Program Overview

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Experimental Psychology Master of Science Degree

Overview

The experimental psychology master's degree is a broad and flexible program that provides a solid stepping-stone into careers in experimental psychology or further study in psychology. A choice of tracks–in experimental psychology or engineering psychology–allows you to customize the program around your career goals and aspirations.

Why Study Experimental Psychology at RIT?

• STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.
• Customize Your Program: Choose between two dynamic tracks: experimental psychology or engineering psychology.
• Flexible Options to Complete Your Degree: Choose between a thesis or capstone project to earn your master's in experimental psychology.
• Preparation for Advanced Study: Receive a strong foundation in human factors and/or experimental psychology to prepare you for further studies if desired.

What is Experimental Psychology?

In experimental psychology, you are trained to apply scientific methods to basic psychological processes in perception, brain and behavior relationships, thinking, memory, learning, social interactions, human development, and related areas. RIT's master's in experimental psychology builds on the strengths of faculty research and student interests in experimental psychology broadly defined. The experimental psychology graduate program, as a whole, provides a foundation for further advanced academic study in human factors and/or experimental psychology.

Master's in Experimental Psychology Courses

The experimental psychology degree includes core courses, elective courses, and a thesis. It also offers two tracks to choose from: experimental psychology and engineering psychology.

• Experimental Psychology Track: The experimental psychology track embraces the application of the scientific method to the study of behavior. Faculty are experts in a variety of fields including addiction, attention, cognition, development, evolutionary psychology, forensic psychology, perception, psychopathology, and social psychology, among others.
• Engineering Psychology Track: The engineering psychology track examines human capabilities to sense, perceive, store, and process information and how these human factors impact interactions with technology. This knowledge is applied to the design, use, and maintenance of human-machine systems. Courses emphasize the role of human behavior and performance in both simple and complex human-machine systems. You are trained in both research methods of experimental psychology and the application of the results to contemporary problems in industry. This track prepares you to function as an effective engineering psychologist in industrial, governmental, or consulting organizations.

Careers and Experiential Learning

• Typical Job Titles:
  • Research Associate
  • User Experience Researcher
  • Data Analyst
  • Human Factors Researcher
  • Lab Director Specialist
• Cooperative Education and Internships: What makes an RIT education exceptional? It’s the ability to complete relevant, hands-on career experience. At the graduate level, and paired with an advanced degree, cooperative education and internships give you the unparalleled credentials that truly set you apart. Learn more about graduate co-op and how it provides you with the career experience employers look for in their next top hires.

Curriculum

Experimental Psychology, MS degree, typical course sequence

• First Year:
  • PSYC-640: Graduate Statistics
  • PSYC-751: Graduate Research Seminar
  • Choose one of the following:
    • PSYC-752: Thesis Proposal (Thesis Option)
    • Specialized PSYC Elective (Non-Thesis Option)
  • PSYC Elective
  • Institute Electives
• Second Year:
  • Choose one of the following:
    • PSYC-753: Thesis (Thesis Option)
    • PSYC-754: Graduate Psychology Capstone (Non-Thesis Option)
  • PSYC Elective
  • Institute Elective

PSYC Electives

• PSYC-681: Natural Language Processing I
• PSYC-682: Natural Language Processing II
• PSYC-684: Graduate Speech Processing
• PSYC-711: Graduate Biopsychology
• PSYC-712: Graduate Cognition
• PSYC-713: Graduate Development Psychology
• PSYC-715: Graduate Perception
• PSYC-716: Graduate Social Psychology
• PSYC-717: Advanced Graduate Statistics
• PSYC-718: Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
• PSYC-719: Human Factors in Artificial Intelligence
• PSYC-757: Graduate Special Topics in Psychology
• PSYC-798: Advanced Research in Psychology

Institute Electives

• BIOL-673: Marine Biology
• BIOL-675: Advanced Conservation Biology
• COGS-600: Foundations in Research
• COGS-610: Laboratory Methods
• COGS-621: Foundations of Scientific Computing
• COGS-711: Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science
• COGS-760: Foundations of Cognitive Modeling
• COGS-761: Graduate Psycholinguistics
• COGS-762: Animal Cognition
• HCIN-600: Research Methods
• HCIN-610: Foundations of Human-Computer Interaction
• HCIN-620: Information and Interaction Design
• HCIN-630: Usability Testing
• HCIN-661: Interactive Courseware
• HCIN-700: Current Topics in HCI
• HCIN-705: Topics in HCI for Biomedical Informatics
• HCIN-715: Agent-based and Cognitive Modeling
• HCIN-720: Prototyping Wearable and Internet of Things Devices
• HCIN-722: Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile, Wearable, and Ubiquitous Devices
• HCIN-730: User-Centered Design Methods
• HCIN-735: Collaboration, Technology, and the Human Experience
• HRDE-711: Program Evaluation and Design
• ISEE-730: Data-Driven Human Biomechanics
• ISEE-731: Advanced Topics in Human Factors and Ergonomics
• ISEE-732: Systems Safety Engineering
• MATH-655: Biostatistics
• MKTG-761: Marketing Concepts and Commercialization
• MSSE-704: Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Learners with Special Educational Needs
• PSYC-631: Cognitive Assessment
• PSYC-632: Social-Emotional Assessment
• PSYC-650: Applied Behavior Analysis
• PSYC-720: Advanced Consultation
• PSYC-721: Academic Intervention
• PSYC-723: Systems and Organizational Interventions
• STAT-611: Statistical Software
• STAT-641: Applied Linear Models - Regression
• STAT-642: Applied Linear Models- ANOVA
• STAT-756: Multivariate Analysis
• STAT-775: Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials
• STSO-621: Graduate Biodiversity and Society

Admissions and Financial Aid

• Offered: Full-time, Part-time
• Admit Term(s): Fall, Spring
• Application Deadline: Fall - February 15 priority deadline, rolling thereafter; Spring - rolling
• STEM Designated: Yes (Full-time), No (Part-time)

Application Details

• Complete an online graduate application.
• Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
• Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) is recommended.
• Satisfy prerequisite requirements and/or complete bridge courses prior to starting program coursework.
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Submit a personal statement of educational objectives.
• Submit two letters of recommendation.
• Entrance exam requirements: None
• Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic), if required.

Cost and Financial Aid

An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns. Graduate tuition varies by degree, the number of credits taken per semester, and delivery method. View the general cost of attendance or estimate the cost of your graduate degree.

Faculty

• Joseph Baschnagel
• Tina Sutton

Research

Faculty in the department of psychology focus their research on a wide variety of topics across the discipline. They work closely with students to pursue their research and advise on thesis work. Learn more by exploring our psychology research areas.

Facilities

• Family Health and Justice Lab, a CPSI CoLAB
• Child Study Center and Social Development Lab
• Computational Linguistics and Speech Processing (CLaSP) lab

Events

• Donuts with the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts (August 29, September 25, October 24)

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