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Psychology
Mailing Address: Porter 200

Psychological Science M.S.

Program Overview

Time to Degree: The M.S. program typically requires one to two years to complete.

The Master of Science in Psychological Science offers an outstanding and distinctive graduate education that prepares students for careers in academic and other professional settings. The program produces graduates who have gained knowledge about a substantive area of psychology, who have the quantitative and methodological expertise to conduct rigorous, cutting-edge research, and who have demonstrated their research skills through the completion of a master’s thesis.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Knowledge Base in Content Area: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in one of the substantive areas of psychology.
  • Research Methods in Psychology: Students will demonstrate strong research skills that will enable them to contribute original and independent insights to the existing psychological literature.
  • Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology: Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze the body of scholarship comprising psychological science.
  • Values in Psychology: Students will behave in a manner that reflects appropriate professional values and ethical standards.
  • Communication Skills: Students will develop excellent written and oral communication skills.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

The M.S. degree prepares students for doctoral training in psychology as well as a variety of research-based professional positions, e.g., behavioral medicine, consumer research, and so on.

Graduation Requirements

Complete 30 credit hours for the degree.

At least 7 hours must be research courses, including PSY6120 (Advanced Research Methods in Psychology), PSY6950 (Thesis), and PSY6980 (Research Seminar).

At least 6 hours must be quantitative courses, including PSY6111 (Intermediate Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences) and PSY6112 (Linear Regression).

At least 6 hours must be substantive courses in Psychology, excluding courses that satisfy the research and quantitative components for the master’s degree as well as PSY6930 (Readings in Psychology). Completion of an empirical thesis is required.

Culminating Experience

Students will complete an empirical thesis.

Admission Requirements

Program Name and Number:  Psychological Science – MS4103

Term(s) of Entry:  Fall, Spring, Summer

Important Note: The Psychological Science M.S. program is meant for µÛÍõ»áËù students who, via their work in an µÛÍõ»áËù faculty member’s lab, wish to complete a thesis under the direction of that faculty member who is willing to serve as the graduate advisor. One can enter the program after graduating with a B.S. in psychology or as part of an Accelerated Graduate Pathways (AGP) program.

Applicants for the M.S. in Psychological Science must submit:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent. A student also may qualify for early admittance to a graduate program under µÛÍõ»áËù policy. Coursework preferred: 18 hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of psychology at the undergraduate level, including one course in statistics and one in experimental research design.
  • GPA of 3.0 or better overall and in psychology. Applicants who have completed some graduate work should have a grade-point average of at least 3.4 in that work.
  • Transcript from each school attended
  • Three letters of recommendation. At least one letter must come from an µÛÍõ»áËù Psychology Department faculty member who is willing to supervise the applicant’s research. Please be clear on how you are a strong fit research-wise with the faculty member(s) providing recommendation(s) on your behalf.
  • Personal Statement describing your special interests and professional goals. Include in your personal statement a rank-ordered list of the three faculty members with whom you most want to work.
  • Curriculum Vitae (or resume)
  • English Language Proficiency Requirements: The Psychology Department has English proficiency requirements that are higher than the minimum university requirements. The minimum scores for this program are TOEFL-iBT of 80 and IELTS minimum score of 6.5 across all bands. Please review information about µÛÍõ»áËù’s English Language Proficiency requirements.

Note re application fees: The Psychology Department does not provide partial or full waivers for applications to our graduate programs. However, we encourage all who apply who are members of the following organizations to consider checking them, as they are known to compensate applicants for application fees for graduate training programs: AmeriCorps, BUILD Program, COMPASS, CORO Fellows, FAF, Fleet Fellows, Gates Millenium Scholars and Alumni, GEM, IIE/Fulbright, IIPP, IMSD, IRT, JSI, Leadership Alliance, LSAMP, MARC, McNair, Mellon Mays, NSF-REU, NYC Urban Fellows, Peace Corps, PPIA, Questbridge, RISE, SINSI, Truman Fellows, U.S. Military, or Yellow Ribbon Program.

Please read instructions carefully and fill out the application completely, including sections on prior experiences.

Make sure to follow the directions on the "U.S./Permanent Resident Graduate Application Checklist" or "International Graduate Checklist" for additional materials that should be submitted.

Students who are enrolled in one of the department’s doctoral programs are admitted directly into the doctoral program, but they may earn the M.S. in Psychological Science by completing the program requirements for the M.S. degree as part of their graduate work.

International Students:  This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at µÛÍõ»áËù, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.

Application Deadline

Students can apply any time for admission, and applications will be considered on a rolling basis as long as space is available.