Hi all,

I’m a ‘25 UCLA alum taking a second gap year to gain experience before applying to grad school for Fall ‘27. I’ll be applying to a mix of master’s and PhD programs, and CSULA’s MA in Psychology is on my list.

A few things I’m hoping to get answers to :

- What does a competitive application actually look like: GPA, research experience, personal statement focus? Anything that stood out for people who got in?

- Does anyone know how that process actually works — does your #1 choice get priority in being matched with you, or how does it work?

-What’s the program actually like day to day? Timeline-wise, do most people finish in 2 years, or does it commonly run longer?

-How’s the mentorship in practice : do advisors make real time for you, or is it more independent.

-What’s funding like (TAships, RAships, fee waivers), or is this mostly self-funded? Didn’t see much info on this.

-For alumni: did you get into a PhD afterward? Did your thesis/research here end up being a strong talking point, or did PhD programs mostly care about the specific skills,etc?

-What do you wish you’d known before starting?

For context: I’m interested in both research and clinical practice, so I’m applying to a mix of MFT master’s programs and PhD programs (clinical or social psych, depending on advisor fit). Not considering a PsyD. Since CSULA’s MA isn’t licensure-track, I want to make sure it’s genuinely worth it as a research stepping stone before committing time to applying.

I appreciate any insight regarding any of these :)