Department of Psychology

Masters Program in General Psychology:

Emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience

All Application Materials are Due January 15
for Admission the Following Fall Semester!

Program of Study
The University of Missouri-St. Louis offers a program of studies leading to a Master of Arts Degree in General Psychology with a specialization in Behavioral Neuroscience.  Masters students take classes with Doctoral level students and need to have a level of preparation and qualifications comparable to doctoral students.  Thus, admission to the masters program, as to the doctoral program, is competitive and only a small proportion of applicants are admitted each year.

Students admitted to the Masters program in Behavioral Neuroscience area will receive training in one or more areas of behavioral neuroscience. The research interests of the core faculty may be found on the Behavioral Neuroscience Faculty interests page. Thus, Masters students will pursue an emphasis in an area of behavioral neuroscience that coincides with core faculty expertise.

NOTE: There is no MA level training available in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. Indeed, the MA degree does not constitute a license to practice in Missouri or elsewhere as a professional psychologist.
 

Research Facilities: To support student and faculty research programs, research facilities include a variety of facilities designed for research with animal models of learning and memory, sociosexual behaviors, neuroendocrinology, and neuropharmacology; computerized assessment of human cognition and neuropsychology; and psychophysiology labs with equipment for measuring nervous system activity including electrocardiogram, electrodermal activity, respiration, electromyogram, and electrooculogram as well as infrared video-based equipment for tracking eye movements and pupillary response.

Degree Requirements

Coursework
A total of 32 credit hours is required for the MA degree with an emphasis in the behavioral neuroscience field of experimental psychology. The course of study may be pursued on either a full-time or part-time basis although most graduate courses are offered during the early afternoon hours. MA students take courses attended by doctoral students. There is no thesis requirement for the Masters degree

Required Coursework
The following graduate seminars are currently required of all Masters students in the Behavioral Neuroscience emphasis area:

  • 7421 Quantitative Methods I (4 hours)
  • 7422 Quantitative Methods II (4 hours)
  • 5465 Seminar in Behavioral Neuroscience (3 hours)
  • 5407 Psychopharmacology (3 hours)
  • 5468 Seminar in Cognitive Psychology (3 hours)
  • 5xxx Seminar in Neuropsychological Assessment (3 hours)
  • 7483 Directed Research or 7484 Directed Reading

Other Recommended Courses

  • 4330 Hormones, the Brain & Behavior (3 hours)
  • 7403 Psychopathology (3 hours)
  • 7412 Social Psychology (3 hours)
  • 7423 Quantitative Methods III (3 hours)
  • 7429 Psychometric Theory (3 hours)

Students should develop, in collaboration with their graduate faculty advisor/mentor in the Department of Psychology, a useful and compatible set of elective courses fitting their individual career goals and preferences.

Admission Criteria
Completed applications are due to the Graduate School by January 15 for admission in the following Fall semester and should include:

  • The completed application form for admission Call Graduate Admissions, (314) 516-5458, for application kits and GRE packets; Online Graduate Admission Forms are available to apply for the MA program in General Psychology.
  • Transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work
  • General and Subject GRE scores Information about the scheduling of GREs will be included in the package you receive from the Graduate Admissions Office. Although a student may apply for admission prior to actually taking the GRE, the results must be available before a decision on an application can be made. To expedite your application, please include the date when you took (or plan to take) the Graduate Record Examination.
  • Three letters of recommendation   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.  To expedite your application, please include the names and addresses of  the three present or former college teachers who have agreed to write in support of your application.
  • A personal statement  300- 400 words outlining your interests in the field, the faculty member who you are most interested in working with, and your tentative career goals.

The contact person for the masters degree program with an emphasis in Experimental psychology is Dr. George Taylor (314) 516-5475; e-mail address is GEOT@UMSL.EDU.
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Financial Support
There is typically no departmental financial support available to Master's students, although many graduate students apply for, and receive, student loans.  Some financial assistance in the form of work-study funds and loans may be available through the University Financial Aid Office.  Many of our graduate students, particularly those with expertise and interest in biomedicine and physiology, have found part-time research positions at nearby medical schools.
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The St. Louis Area
St. Louis and surrounding suburbs have a population of approximately 2.6 million. The city has a long heritage as a river port and link between the East and the West coasts of the nation that is reflected in the cultural mix you will find here. Southern charm tempers Northeastern industrial might. Small town type neighborhoods are just minutes from football stadiums and nightclubs. To further explore St. Louis, we suggest you connect to one of the following sites:

For apartment hunters:

Many of our graduate students live in the University City/Loop area. There is also a housing area known as University Meadows which is just off campus. Other nearby areas include Clayton, Florissant, Maryland Heights and Olivette.

If you will be visiting St. Louis for interviews, we would suggest staying near the airport or in a hotel near a Metrolink station (St. Louis' light rail public transportation system). The main campus of the University of Missouri - St. Louis is located in North St. Louis County and is easily accessible by Metrolink.

Some good travel links are: