Admissions

Specific program admission requirements can be found on the respective Program pages. SBHS is obligated to ensure academic quality and comparability for all applicants applying to our programs. As such, our school will only consider credits earned for degrees awarded from regionally-accredited institutions in our admissions process. For international applicants, coursework reviewed as part of the Course-by-Course Evaluation Report from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) and World Education Services (WES) must show the U.S. equivalency to coursework completed at a regionally-accredited institution (see Requirements for International Applicants).

Admissions Applications Deadlines
Fall 2025: June 15, 2025

Applications to the MS in Cognitive & Behavioral Sciences, MS in Clinical Psychology, and MSW in Clinical Social Work programs may be submitted online at GradCAS, PsyCAS, or SocialWorkCAS, respectively. Official transcripts from all previously attended academic institutions must be submitted through GradCAS, PsyCAS, or SocialWorkCAS. 

Address any admissions inquiries to: UTHealthHouston.SBHS@uth.tmc.edu  

General Admission Process for Degree Programs  

The SBHS Office of Academic and Student Affairs, program directors, and faculty admission committee review all applications. The admission criteria include but are not limited to: Prior academic preparation (depth, breadth, and performance); college transcripts, and letters of recommendation; relevant work experience (particularly practice in the field of study); goals statement, curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, and letters of recommendation. These criteria will be evaluated in the following domains:

  • Career goals: application, goal statement, and letters of recommendation; 
  • Motivation: goal statement, letters of recommendation, and college transcripts; 
  • Integrity: goal statement, and letters of recommendation; 
  • Standardized tests: GRE scores and TOEFL/IELTS (if required); 
  • Relevant publications, presentations, and other scholarly works provided by the applicant;
  • Success in overcoming social, economic or educational disadvantages. 

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview faculty members at the discretion of the committee. The SBHS Office of Academic and Student Affairs may schedule personal interviews. In addition to the listed criteria, the applicant’s communication skills and understanding of the program may be evaluated based on the personal interview. Admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis.

Requirements for International Applicants or Applicants with International Coursework

An international student is a student who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. At this time, SBHS is unable to sponsor international students. All international students must contact and must be cleared by the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs prior to registration. Here is additional information regarding the international applicant admission process (Students with transcripts from an international institution may also be subject to one or more of the below criteria):

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Test scores are valid for two years from the test date. The official scores must be submitted directly to GradCAS from the applicable test center. The minimum acceptable score is an 80 on the internet-based test. The official scores for the International English Testing System (IELTS) Academic test must be submitted directly to GradCAS from the IELTS test centers. The minimum acceptable score is 6.5. Testing is at the applicant’s expense.
  • Applicants that have completed coursework outside of the United States must submit official transcripts and a course‐by‐course education evaluation of all transcripts from all universities attended outside the United States. The application forms for such an evaluation may be obtained online from the service providers, ECE and WES. Only evaluations from ECE or WES will be accepted. The results of the evaluation must be submitted directly to GradCAS by the agency. The evaluation report is at the applicant’s expense.
  • The I-20 form, required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is prepared by UTHealth Houston and issued to qualified non-immigrant applicants who have been admitted and who have demonstrated financial ability to support their education. Upon acceptance, the non-immigrant student will be asked to provide financial and visa information so that the I-20 form may be completed. The student must submit the completed form to the American Embassy in his/her country of origin in order to receive a student visa or must otherwise be eligible for F-1 status in the U.S. Please contact the UTHealth Houston Office of International Affairs for information (713-500-3176, utoiahouston@uth.tmc.edu).