Master's Program
The Master's degree requires completion of 30 credits beyond the Bachelor's degree, including the requirement of four to eight credits of individual research. Part of this requirement may be accomplished in a research apprenticeship but most (or all) of it will be credits for work on your Master's research project. There is one department-wide course requirement: one semester of Quantitative Research Design and Analysis in Psychology (PSY 8l5), or the equivalent is required.
Requirement Details
Each graduate student should begin to develop and demonstrate research skills as soon as possible. Most students start either by working on an ongoing research project or by working with an individual faculty member. In some programs, a more formal research apprenticeship is offered. Normally, a Master's thesis or Master's project develops from this research involvement.
Students who enter the program with a Master's degree that includes a research thesis are considered to have demonstrated the necessary competency. Those whose Master's degree does not include such a thesis must show research proficiency in one of the following ways:
- A publication, or manuscript accepted for publication, in a reputable professional journal, or
- A major research paper, supervised by a faculty member, that receives the approval of the student's Doctoral guidance committee. A copy of the paper must be filed in the department Graduate Office after being approved. If the paper must be prepared while the student is here, credit for the work may be obtained by enrolling in PSY 890, Special Problems.
The Master's (Plan A) thesis must be approved by the student's Master's committee and the student must pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis or project.
