The five-year accelerated B.A./M.A. psychology degree program is for UNH undergraduate psychology majors who wish to gain extensive research experience as behavioral scientists in preparation for doctoral programs in psychology or applied psychology careers. You’ll develop a broad knowledge of psychology and perform research in one of three areas of specialization: brain, behavior and cognition; social/personality; and developmental psychology. Advance and further specialize your psychology education in only one additional year at UNH. This master’s degree is only available to UNH undergraduates.
As a student in the psychology master’s degree program, you’ll work closely with experienced faculty while conducting research. There are active research laboratories in all areas of the graduate program and the department has strong partnerships with such nationally recognized programs as UNH’s Child Study and Development Center and the Family Research Lab. Our graduate psychology program has been recognized by the American Psychological Association for Innovation in Graduate Education in Psychology.
The Department of Psychology also 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 accelerated B.A. to M.A. program in experimental psychology aims to
The MA requires 30 credits. Twelve credits will count towards both the BA and MA degree. These three courses count as electives and do 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.
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 Robin Scholefield at 603-862-2369 or at robin.scholefield@unh.edu.
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.
A total of 30 graduate credits to include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 805 | Research Methodology and Statistics I | 4 |
| PSYC 806 | Research Methodology and Statistics II | 4 |
| PSYC 907 | Research Methods and Statistics III | 4 |
| PSYC 894 | Advanced Research | 8 |
| or PSYC 899 | Master's Thesis | |
| A minimum of two Psychology advanced seminars | 8 | |
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
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:
| Fourth Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| PSYC 805 | Research Methodology and Statistics I | 4 |
| Advanced seminar or elective | 4 | |
| Advanced seminar or elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSYC 806 | Research Methodology and Statistics II | 4 |
| Credits | 4 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSYC 907 | Research Methods and Statistics III | 4 |
| PSYC 894 or PSYC 899 |
Advanced Research or Master's Thesis |
4 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Spring | ||
| Advanced seminar or elective | 4 | |
| Advanced Seminar or elective | 4 | |
| PSYC 899 or PSYC 894 |
Master's Thesis or Advanced Research |
4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
Application fee: $65
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: No
Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.
If you attended UNH after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester and UNH Non-Degree work.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your official transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
The GRE scores are optional, though strongly recommended. If you wish to provide scores please email the scores directly to the department once you have submitted your application online.
Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
Interview Required; applicant must communicate with preceptor prior to applying.
The Master’s in Psychology will ONLY be available for application by current UNH undergrads to the Accelerated Master’s program. Non-UNH applicants are ineligible.
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.