Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

Psychology, Master of Science (0469)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/psychological-sciences


Program Coordinator

Matthew C. Shake, matthew.shake@wku.edu, (270) 745-2440

This program prepares students to pursue careers in business, research, or government settings, and/or to enter a doctoral program. 

Concentration(s)

  • Industrial/Organization
  • Psychological Science

Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP)

This degree offers a Joint Undergraduate Master's Program (JUMP) which provides academically outstanding students the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in an accelerated timeframe. Contact the graduate program coordinator for additional information.

Program Admission

In addition to Graduate School admission requirements, the Department of Psychological Sciences requires

  • The Psychological Sciences Departmental Application 1
  • A 500-word personal statement describing professional interests and career goals
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • For the Psychological Sciences concentration only, applicants must identify two to three research mentors with whom they wish to work.

The following are recommended but not required for admission:

  • Completion of a statistics and research methodology course
  • A background in psychology
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 in psychology courses
  • An additional writing sample (e.g., a paper, manuscript, thesis, etc.)
  • Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) 2

All application materials should be received by March 1st for priority consideration.  An interview may be required.

1 Departmental application can be found at https://www.wku.edu/psychological-sciences/grad/admission.php

2 Admitted students who have provided GRE scores in prior years have had a median total score of 303 on the verbal and quantitative subtests, and a 4.0 on the analytical writing subtest.  However, each applicant will be evaluated individually and on a holistic basis.  Strong GRE scores may be beneficial for students looking to offset weaknesses in their application (e.g., low GPA).

Graduate School Admission

Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.

Program Requirements (37-42 hours)

The program comprises 27 - 28 hours of core courses plus specific program content that varies by concentration. A thesis based on original research conducted under the direction of a department graduate faculty member is required. A comprehensive examination is required at the time of thesis defense. A research tool is required in both concentrations.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Concentration (42 hours)

This concentration focuses on behavior in business, industry, consulting, and government organizations. Students develop proficiencies in the construction and validation of personnel selection systems, job analysis, employee compensation, criterion development, leadership, motivation theory, equal employment opportunity law, and training in business and industry. A thesis is required. Grades lower than B may not be used to satisfy requirements for courses in the industrial/organizational training sequence (PSYS 570, PSYS 571, PSYS 572, PSYS 670, and PSYS 673).

Required Courses
PSYS 510Advanced Research Methods in Psychology3
PSYS 512Analysis of Variance3
PSYS 513Correlation and Regression Analysis3
PSYS 518Statistics and Psychometric Theory3
PSYS 552Advanced Social Psychology3
or PSYS 590 Readings of Research Psychology
PSYS 570Job Analysis and Compensation3
PSYS 571Personnel Psychology3
PSYS 572Organizational Psychology3
PSYS 579Internship in Industrial-Organizational Psychology 13
PSYS 581Professional and Ethical Issues in Psychological Sciences3
PSYS 599Thesis Research/Writing6
PSYS 670Equal Employment Opportunity, the Law, and Ethical Considerations3
PSYS 673Advanced Training in Business and Industry3
Total Hours42
1

A three month internship in personnel psychology is encouraged (3 hours); 3 hours may be substituted for the internship if not internship placement can be obtained.

Psychological Science Concentration (37 Hours)

This concentration uses a research mentorship approach to prepare students to be competitive applicants for admission into a Ph.D. program and/or for positions where strong research and methodological skills are needed. In addition to 28 hours of required coursework, students must choose 9 hours of elective credits that best fit their focus area interests (under the guidance and mentorship of their advisor). A thesis is required. Applicants should refer to faculty research interests identified on the program web site and must apply specifically to work with one or more faculty members in whose research they have a particular interest. Grades lower than B may not be used to satisfy course requirements in the Research Methods and Statistics Core PSYS 510, PSYS 512, PSYS 513PSYS 518, PSYS 581, and PSYS 595. Only one "G" course may be counted toward the degree.

Required Courses
PSYS 510Advanced Research Methods in Psychology3
Choose 2 from the following:6
Analysis of Variance
Correlation and Regression Analysis
Statistics and Psychometric Theory
Choose 2 from the following:6
Advanced Child Developmental Psychology
Advanced Topics in Cognition
Advanced Social Psychology
Advanced Physiological Psychology
PSYS 581Professional and Ethical Issues in Psychological Sciences3
PSYS 595Practicum in Psychological Sciences4
PSYS 599Thesis Research/Writing6
Focus Area Electives (see below)9
Total Hours37
Focus Area Electives
Complete 9 credits from the following**:
PSYS 423GPsychology of Adult Life and Aging3
PSYS 424GTopics in Developmental Psychology3
PSYS 431GPsychology of Language3
PSYS 465GPsychopharmacology3
PSYS 512Analysis of Variance3
PSYS 513Correlation and Regression Analysis3
PSYS 518Statistics and Psychometric Theory3
PSYS 520Individual Differences and Human Diversity3
PSYS 521Advanced Child Developmental Psychology3
PSYS 530Conditioning and Learning3
PSYS 533Advanced Topics in Cognition3
PSYS 552Advanced Social Psychology3
PSYS 565Cognitive Neuroscience3
PSYS 567Advanced Physiological Psychology3
PSYS 590Readings of Research Psychology1-3
PSYS 597Trends and Scientific Approaches in Psychological Thinking1-3
PSYS 640Psychopathology3
PSYS 641Theories of Psychotherapy3
** Only one "G" course may be counted toward the degree