Psychology, M.S.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the Psychology Master’s program, applicants must apply for and be accepted into the Graduate School. (See Graduate School website for application requirements.) Acceptance by the Department of Psychology’s Committee on Acceptance and Retention is also required. In addition to the requirements for admission to the Graduate School, expectations for regular admission to the Psychology Master’s Program include:

• an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
• a GRE score of at least: 148 (Verbal); 147 (Quantitative); 295 (Verbal & Quantitative)
• three letters of recommendation from individuals able to speak to the student’s professional development and preparation for advanced study
• a personal statement that comments on the applicant’s prior psychology-relevant experiences and career goals, and that discusses how the program would help achieve those goals. Applicants are encouraged to name faculty members with whom they would be most interested in working on research projects, and to mention why they think such member(s) would provide appropriate mentorship.

The following documents are optional, but encouraged:

• a curriculum vita (or professional resume)
• an APA-style writing sample

Students who enter the program are normally expected to have completed at least 18 semester hours in psychology. Students must have completed prior courses in research methods and statistics.

We strongly prefer applicants who have broad experience in psychology as evidenced by a diversity in undergraduate psychology coursework. As such, preference in admissions will be given to students who have taken courses in developmental psychology, cognition and/or learning, physiological psychology, and social psychology.

Course Requirements

The course requirements for the Master of Science degree in Psychology are 38 graduate credit hours.

• Students must complete 20 graduate credit hours from the following core courses:

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• PSYC 510 - Ethical and Professional Standards in Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 511 - Conceptual and Philosophical Issues in Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 513 - Quantitative Models in Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 515 - Advanced Psychological Research Design 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 597 - Directed Research in Psychology 1-3 Credit Hour(s)

• Usually, one (1) credit of PSYC 597  is taken in each of the first two semesters. 2 credits required.

• PSYC 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis 3-9 Credit Hour(s) May be satisfied by taking 3 credits each semester for two semesters or 6 credits in one semester. 6 credits required.

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• Students must complete 9 graduate credit hours from the following extended core courses.

  Students must take three of the following four course options:

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• PSYC 425G - Principles of Physiological Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)

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• PSYC 426G - Principles of Behavioral Neuroscience 3 Credit Hour(s)

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• PSYC 512 - Advanced Cognitive Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 534 - Advanced Developmental Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 538 - Advanced Social Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)

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• Students must also complete 9 graduate credit hours of elective courses. 

  Electives can include an additional extended core course or any three of the following:

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• PSYC 516 - Advanced Study of Human Memory 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 517 - Advanced Theories of Personality 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 530 - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 533 - Advanced Psychopathology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 535 - Psychotherapy Concepts 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 536 - Psychological Assessment 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 590 - Seminar in Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 594 - Pre-Practicum 1 Credit Hour(s)
• PSYC 595 - Field Practicum 1-4 Credit Hour(s)

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• Students holding a teaching assistantship are required to register for an additional 1 credit course each semester, PSYC 591 - Supervised Teaching .

Additional Requirements

In addition to the course requirements noted above, all students must successfully pass a comprehensive exam, a thesis proposal, and a thesis defense.