Graduate Admission

Prospective Graduate Students

Thank you for your interest in the graduate programs offered by the Department of Applied Behavioral Science (ABS) at the University of Kansas. The KU Graduate School oversees all graduate programs on campus. To obtain a graduate degree you are required to fulfill its requirements, as well as those of the department. Prospective students should check the Graduate Studies website periodically for the latest information.

Faculty are excited to meet prospective students interested in their labs! Please reach out to the faculty members you are interested in working with directly.

In the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, we understand that an equitable and safe multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural environment produces innovative thinking, research, and learning. We seek to provide an environment for learning and working where differences are valued and each person in the ABS community is supported and offered an equitable opportunity – irrespective of national origin, age, sex, health status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability – to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Admission to the Graduate School

Incoming graduate students must have a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution or a foreign university with substantially equivalent bachelor's degree requirements and proof of English proficiency for non-native English speakers.

Faculty Mentors

Prospective students apply and are admitted to the graduate school based on faculty recommendation and commitment to work with the student while in the program. The department follows a junior-colleague model, where students work very closely with faculty mentors. Admitted students and faculty mentors work collaboratively to plan for the academic success of graduate students in the program. Faculty advisors and students share equal responsibility in ensuring that students make timely progress in meeting the degree requirements of the department, college, and university. Faculty advisors assist students in selecting required elective courses, developing research projects, and preparing for graduate program requirements. When applying to the program, the applicant must indicate at least one faculty member with whom they are interested in working.

Application Process

The application deadline is December 2nd. If positions are still available, we will consider applicants who apply after this deadline. To find out if any positions are still available, contact the professor(s) with whom you want to work.

For inquiries about an application fee waiver, please email the Graduate Program Coordinator, Andy True.

How to Apply

Applicants will submit an application online through the SLATE system. Begin by visiting graduate admissions and select "Apply." Applicants should select the start term and create an account (if they are a first-time user) or log in (if they are returning to continue an application).

1. On the application's "Program Information page," select "Social and Behavioral Sciences" from the Academic Area of Interest.
2. Under "Academic Program," search for "Behavioral Psychology (PhD)” if applying to the doctoral program or “Applied Behavioral Science (MA)” if applying to the MA program.

Fill out the online application and attach the required documents. Required documents to attach with the online application minimally include the following:

• Personal statement
• Vita
• 3 letters of Recommendation
• GRE (optional, but recommended)
• Copies of official transcripts. Student advising reports or documents titled “unofficial document/transcript” cannot be accepted for admission review. (Official transcripts with degree conferral will need to be obtained if accepted into the program). Note that former/current KU students are not required to provide copies of KU transcripts for application. A copy of the official transcript must be provided if a degree was earned outside of KU.
• List of faculty members with whom the prospective student is interested in working

GRE scores are optional and can be sent directly to the Graduate School.