Application Process

Meridian’s admissions application is submitted via the online application form; applications are not submitted in hard copy. However, if you are unable to use the online application due to disability or otherwise, we are happy to print and mail it to you, for you to mail back.

The best way to connect with Meridian’s Admissions Team is via email, phone, or video conference (Zoom or Skype).

How to Apply:

You may submit your admissions application online or by email (see the exception for this, noted above). You may submit your materials (letters of recommendation, personal statement, writing sample, resume) by uploading them to your online application at the time you first apply, or by emailing them to admissions@meridianuniversity.edu.

Official transcripts and application materials may also be sent to:

Admissions Office
Meridian University
47 Sixth Street
Petaluma, CA 94952

What You Will Need to Apply

Required Materials

Admissions Application
Application Fee: $50 USD A non-refundable application fee of $50 USD is required to process your application at the time of submission.
Official Academic Transcript(s): Official transcripts are required from all post-secondary institutions from which you earned 12 or more quarter units. Transcripts must be received in sealed envelopes and may be mailed directly to the University’s Bay Area Center (47 Sixth Street, Petaluma, CA 94952). Electronic transcripts are accepted if sent directly from the academic institution.
Three letters of recommendations are required as part of the application process and will need to be requested by the applicant. Letters are to be sent directly from the recommender to Meridian at admissions@meridianuniversity.edu, via an email identifying the sender's name, and should include a professional signature with title, address and phone number. Recommendations should be sought from individuals who can respond to your readiness to successfully complete Meridian's degree program. If possible, you should include recommendations from persons familiar with your academic and, if applicable, professional background. Recommendations forwarded by the applicant will not be accepted.
Personal Statement (5-7 pages): Your personal statement should highlight the formative and significant experiences in your life, and how those experiences have influenced you in choosing to pursue your vocation or profession. Things to Consider when writing the Personal Statement: Consider how periods of life and career transition have contributed to your awareness. Consider what it is about you that will enable you to benefit from the degree program to which you are applying. As well, from your understanding of the University’s learning methodology involving transformative learning, consider how you might benefit from this kind of active, experiential learning model.
- Please ensure that your personal statement uses a 12pt size font and is double spaced between paragraphs

What to Include in Your Personal Statement:

Five to Seven double-spaced pages in length.
Be sure to share formative and significant experiences of your life and how these have influenced you in choosing your program as a vocation and profession.
Consider in your statement that periods of life and career transition contribute significantly to self awareness.
- What is it about you as a learner that will enable you to benefit from Meridian’s degree program?
- Work experiences you may have had which relate to your program of interest and the vision you have of your future as a professional.

If you feel that the personal statement does not sufficiently demonstrate your writing skills, you may wish to enclose an additional writing sample of not more than seven pages.

Online Information Session Attendance

In addition to submitting application materials, it is necessary that applicants attend an information session prior to moving forward in the application process.

Optional Materials

Writing Sample(maximum of seven pages)
Resume or CV

Admissions Interview

During the application journey and after careful review of your submitted documentation a decision will be made by the Admissions Committee whether an interview will be offered. The interview stage is not guaranteed however, is a required element in the application process. If chosen, the interview will be conducted by members of the Admissions Committee using the Microsoft Teams interface and can last up to 60 minutes.

Admissions Requirements

A Bachelor's degree is required for admission to Meridian's Graduate Programs.
Applicants who possess a Master's in Psychology (or related field) may apply for Advanced Standing status in the psychology Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree programs.
All students are expected to be proficient in the English language as all instruction at Meridian University is offered in English (see the English Proficiency section on International Students

GPA requirement for admittance: Minimum GPA for admission to all degree programs at Meridian is a 3.0.

Advanced Standing may be applied for by students who are applying to one of the psychology doctoral degree programs with a Master's degree in psychology or its equivalent. Equivalence is assessed at the time of admissions by the Admissions Committee. Students with an appropriate Master's degree may apply for Advanced Standing. Students should keep in mind that if they are accepted and applied for advanced standing, their acceptance may not reflect this depending on the committee's assessment. Doctoral students entering with Advanced Standing status may not meet the educational requirements for state licensure within their degree program’s reduced total number of required coursework credits.

Admissions Criteria

The following criteria are utilized in assessing a prospective student at the time admissions:

Admissions Application.
Academic ability: Demonstrated and potential academic excellence. Undergraduate Degree work should demonstrate 3.0 GPA.
Intellectual vitality: Individual’s overall excitement towards learning and interest in transformative learning.
Applicant’s initiative in seeking out opportunities for enhancing their knowledge base.
Potential for leadership, as demonstrated through the applicant’s personal character and professional competence.
Personal qualities and community/professional contributions.
Performance at interview(s).
Other qualifications and experience, as relevant.
Conduct demonstrating professionalism.

Transfer Credit

Meridian's curriculum is highly integrated and globally unique. Transfer credits from other schools are reviewed at the student's request. Transfer credits may be granted up to a maximum of 40 quarter credits for the PsyD, PhD, and EdD, and 12 quarter credits towards Master's degrees (M.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Counseling Psychology, M.Ed., MBA). PhD and PsyD students entering with Advanced Standing status may be granted transfer credit up to a maximum of 12 quarter credits.

Only courses taken in state-approved or regionally accredited academic institutions can be considered for transfer credit.

Meridian University does not accept credit earned through challenge exams or achievement tests. As well, the University does not offer credit for prior life experience.

Given Meridian’s emphasis in courses delivered through a transformative learning model - as well as each academic program’s distinct curricular orientation - prior coursework taken elsewhere is usually not equivalent to the approach and methodology taught at Meridian.

Transcript Review

Faculty can provide a preliminary review of your transcript for potential transfer of credit against Meridian coursework. As this is a preliminary review, any courses assessed as likely being equivalent for transfer will be confirmed upon a subsequent review upon the student's admittance. Note that given the specialized nature and emphasis of Meridian's programs, prior coursework taken elsewhere is often not approved for transfer.

International Transcripts

International transcripts created in languages other than English must be submitted as literal translations prior to admission and must be mailed for evaluation by a professional agency such as Educational Credentials Evaluators, Inc. (ECE), Educational Perspectives, nfg (EP), or World Education Services (WES).

World Education Services
Bowling Green Station, P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
Web: www.wes.org

WES will issue a Basic Statement of Comparability or a course-by-course evaluation. WES should then send these directly to Meridian University. All other admissions documents must be submitted in English.

Educational Credentials Evaluators
101 W. Pleasant St., Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53212-3963
Web:www.ece.org

Educational Perspectives
PO Box A3462
Chicago, IL 60690-3462
Web: www.edperspectives.org

Meridian University holds a policy of non-discrimination. All interested persons who meet the admissions criteria are encouraged to apply. All application materials, once submitted, become the property of Meridian University and will not be returned, reprinted, or photocopied.

Admissions Application and Fee

A complete admissions application and a non-refundable application fee of $50 USD are required to process your application at the time of submission. The fee is remitted at the time the application is submitted.

Submit your Application Below