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 graduate 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.

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 and research. 

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 the department quantitative methods requirement. Students may take an alternative quantitative or computational course with explicit approval of their major advisor, the Director of the Quantitative Research Methods (QRM) Certificate Program, and the Associate Head for Graduate Studies.
  • 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:

The plan emphasizes research activities and requires a minimum of 30 course credits that must include nine credits of GRAD 5950 Master's Thesis Research or GRAD 5960 Full-Time Master's Research and a minimum of 21 course content credits. Students must complete a research-based thesis, following the rules specified by the Graduate School. Students are required to pass a final oral examination on the candidate's thesis (M.S defense) not more than one year after completion of any M.S coursework.

Plan B Requirements:

This plan emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of a more general character than the Plan A (thesis) and requires a minimum of 30 content credits including at least three credits of PSYC 5800. Students are required to pass a final examination to test the adequacy of the student's mastery of content within an area of concentration not more than one year after the completion of any M.S coursework.

Developmental Psychology Concentration

Required graduate courses, at least four from the following:

  • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
  • PSYC 5420. Cognitive Development
  • PSYC 5425. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
  • PSYC 5440. Development of Language
  • PSYC 5450. Infancy & the Effects of Early Experience
  • PSYC 5460. Social & Personality Development
  • PSYC 5470. Current Topics in Developmental Psychology

Notes: PSYC 5400, Research Seminar in Developmental Psychology (1 credit), is recommended but not required. Students may use other suitable 5000 or 6000 Developmental courses to fill this four-course requirement with permission from the program head.

Ecological Psychology Concentration

Required graduate courses, five from the following six:

  • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
  • PSYC 5553. Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics
  • PSYC 5554. Advanced Nonlinear Dynamics for the Behavioral Sciences
  • PSYC 5571. Sensation and Perception I
  • PSYC 5574. Control and Coordination of Action
  • STAT 5665. Applied Multivariate Analysis
  • STAT 5825. Applied Time Series

    Language and Cognition Concentration

    Required Core Courses:

    • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
    • 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 5516. Event Cognition
    • PSYC 5517. Human Neuroimaging
    • PSYC 5518. Introduction to Programming Complex Systems
    • PSYC 5564. Dynamics of Language and Cognition
    • PSYC 5567. Cognition
    • PSYC 5568. Psychology of Language
    • PSYC 5570. Current Topics in Cognitive Science
    • PSYC 5583. Sentence and Discourse Processing

      Neuroscience Concentration

      Required Core Courses:

      • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
      • PSYC 5200. Behavioral Neuroscience Research Seminar (must take two semesters)

      Additional Content 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

        Social Psychology Concentration

        Required Core Courses:

        • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
        • PSYC 5701. Experimental Social Psychology
        • PSYC 5703. Advanced Social Psychology

        Additional Content Courses, at least two from the following:

        • PSYC 5770. Current Topics in Social Psychology
        • PSYC 6732. Attitude Organization and Change
        • PSYC 6750. The Social Psychology of Stigma
        • PSYC 6783. Tools to Analyze Language

          Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology Concentration

          Required Core Courses:

          • PSYC 5123. Occupational Health Psychology
          • PSYC 5110. First-Year Proseminar
          • PSYC 5600. Research and Practice of Industrial/Organizational Psychology
          • PSYC 5699. Research Team in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
          • PSYC 5613. Organizational Psychology
          • PSYC 5614. Personnel Psychology
          • PSYC 5615. Human Factors

          Additional Content Courses, at least one of the following:

          • PSYC 5611. Work Motivation
          • PSYC 5617. Occupational Health and Safety
          • PSYC 5670. Current Topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
          • PSYC 5701. Experimental Social Psychology

            Integrated Psychology Concentration

            Required Core Courses:

            • Please review our Course Catalog and discuss with your advisor

                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 Deadlines

                Fall 2026 deadline is July 1, 2026

                Spring 2027 deadline is Nov. 1, 2026

                Our Spring deadline only applies to students graduating in Fall semester.

                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.

                Contact Us

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