Arizona State University New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences 9 courses 36 total credits
The Master of Science degree in psychology is available in two modalities (campus or digital immersion) with different culminating experience options (thesis, applied project or capstone). Campus immersionIf you are completing a thesis or applied project as your culminating experience, you receive hands-on training through a research mentorship model. That is, you receive training in advanced research methodology and statistical analysis through rigorous coursework and by conducting research. For example, you gain experience developing research questions, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing presentations and manuscripts. You also gain firsthand exposure to grant proposal writing and are encouraged to present research findings at professional conferences and publish as co-authors in faculty-guided research. This option culminates with the completion of a thesis or applied project and is ideal if you plan to pursue doctoral work in psychology or related fields or careers that involve psychological research methods, such as marketing research, education research analysis, public policy analysis, or research project management. If you are completing a capstone in behavioral data science as your culminating experience, you receive training in the analytical, computational and theoretical skills needed to apply data science methods to behavioral research and real-world problems. Specifically, you engage in hands-on project-based learning through rigorous coursework in research methodology, statistical modeling, programming and the communication of scientific findings. This option culminates in a capstone course that showcases your applied data science skills through a public-facing deliverable that demonstrates both conceptual understanding and technical fluency, such as a data science portfolio, technical report, or extended analysis. It's ideal if you plan to pursue careers in user experience research, health data analytics, government and nonprofit sectors, or doctoral study in psychology, cognitive science, informatics and related fields. Digital immersionThe online program modality gives you an understanding of psychological theory and empirical research findings as they relate to human behavior, cognition, emotion and attitudes. The coursework helps you learn about the various roles of psychologists in society today and discover which you might like to pursue. The online curriculum is focused on applications of knowledge gained from psychological science rather than conducting research as an explicit part of the curriculum, and you are not typically provided with hands-on research opportunities. The online program culminates with a capstone course. The campus immersion and online modalities both offer elective courses in several areas, including psychological disorders and psychopathology, affective science, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, developmental psychology, health psychology, legal psychology, physiological psychology and social psychology. This program is not designed to prepare you for clinical practice. While a stepping stone to further clinically-oriented programs, opportunities to prepare for licensure exams aren't available through this degree program.
| Required Core | 3 credits |
| Research and Statistics | 6 credits |
| Additional Coursework for Campus Immersion Students | 21-24 credits |
| Additional Coursework for Digital Immersion Students | 24 credits |
| Total Credits | 36 credits |
Required Core
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 502 | Professional Issues in Psychology | 3 |
| Total Required Core | 3 credits | |
Research and Statistics
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BDS 500 or PSY 500 | Research Methods or Research Methods | 3 |
| Total Research and Statistics | 6 credits | |
Research and Statistics - Complete one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BDS 505 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| PSY 513 | Fundamentals in Quantitative Methods | 3 |
| PSY 515 | Quantitative Analysis I | 3 |
Additional Coursework for Campus Immersion Students
Statistics and research coursework (0-12)* Foundation (0-15) Electives (9-18) *Additional statistics and research coursework selected in consultation with faculty and dependent on area of research interest and approved culminating experience
Additional Coursework for Digital Immersion Students
Foundation courses (15 hours) Electives (9 credit hours)
Culminating Experience (3 or 6 credit hours)
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 553 | Capstone in Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 593 | Applied Project | 6 |
| PSY 599 | Thesis | 6 |
Additional Curriculum Information
The MS program in psychology is delivered in person as well as online through digital immersion. Students in the online program and the Mandarin pathway will only have the option to complete a capstone course. The thesis and applied project are for in-person program students and are determined in consultation with faculty. The capstone course may be approved for in-person students.
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