Psychology (M.A.)

The M.A. Psychology is only available as part of the accelerated B.A./M.A. program and thus not open for admission to students outside of UNH.

The Department of Psychology offers an accelerated B.A to M.A in experimental psychology that can be accomplished in a total of 5 years.  The basic goal of the program is the development of behavioral scientists who have a broad knowledge of psychology and can carry out sound research in an area of specialization. Although some students seek employment outside academia, the program is oriented toward developing the skills required by the research psychologist who intends to seek admission to a Ph.D. program. Students who wish to apply to this program should submit a complete graduate application to the graduate school during the fall or spring of the student's third year. As well, they should arrange to work with a particular faculty member who will serve as a preceptor for the Paper of Publishable Quality - Thesis project.

Areas in which the student may specialize are brain, behavior and cognition; developmental psychology; or social psychology/personality. The department does not offer training in clinical or counseling psychology.

The first step toward applying to the program is to contact a faculty member whose research is in a topic that matches your interest in order to arrange support for your thesis or paper of publishable quality. Interested students must submit a full graduate application to the graduate school during their junior year.

For additional information, please contact the department at 603-862-2360 or at psychology.dept@unh.edu.

Degree Requirements

The M.A. requires a minimum of 30 graduate credits to include: 

Note: Most students complete the master’s research project in the form of a PPQ. Those selecting the thesis option should note that the thesis deadlines for the final oral and submission of the final thesis copy are about three weeks earlier than the deadlines for the PPQ option 

The accelerated B.A. to M.A. program in experimental psychology aims to

1. improve opportunities for excellent undergraduates to prepare for competitive Ph.D. programs or add an additional credential before entering a competitive job market; and
2. allow students interested in experimental psychology to advance and further specialize their psychology education in only one additional year at UNH.

The MA requires 30 credits. Twelve credits will count towards both the BA and MA degree. This coursework counts as electives and does not count towards the core requirements for the undergraduate psychology major. Students must fulfill all programmatic requirements for the master's degree program, as well as fulfill all programmatic requirements for their bachelor's degree.

A total of 30 graduate credits to include:

Note: Most students complete the master’s research project in the form of a PPQ. Those selecting the thesis option should note that the thesis deadlines for the final oral and submission of the final thesis copy are about three weeks earlier than the deadlines for the PPQ option

Example BA/MA Five-year program sequence:

36 credits total in this example.
Only 30 credits are required.
12 credits count both as electives for the BA (out of 36 available in the BA) and toward
the 30 required for the MA:

• Have a mastery of the field of psychology sufficient to teach introductory courses in psychology.
• Demonstrate an understanding of statistics and research design, and the ability to evaluate the quality and implications of scientific research by completing a research project (supervised by a faculty member).
• Write empirical research reports and literature reviews in American Psychological Association style.
• Demonstrate competence in oral communication and understanding of scholarly research by giving a conference style presentation.
• Assessment: Each student presents an oral defense of their Masters Thesis or paper of publishable quality.