Psychology BS / Psychology MS

Major: Psychology
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) & Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 225.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Five Years) or No Co-op

 

About the Program

The Accelerated Master of Science in Psychology (BS/MS) program provides an opportunity for select undergraduate students to complete their undergraduate education and psychology MS curriculum classes in an accelerated fashion. Through this program, potential BS/MS students may be identified when first admitted as entering freshmen psychology majors. Students may also enter as transfers or up until the spring of their junior year. 

During the course of their undergraduate study, students will need to seek out and establish a faculty member to serve as their mentor and program advisor, and with whom they wish to continue working during their graduate training and completion of their graduate thesis. 

The Accelerated Master of Science in Psychology program allows accelerated entry into graduate level courses during the student's fourth undergraduate year with planned entry into graduate school upon completion of their BS degree at the end of year four. Because students have received a “head start” by completing a structured curriculum in their senior year, their graduate coursework for the MS degree can be completed in one year post-BS. The BS/MS curriculum is designed to include a four-year undergraduate or four-year undergraduate co-op program. Students in the program cannot be enrolled in a five-year co-op. 

For more information, visit the Drexel University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences degree offering web page.

Admission Requirements

Prospective freshman criteria:
• Combined SAT score of 1300 (Quantitative and Verbal scores only)
• High school GPA of at least 3.5
• Top 10% of graduating class
• If these admission requirements are met, an additional application essay is requested via email and evaluated by the program director for final admission decisions.

Third year Psychology student criteria:
• Cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher with no grade lower than a "C" in any class
• Enrollment in a 4-year, 1 co-op or 4-year, no co-op (some exceptions may apply)
• Completion of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with a minimum score of 302 (Quantitative and Verbal scores)
• Identification of and commitment from Psychology faculty mentor to advise student’s MS research

Degree Requirements

University Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
UNIV H101The Drexel Experience1.0
UNIV H201Looking Forward: Academics and Careers1.0
College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum **
Developing Quantitative Reasoning **6.0-8.0
Introduction to Analysis I
Calculus I
Any additional MATH course OR
Symbolic Logic I
Symbolic Logic II
Engaging the Natural World **6.0-8.0
Analyzing Cultures and Histories **6.0-8.0
Understanding Society and Human Behavior **6.0-8.0
Cultivating Global Competencies **6.0-8.0
Perspectives in Diversity **3.0-4.0
Departmental Requirements
Business Elective ***4.0
COM 230Techniques of Speaking3.0
Fine Arts Elective ****3.0
General Psychology Course Requirements
PSY 111Foundations of Psychological Science for Majors I 3.0
PSY 112Foundations of Psychological Science for Majors II 3.0
Select two of the following:6.0
Developmental Psychology
Approaches to Personality
Introduction to Social Psychology
Required Psychology Courses
PSY 212Physiological Psychology3.0
PSY 240Abnormal Psychology3.0
PSY 264Statistical Methods in Psychology I3.0
PSY 265Statistical Methods in Psychology II3.0
PSY 280Psychological Research 3.0
PSY 290History and Systems of Psychology3.0
PSY 325Psychology of Learning3.0
PSY 330Cognitive Psychology3.0
PSY 360Experimental Psychology3.0
PSY 380Psychological Testing and Assessment3.0
Advanced Psychology Electives 12.0
Any non-required PSY course at the 200-level or above.
Senior Thesis Sequence ††
PSY 490Psychology Senior Thesis I4.0
PSY 491Psychology Senior Thesis II4.0
PSY 492Psychology Senior Thesis III4.0
Free Electives58.0
Psychology Master's Requirements
PSY 510Research Methods I3.0
PSY 511Research Methods II3.0
PSY 512Cognitive Psychology3.0
PSY 624Behavior Analysis3.0
PSY 680Data Analysis in Psychology I 3.0
PSY 681Data Analysis in Psychology II 3.0
PSY 682Data Analysis in Psychology III 3.0
PSY 898Master's Thesis in Psychology9.0
Additional Electives †††15.0
Total Credits225.0-236.0
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

See Core Curriculum List for a complete list of course options.

***

Any course from the following programs will count towards meeting this requirement: ACCT, BLAW, BUSN, ECON, FIN, INTB, MGMT, MIS, MKTG, ORGB, SMT, and STAT 

****

Any course from the following programs will count towards meeting this requirement ARTH, DANC, MUSC, PHTO, THTR, and VSST.

Students with AP psychology, or transfer students with PSY 101 credit, should check the AP Student Placement Exam Crosswalk or check with their advisor.

††

Students who do not wish to complete the senior thesis sequence are required to complete an additional 12.0 credits of advanced Psychology electives at the 200 level or above

Students are required to complete all undergraduate credit requirements by end of the fourth year.

†††

Electives can be any graduate Psychology (PSY) course. Other graduate courses outside of Psychology might be taken pending approval from the graduate advisor or program director. 

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

4 + 1 (5 years), 1 coop

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ENGL 101
Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research
or English Composition I
3.0
MATH 101
Introduction to Analysis I
or Calculus I
4.0
PSY 111 Foundations of Psychological Science for Majors I 3.0
UNIV H101 The Drexel Experience 1.0
(UG) Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
 Credits14-15
Winter
CIVC 101 Introduction to Civic Engagement 1.0
ENGL 102
Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing
or English Composition II
3.0
PSY 112 Foundations of Psychological Science for Majors II 0.0,3.0
PSY 120
Developmental Psychology
or Approaches to Personality
or Introduction to Social Psychology
3.0
(UG) Developing Quantitative Reasoning 3.0-4.0
(UG) Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
 Credits13-18
Spring
COOP 101 Career Management and Professional Development * 1.0
ENGL 103
Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres
or English Composition III
3.0
PSY 120
Developmental Psychology
or Approaches to Personality
or Introduction to Social Psychology
3.0
PSY 240 Abnormal Psychology 3.0
UNIV H201 Looking Forward: Academics and Careers 1.0
(UG) Cultivating Global Competencies 3.0-4.0
(UG) Fine Arts Elective 3.0
 Credits17-18
Summer
VACATION  
 Credits0
Second Year
Fall
PSY 264 Statistical Methods in Psychology I 3.0
PSY 290 History and Systems of Psychology 3.0
(UG) Analyzing Cultures and Histories 3.0-4.0
(UG) Cultivating Global Competencies 3.0-4.0
(UG) Understanding Society and Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
 Credits15-18
Winter
COM 230 Techniques of Speaking 3.0
PSY 265 Statistical Methods in Psychology II 3.0
PSY 330 Cognitive Psychology 3.0
(UG) Free Elective 3.0-4.0
(UG) Perspectives in Diversity 3.0-4.0
 Credits15-17
Spring
PSY 212 Physiological Psychology 3.0
PSY 280 Psychological Research 3.0
PSY 360 Experimental Psychology 3.0
(UG) Business Elective 4.0
(UG) Psychology Elective 3.0
 Credits16
Summer
PSY 325 Psychology of Learning 3.0
PSY 380 Psychological Testing and Assessment 3.0
(UG) Psychology Elective 3.0
(UG) Understanding Society and Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
(UG) Free Elective 3.0
 Credits15-16
Third Year
Fall
(UG) Analyzing Cultures and Histories 3.0-4.0
(UG) Psychology Electives 6.0
(UG) Free Electives 6.0
 Credits15-16
Winter
(UG) Free electives 18.0
 Credits18
Spring
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Summer
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Fourth Year
Fall
PSY 490 Psychology Senior Thesis I ** 4.0
(UG) Free Electives 9.0
PSY 512 Cognitive Psychology *** 3.0
PSY 680 Data Analysis in Psychology I *** 3.0
 Credits19
Winter
PSY 491 Psychology Senior Thesis II ** 4.0
(UG) Free Electives 9.0
PSY 510 Research Methods I *** 3.0
PSY 681 Data Analysis in Psychology II *** 3.0
 Credits19
Spring
PSY 492 Psychology Senior Thesis III ** 4.0
(UG) Free Electives 9.0
PSY 511 Research Methods II *** 3.0
PSY 682 Data Analysis in Psychology III *** 3.0
 Credits19
Summer
Student Classified as Graduate Status  
 Credits0
Fifth Year
Fall
PSY 898 Master's Thesis in Psychology 3.0
(GR) Psychology Master's-Level Electives 6.0
 Credits9
Winter
PSY 624 Behavior Analysis 3.0
PSY 898 Master's Thesis in Psychology 3.0
(GR) Psychology Master's-Level Elective 3.0
 Credits9
Spring
PSY 898 Master's Thesis in Psychology 3.0
(GR) Psychology Master's-Level Electives 6.0
 Credits9
 Total Credits222-236
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

**

Students who do not wish to complete the senior thesis sequence are required to complete an additional 12.0 credits of advanced Psychology electives at the 200 level or above

BS/MS students are advised against taking senior thesis credits. Because students complete a master's thesis while enrolled in the BS/MS program, it is not feasible to also complete a senior thesis/research project. Consult with your advisor if you have any questions.

***

Graduate-level credits for master's program may not count toward any part of the bachelor's degree requirements.