How to Apply to Psychology at Texas A&M University: Choose Your Major When You Apply, the BA or BS in Psychology, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Texas A&M University (main campus in College Station), psychology is taught by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, which offers three undergraduate degrees: the BA in Psychology, the BS in Psychology and the BS in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (BS-BCNS). Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Texas A&M’s website and its 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

Note: the admissions office site (admissions.tamu.edu) returned an error page to us while this guide was written, so nothing here is taken from it; the information comes from the main university site, the catalog and the department site.

1. You choose a major when you apply

• Major-based admission: you list major choices on the application. The catalog says a competitive applicant who cannot be admitted to a major because of restricted enrollment will be offered their second choice; if that is full too, an alternate major is chosen after admission.
• Changing into psychology (continuing students) is requested through the student portal, with these requirements already posted:
  • an overall Texas A&M GPA of at least 2.75 and no more than 75 completed hours;
  • C or better in PBSI 107, PBSI 235 and PBSI 245;
  • C or better in a core math course (not MATH 102).
  BS-BCNS asks for more: a 2.75 GPA, no more than 60 hours, and specified math, biology and chemistry courses. The department grants no waivers and does not hold incomplete applications.

2. What psychology covers

• BA and BS: both are 120 hours with identical psychology requirements; they differ outside psychology. The BA adds a foreign language and more humanities, the BS more physical and biological sciences. The department advises students heading to medical or other health professional programs to choose the BS.
• Areas: neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, industrial/organizational psychology, social and personality psychology, plus methods and statistics.
• BS-BCNS: an interdisciplinary degree involving psychology, biology, veterinary medicine and the medical school’s neuroscience department, with substantial biology, chemistry and physics.
• Honors: the department site does not list a separate psychology honors track; see the university’s Honors Programs.

3. Deadlines and decisions

• International freshmen: fall entry 1 August to 1 December 2026; spring entry 1 August to 15 October 2026. If a deadline falls on a weekend, applications stay open until 11:59 p.m. Central on the following Monday.
• How to apply: Common App or ApplyTexas; the university says your choice does not affect the decision. Essay Topic A is required; letters of recommendation are optional, with at most two considered.
• Application fee: $90 for international applicants, non-refundable, with no waivers for international students.
• Decisions: made from 1 September onward; final fall decisions may not come until late March.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Academic standard: the catalog expects international applicants to complete a program that would qualify them for university in their home country; successful applicants usually rank near the top of their system (B average or better) and score well above average on national exams. No Gaokao score is published.
• Documents: official transcripts and proof of graduation, with official English translations; a document-by-document evaluation (with GPA) from a NACES member is strongly recommended for faster processing. Uploaded final transcripts and diplomas are not accepted; they must be mailed.
• Testing: freshman admission is test optional. The catalog strongly encourages scores but says they create no unfair advantage or disadvantage; for international freshmen, SAT or ACT scores are considered when submitted. Scores must come from the testing agency, and only the highest single sitting is used.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Applicants at high schools outside the U.S. are exempt from Texas’s Uniform Admission Policy.
• Texas A&M publishes no Canada- or BC-specific grade requirements; the international standard above applies (B average or better, proof of graduation, transcripts).
• Proof of English proficiency is required only when your spoken language is not English, as determined by the admissions office.

6. English requirements

The catalog says applicants whose spoken language is not English must meet one of these to be reviewed:

• TOEFL iBT 80 or higher (within two years of enrollment), or TOEFL Essentials 8.5 (MyBest scores not accepted);
• IELTS 6.0 overall (within two years of enrollment);
• SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 560, or ACT English 21;
• all four years of high school in the U.S., or transfer from an accredited U.S. institution with 30 hours including an equivalent of ENGL 103 or 104 at C or better.

The catalog also points to the admissions website for tests accepted from 2026; we could not confirm the equivalent on TOEFL’s new score scale from the official site.

7. Costs and scholarships

• Estimated cost: the 2026-27 catalog estimates about $62,272 a year for non-resident and international students, including tuition and fees, housing and food, books, transportation and miscellaneous costs. Tuition varies by program; use the university’s tuition calculator for your major.
• Rate plan: because Texas does not fund non-resident tuition, non-resident students are not eligible for the four-year locked rate and default to the variable-rate plan.
• Scholarships: the catalog says a limited number of scholarships, grants and loans are available to international students, from departments, International Student and Scholar Services, and Scholarships & Financial Aid. International applicants with financial need are encouraged to file the TASFA each year.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines (international transfers): summer or fall entry 1 January to 1 March 2027; spring entry 1 August to 15 October 2026.
• Eligibility: at least 24 graded transferable hours and a 2.5 GPA at application; Arts and Sciences notes that requirements vary by major, with most requiring at least 3.0 to be competitive. Credit by exam does not count toward the 24 hours. Admission is competitive and by college or major.
• Materials: a statement of purpose explaining your choice of major and career goals, official transcripts from every college attended (including dual-credit courses), and the application fee.
• Credit: at least 25% of degree hours must be earned at Texas A&M, plus at least 36 upper-level (300- and 400-level) hours in residence, 12 of them in the major. The department posts transfer guides for the BA and BS.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 1 December 2026 through Common App or ApplyTexas, listing psychology (BA or BS) and a thoughtful second choice
• TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.0+; decide whether to send SAT or ACT
• Prepare official transcripts, proof of graduation and translations; mail final transcripts
• Budget about $62,272 a year; international scholarships are limited

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same 1 December deadline; keep a B average or better, as no Canada-specific cut-offs are published
• Prepare TOEFL or IELTS if English is not your spoken language

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 1 March; at least 24 graded transferable hours, aiming for a 3.0+ GPA
• Take introductory psychology and statistics first, and check the department’s transfer guides
• Plan for at least 36 upper-level hours at Texas A&M

Sources: Texas A&M University, Apply as a freshman; Apply as an international student; Apply as a transfer; 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog: Admission; 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog: Tuition and fees; Psychological and Brain Sciences undergraduate degrees; Pursuing a psychology major; Change of major to PSYC or BS-BCNS; Costs and tuition; Tuition rate plans; Tuition calculator. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check Texas A&M for the latest details.