The Master of Science Program in Psychological Science provides graduate level training in psychological theories and research methods. The Psychology Department offers an accelerated terminal Master of Science degree, with both non-thesis (course-based) and thesis tracks. In addition, all students who enter the Psychology PhD program without a Master’s degree are required to complete a Master of Science degree en route to the PhD. 

Required graduate courses include courses in core areas of psychology (e.g., social psychology), quantitative methods, and other approved courses to provide depth and breadth. All students completing a Master’s degree must earn 30 credit hours. The specific requirements depend on whether students are completing (1) the Thesis Track as part of the 4+1 MS Program (for Tulane Alumni only), (2) the Non-Thesis (Course-Based) Track as part of the 4+1 MS Program (Tulane and Xavier Alumni only), (3) the Accelerated (1.5-Year) Non-Thesis (Course-Based) Track for External Applicants, or (4) a MS Thesis en route to the PhD. 

Thesis Track for 4+1 Students (Tulane Alumni Only)

General Curriculum:

• 30 graduate credits consisting of 8 graduate courses (24 credits) + empirical master's thesis (3 credits of graded PSYC 6610 Adv Studies In Psych (1-3 c.h.) first semester of +1 year and 3 credits of graded PSYC 9980 Masters Research (0 to 3 c.h.) second semester of +1 year)
• PSYC 6090 Univariate I (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6110 Psyc Appl Univar Stat II (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6230 Professional Issues for MS Students (3 c.h.) 
• At least 3 credits in core courses (eligible courses include PSYC 7000-7090: PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.); PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.); PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.); PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.); PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.))
• No more than 3 credits from graduate courses outside of Psychology (*must be approved by the Department of Psychology’s MS Education Committee)
• No more than 3 credits in a Psychology independent study or special topics graduate course
• Prospectus meeting (Held before October 1 for students entering in August and February 15 for students entering in January)
• Successful Master’s thesis defense (Held before April 15 for May degree, August 5 for August degree, and December 5 for December degree)

Notes:

• Students are strongly encouraged to take two 6000-level PSYC graduate courses during their senior year.

Other Requirements:

• Tulane students electing to pursue the thesis track must have initiated research as undergraduate students and identified a specific area of interest. (Note: Students are encouraged to develop a master’s thesis topic that is a continuation or extension of their undergraduate honors thesis or independent study research.)
• An assistant, associate, or full professor in Tulane’s Department of Psychology must commit to thesis supervision prior to admission.
• All courses counting towards the 30 credits must have a B- or higher grade. Grades below a B- do not count towards the degree.
• The minimum grade point average calculated over the 30 credits counted toward the degree must be greater than 3.0.
• No more than 6 credits can count towards both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degree.
• No more than 6 credits taken as an overload during undergraduate studies can count toward the Master’s degree.
• Completion of the Department of Psychology MS Program Exit Survey is required.
• Application for degree and submission of degree fees to the School of Science and Engineering is required.
• Submission of thesis to the School of Science & Engineering is required.

Non-Thesis (Course Based) Track for 4+1 Students (Tulane and Xavier Alumni)

General Curriculum:

• 30 graduate credits (10 graduate courses)
• PSYC 6090 Univariate I (3 c.h.))
• PSYC 6110 Psyc Appl Univar Stat II (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6230 Professional Issues for MS Students (3 c.h.) 
• At least 3 credits in social, cultural, or developmental psychology (PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.); PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.); PSYC 7150 Advanced Adolescent Psyc (3 c.h.); PSYC 7160 Children of Color (3 c.h.); PSYC 7170 Intergroup Relations (3 c.h.))
• At least 3 credits in biological underpinnings of behavior (PSYC 6060 Behavioral Endocrinology (3 c.h.); PSYC 6330 Neurobiol Learn & Memory (3 c.h.); PSYC 6530 Psychopharmacology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.); PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.); PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.))
• At least 6 credits in core courses (eligible courses include PSYC 7000-7090: PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.); PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.); PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.); PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.); PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.))
• No more than 3 credits from courses outside of Psychology (*must be approved by the Department of Psychology’s MS Education Committee)
• No more than 3 credits in a Psychology independent study or special topics graduate course

Notes:

• Students are strongly encouraged to take two 6000+-level PSYC graduate courses during their senior year.
• Some courses fulfill multiple requirements (e.g., PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.) meets the requirement of one core course, but it also satisfies the social, cultural, and developmental psychology distribution requirement).

Other requirements:

• All courses counting towards the 30 credits must have a B- or higher grade. Grades below a B- do not count towards the degree.
• The minimum grade point average calculated over the 30 credits counted toward the degree must be greater than 3.0.
• No more than 6 credits can count towards both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degree.
• No more than 6 credits taken as an overload during undergraduate studies can count toward the Master’s degree.
• Completion of the Department of Psychology MS Program Exit Survey is required.
• Application for degree and submission of degree fees to the School of Science and Engineering is required.

Accelerated (1.5-Year) Non-Thesis (Course-Based) Track for External Applicants

External Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements to be Eligible to Apply:

• Baccalaureate degree in psychology from an accredited university (Note: The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of accrediting agencies it recognizes)
• Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 or higher
• A letter grade of B or higher earned in an undergraduate psychology statistics course

General Curriculum:

• 30 graduate credits in Psychology (10 graduate courses)
• PSYC 6230 Professional Issues for MS Students (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6090 Univariate I (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6110 Univariate Statistics II
• At least 6 credits in core courses (eligible courses include PSYC 7000-7090: PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.);PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.); PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.); PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.); PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.); PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.))
• At least 3 credits in the biological underpinnings of behavior (PSYC 6060 Behavioral Endocrinology (3 c.h.); PSYC 6330 Neurobiol Learn & Memory (3 c.h.); PSYC 6530 Psychopharmacology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.); PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.); PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.))
• At least 3 credits in social, cultural, and developmental psychology (PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.); PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.); PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.); PSYC 7150 Advanced Adolescent Psyc (3 c.h.); PSYC 7160 Children of Color (3 c.h.); PSYC 7170 Intergroup Relations (3 c.h.))
• No more than 3 credits from graduate courses outside of Psychology (*must be approved by the Department of Psychology’s MS Education Committee)
• No more than 3 credits in a Psychology independent study or special topics graduate course

Notes:

• Some courses fulfill multiple requirements (e.g., PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.) meets the requirement of one core course, but it also satisfies the social, cultural, and developmental psychology distribution requirement).

Other Requirements:

• All courses counting towards the 30 credits must have a B- or higher grade. Grades below a B- do not count towards the degree.
• The minimum grade point average calculated over the 30 credits counted toward the degree must be greater than 3.0. 
• Completion of the Department of Psychology MS Program Exit Survey is required. 
• Application for degree and submission of fees to the School of Science and Engineering is required

Thesis en route to the PhD General Curriculum

• 30 graduate credits in Psychology, inclusive of:
  • PSYC 6090 Univariate I (3 c.h.)
  • PSYC 6110 Psyc Appl Univar Stat II (3 c.h.)
  • At least 3 credits in core courses (eligible courses: PSYC 7000-7090)
  • PSYC 7230 Professional Issues (3 c.h.)
  • Up to 21 credits from elective courses (can include PSYC 9990)
• Empirical Master's thesis, inclusive of:
  • Prospectus meeting
  • Successful Master's thesis defense

Other Requirements:

• All courses counting towards the 30 credits must have a B- or higher grade. Grades below a B- do not count towards the degree.
• The minimum grade point average calculated over the 30 credits counted toward the degree must be greater than 3.0.
• Application for degree and submission of degree fees to the School of Science & Engineering.
• Submission of thesis to the School of Science & Engineering.

Appendix

Eligible classes for social/cultural/developmental psychology and biological underpinnings of behavior general curriculum requirement:

Social, Cultural, and Developmental Psychology

• PSYC 7000 Social Psychology (3 c.h.) 
• PSYC 7010 Personality (3 c.h.) 
• PSYC 7020 Developmental Psychology (3 c.h.) 
• PSYC 7070 Culture and Cognition (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 7150 Advanced Adolescent Psyc (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 7160 Children of Color (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 7170 Intergroup Relations (3 c.h.)
• Special topics by approval

Biological Underpinnings of Behavior

• PSYC 6060 Behavioral Endocrinology (3 c.h.) 
• PSYC 6330 Neurobiol Learn & Memory (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 6530 Psychopharmacology (3 c.h.) 
• PSYC 7030 Cog. Neurosc. Grad. Sem. (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 7040 Evol Models In Psych (3 c.h.)
• PSYC 7090 Physiological Psychology (3 c.h.)
• Special topics by approval

Program String & Field of Study: SEMS_GR, PSYC

For more information, contact the School of Science and Engineering.