Along with various PhD programs, SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island in New York offers a master's degree. Designed for a full-time student to complete 30 credits in one year, the program includes traditional and general grounding in psychology. Coursework includes abnormal, social and cognitive psychology, as well as statistics and research. Informal "brown bag" seminars show the department's commitment to collaboration across different academic disciplines. The master's is designed to allow the student to proceed to further study in a variety of fields or enter the workforce upon graduation.
The USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers a master's degree in human behavior as well as a progressive degree in this same subject, where students complete requirements for a bachelor's and a master's in five years. Students with bachelor's degrees in a behavioral science field can enter the human behavior program, which has a practical focus for those hoping to enter the advertising profession. The program is also geared toward working professionals, with classes held after 4 p.m. Coursework includes group dynamics, organizational behavior and consumer psychology.
Students can approach psychology as a natural or social science in programs at American University in Washington, D.C. Master's students can pursue a general track or specialties in personality/social or behavioral/experimental. Graduate students have the opportunity to conduct research with faculty. Besides 33 credit hours needed to graduate, a student can submit a master's thesis on an original research project or, on the general track, graduate with coursework instead of a thesis. Courses include psychology as a natural science, behavior principles, research methods and child psychology.
The Psychology Master's of Science at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah is designed to prepare students for application to doctoral programs, or teaching at the community college or lower levels. It has an acceptance rate of 30 percent and admits about eight to 10 students a year. A master's degree there does not guarantee acceptance into the PhD program at the university, which BYU describes as rigorous. The master's degree at BYU is not meant as a final professional degree. Courses include data analysis, research design and learning theory.