Psychology MS

Although there is no specific GPA or GRE cutoff for admission, most students admitted to the master’s degree program have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a GRE of 300 or higher. That said, applications are considered holistically, and it is possible that strengths in most parts of an application will outweigh weaknesses in another part.

The program is small, which allows for plenty of individual attention and directed training. We typically enroll 10-18 students who start in the fall semester. Classes are small, ranging from approximately six to 30 students.

In general, applicants to this program will have undergraduate backgrounds in psychology, and although students’ qualifications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, most students accepted for this program will have had the following courses:

* Introduction to Psychology
* Statistics and Research Design for Behavioral Sciences
* Developmental Psychology
* Cognitive Psychology
* Social Psychology
* Personality Psychology
* Abnormal Psychology

Students who do not have undergraduate backgrounds in psychology but wish to pursue graduate study in the master’s program in Psychology can inquire with the UT Dallas Admissions department about taking the prerequisite undergraduate psychology courses.

There are limited resources for supporting incoming master’s students. Students can apply for need-based financial assistance, including loans, grants and work-study positions, through the University’s Office of Financial Aid. Students offered work-study as part of their financial aid package will find opportunities for employment at the University, including some clerical and research positions. In addition, all non-resident students are automatically considered for a limited number of competitive scholarships that reduce the cost of nonresident tuition. Availability varies depending on the year; non-resident students will be contacted if they will receive a scholarship.

The program welcomes visitors before or after admission. We do not have a specified visitor’s day, but are always happy to answer your questions and visit with you about the program. It is always best to email the program to schedule a time to visit.

The majority (if not all) of your classes will be located at the UT Dallas main campus in Richardson. Plan accordingly when deciding on a place to live. Public transportation is often limited, but commuting by car is relatively easy and many students live in other areas of the community. Some student housing is available on the main campus in Richardson, but on-campus housing caters primarily to undergraduates. You can use online search engines to find options that fit your price range and target location.

The UT Dallas master’s degree program in psychology has between 20 and 30 full-time enrolled students. We are careful to ensure that all students have access to faculty and that we have very strong academic advising. We encourage you to talk with current students and graduates about their experiences.

The master’s program in psychology is excellent preparation for doctoral programs in psychology, which can lead to professional careers as academic, clinical, industrial and other kinds of psychologists. Our research-intensive training also prepares students for careers in research management and data analysis after graduation. This program does not provide clinical training or lead to licensure as a counselor or psychologist.

No, we do not offer a clinical or counseling master’s or PhD degree.

This depends on your goals. The master’s degree is appropriate for students interested in broad psychology training beyond the undergraduate level or to provide additional training to prepare them for applying to doctoral programs in clinical psychology and other areas of psychology. The PhD program is appropriate for students interested in careers in research and teaching and involves extensive training in research design and methodology.

Yes. Research experience is an integral part of our program. Students are expected to be actively involved in at least one research laboratory throughout the two-year training, assisting with data collection, coding, data entry and analyses, and helping to supervise undergraduate research assistants. Over the course of their time in the program, students gradually become more independent in their laboratory work. At the start of their second year, master’s students begin a focused research project (often involving the data collected with the mentor’s lab), to be analyzed and presented at a special research poster session at the end of the second year.