Psychological Science FAQ

The PS program has 3 major areas of study—Cognitive/neurological psychology; social psychology; developmental psychology. Students take courses in all 3 major areas, but specialize in one area.

No. All students in our Ph.D. programs receive a Ph.D. in Psychology.

The PS program has diverse faculty who specialize in areas across the psychological sciences and who each have their own mentoring model and philosophy. However, each faculty member emphasizes developing strong critical thinking, research, and statistical skills in their mentoring methods.

Working with multiple faculty mentors is possible in consultation with the student’s primary faculty advisor. Many of the PS faculty have combined research labs or collaborations with other faculty that provide opportunities for students to learn from and work with multiple faculty.

A degree in Psychological Science prepares students for a variety of careers. Our PhD graduates find careers in a variety of academic and non-academic settings (e.g., as behavioral science and user experience researchers).

To provide both broad and in-depth training students take courses across the 3 major areas, along with rigorous training in statistics, research methods, and professional development. Students are expected to complete a research driven masters thesis, comprehensive project, and dissertation. See the Degree Requirments for details.

Yes! There are many opportunities for grad students to publish research. Our faculty see supporting peer-reviewed publications as part of the training for grad students. Students publish their research in competitive research journals and form productive collaborations with faculty and fellow students. PS students also present their research at conferences all over the nation and world.

No. However, there is a terminal Masters of Science degree in Psychology that emphasizes the psychological sciences. Although it is part of a separate degree program in the Psychology department, many of the students in that program work with faculty in our Psychological Science program.

The program has 3 years of coursework during which time the student completes their master degree. Students also complete a doctoral candidacy project and a dissertation. Although the program can be completed in 4 years, students who are interested in pursuing a career in academia typically take 5 years to take advantage of publishing, research and professional development opportunities.

Please contact our Graduate Program Assistant for more information.