Program Overview

There are several graduate training programs available to students interested in graduate studies in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS), including: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Science, and Social Psychology.

Behavioral Neuroscience: All graduate training by faculty members in Behavioral Neuroscience is carried out through one of the interdepartmental graduate programs at UMass, primarily the Neuroscience and Behavior (NSB) Program. In addition, faculty train students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) and the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) Program.

Clinical Psychology: The Clinical program espouses the clinical science model of training. We prepare students for careers in clinical research. Faculty and students engage in basic and applied studies of psychopathology, development, emotion, cognition, psychotherapy, neuropsychology, and/or family systems. Students who are interested in research and academic careers will thrive in our program (in contrast, our program may not be appropriate for students interested in full-time practice with a minimal research commitment). Consistent with our clinical science model, we train all of our students to engage in evidence-based clinical practice.

Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience: A graduate program in Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience is defined by the faculty research, the training program, and the available facilities. Perhaps the most important of these is the research. A good program will strongly align with your interests. Please see the Cognition Research page to explore our labs. We encourage you to contact any of our faculty to learn more about their research and to find out how likely they are to admit new students.

Developmental Science: The Developmental Science graduate program aims to provide a multidisciplinary research and training experience that covers interacting topics including: biological, neural, perceptual, cognitive, affective/emotional, and contextual influences on development. This experience may also include advanced training in statistics and methodologies, including cognitive/affective neuroscience methods and various applied techniques.

Social Psychology: Training in Social Psychology aims to equip students with the skills to engage in research and scholarship with a focus on the interface between the individual and the social environment. In the course of their training, students acquire the conceptual and methodological tools required to do research in these areas and to teach the subject matter of social psychology at the university level. In addition to receiving basic training in social psychology, students admitted into the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program focus on research on the origins of violence between individuals, groups, and nations, and ways to promote cooperation and peaceful human relations. Peace psychology students also complete a three-credit internship to gain experience working in applied settings.

Outside of the Fast Track Master’s Program in the Behavioral Neuroscience area, all students admitted to a departmental graduate program are required to earn a master’s degree based on a master’s thesis research project on route to a PhD; however, the expected terminal degree is the PhD, as is the case for most psychology departments across the United States. (Occasionally, students are awarded a terminal master’s degree based on their graduate performance.)

The requirements for the master’s degree include a minimum of 30 credits, 21 of which must be in PBS, including 6 in statistics (see below). A minimum of 16 credits must be on a letter-graded basis. A master’s thesis must be completed, and an oral examination (based primarily on, but not limited to, the thesis) must be passed. A minimum of 1 research credit is required, and a maximum of 10 research credits (Psychology 699) are allowed toward the master’s degree. The master’s degree cannot be awarded unless a student’s cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or higher. The specific PBS programs may set additional requirements for the award of the master’s degree.

Upon completion of the master’s degree, students must successfully pass their respective program's comprehensive examination and all departmental requirements prior to advancing to doctoral candidacy. They then must complete a dissertation and all program requirements to earn the PhD degree. Additionally, the departmental core course program consists of two requirements: (a) two courses in quantitative methods, and (b) two additional courses outside of a program’s course requirements.

Quantitative Courses

All first-year graduate students are required to enroll in Psychology 640 (Statistical Inference in Psychology I) and Psychology 641 (Statistical Inference in Psychology II). Students must pass both courses with a grade of B- or higher.

Additional Courses

Students are required to complete two additional courses outside of their program’s course requirements. Each course needs to be at least 3 credits. To be selected in consultation with your advisor (and other relevant mentors), these courses can be any within or outside of your program or the department that meet your training needs. The goal of these courses is to maximize flexibility in personalized training. Some students may choose to foster breadth (either within their program or even further outside of their area of study), while others might choose greater specialization.

Because the department has five relatively autonomous graduate programs, please use the links above to learn more about your options for graduate studies at UMass. For additional information (e.g., how to apply, course offerings, FAQs), please visit the Graduate Program page on the Psychological and Brain Sciences’ website.