MA in Psychology
For PhD Students
The following requirements are for students admitted to one of the PhD programs, who may earn the MA on the way to completing the PhD.
Course Requirements
Each candidate must pass the course CAS MA 614 Statistical Methods II or GRS PS 711 Statistics in Psychology I and additional courses to a minimum total of 8 semester courses (32 credits), of which at least 6 must be in psychology.
For MA-Only Students
Complete information is available on our website at www.bu.edu/psych.
The program is not intended to qualify students for the independent practice of professional psychology. Advanced courses in clinical psychology are available to MA students by special permission. Successful completion of the program, however, can satisfy most of the non-clinical substantive content requirements specified by the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.
We do not require that applicants have an undergraduate major in psychology. However, applicants are required to have taken some coursework in psychology. We recommend an introductory course, a course in research methods in psychology, a course in statistics, and at least two content courses.
Degree Requirements
Candidates for the MA in Psychology must complete a minimum of eight 4-credit semester courses. Three of these courses are required: the proseminar, GRS PS 704 Contemporary Trends in Psychology; a course in quantitative methods; and a Directed Study (GRS PS 901/2), in which students work with a faculty supervisor and undertake an independent project. In addition, students must fulfill the comprehensive requirement by taking a minimum of one course from two of the four programmatic knowledge areas (please see the Graduate Student Handbook).
Directed Study
The MA program does not require a formal thesis. Instead, a Directed Study is required. This is a research apprenticeship in which students work with a faculty member on a research project. Please visit www.bu.edu/psych/faculty to view the research interests of our faculty.
Courses
- CAS PS 504 Trends in Contemporary Psychology
- CAS PS 520 Research Methods in Perception and Cognition
- CAS PS 525 Cognitive Science
- CAS PS 528 Human Brain Mapping
- CAS PS 529 Neuroplasticity
- CAS PS 530 Neural Models of Memory Function
- CAS PS 541 Social Development
- CAS PS 544 Developmental Neuropsychology
- CAS PS 546 Cognitive Development
- CAS PS 549 Developmental Psychopathology
- CAS PS 552 Topics in Family Research
- CAS PS 560 Cross-Cultural Psychology
- CAS PS 572 Psychology of Women
- GRS PS 699 Teaching of Psychology I
- GRS PS 704 Contemporary Trends in Psychology
- GRS PS 711 Statistics in Psychology I
- GRS PS 712 Statistics in Psychology II
- GRS PS 716 Psychological Research Methods
- GRS PS 732 Behavioral Medicine
- GRS PS 734 Psychopharmacology for the Behavioral Scientist
- GRS PS 735 Concepts of Motivation
- GRS PS 737 Memory Systems of the Brain
- GRS PS 747 Infant Development
- GRS PS 750 Mind and Language
- GRS PS 751 Personality Theory
- GRS PS 754 Forensic Psychology
- GRS PS 761 Major Issues in Social Psychology
- GRS PS 770 Ethics in Psychology
- GRS PS 772 Clinical Psychological Assessment of Adults
- GRS PS 773 Clinical Psychological Assessment of Children and Families
- GRS PS 774 Clinical Psychological Assessment of Adults Practicum
- GRS PS 790 Family Theory and Research
- GRS PS 791 Psychology of Social Oppression
- GRS PS 822 Visual Perception
- GRS PS 824 Cognitive Psychology
- GRS PS 825 Early Social Cognition
- GRS PS 828 Adult Language
- GRS PS 829 Principles in Neuropsychology
- GRS PS 831 Seminar in Neuropsychology
- GRS PS 832 Physiological Psychology
- GRS PS 835 Attention
- GRS PS 836 Molecules and Behavior
- GRS PS 840 Developmental Behavioral Genetics
- GRS PS 844 Theories of Development
- GRS PS 847 Atypical Development
- GRS PS 860 Child Therapy
- GRS PS 874 Seminar: Psychotherapy
- GRS PS 875 Advanced Psychopathology
- GRS PS 879 The Scientist Practitioner
- GRS PS 880 Empirically Supported Treatments of Psychological Disorders
- GRS PS 882 Empirically Supported Child and Family Treatments
- GRS PS 883 Social Anxiety: Clinical, Developmental, and Social Perspectives
- GRS PS 893 Contemporary Issues in the Psychology of the Family
Directed Study or Research
Time arranged on all Directed Study courses and practicums. Variable cr.
- GRS PS 901, 902 Directed Study in Psychology
- GRS PS 909, 910 Professional Issues in Psychological Science 1, 2
- GRS PS 951 Special Topics in Clinical Psychology
- GRS PS 973, 974 Clinical Practicum
- GRS PS 978 Laboratory and Research Practicum
- GRS PS 979/980 Clinical Internship
- GRS PS 993 Clinical Supervision of Psychotherapy
- GRS PS 994 Clinical Supervision of Psychotherapy—Practicum
Related Courses in Cognitive & Neural Systems
Descriptions for the courses listed below can be found in the course offerings for Cognitive & Neural Systems.
- CAS CN 510 Principles and Methods of Cognitive and Neural Modeling I
- CAS CN 520 Principles and Methods of Cognitive and Neural Modeling II
