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Admission Requirements

Admission for Loyola University’s Master of Science in Counseling requires potential students to submit all of the application materials listed below. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to the Admissions Coordinator at (504) 864-7853.

Applications for early decision to the fall cohort begins August 1st and closes December 1st. The regular decision deadline is March 1st.

What is a complete application?

A completed application includes the following materials:

  • Application. Applications are submitted online.

  • Please provide a 1-3 page objective statement of your educational goals and reasons for wishing to pursue a degree in Counseling from Loyola. Objective statements should be uploaded to your online application.

  • A brief resume outlining relevant degrees and course work, paid or volunteer work experiences, any honors, presentations, papers, and other life experiences.

  • Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher or who already have a graduate degree are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below a 3.0 are required to take the GRE and must have official results of the GRE sent directly from Electronic Testing Service (ETS). Loyola's school code is 6374 and the Counseling Department's code is 2005. We recommend a combination score of 300 or above. GRE scores must be less than 5 years in age. Applicants with scores below 300 may be considered for conditional admission to graduate study if their application materials exhibit other evidence of potential for success in the program.

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities. Official transcripts must show the last degree conferred and the last 60 semester hours of course work completed. These transcripts will be used to calculate the grade point average (GPA) for the last 60 hours. Applicants must have earned a 3.0 or higher GPA in the last 60 hours of course work. Students with GPAs below 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission if their application materials exhibit other evidence of potential for success in the program.

  • Three letters of recommendation. Please see the "Recommenders" section of the online application for further directions. Applicants should obtain recommendations from individuals who are in a position to comment about the applicant’s: Ability to complete a rigorous course of graduate study; Ability to act professionally and ethically; Sensitivity to the needs of others; Potential contributions to the graduate program; Commitment to the counseling profession. Letters of recommendation must come directly from the recommender. 

Qualified students will be contacted once all of the application materials have been reviewed to schedule:

  • An in-person writing sample

  • An in-person individual and group interview. Note: Skype interviews are reserved for international applicants only. 

Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation can be mailed to the following address:

Loyola University New Orleans
Department of Graduate Admissions
6363 St. Charles Avenue
Campus Box 18
New Orleans, LA 70118

How are students selected for our program?

The faculty in the Loyola Counseling Program asserts that there are multiple indicators of a student’s potential to succeed in the program. For this reason, we use a matrix to analyze the application materials that is equally weighted in most of the areas (GPA, testing, references, interview, writing sample, etc.). Students who score moderate to high in all the areas included in the matrix are typically admitted to the program. Students who score low in 1 or 2 areas are typically admitted on a conditional basis. Students who score low on more than 2 areas of the matrix are denied admission to the program. The admission matrix is a guide used by the counseling department faculty to make admissions decisions. The counseling department faculty reserves the right to make final admissions decisions, and accept students who are viewed as the best fit for the program.

What is conditional acceptance?

Students who are accepted on a conditional basis are expected to receive a grade no lower than a “B” in the first 18 hours of their counseling department required coursework. Students accepted conditionally who receive a grade lower than a “B” in any of the first 18 hours of required coursework will be dismissed from the program. In order to facilitate conditionally admitted students’ success, the counseling department recommends that conditional admits only enroll in a maximum of 6 - 8 credit hours each semester for their first 18 hours of course work.