Psychology (MS) - Non-Thesis Concentration
Degree Requirements
Graduate Studies
The Master of Science degree program in Psychology (BBS) is designed to provide individuals with knowledge of current theories, principles, and methods of psychology in preparation for future work toward a doctoral degree, employment in a research setting or employment in a college teaching position. The Department of Psychology currently accepts applicants to the Master of Science degree program, with an interest in one or more areas of concentration in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The available areas of concentration include: Behavioral Statistics/Computational Modeling, Personality and Measurement, Cognitive and Perceptual Processing, Psychophysiology, Social/Developmental Psychology, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Requirements for Regular Admission
Students are typically only admitted for the Fall Semester. Students may be admitted during Spring semester if warranted due to special circumstances approved by all core program faculty . Applicants should submit their materials by February 15. The following criteria supplement the Graduate School criteria (see Categories of Admission):
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education
- A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on all undergraduate course work (A=4.0).
- Completion of at least 21 semester hours of psychology courses on the undergraduate level including at least one course in statistics and one in experimental methods.
- Official GRE scores are requested, but not required. Admitted students have traditionally had summed scores above 300 on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the GRE. However, each applicant will be evaluated individually and on a holistic basis. Importantly, strong GRE scores may be beneficial for students looking to offset weaknesses in their application (e.g., low GPA).
- A Statement of Purpose: Detailing the applicant's relevant experiences, career and future plans, and with which core program faculty mentors they would most like to work.
- Students should be prepared to provide the names and email addresses of three recommenders. The recommenders will then be contacted separately and submit their recommendations in a dedicated portal.
- TOEFL scores (for international students only).
Requirements for MS Degree for All Students
Behavioral and Brain Sciences students must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours with a minimum grade of B in each course (and a minimum GPA of 3.0) to obtain the Masters of Science degree in Psychology. There are 10 hours of required core courses for all Master’s students in Psychology as shown below.
All degree requirements must be completed within seven years from the date of matriculation as a graduate student. If a student has not completed her or his degree requirements at the end of the seven years, the student will have to reapply for admission to the program. If the student is re-accepted, he or she will have to re-start their program upon re-admission.
Graduate Curriculum
Behavioral and Brain Sciences Non-Thesis Concentration
Students admitted to the Master of Science in Psychology Behavioral and Brain Sciences non-thesis concentration must complete the curriculum described below and appropriate electives. A minimum of 36 hours of graduate courses are required.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Research Methodlogy/Statistics | ||
| Four hours of PSY 500 Proseminar in Psychology | 4 | |
| PSY 501 | Research Design and Stats I | 3 |
| PSY 502 | Research Design and Stats II | 3 |
| Comparative/Genetics | ||
| PSY 590 | Sp Top in Psychology - | 3 |
| or PSY 575 | Comparative Psychology | |
| Social | ||
| PSY 520 | Personality Res and Theory | 3 |
| or PSY 522 | Soc & Personality Psychology | |
| Cognition | ||
| PSY 514 | Learning | 3 |
| or PSY 586 | Cognitive Neuroscience | |
| Developmental | ||
| PSY 524 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| or PSY 570 | Intel Disable/Autism Spec Dis | |
| Electives | ||
| Select fourteen hours of electives | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Comprehensive Exam
All students must successfully complete a comprehensive written examination prior to graduation. The comprehensive exam entails a write-up of a research project that is submitted to the student's research mentor by the final week of the first spring semester. The manuscripts is evaluated by the comprehensive exam committee. If the student fails the exam, they will be required to retake it by the end of their second summer term. The comprehensive exam committee will meet regarding individuals who have failed the comprehensive examination two times to determine if remediation and/or a third attempt will be recommended or if the student will be immediately dismissed from the program. Failure on the third attempt will result in automatic dismissal.