Psychological Research MS

About the Program

The MS in Psychological Research is designed to provide a research-intensive experience, advanced coursework, and professional development to Temple University students completing their undergraduate degree in Psychology who intend to pursue doctoral studies in any of the academic psychology disciplines. Students in the 32-credit program work with a faculty sponsor to develop and carry out a master’s project; complete graduate-level coursework in methodology, statistics, ethics and topical seminars; and engage in professional development activities that prepare them for doctoral-level studies and enhance their applications to PhD programs.

The MS in Psychological Research is separate and distinct from the PhD program offered by the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and does not lead to entrance into the Psychology PhD program. Prospective doctoral students must apply directly to the PhD program.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 2 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time study is required.

Interdisciplinary Study: The program encourages interdisciplinary coursework.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the MS program in Psychological Research gain skills that enhance their applications to doctoral programs in academic psychology. Positions for individuals with an MS in Psychological Research are also available in a number of settings, including universities, private research and consulting organizations, nonprofits and marketing.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Master’s Directed Research courses, including PSY 5791 and PSY 5891, and 8000-level courses are not open to non-matriculated students. Permission of the instructor is required for non-matriculated students to take PSY 5003 Advanced Statistics and PSY 5104 Ethics and Ethical Conflicts in Psychological Science.

Financing Opportunities: Assistantships are not available for the MS program.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1

Applications are not evaluated until after the deadline has passed.

If you are currently an undergraduate student in Psychology at Temple University, APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program. The MS program in Psychological Research is open only as an accelerated +1 program for Psychology undergraduate students at Temple University. It is expected that the program will open to non-Temple students in the future, but that time frame has not yet been determined.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with the applicant's academic competence.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree (BA, AB, or BS) in Psychology is required. Additionally, a minimum GPA of 3.5 is required in both Psychology and overall for admissions consideration. Meeting the minimum does not, however, guarantee admission.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, state your reasons for pursuing a master’s degree, current research interests, research experience, and future career goals.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Optional. Scores may be submitted if available.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 105
IELTS Academic: 7.0
PTE Academic: 72

Writing Sample: An academic writing sample must be submitted. It is used to assess the applicant's ability to complete graduate-level written work and produce a high-quality master's project paper.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 32

Required Courses:

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
PSY 5003	Advanced Statistics	3
PSY 5791	Master's Directed Research I	3
	Term Credit Hours	6
Spring
PSY 5104	Ethics and Ethical Conflicts in Psychological Science	3
PSY 5891	Master's Directed Research II	3
	Term Credit Hours	6
Year 2
Fall
PSY 8015	Teaching of Psychology	1
PSY 8016	Professional Development Seminar	2
PSY 9991	Research	4
8000-level Statistics or Methodology course		3
	Term Credit Hours	10
Spring
PSY 9991	Research	4
Elective¹		3
8000-level Topical Seminar		3
	Term Credit Hours	10
	Total Credit Hours:	32

The elective must be a graduate course at the 5000 to 8000 level, but may be taken from any school or college.

Other Requirement: MS students are exposed to a broad range of current research by attending the department’s Colloquium and TILES lecture series to hear talks by distinguished researchers from other universities. They are also required to participate in lab meetings and journal clubs, and to attend regular advising meetings to select and apply to appropriate doctoral programs. Students who postpone application to doctoral programs receive guidance for a master’s-level job search and applications.

Culminating Event:
Master's Project:
A four-course sequence of directed research immerses the student in carefully planned and executed research, culminating in a publishable paper. Throughout the sequence, students are expected to participate in and contribute to the advisor’s program of research. Activities include data analyses, literature reviews, programming experiments and/or recruitment. During the first term, students work with their advisors to develop a research proposal and analysis plan for the master’s project. A protocol is submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval. Students become familiar with the methods, measures and apparatus in the advisor’s lab. During the second term, students begin data collection for the master’s project and start work on a comprehensive literature review. The third term focuses on continued data collection, preliminary analyses, completion of the literature review, and a possible poster submission. During the fourth term, data collection, cleaning and analyses are completed, and the results are written up in an APA manuscript.

All students complete the master’s project and submit their research for publication and/or presentation at a conference. Students who do not complete the final project requirement by the end of the Spring term of Year 2 may register for additional research credits in the Summer term and submit their master's project no later than July 15 to be eligible for August graduation.