General Concentration
Note: GRE General Test scores for Fall 2022 Applicants are not required as part of
the application for Psychology MS Graduate programs.
The M.S. program in General Psychology is designed primarily for those students who seek to improve their knowledge, skills and research experience in psychology in order to strengthen their educational background for application to doctoral programs or professional growth. The program may also prepare students for a range of occupations in business, government, and other non-academic research settings, as students learn critical thinking and data analysis skills that are attractive to both public and private research firms. Course work for the General Psychology program is designed around a core curriculum of statistics, research design, substantive areas of psychology, and research experience. Thus, students enrolled in this program are expected to develop an understanding of the fundamental areas of psychology, to acquire a high level of sophistication in statistics, experimental design, data analysis, psychological measurement, and quantitative methods, and to conduct research in a specialized area of study. Enrolling in PSY610 Thesis, with the support of a faculty mentor, is provided as an optimal elective. The General Psychology M.S. program does not provide clinical preparation. Students interested in a career that includes clinical preparation should consider the Clinical PsyD program.
Course Work
The General M.S. program requires 15 semester hours of required course work (Foundations in Research): PSY601, 602, 524, 600, and 510. Students will choose 9 semester hours of Core Foundations in Psychology course from the following: PSY506, 509, 512, 517, 540, 560, 562, 568, 464, 470. In addition 12 semester hours of electives must be taken. Core Foundations Courses and electives must be chosen in consultation with the advisor. Electives may include courses outside of Psychology.
Degree Candidacy
Students must file for Degree Candidacy after completing 15 hours of the required course work (Foundations in Research and/or Core Foundations in Psychology courses). This typically occurs after the first academic year of study. Students must have at least a 3.2 GPA in the required courses. Students falling below the 3.2 GPA may repeat up to 9 hours. Failure to achieve 3.2 after repeating 9 hours will result in termination from the program. Forms to apply for Degree Candidacy are available from the Graduate Coordinator, or on the The Graduate School web page.