FAQ

Review additional frequently asked questions regarding the EPS graduate programs.

A cohort is a group of students that start together and take the same classes in sequence for the duration of the degree program. Cohort programs in Educational Psychology are generally available at our statewide locations.

All students will need to submit an autobiographical application, three letters of recommendation, undergraduate transcripts, and current GRE scores (unless Student Affairs with GPA above 3.0) to the Flagstaff campus. An online combined application to the Department of Educational Psychology and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies is also required. Please see the admissions webpage for more information.

The department uses a weighted system as follows (varies by masters or doctoral program):

1. 50% – 60% academic aptitude for graduate study (GRE scores* and GPA)
2. 15% life experiences (autobiographical questions)
3. 7.5% – 10% work related experiences (relevant paid and volunteer work)
4. 7.5% – 10% potential to contribute to profession and program (professional activities and letters of recommendation)
5. 10% goodness of fit to the program (areas of focus congruency, fit to COE mission, and professional characteristics)

* GRE score not required for Student Affairs with GPA above 3.0.

We do not include an interview as a part of the application process for masters programs, however it is highly encouraged that you do visit the campus and make contacts with the faculty and students. Highly-ranked doctoral applicants in School and Counseling Psychology may be invited to participate in an interview process which is generally held during the second week of February.

The university’s graduate catalog states that a student may apply nine credit hours from one master’s degree to another. Up to 12 credit hours can be transferred in from another college or university.

Keep in mind that:

• All classes to be applied towards the master’s degree must have been taken within six years of the date of graduation. If a transcript does not fall within this window of time, course work may not transfer. The six year transfer rule may not apply to courses taken within a completed master’s degree.
• Classes transferred to NAU must be equivalent to those required on the program of study. This evaluation is done on a case-by-case basis with your academic advisor, after a student has been admitted to the respective graduate program. To facilitate this process, please have available course syllabus, textbooks used, and other descriptive material. For more information on transfer credits, visit the academic catalog.

The department currently offers graduate assistantships to students in both Master’s and Doctoral level programs. These assistantships are only available at the Flagstaff mountain campus. If a student is granted a full time assistantship (20 hours/week), the student will receive a partial in-state waiver, an out-of-state tuition waver (applies to out of state students) and a stipend in the department (ranges from $9,174-$10,222). Assistantships are granted to full-time doctoral level students first and are very competitive. You must be a full-time student to be eligible. Please see the “forms” section of the department webpage for application information.

A variety of assistantships are also available outside of the department. For more information on support services units that offer graduate assistantships, please reference this helpful document, which you’ll also find on the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies web pages.

Students may also apply for scholarships and financial aid through the NAU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Please call (928) 523-1551 for more information.

First, the student must understand that admittance to the program is not automatic. If we receive more qualified applications than spaces available, a limited number of students are admitted.

With that in mind, if the student wants to take classes before admittance, we recommend 12 units (which is the limit which can be taken as an unclassified graduate student) chosen from following open enrollment classes:

• EPS 525 – Introduction to Statistics
• EPS 580* – Human Development
• EPS 620 – Vocational Counseling
• EDR 610 – Introduction to Research

*Not required for all degree programs. Please confer with an advisor.