Psychology

Overview

Students will:

• comprehend the discourse of psychology and communicate using the conventions of the discipline;
• be familiar with the historical context in which important theories in psychology were developed;
• develop expertise in the broad science of psychology, including advanced knowledge in research methods, statistics, biological psychology, history and systems of psychology and human learning;
• pose research questions and devise research strategies to answer them, including the use of quantitative methods;
• gather information from many sources and present persuasive arguments, learn the primary ethical principles of psychologists and recognize basic ethical issues and violations and be guided accordingly.

Master's level graduate study in psychology provides the student with advanced preparation for practice in the field or for entering doctoral-level programs in psychology.

The Master of Science in psychology is intended to prepare students to be master’s- level practitioners or to pursue further graduate study in the clinical or experimental areas. A set of core classes provides students in the program with foundational knowledge in the discipline that includes methods classes that impart research and data analysis skills.

Obtaining a Master of Science in psychology ordinarily takes two years, including summer quarter following the first year. Students are admitted to either a clinical or experimental concentration. Beyond the core classes, the clinical concentration provides additional foundational and applied courses that emphasize clinical knowledge and skills. In addition to the core courses, students in the general/experimental concentration design coursework and research experience in consultation with a faculty advisor to match the interest of the students with the expertise of the department faculty.