Psychology, MS

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general application and admission requirements of the Graduate School,  admission to the Master of Science degree program in Psychology requires acceptance by the Department of Psychology’s Committee on Acceptance and Retention with the expectations for applications and regular admission that include:

• an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
• three letters of recommendation from individuals able to speak to the student’s professional development and preparation for advanced study
• a curriculum vita
• 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.

Although optional, an APA style writing sample is also encouraged. Including GRE scores may be advantageous to some students (e. g., those whose GRE performance is stronger than their GPA).

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 Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 511 - Conceptual and Philosophical Issues in Psychology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 513 - Quantitative Models in Psychology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 515 - Advanced Psychological Research Design Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 597 - Directed Research in Psychology Credit Hours: 1-3

• 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 Credit Hours: 3-9 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 Credit Hours: 3

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• PSYC 426G - Principles of Behavioral Neuroscience Credit Hours: 3

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• PSYC 512 - Advanced Cognitive Psychology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 534 - Advanced Developmental Psychology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 538 - Advanced Social Psychology Credit Hours: 3

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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 Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 517 - Advanced Theories of Personality Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 530 - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 533 - Advanced Psychopathology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 535 - Psychotherapy Concepts Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 536 - Psychological Assessment Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 590 - Seminar in Psychology Credit Hours: 3
• PSYC 594 - Pre-Practicum Credit Hours: 1
• PSYC 595 - Field Practicum Credit Hours: 1-4

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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.