James Paulson, Graduate Program Director
The master’s program in psychology offers a course of study leading to the Master of Science in general psychology. The master’s degree program is appropriate for individuals wishing to gain additional research experience prior to enrolling in a psychology doctoral program at Old Dominion University or another university or for those individuals who are seeking the master’s as a terminal degree. The curriculum is designed to provide a strong background in statistics, research methods, and general psychology so that the student will have a wide range of choices for future professional education and development. The master’s degree is not a licensing or practicing degree.
The master’s program uses a mentor-model, such that an applicant is admitted based on the recommendation of a faculty member who is interested in mentoring that applicant. In addition to reasonable GRE scores and GPAs, successful applicants have research interests and/or experiences that coincide with their mentor. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants explicitly identify the desired mentor(s) whose research program best fits with their career goals in their application. Applicants are also encouraged to contact potential mentors prior to applying.
Once admitted, graduate students are expected to work closely with members of the faculty and to participate in the research and other professional activities that are available within the department. Faculty are involved in research in the general areas of clinical, health, developmental, human factors, organizational, personnel, and community psychology. Individual faculty research interests can be found on the ODU Psychology Department website.
Admission
To qualify for admission, a candidate must meet the general university admission requirements. In addition, applicants are highly encouraged to meet the following preferred minimum qualifications:
- The applicant should have taken at least five undergraduate psychology courses, including undergraduate courses in psychological statistics and psychological research methods.
- The applicant should submit official scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (applicants who do not have a bachelor’s degree in psychology should also take the advanced psychology GRE test).
- The applicant should submit transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work.
- The applicant should submit a copy of their curriculum vitae or academic resume.
- The applicant should submit a brief statement outlining their personal goals, academic objectives, and research interests, with attention to how these interests are compatible with identified faculty research.
- The applicant should request that three letters of reference be submitted on their behalf, at least two of which are from former college or university faculty.
All credentials in support of applications should be sent to the Office of Admissions or uploaded into the Office of Admissions website.
Curriculum Requirements
To qualify for the Master of Science in psychology, a student must meet the following requirements:
- The student must maintain a B average (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in a minimum of 36 hours of course work.
- The student is required to successfully complete a core of courses established by the faculty with at least a B (3.00) average in these courses. Core courses consist of a sequence of 11 hours in research tools coursework (PSYC 713, PSYC 727, and PSYC 728) and a 6 hours of supervised research (PSYC 698 and PSYC 699) that culminates in the Thesis.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| PSYC/CPSY 713 | Research Methods in Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC/CPSY 727 | Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design | 4 |
| PSYC/CPSY 728 | Regressional and Correlational Design | 4 |
| PSYC/CPSY 698 | Research in Psychology | 3 |
| PSYC/CPSY 699 | Thesis | 1-3 |
| 6 |
| Developmental Psychology | |
| Psychopathology | |
| Human Cognition | |
| Sensation and Perception | |
| Advanced Social Psychology | |
| Organizational Psychology | |
| Personnel Psychology | |
| |
| Total Credit Hours | 34-36 |
Electives
Other relevant courses
Courses that are not listed but are relevant to the student’s goals may be used to fulfill the requirements for the degree as approved by the student’s advisor. Courses that are taken outside the Psychology Department to be used to fulfill degree requirements need to be approved by the master’s graduate program director.
- In addition to core courses, students are required to complete an additional 13 hours of coursework (electives); therefore, students are required to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours for the degree. Elective courses should be selected after consultation with the student’s academic advisor in order to support that student’s learning and research objectives. Students enrolled in the Master’s program may not enroll in 800-level courses without instructor permission.
- Prior to beginning thesis research, the student will submit a request to the graduate program director to form a thesis committee. The student will identify two members of the committee and the graduate program director will appoint the third member. When the student has completed the research, a written thesis must be submitted to the thesis committee. Completion of the thesis depends on acceptance of the thesis by the thesis committee and the graduate program director, as well as passing an oral exam in a public defense of the thesis.
Additional Requirements
To maintain their standing in the program students must demonstrate progress toward completing degree requirements, i.e., enrollment and satisfactory performance in courses during the fall and spring semesters. Students who have completed all course work and are working on their thesis must register for PSYC 998 (one credit) in fall and spring semesters continuously until graduation. The graduate catalog requires students who are using university resources or consulting with faculty to be registered for a minimum of one credit. Students who fail to register for one credit may be terminated from the program in at the end of the semester in which they failed to register.
If students have not completed their thesis by the end of their third year, they must submit a plan to their advisor and the graduate program director outlining target dates for completing the various elements of the thesis. Students may be terminated from the program if they fail to meet their target dates.
Students will not be allowed to validate courses that are older than eight years. They must retake the course(s), or complete an alternative course that meets the current requirements, that have exceeded the eight-year limit.
