The department requires that students entering the PhD program without a Master's degree earn their MA while enrolled in the PhD program.
Admissions
Students applying for graduate work in psychology must present at a minimum undergraduate courses in general psychology, statistics, and experimental psychology (or research methods). In addition, it is desirable for students to have prior coursework in a laboratory science (particularly biology), college mathematics, and in the area of their intended concentration.
Admission is competitive and is influenced by the overall quality of the applicant's record, including grades, letters of recommendation, past experience, and a match between the students' and faculty interests. The application deadline is November 15th (11:59 P.M. CST) for the clinical and experimental psychology areas. Completed applications must be received by this deadline to ensure full consideration for admission for the following term. Please remember this is a MA degree en route and this information pertains to applying to the PhD program. The Department does not offer a terminal Master's degree only the degree en route to the PhD.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
Students earn the MA degree en route to the PhD. The MA degree is awarded after 24 credit hours of coursework, 6 credit hours of thesis, and an approved completed thesis. The 24 hours of coursework may vary by focus area, but must include the following:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PY 602 | Advanced Statistics I | 3 |
| PY 603 | Advanced Statistics II | 3 |
| PY 607 | Research Methods Psych | 3 |
| Required Major Course Options | 9 | |
| PY 500-698 | ||
| Thesis Course | ||
| PY 599 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |