinical psychologist nor to meet clinical psychology licensing requirements.
Can I be admitted to the ADP program even if I did not major in psychology as an undergraduate?
Yes. Although most of our students were psychology majors as undergraduates, we do admit students who did not major in psychology. Admission decisions are based on the applicant’s background, interests, and qualifications. In some cases, applicants who do not have sufficient background in psychology are admitted provisionally, contingent upon successfully completing a specific course or two. Often such students are required to take an advanced undergraduate course in research design and analysis.
I am very interested in the ADP program, but no one on the faculty has similar interests to mine. Is that a problem?
Possibly. When making decisions about whom to admit, one of the criteria we use is a match between a faculty member and the applicant’s area of interest. At times, we do not admit applicants who are highly qualified because there is no one on the ADP faculty whose interests are sufficiently similar to that of the applicant.
How do I apply to the ADP program?
You need to complete both the Graduate School application and the ADP supplemental application. Both are available through links located on the ADP website. You need to submit your General and Psychology subject test GRE scores and arrange to have 3 letters of reference sent. In considering whom to ask for letters of reference, it is important that the reviewers address your potential for being successful in our program. Therefore, you should seek letters from people who can talk about you as a student (preferably a psychology student) or a researcher. Letters from people for whom you have worked when that work is unrelated to psychology will not be as heavily weighted.
Who should I contact if I have other questions about the ADP program?
Contact the graduate program director, Dr. Susan Sonnenschein at 410.455.2361 or at sonnensc@umbc.edu . If you have questions about a specific faculty member’s interests, contact that faculty member. Email addresses for individual faculty are available in the ADP brochure located on the website. If you want to know whether your application has been received or is complete, contact Ms. Cara Lane at 410.455.2567 or clane2@umbc.edu.
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