Department of Psychology

Masters Program in General Psychology

General Information about the Masters Program in Psychology

  1. The University of Missouri-St. Louis offers a flexible program of studies leading to a terminal Master of Arts Degree in General Psychology. There is no option available in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. Study emphasis is possible in the basic areas of either Behavioral Neuroscience (BN) or Industrial/Organizational Psychology. The MA program is a selective one to which a limited number of students may be accepted. The MA degree does not constitute a license to practice in Missouri or elsewhere as a professional psychologist. There are no clinical or counseling courses available to MA students.
  2. A total of 32 credit hours is required for the MA degree in Neuroscience, Behavior and Cognition and 45 credit hours for the MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. The course of study may be pursued on either a full-time or part-time basis. Students may, however, begin classwork only in the fall term. A student who has a full-time job should not take more than two courses in a semester. Most graduate courses are offered during the afternoons. There are no stipends to support MA students.
  3. During the first year all new students in the program must take the two semester sequence in statistics (Psychology 7421 and 7422). Students should develop, in collaboration with one of the graduate faculty advisors in the Department of Psychology a useful and compatible set of elective courses fitting in with their individual career goals and preferences. MA students take courses attended by doctoral students and/or MBA students.
  4. How to make application to the program:
    1. Write or call the Graduate Admissions Office for an application package. The telephone number is 516-5458. You may also apply by going to the Graduate Admissions Office web site

      A complete application must include:

      i. The names and addresses of three present or former college teachers who have agreed to write in support of your application. Evaluation sheets and return envelopes will be included with the application package from the Graduate Admission Office, and you should give them to the referees. The referees will return them directly to the Graduate Admissions Office.

      ii. An indication of the date when you took the Graduate Record Examination (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical sections), or alternatively the date when you plan to take them. (Information about the scheduling of GREs will be included in the package you receive from the Graduate Admissions Office). Note that the GRE results must be available before a decision on any application is made. The GRE Psychology subjects tests is not mandatory for admission for the I/O or Behavioral Neuroscience programs, though it is preferred for the I/O program.

      iii. A personal statement of about 300-400 words describing very clearly your intended emphasis area, and also your reasons for wishing to pursue this course of study, and your perception of its potential relationship to your career goals and plans.

  5. The deadline for a complete application as defined above is January 15.
  • An indispensable minimal requirement for consideration of applications for regular admission to the MA program is a BA or BS degree with a grade-point average of at least 3.20 and at least 15 hours of work in psychology. A GPA of 3.20 will not, however, necessarily guarantee acceptance into the program. Unless the undergraduate work included a course in statistical methods and one on laboratory research methods in psychology in which the applicant received a minimum grade of B, the applicant will be required to undertake such coursework (without graduate credit). Applications will not be considered until all prerequisites are completed.
  • If you have further questions concerning your application, do not hesitate to call the UM- St. Louis Department of Psychology, (314) 516-5391.