Top Masters Programs in Psychology

Stanford University Department of Psychology

• The Stanford University Department of Psychology graduate program tied with the University of California, Berkeley for first place in U.S. News & World Report's rankings of top graduate-level psychology programs. Stanford does not offer a terminal master's degree in psychology, but has a coterminal master's for students in the Ph.D. program. You will have a choice of five areas of specialization: cognitive, developmental, neuroscience, affective science and social psychology. Stanford accepts 10 to 15 students into the program per year. The admission decision is based on your overall application, rather than specific course requirements. The admissions committee will look at your GPA, course history, letters of recommendation and statement of purpose in making its decision.

  Stanford University Department of Psychology
  Jordan Hall, Bldg. 420, Room 100
  450 Serra Mall
  Stanford, CA 94305-2130
  650-725-2400
  stanford.edu/

University of California, Berkeley

• The University of California at Berkeley offers a non-terminal master's degree option for students enrolled in its Ph.D. psychology program. Your second-year doctoral project can become your master's thesis. The program includes five specializations: behavioral neuroscience, change, plasticity & development, clinical science, cognition, brain & behavior and social-personality. Each of these has concentrations that you can choose to focus on. The university also encourages students to take classes outside the psychology department. It usually takes five years to complete the doctoral degree; the university discourages students from extending the time beyond six years.

  University of California, Berkeley
  Department of Psychology
  3210 Tolman Hall
  Berkeley, CA 94720
  510-642-1382
  psychology.berkeley.edu/

University of Michigan

• University of Michigan tied with three other universities for third place in U.S. News & World Report's rankings of top graduate-level psychology programs. The university's Department of Psychology only offers a master's degree if you're enrolled in the Ph.D. program and have completed 24 credits in the program, two courses within your specialization, two semesters of statistics and a thesis.

  The university offers nine areas of specialization, including biopsychology, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, education & psychology and women's studies & psychology. To be admitted into the program, you must have an overall GPA of 3.82. Typically, less than 5 percent of applicants are admitted to the program. You may include two specialization areas in your application.

  University of Michigan
  Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies
  1223 East Hall
  Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1109
  734-764-6316
  umich.edu/