2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/psychology-ms/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/

for the Master of Science in Psychology

This degree is not designed to prepare a student for a professional position. As part of the doctoral program, students must earn the Master of Science in Psychology degree or submit a master's-level research report to the department.

Graduate Degree Programs in Psychology

• Psychology, MS
• Psychological Science, MS
• Psychology, PhD
• optional concentrations:
• Developmental Psychopathology
• Ecological Community Psychology
• Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education

The Department of Psychology offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Doctor of Philosophy programs are offered in the following areas of psychology:

• Attention & Perception
• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Clinical-Community
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cognitive
• Developmental
• Industrial-Organizational
• Quantitative
• Social-Personality

An optional Master of Science in Psychology degree is awarded to students in the doctoral program as an intermediate degree.

Admission

The Graduate College admission requirements apply for all programs. All candidates for admission must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (or B) on a 4.0 scale in courses representing the last 60 hours of work completed for the bachelor’s degree. The candidate for admission to the graduate program should ordinarily have the following preparation: a minimum of 15 semester hours in psychology, a laboratory research methods course in psychology, and a course in statistics. Departmental committees also consider letters of recommendation.  Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for application to the Industrial-Organizational and Quantitative areas, but optional for all others. Preference is given to students who have taken mathematics beyond college algebra and to those who have some research experience. Applications for admission to part-time study are usually not approved. Students are accepted only for fall admission. For deadlines and additional application information, please visit the department's website.

In addition to the aforementioned criteria, applicants are evaluated on their supporting documents, career goals, career promise, and research interests. Substantial additional weight is given to the quality and extent of prior research and other relevant experience.

All applicants whose native language is not English or who are from any country other than the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand (even if they are native English speakers) are required by the University to submit the results of an English language proficiency test. The university will accept the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to determine admission eligibility.

• The minimum total TOEFL iBT score for admission (including all four sections): 79
• Minimum total TOEFL iBT score for exemption from the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) for admission (including all four sections): 103
• Minimum total IELTS score for admission: 6.5, including a minimum subscore of 6 on all four modules. Students receiving scores below 7 will be required to take the EPT for placement in English as Second Language courses.

In addition to the general requirement for English proficiency testing described above, the University of Illinois is also required by state law and University policy to give teaching appointments only to international graduate students who have more specifically passed an English language SPEAKING proficiency test. Applicants have the following options to satisfy this requirement:

• Minimum score of 24 on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT
• Minimum score of 8 on the speaking section of the IELTS
• Minimum score of 3 on the OEAI (Oral English Assessment Interview).  This option is only available for current University of Illinois students.

International applicants to the Ph.D. program must present documentation for one of the above-listed tests of spoken English at the time of application to the Psychology Department. The teaching English proficiency requirements do not apply to the M.S. in Psychological Science applicants.

Refer to our department website (Graduate Program) for additional information about the Department of Psychology's admission requirements.

Graduate Teaching Experience

The department requires Ph.D. candidates to gain teaching experience as part of their academic work. Such experience is considered a vital part of the graduate program and usually takes the form of a teaching assistantship. Students have the option of teaching two class sections (50% TA) for one semester or one class section (25% TA) for two semesters in order to meet the requirement.

Faculty Research Interests

The program is designed to prepare students for academic and research-oriented careers. Students become actively involved in research during their first semester, devoting an increasing percent of time toward independent research throughout their graduate careers.

For the most part, we view graduate education as an apprenticeship. Our task is to provide an environment where mature young scholars can gain experience in research as they collaborate with faculty and with other graduate students. The program encourages interdisciplinary study both within psychology and between psychology and other fields. Faculty research interests can be viewed here.

Facilities and Resources

Students have everything they need, including personal office space and full access to research, library, and computing services, as well as to a large pool of research participants. The excellent cooperation between program areas in the department and with other units in the University provides access to expertise and methodology in a variety of areas including but not limited to:

• the Psychological Services Center
• the Counseling Center
• the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
• the Center for the Study of Reading
• the Institute of Communications Research
• the School of Labor and Employee Relations
• the Family Resiliency Program
• the Neuroscience Program
• the Institute for Genomic Biology
• the Departments of Computer Science
• Educational Psychology
• Linguistics
• Molecular and Cellular Biology and Statistics
• the Colleges of Law and Medicine

Financial Aid

Students generally complete the doctoral degree in 4-6 years, and the Psychology Department makes financial support available to all Ph.D. students in good standing for up to 6 years. The University application form and supplemental application materials provide all the information that is required by the committees administering various funding sources, which include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships.

The M.S. in Psychological Science program is self-supporting. The program does not accept non-statutory tuition waivers, and students enrolled in this program are ineligible to hold waiver-generating appointments.

for the Master of Science in Psychology

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.

Thesis Option

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | PSYC 599 | Thesis Research | 0 to 8 | | Prescribed graduate hours of graduate work in selected area | | 26 - 32 | | Total Hours | | 32 |

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements

Non-Thesis Option

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | PSYC 590 | Individual Research | 0 to 8 | | Prescribed graduate hours of graduate work in selected area | | 26 - 32 | | Total Hours | | 32 |

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements

for the Master of Science in Psychology

Students will:

1. Have the requisite knowledge to conduct independent research in academic and/or applied settings, including:
2. Knowledge of research methodology appropriate to a specific area of study
3. Knowledge of data analytic techniques
4. Knowledge of a specific area of study within the field of psychology
5. Have effective written communication skills to disseminate research and scholarship and/or pursue funding opportunities.
6. Have effective oral communication skills to disseminate research and scholarship (e.g., as instructors, as conference presenters)
7. Have the knowledge to adhere to professional standards and expectations. Specifically, this learning outcome will attend to the degree to which students:
8. Develop the knowledge and skills to engage diversity and inclusion in psychological science (as researchers, teachers, practitioners when applicable, and mentors)
9. Develop the knowledge and skills to engage in ethical research and practice (when applicable)
10. Develop the knowledge and skills to remain abreast of “cutting edge” issues in their respective program areas (e.g., replicability)

for the Master of Science in Psychology

Department of Psychology

Head of Department: Diane Beck\ Director of Graduate Studies: Cynthia Fisher\ Director of Admissions Committee: Ashley Ramm\ Department of Psychology website\ Psychology faculty\ 309 Psychology Building, 603 East Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820\ (217) 333-2169\ Psych-Grad@illinois.edu

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences website

Admissions

Overview of Grad College Admissions & Requirements