MPsy Admissions & Application

Admission to the Master of Psychology (MPsy) program at Adler is the responsibility of the Program Admissions Committee. The Academic Director of Admissions reviews all submitted applications and bases their recommendation to the Admissions Committee for any given applicant on their fulfilment of the academic requirements, the nature and quality of the Statement of Intent and references, the interview, and the Altus Casper assessment score.

No single factor will determine admission; rather, it is the collective judgment of the Committee as to the likelihood of the applicant’s fit and success in the program. Additionally, a recommendation for admission will be governed by their assessment of the candidate’s potential to apply their acquired knowledge and experiences in workplaces and organizations. Adler reserves the right to grant or deny admission to any applicant at its sole discretion.

Ready to apply? Fill out a Declare Interest Form so we can direct you to the appropriate application form.  

 

How to submit your application

 

Admissions process

Adler’s MPsy program currently has a rolling admissions process, which means that applications are accepted throughout the year and students are admitted as their applications are processed.

Based on the number of applicants in the queue, we expect that our Fall 2025 intakes are likely to fill up. If you are interested in starting in September, we recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible, as we will be opening up a waitlist, and applications are processed in the order they are received.

If you are applying for the Clinical Psychology stream, that stream also has a Winter intake which starts in January 2026. The deadline to be considered for that intake is June 1st.

Adler is ending our rolling admissions policy on June 1st, so we strongly recommend submitting all of your documentation before that date. You must submit all required documentation by June 1st, including your transcripts, reference forms, and Casper assessment. The last date to complete the Casper in time is May 1st, so make sure to sign up early.

 

Required Documentation

1. A four-year honours bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4-point scale) or better*

  • Transcripts must be submitted directly from the institution to Adler, either by mail – Attention Admissions or by email to admissions@adler.ca. Transcripts sent by the applicant will not be accepted.
  • International transcripts must be submitted through the World Educational Service (WES) OR Comparative Education Services (CES). Applicants should request a course-by-course report. Your original transcripts must be included in the report.
    • If you are submitting your application through CES, you must request that they also send your original transcripts along with your report. You can do this by including Adler’s contact information (admissions@adler.ca) under the “Additional Services” section, and indicate “transcript needed” in the address of the third party. If you need support, you can contact CES here.
  • If you are applying for the Clinical Psychology stream, and your international bachelors degree did not include any psychology undergraduate courses, you do not need to request a course-by-course report for your bachelor’s degree. Your report can be a general assessment of your credentials, but it must still include a copy of your undergraduate transcripts. If you only get a general assessment for your bachelor’s, please note that we will not be able to count any of your bachelor’s courses toward your undergraduate psychology training requirements. For more information about bridging requirements, see this page.
  • If you have an international Masters degree, but it is in a completely unrelated field, you do not need to have it assessed by WES or CES. But you must request that your institution send your Masters transcript directly to Adler. Please note that if you choose this option, you will not be able to transfer any courses from your Masters degree to Adler’s MPsy program for transfer credit. If you plan to apply for transfer credit once registered in the MPsy, your Masters must be assessed by WES or CES. 

2. Resume/CV

3. Statement of Intent. The statement of intent is an autobiographical reflection essay outlining how the applicant’s personal history and life experience informs both a potential research focus area in psychology and their calling to future practice

  • The use of generative AI to produce the statement of intent is not permitted. If an AI text detector determines that all or some of the statement of intent is generated by AI, the applicant may be required to re-submit their statement of intent. Use of AI to correct grammar and syntax is permitted.
  • Maximum 1200 words. Double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1-inch margins. Your statement of intent should be approximately five pages, but could be shorter depending on your writing style. 
  • To provide as much information about yourself as possible in writing, it is best to be genuine and let your “voice” be heard. 
  • After introducing yourself, consider addressing the following items in no particular order: how and why you decided to apply to this graduate program. Find ways to link your decision to apply to the Adler program to a) your prior educational background/academic experience, b) your work experience, c) your life experience(s), and d) your research experience(s) and interest(s). What is it about Adler’s program that resonates with you in particular? What are your goals?
  • Please add whatever other information you consider important and useful for the admission committee to know about you.
  • The best SOIs are clearly written and carefully edited.

4. Three recommendations from arms-length referees

  • If the applicant is currently in school, or recently graduated, at least two recommendations should be from an academic referee
    • If you graduated more than a few years ago, you may use three professional references
  • Additional referees may be professional, such as a volunteer/work supervisor or someone in the field of mental health
  • Referees must be arm’s-length: they cannot be family, friends, or a clinician with whom the applicant has had a therapist-client relationship
  • Adler will contact your references directly. Within two business days of completing your application form, Adler will contact your referees by email with a link to complete the reference form
    • We recommend following up with your referees to ensure that they completed the form. You can also email admissions@adler.ca to check in on the status of your application anytime.

5. Acuity Insights Casper Assessment (Casper 2) 

  • The Casper assessment is an online, open-response situational judgment test
  • Sign up for the Casper assessment here
  • Acuity Insights will send your assessment results directly to Adler two weeks after your test date
  • The use of the assessment is a complement to the admission documentation outlined above, to add a further objective element to Adler’s selection process

6. English language proficiency, demonstrated by one of the following: 

  1. English is the applicant’s first language; 
  2. Completion of the applicant’s undergraduate degree at a university in which the language of instruction and examination is English; or
  3. A formal assessment by one of the following organizations to the respective indicated standard:

7. Personal interview with one faculty member and the Academic Admissions Director.

  • Applicants may be asked to provide a written essay after the interview. The essay question will be provided at the end of the interview. Candidates must submit the written essay within two hours.

*Applicants with an undergraduate degree that is not a four-year honours degree in psychology, or who have a GPA of less than 3.0, may be granted provisional admission, subject to the completion of one or more bridging courses. For more information, see Transitional Equivalency (TEQ) program. 

*This program is offered under the written consent of the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities for the period from November 8, 2023 to November 7, 2028. Prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (e.g., acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies or other educational institutions).