The MA in psychology is distinguished by its emphasis on basic research and the application of research to solve practical problems in families, industry, government, and health care settings. Because of the program’s proximity to Washington D.C., students have access to many employment and continuing education opportunities in research, academia, and consulting within government, public, and private settings. 

The psychology MA offers the following concentrations:

  •     applied developmental psychology 
  •     clinical psychology
  •     cognitive and behavioral neuroscience 
  •     human factors/applied cognition 
  •     industrial/organizational psychology 

While the department does not offer a master's degree in clinical or counseling psychology, a master's degree in psychology with a concentration in clinical psychology is available for students who have been admitted to the doctoral program concentration in clinical psychology.

Admissions

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions. For information specific to the MA in psychology, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.

Provisional Admission

Students who are admitted provisionally are required to take 12 credits in psychology and earn a minimum GPA of 3.25 in those courses to qualify for removal of the provisional qualifier. Programs may add other conditions to provisional admission. Individualized study courses cannot be used toward the 12 credits.

Policies

For policies governing all graduate degrees, see Graduate Policies.

In addition to satisfying the requirements for all master's degrees, students pursuing a master's degree in psychology must successfully complete 30-32 credits of required coursework. They complete this coursework in one of five concentrations.

A maximum of 6 credits of thesis proposal and thesis research (PSYC 798 Thesis ProposalPSYC 799 Master's Thesis) may be applied to the master's degree. A maximum of 9 credits of thesis courses (PSYC 798 Thesis ProposalPSYC 799 Master's Thesis), Directed Reading and Research (PSYC 597 Directed Reading and Research), and Practicum (PSYC 792 Psychology Practicum) may be applied to the degree.

Banner Code: LA-MA-PSYC

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 30-32

Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.

Choose one concentration and complete the requirements therein.

For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Concentration in Applied Developmental Psychology (APD)

The concentration in applied developmental psychology focuses on child development. It provides basic knowledge about normal development, skills for assessing developmental level, and techniques for planning and evaluating programs that foster optimal development. Graduates are prepared for employment at agencies concerned with educational and health programs for children, enrichment programs for infants and preschoolers, and education programs for parents.

Core Courses

PSYC 704Life-Span Development3
Select one course from the following:3
Cognitive Bases of Behavior
Biological Bases of Human Behavior
Social Bases of Behavior
Emotional Bases of Behavior
Total Credits6

Quantitative Methods 

PSYC 642General Linear Modeling I4
PSYC 643General Linear Modeling II4
Total Credits8

Developmental Specialized Content 

Select two courses from the following:6
Cognitive and Perceptual Development
Language Development
Developmental Psychopathology
Social and Emotional Development
Applied Developmental Psychology
Special Topics 1
Other developmental courses chosen with advisor approval
Total Credits6
1

When topic is Adolescent Development, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Child Development and Social Policy, Executive Function(s) Development, or developmental in content with advisor approval.

Thesis or Practicum/Research Experience

Choose either a thesis or practicum/research experience (4 credits)

Thesis Option

The thesis includes a combination of PSYC 798 Thesis Proposal/PSYC 799 Master's Thesis. Per the University Catalog, at least 3 hours must be PSYC 799 Master's Thesis; these 3 hours must be taken the first semester in which PSYC 799 Master's Thesis is registered. Thus, this is generally a combination of 1 credit of PSYC 798 Thesis Proposal and 3 of PSYC 799 Master's Thesis.

Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in PSYC 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment. See Academic Policies.

Select 4 credits from the following:4
Thesis Proposal
Master's Thesis (minimum of 3 credits)
Total Credits4
Practicum Option
Select 4 credits from the following:4
Psychology Practicum (take 3 credits)
Directed Reading and Research (take 1 credit)
Total Credits4

Professional Seminar

Two credits of 12
Seminar in Professional Psychology
Total Credits2
1

Students should take 1 credit in fall and 1 credit in spring of their first year.

Electives

Select 4 credits in consultation with your advisor4
Total Credits4

Students complete the 30 credits required for this degree through additional coursework, including courses not listed above, within or outside the department, with prior approval of the graduate advisor.

Concentration in Clinical Psychology (CLN)

The clinical psychology concentration trains students to have flexibility to fill the evolving functions of clinical psychologists, including research, direct provision of clinical services, supervision, program development and evaluation, and consultation.

The clinical psychology MA concentration is not a terminal degree. Students who have been admitted to the doctoral program with a concentration in clinical psychology may apply to receive the MA in psychology on completion of 31 credits of coursework. Students must also be in good standing in the program, as determined by the director of clinical training.

Foundation Courses

PSYC 810Psychological Assessment I4
PSYC 811Psychological Assessment II4
PSYC 822Scientific Foundations of Clinical Psychology I3
PSYC 864Foundations of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy3
Total Credits14

Practicum Courses 

PSYC 861Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth3
PSYC 862Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults3
Total Credits6

Advanced Statistics and Research Methods 

PSYC 644Methods for Social Research3
PSYC 642General Linear Modeling I4
PSYC 643General Linear Modeling II4
Total Credits11

Concentration in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience (CBNR)

The concentration in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience focuses on studying biological substrates of behavior. Core and affiliated faculty study areas as diverse as neural control of behavioral development; animal models of learning and memory and their disorders (such as Alzheimer's); human brain systems involved in cognition, perception, human error, decision making, and movement; the relation of neural activity to human performance; and cognitive aging. A focus of the program is on translational neuroscience-complementary study of neural systems in humans and animals, including application of animal research to human behavior.

Specialized Content

PSYC 531Mammalian Neurobiology3
or NEUR 603 Mammalian Neuroanatomy
PSYC 558Neuronal Bases of Learning and Memory3
or PSYC 685 Cognitive Neuroscience
Total Credits6

Additional Course 

Select one course from the following:3
Neuroimaging
Behavioral Chemistry
Total Credits3

Quantitative Methods 

PSYC 642General Linear Modeling I4
PSYC 643General Linear Modeling II4
Total Credits8

Electives

Students complete the 30 credits required for the degree through additional credits of coursework, including courses not listed above within or outside the department, with prior approval of the graduate advisor. 

Some options for fulfilling this requirement:

PSYC 592 Special Topics 
PSYC 892 Special Topics in Psychology
NEUR 602 Cellular Neuroscience
NEUR 689 Topics in Neuroscience
BIOL 585 Eukaryotic Cell Biology Laboratory
BIOS 740 Laboratory Methods in Functional Genomics and Biotechnology

Practicum, Research or Thesis

Students may choose to do either a 6 credit Psychology Practicum, a 6 credit research experience or a thesis. All options require at least 6 credits total. Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in PSYC 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment. See Academic Policies.

Psychology Practicum Option
PSYC 792Psychology Practicum6
Psychology Research Option
PSYC 597Directed Reading and Research6
Thesis Option 
Select 6 credits from the following:6
Thesis Proposal
Master's Thesis (minimum of 3 credits)

Concentration in Human Factors/Applied Cognition (HF)

The human factors/applied cognition concentration trains students in the application of cognitive science to real-world problems. Students gain expertise in such areas as human/computer interaction, cognitive system engineering, cognitive ergonomics, and transportation. Faculty members help place students who do not have real-world experience in a part- or full-time practicum before completing the degree.

Core Course

PSYC 701Cognitive Bases of Behavior3
or PSYC 768 Advanced Topics in Cognitive Science
Total Credits3

Quantitative Methods 

PSYC 642General Linear Modeling I4
PSYC 643General Linear Modeling II4
Total Credits8

Specialized Content

PSYC 530Cognitive Engineering: Cognitive Science Applied to Human Factors3
PSYC 645Research Methods in Human Factors and Applied Cognition3
Total Credits6

Additional Courses

Select two courses from the following: 16
Seminar in Human Factors and Applied Cognition
Advanced Topics in Cognitive Science
Total Credits6
1

These courses may be repeated.

Electives

Students complete the 30 credits required for this degree through additional coursework, including courses not listed above, within or outside the department, with prior approval of the graduate advisor.0-7
Total Credits0-7

Optional Practicum

Students need an advisor's approval to register for practicum.

Six credits of6
Practicum in Applied Psychology
Total Credits6

Optional Thesis 

Students need the chair's approval to register for thesis. Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in PSYC 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment. See Academic Policies.

Select 6 credits from the following:6
Thesis Proposal
Master's Thesis
Total Credits6

Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (IO)

The industrial/organizational psychology concentration trains students in the conduct and application of psychological research in work settings. Expertise can be developed in a variety of areas, including personnel selection, training, leadership, motivation, and human performance assessment.

Statistics

Select at least 11 credits of the following:11
General Linear Modeling I
General Linear Modeling II
Psychometric Methods
Evaluative Research in Psychology
Total Credits11

Survey of Content 

PSYC 636Survey of Industrial-Organizational Psychology3
Total Credits3

 Specialized Content

Select at least four courses from the following:12
Organizational Change and Development
Industrial and Personnel Testing and Evaluation
Training: Psychological Contributions to Theory, Design, and Evaluation
Techniques in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Behavior in Small Groups and Teams
Personality: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches
Social Bases of Behavior
Issues in Personnel Psychology
Psychology of Work Motivation
Careers
Behavior and Performance at Work
IO Psychology and Legal Issues in Employment Discrimination
Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Other graduate courses with permission of I/O faculty
Total Credits12

Professional Development

Select at least 3 credits from the following:3
Practicum in Applied Psychology
Special Topics in Psychology 1
Total Credits3

Electives 

Students complete the 32 credits required for the degree through additional coursework, including courses not listed above, within or outside the department, with prior approval of the graduate advisor. These courses are typically within statistics or specialized content.

Optional Thesis

Students need the chair's approval to register for thesis. Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in PSYC 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment. See Academic Policies.

Select 6 credits from the following:6
Thesis Proposal
Master's Thesis
Total Credits6

Psychology, BA or BS/Psychology, Accelerated MA (Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration)

Overview

Highly qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA/BS in Psychology and an MA in Psychology, with a concentration in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits.

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.

Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6. Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies. For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.

Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits, and completion of 12 hours of psychology coursework including one of the following combinations of courses:

PSYC 300 Statistics in Psychology
PSYC 372 Biopsychology

OR

PSYC 300 Statistics in Psychology
PSYC 375 Brain and Sensory Processes and PSYC 376 Brain and Behavior

Students are strongly encouraged to have obtained previous research lab experience and to have one reference letter from the faculty member who will serve as their advisor.

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits.

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:

  • Minimum overall GPA of 3.25
  • Minimum grade of B in each advanced standing course
  • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits) with a minimum grade of B in each
PSYC 531Mammalian Neurobiology3
PSYC 558Neuronal Bases of Learning and Memory3
PSYC 555Neuroimaging3
PSYC 559Behavioral Chemistry3
PSYC 592Special Topics 11-6
Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
PSYC 531Mammalian Neurobiology3
PSYC 558Neuronal Bases of Learning and Memory3
PSYC 555Neuroimaging3
PSYC 559Behavioral Chemistry3
PSYC 592Special Topics 11-6
PSYC 642General Linear Modeling I4
1

When topic is Animal Behavior, Biological Bases of Alzheimer's Disease, Human Brain Stimulation, Cognitive Electrophysiology or Comparative Cognition. Can be repeated if topic differs.

For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7.Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.

Program Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to summarize and critically evaluate theoretical and empirical literature within a relevant domain of psychology.
  2. Students will be able to effectively analyze a set of data to answer questions relevant to solving important practical problems in science, policy, and/or practice.
  3. Students will be able to communicate psychological knowledge in their area of specialization to a variety of audiences.
  4. Students will understand ethical principles of discipline and act in an ethical manner with respect to research and practice.