Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Psychology (PBCP)

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Psychology is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than psychology who wish to enter a master’s or doctorate-level psychology graduate program. In the Certificate program, you will work with a psychology faculty adviser to design a personalized educational plan. You will also receive individual advising from a psychology faculty member on selecting, applying to and preparing for graduate study.

Students applying to this program should have:

•  bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
•  a 3.0 grade point average
• Test Scores: No entrance exam is required. However, applicants may submit SAT, ACT or general GRE scores if they believe the scores will strengthen their application.
• If English is not your native language, you will be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Mary Baldwin University’s TOEFL institution code is 5397. You do not need to submit scores if you:   
  • Earned an undergraduate or graduate degree at a U.S. college or university
  • Conducted your total education in English in a native English-speaking country

You should also submit a written statement of purpose detailing your educational and professional goals and explaining how the PBCP will assist you. Finally, an interview with the Psychology department is required for admission.

Requirements for PBCP

Course requirements are intentionally flexible and will depend on the student’s academic record and work experience. Individual certificate plans will be prepared by the student’s faculty advisor and approved by the Psychology Department Chair.

Minimum requirements for the certificate are PSYC 150 plus 12 semester hours in psychology, with all courses at the 200-level or above and at least 3 hours at the 300- level. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must earn a 2.0 or higher for the course to count as certificate credit. Students must have a psychology GPA of 3.0 or higher to earn the certificate.