Degree Title: Master of Science

Program Name and Number: Psychological Science – MS4103

Department: Psychology

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall/Spring/Summer

Program Mission: The mission of the master’s program in Psychological Science is to offer an outstanding and distinctive graduate education that prepares students for careers in academic and other professional settings and that produces graduates who have gained knowledge about a substantive area of psychology, who have the quantitative and methodological expertise to conduct rigorous, cutting-edge research, and who have demonstrated their research skills through the completion of a master’s thesis.

Program Learning Objectives:

• Knowledge Base in Content Area: Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in one of the substantive areas of psychology.
• Research Methods in Psychology: Students will develop strong research skills that will enable them to make original and independent contributions to the existing psychological literature.
• Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology: Students will develop the ability to critically analyze the body of scholarship comprising psychological science.
• Values in Psychology: Students will behave in a manner that reflects appropriate professional values and ethical standards.
• Communication Skills: Students will develop excellent written and oral communication skills.

Opportunities for Graduates: The MS degree prepares students for doctoral training in psychology as well as a variety of research-based professional positions, e.g., behavioral medicine, consumer research, and so on.

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/cas/psychology/

Graduation Requirements: 30 credit hours are required for the degree. At least 7 hours must be research courses, including PSY6120 (Advanced Research Methods in Psychology), PSY6950 (Thesis), and PSY6980 (Research Seminar); at least 6 hours must be quantitative courses, including PSY6111 (Intermediate Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences) and PSY6112 (Linear Regression); and at least 6 hours must be substantive courses in Psychology, excluding courses that satisfy the research and quantitative components for the master’s degree as well as PSY6930 (Readings in Psychology). Completion of an empirical thesis is required.

Culminating Experience: Students will complete an empirical thesis.

Admission Requirements: Applicants for the MS in Psychological Science must submit a CV, a transcript, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. At least one letter must come from a faculty member who is willing to supervise the applicant’s research. Further, applicants should have (1) a bachelor’s degree or qualify for early admittance to a graduate program under Ohio University policy and (2) a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher overall and in Psychology. Students who are enrolled in one of the department’s doctoral programs are admitted directly into the doctoral program, but they may earn the MS in Psychological Science by completing the program requirements for the MS degree as part of their graduate work.