Accelerated MS in Psychological Sciences

The accelerated Master of Science (MS) in Psychological Sciences allows qualified current UConn undergraduates to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degree in as little as five years.

This special program is open to undergraduate students currently involved in research with a professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. It is designed for students who wish to accelerate their progress toward a research-focused career or additional graduate degree programs.

Students admitted to the accelerated MS program can get credit for some courses taken as an undergraduate. They should meet with their Psychological Sciences Faculty mentor to discuss this option at the beginning of their junior year. Completing a master’s degree within an additional year, allows them to save time and money toward their graduate education. They will also gain in-depth research training in laboratory settings and possibly get a publication – experience that will make them more competitive when applying to graduate or professional programs.

The program is highly selective and only accepts ten students per year. Applicants must submit a letter of support from a sponsoring Psychological Sciences Faculty mentor who will serve as the student’s major advisor. Interested applicants should discuss this program with their Faculty mentor prior to applying to determine whether they are a good fit for the program.

Concentration Overview

Students can choose from six areas of concentration that pair with our research programs:

See below for a list of required courses for each concentration.

Course Requirements

Students in all concentrations must complete 30 credits of graduate-level coursework.

Students can complete up to 12 of these graduate credits while pursuing their bachelor’s degree, allowing them to "double dip" and apply the credits to both their undergraduate and graduate plans of study. Undergraduate courses can only be used for either the undergraduate or graduate plan of study, not both. Prospective applicants should meet with their faculty advisor and the Undergraduate Advising Office to discuss which courses they can take as an undergraduate student.

The 30 credits must include:

  • PSYC 5104. Foundations of Research in the Psychological Sciences. Students must earn a grade of at least B- to meet department requirements for the MS. If you do not have previous statistics experience or if you need to review undergraduate statistics, you should also take STAT 1100Q on an audit basis before taking PSYC 5104.
  • Research credit requirements. Students completing a Plan A master’s plan of study (recommended) are required to take a minimum of nine credits of GRAD 5950 (Master’s Thesis Research). In circumstances where the student and their faculty advisor decide it is best to complete a Plan B master’s plan of study, the research credit requirements will be discussed directly with the advisor, program head, and student.
  • Required coursework based on the program concentrations listed below.

Plan A Requirements:

  • Minimum 21 credits of advanced coursework
  • Minimum 9 credits of Master’s thesis research (GRAD 5950)
  • Writing and oral defense of a thesis

Plan B Requirements:

  • Minimum 30 credits of advanced coursework (GRAD 5950 does not count towards this 30 credits)

Developmental Psychology Concentration

Required graduate courses, at least four from the following:

  • PSYC 5420. Cognitive Development
  • PSYC 5424/COGS 5150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Across the Lifespan
  • PSYC 5425. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSYC 5440. Development of Language
  • PSYC 5441. Language Modality
  • PSYC 5445/COGS 5140 Neurobiology of Language. Typical and Atypical Cognition and Language Development
  • PSYC 5450. Infancy & the Effects of Early Experience
  • PSYC 5460. Social & Personality Development
  • PSYC 5470. Current Topics in Developmental Psychology
  • PSYC 5470. Adversity and Resilience

Notes: PSYC 5400, Research Seminar in Developmental Psychology (1 credit), is recommended but not required. Students may use other suitable courses to fill this four-course requirement with permission from the program head.

Approved courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3300. Abnormal Child Psychology
  • PSYC 3302/W. Autism & Developmental Disorders
  • PSYC 3405. Social Development
  • PSYC 3440. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSYC 3470. Current Topics in Developmental Psychology
  • PSYC 3450W. Lab in Developmental Psychology
  • PSYC 5410. Advanced Developmental Psychology

Ecological Psychology Concentration

Required graduate courses, at least four from the following:

  • PSYC 5171. Special Topics in Cognitive Science
  • PSYC 5424. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Across the Lifespan
  • PSYC 5445. Neurobiology of Language: Typical and Atypical Cognition and Language Development
  • PSYC 5513. Memory
  • PSYC 5514. The Mental Lexicon
  • PSYC 5515. Connectionist Models
  • PSYC 5516. Event Cognition
  • PSYC 5553. Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics
  • PSYC 5554. Advanced Nonlinear Dynamics for the Behavioral Sciences
  • PSYC 5564. Dynamics of Language and Cognition
  • PSYC 5567. Cognition
  • PSYC 5568. Psychology of Language
  • PSYC 5570. Current Topics in Cognitive Science
  • PSYC 5571. Sensation and Perception I
  • PSYC 5572. Sensation and Perception II
  • PSYC 5574. Control and Coordination of Action
  • PSYC 5583. Sentence and Discourse Processing

Approved undergraduate courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3500: Psychology of Language
  • PSYC 3501: Sensation & Perception
  • PSYC 3550W: Laboratory in Cognition
  • PSYC 3551W: Psycholinguistics Laboratory
  • PSYC 3552: Laboratory in Sensation and Perception

Language and Cognition Concentration

Required graduate courses, at least four from the following:

  • PSYC 5171. Special Topics in Cognitive Science
  • PSYC 5424. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Across the Lifespan
  • PSYC 5445. Neurobiology of Language: Typical and Atypical Cognition and Language Development
  • PSYC 5513. Memory
  • PSYC 5514. The Mental Lexicon
  • PSYC 5515. Connectionist Models
  • PSYC 5516. Event Cognition
  • PSYC 5553. Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics
  • PSYC 5554. Advanced Nonlinear Dynamics for the Behavioral Sciences
  • PSYC 5564. Dynamics of Language and Cognition
  • PSYC 5567. Cognition
  • PSYC 5568. Psychology of Language
  • PSYC 5570. Current Topics in Cognitive Science
  • PSYC 5571. Sensation and Perception I
  • PSYC 5572. Sensation and Perception II
  • PSYC 5574. Control and Coordination of Action
  • PSYC 5583. Sentence and Discourse Processing

Approved undergraduate courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3500. Psychology of Language
  • PSYC 3501. Sensation & Perception
  • PSYC 3550W. Laboratory in Cognition
  • PSYC 3551W. Psycholinguistics Laboratory
  • PSYC 3552. Laboratory in Sensation and Perception

Neuroscience Concentration

Core Class (total four credits): PSYC 5200. Behavioral Neuroscience Research Seminar (must take two semesters)

Required graduate courses, at least three from the following:

  • PSYC 5107. Statistical Analysis of Neural Data
  • PSYC 5140. Foundations in Neuropsychology
  • PSYC 5150. Neurodevelopment and Plasticity
  • PSYC 5228. Neuropsychopharmacology
  • PSYC 5251. Neural Foundations of Learning and Memory
  • PSYC 5270. Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience
  • PSYC 5285. Neurobiology of Aging: Changes in Cognitive Processes

Approved undergraduate courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3501. Sensation & Perception
  • PSYC 3250W. Laboratory in Animal Behavior and Learning
  • PSYC 3251. Laboratory in Physiological Psychology
  • PSYC 3252. Drugs and Behavior Laboratory
  • PSYC 3253. Sensory Neuroscience Laboratory
  • PSYC 3270. Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience

Social Psychology Concentration

Core Classes (six credits):

  • PSYC 5701. Experimental Social Psychology
  • PSYC 5703. Advanced Social Psychology

Required graduate courses, at least two from the following:

  • PSYC 6782. Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • PSYC 5770. Current Topics in Social Psychology: Self and Identity
  • PSYC 6750. The Social Psychology of Stigma
  • PSYC 6732. Attitude Organization and Change
  • PSYC 6733. Social Cognition

Approved undergraduate courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3102. Psychology of Women
  • PSYC 3105. Health Psychology
  • PSYC 3106. Black Psychology
  • PSYC 3750. Laboratory in Social Psychology

Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology Concentration

Core courses (nine credits):

  • PSYC 5123. Occupational Health Psychology
  • PSYC 5614. Personnel Psychology
  • PSYC 5615. Human Factors

Required graduate courses, at least one from the following:

  • PSYC 5105. Foundations of Research in the Psychological Sciences II
  • PSYC 5611. Work Motivation
  • PSYC 5612. Leadership in the Workplace
  • PSYC 5613. Organizational Psychology
  • PSYC 5616. Human Judgment and Decision Processes
  • PSYC 5617. Occupational Health and Safety
  • PSYC 5619. Performance Appraisal
  • PSYC 5620. Design and Analysis of Human-Machine Systems
  • PSYC 5670. Current Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • PSYC 5671. Special Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • PSYC 5701. Experimental Social Psychology

Approved undergraduate courses not used in the undergraduate plan of study (six credits maximum):

  • PSYC 3101. Psychological Testing
  • PSYC 3600. Social-Organizational Psychology
  • PSYC 3601. Human Factors Design
  • PSYC 3644. Occupational Health Psychology
  • PSYC 3620. Current Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • COMM 3110. Organizational Communication
  • BADM 3740. Managerial and Interpersonal Behavior
  • WGGS 3264. Gender in the Workplace

Graduation Requirements

The Graduate School offers two types of master’s programs: Plan A (Thesis) and Plan B (Non-Thesis). While this decision is up to the discretion of the student’s faculty advisor and the head of their concentration, it is typical that students in the accelerated MS program complete a Plan A (Thesis). This plan consists of a minimum of 21 credits of content course work and a minimum of nine credits of GRAD 5950 (Master’s Thesis Research).

For more information about the difference between Plan A and Plan B tracks, visit the Office of the Registrar’s website.

Admissions

Application Requirements

Current UConn undergraduates should meet with their Psychological Sciences Faculty mentor to discuss this option at the beginning of their junior year, and apply to the program in their senior year. Prospective applicants should already have experience conducting research with a psychological sciences faculty member. To apply, students must submit with their application a letter of support from a sponsoring faculty member who is willing to serve as the student’s major advisor throughout the program.

Once they have discussed their intent to apply with their sponsoring faculty member, prospective applicants must apply for admission to the program using the Graduate School's online application system. Applicants are required to submit the following materials:

  • A letter of support from a sponsoring psychological sciences faculty member.
  • Two other letters of recommendation.
  • A personal statement.
  • A resume.
  • A writing sample.
  • Transcripts from each college/university attended with a GPA of at least 3.0.

Application Deadlines

The deadline to apply for the accelerated MS program depends on the applicant’s area of concentration. Visit our Graduate Admissions page for a complete list of application deadlines.

Contact Us

For questions about the accelerated Master of Science in Psychological Sciences, please contact the Graduate Admissions office at psychgrad@uconn.edu.