Master of Science in Psychology: Behavioral and Brain Sciences Emphasis

Experimental psychologists use scientific methods to explore behavior in humans and animals.

 

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There are two routes to enter the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) program: The traditional M.S. Program (see below) AND the Accelerated Bachelors to Masters (ABM) Program. The latter option (ABM) is for currently enrolled USA students who wish to to take graduate coursework during their senior year. Benefits of this program include applying graduate credits toward your undergraduate degree, allowing you to complete the BA and MS in only 5 years.

The Master of Science program in psychology includes a core curriculum designed to provide students with knowledge of current theories, principles, and methods of experimental psychology. For full-time students, two years are generally required to complete masters work. While a rare graduate course might be offered at night, it is only possible to complete degree requirements by attending classes during the day.

Students in this program will take courses that are designed to provide more extensive information in research design as well as theoretical background related to the student's thesis research. Sub-specialties may include, but are not limited to, personality and individual differences, animal cognition, developmental psychology, memory, psycholinguistics,
psychophysiology, and scholarship of teaching and learning. This training will provide students the critical background knowledge to be successful at research or to pursue a doctorate in their chosen area.

Experimental psychologists use scientific methods to explore behavior in humans and animals.

All About Experimental Psychology

Why do we behave in certain ways? What influences our behavior? How can our behavior shape our experiences throughout our lives? 

These are just a few examples of the types of questions that experimental psychologists seek to answer through basic and applied research. In a sense, all psychologists are experimental psychologists because of the discipline’s focus on a research base for all their work. However, experimental psychologists often devote their full-time professional lives to conducting and publishing research — often spending years on a specific research question. These psychologists have a passion for solving problems and exploring theoretical questions. They study a wide range of behavioral topics among humans and animals, including sensation, perception, attention, memory, cognition, emotion and more.

What You Can Do

Experimental psychologists use scientific methods to collect data and perform research. They can work in varied settings, including universities, research centers, the government and private businesses. The exact type of research an experimental psychologist performs may depend on a number of factors, including his or her educational background, interests and area of employment. Often, psychologists with training in experimental psychology contribute across subfields , using scientific research to provide insights that improve teaching and learning, create safer workplaces, and promote healthy child development, to list a few examples. 

Those who work in academia often teach psychology courses in addition to performing research and publishing their findings in psychological journals.

Making It Happen

A career as an experimental psychologist starts out with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A strong grounding in how to collect and analyze data is key to becoming an experimental psychologist.

Some people choose to work in a lab or on other research teams after earning their master’s degree. After a few years of first-hand experience, many return to school to earn a doctoral degree. 

In addition, specialty areas such as human factors psychology and industrial and organizational (IO) psychology often have a very strong research focus, and professionals who work in these areas often make experimentation and research the major focus of their careers.

What You Can Earn

According to APA’s 2015 salary survey, median annual salaries for experimental, social, and IO psychologists ranged from $85,000 to $125,000. The survey captured salary data for psychologists working in faculty positions, research positions, research administration and applied psychology. 

Helpful Resources

Division 3: Society for Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Science 
Members of APA’s Division 3 promote scientific inquiry through teaching and research, and support experimental psychology through the advocacy and educational programs.

Research in Psychology 
Explore the ins and outs of psychology research with information about research tools and methods, research ethics, publishing and funding.

Division 21: Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology 
Division 21 is at the intersection of psychology and technology. Applied experimental and engineering psychology aims at developing human-centered approaches to the design of myriad objects, machines and systems. It is a growing field with immense potential for rewarding career opportunities.


 

Please see the Behavior and Brain Sciences Student Manual (PDF) for detailed information.

Entrance Requirements

The requirements for regular admission are as follows:

  1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 on all undergraduate course work (A=4.0).
  3. Completion of at least 21 semester hours of psychology courses on the undergraduate level including at least one course in statistics and one in experimental methods.
  4. Official GRE scores are requested, but not required. Admitted students have traditionally had summed scores above 300 on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the GRE. However, each applicant will be evaluated individually and on a holistic basis. Importantly, strong GRE scores may be beneficial for students looking to offset weaknesses in their application (e.g., low GPA).

Applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular admission may be considered for provisional admission if space is available. 

Please see the Facilities and Application Procedures for more information. Inquiries regarding this program should be directed to the graduate secretary, Wanda Milliner:

Wanda Milliner
Graduate Program Secretary
wmilliner@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-6622