Major: Psychology
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0 (MS)
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 42.2799
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-3031; 19-3032; 19-3039
About the Program
The Master of Science degree in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences, is ideal for students interested in pursuing graduate education in scientific psychology and research methods. It is designed for students interested in advanced education in scientific psychology in order to obtain further educational or career opportunities.
The program is an opportunity for students to take their first step into graduate education and to begin a path toward further educational and career opportunities. These opportunities may include further graduate-level training leading to a PhD, a career in research, or other educational and administrative opportunities. The curriculum is focused on providing training in a range of research experiences in the neurocognitive and behavioral sciences. In addition to coursework, students are required to complete a minimum of eight hours per week with a research mentor in laboratory activities. These activities culminate with the successful completion of a thesis project.
Additional Information
For more information, visit the website of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the general University requirements for admission including a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants to the graduate program in Psychology are not required to submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general tests. Only applications for full-time status are considered.
Various factors are considered in choosing students. These include background in psychology, undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) GPA, a personal essay, and letters of recommendation.
Additional Information
For more information on how to apply, visit Drexel's Admissions Requirements for Psychology website.
Degree Requirements
The general requirements for earning the MS degree in Psychology are as follows:
- Completion of all required coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 with no grade lower than a B in any required (non-elective) course and no more than two course grades of C or lower
- Successful completion of a minimum of 45.0 course credits. Students take required courses and select additional electives.
- Successful completion of required research laboratory hours (8 hours per week for 2 years)
- Completion of a thesis
Program Requirements
| PSY 510 | Research Methods I | 3.0 |
| PSY 511 | Research Methods II | 3.0 |
| PSY 512 | Cognitive Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSY 624 | Behavior Analysis | 3.0 |
| PSY 680 | Data Analysis in Psychology I | 3.0 |
| PSY 681 | Data Analysis in Psychology II | 3.0 |
| PSY 682 | Data Analysis in Psychology III | 3.0 |
| PSY 898 | Master's Thesis in Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSY 898 | Master's Thesis in Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSY 898 | Master's Thesis in Psychology | 3.0 |
| * | 15.0 |
| Total Credits | 45.0 |
Additional Information
For more information on specific requirements, consult the Master of Science in Psychology website.
Facilities
Computers
Computer resources for student use include more than 20 personal computers (IBM, Macintosh) available in the library and 10 IBM PCs available in the computer laboratory. Both facilities are near the department. In both locations, word processing and biostatistics software is available.
By using computers from their homes or in the library, students have free access to e-mail and a wide array of online services (e.g., the Internet, World Wide Web, and literature databases such as PsychLit and Medline).
Library
Psychology books and journals are located at the Moore Campus Library on Henry Avenue, Queen Lane Library on the Queen Lane Campus, and the W. W. Hagerty Library on the University City Campus. The combined holdings represent one of the best psychology libraries on the East Coast.
Equipment
Testing equipment for classroom instruction is available to psychology graduate students. The program also has videotape and audiotape equipment available for classroom instruction and research activities.
Psychology Faculty
Meghan Butryn, PhD (Drexel University). Professor. Treatment and prevention of obesity and eating disorders, behavioral treatment, acceptance and commitment therapy.
Dorothy Charbonnier, PhD (State University of New York at Stony Brook). Associate Teaching Professor. The nature of the creative process and writing.
Evangelia Chrysikou, PhD (Temple University) Director, PhD Program in Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Associate Professor. Cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, neural basis of language, memory, and executive functions, neurocognitive processes associated with problem solving and flexible thought
Brian Daly, PhD (Loyola University, Chicago) Department Head. Associate Professor. Pediatric neuropsychology, intervention with at-risk youth.
David DeMatteo, PhD, JD (MCP Hahnemann University; Villanova University School of Law) Director of the JD-PhD Program in Law and Psychology. Professor. Psychopathy, forensic mental health assessment, drug policy; offender diversion.
Evan M. Forman, PhD (University of Rochester) Director WELL Center. Professor. Clinical psychology: mechanisms and measurement of psychotherapy outcome, cognitive-behavioral and acceptance based psychotherapies, the development and evaluation of acceptance-based interventions for health behavior change (for problems of obesity and cardiac disease) as well as mood and anxiety disorders; neurocognition of eating.
Pamela Geller, PhD (Kent State University) Director, Clinical Training. Associate Professor. Stressful life events and physical and mental health outcomes, particularly in the area of women's reproductive health (e.g. pregnancy, pregnancy loss, infertility, medical education).
Maureen Gibney, PsyD (Widener University). Teaching Professor. Clinical psychopathology; neuropsychological evaluation and intervention with the elderly.
Naomi Goldstein, PhD (University of Massachusetts) Co-Director of the JD-PhD Program; Stoneleigh Foundation Fellow. Professor. Forensic psychology; juvenile justice; Miranda rights comprehension; false confessions; juvenile justice treatment outcome research; anger management intervention development; child and adolescent behavior problems.
Kirk Heilbrun, PhD (University of Texas at Austin). Professor. Forensic psychology, juvenile and adult criminality, violence risk assessment, forensic psychological assessment, treatment of mentally disordered offenders, academic-sports mentoring.
Adrienne Juarascio, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Professor. Enhancing treatment outcomes for eating disorders and obesity; Acceptance-based behavioral treatments; Evaluating mechanisms of action in behavioral treatments
Marlin Killen, PhD (Trident University International). Teaching Professor. Authentic teaching methods in Psychology as well as student persistence behavior.
John Kounios, PhD (University of Michigan) Director, PhD Program in Applied Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Professor. Cognitive neuroscience, especially creativity, problem solving, and cognitive enhancement.
Aaron Kucyi, PhD (York University). Assistant Professor. Brain networks, mental health, spontaneous thought, attention, experience sampling, fMRI, intracranial EEG.
Michael Lowe, PhD (Boston College). Professor. Prevention and treatment of eating disorders and obesity; effects of appetitive responsiveness and dietary restraint on eating regulation; psychobiology of obesity-proneness; empirical foundations of unconscious processes.
Stephanie Manasse, PhD (Drexel University) Director, MS and Accelerated BS/MS in Psychology Programs. Assistant Professor. Novel treatments for adolescents and adults with eating disorders, Momentary drivers of binge eating, Self-regulation, Ecological momentary assessment.
John Medaglia, PhD (The Pennsylvania State University). Associate Professor. Applying models and methods developed in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience and graph theory to understand and treat brain dysfunction and enhance healthy functioning
Megan Meyer, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Teaching Professor. Influences on preferred body type; changes in body image, self-esteem, and self-efficacy in females as a function of strength training; Sensation and Perception
Danette Morrison, PhD (University of Maryland - College Park). Associate Teaching Professor. Social and academic motivation within school context; Social relationships and identity development; Educational attainment of ethnic minorities
Arthur Nezu, PhD, DHLL, ABPP (State University of New York at Stony Brook). Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, Professor of Medicine, Professor of Community Health and Prevention. Behavioral medicine applications of problem-solving therapy and other cognitive-behavior therapies (e.g., to decrease emotional and psychosocial risk factors; improve adherence), particularly with regard to patients with cardiovascular disease; assessment.
Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD (Fairleigh Dickinson University). Professor of Psychology, Professor of Medicine. Cognitive-behavioral assessment and treatment for mood, anxiety, personality disorders, and coping with chronic illness; mind/body studies; stress and coping; developmental disabilities and comorbid behavioral and emotional disorders; spirituality and psychology.
Nancy Raitano Lee, PhD (University of Denver). Associate Professor. Neuropsychological and neuroanatomic correlates of intellectual and developmental disabilities; Verbal memory and language difficulties in Down syndrome and other genetic disorders; Comorbid autism spectrum disorder symptoms in youth with genetic disorders; Neuroanatomic correlates of individual differences in typical and atypical cognition
Diana Robins, PhD (University of Connecticut) Director, AJ Drexel Autism Institute. Professor. Autism screening, early detection of autism
Leeland Loew Rogers, PhD (University of Delaware). Assistant Teaching Professor. Incidental learning, statistical learning, attention.
Ludo Scheffer, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) Director of Undergraduate Studies. Teaching Professor. Meta-cognitive development, writing, and computers; Language and literacy development in the early years in the context of family and schooling; Youth-at-risk; School violence and bullying; Program/intervention effectiveness
Maria Schultheis, PhD (Drexel University). Professor. Clinical Neuropsychology and rehabilitation following neurological compromise (brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis), application of technologies in psychology. Specialization in the use of virtual reality (VR) simulation, and evaluation of the demands of driving after disability.
Julia Sluzenski, PhD (Temple University). Associate Teaching Professor. Spatial and episodic memory, memory loss across the lifespan, developmental psychology.
Alexa Tompary, PhD (University of New York). Assistant Professor. Neural bases of episodic memory and conceptual knowledge, systems memory consolidation theories, functional neuroimaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Fengqing (Zoe) Zhang, PhD (Northwestern University). Associate Professor. Neuroimaging data analysis; Data mining; Bayesian inference; High dimensional data analysis
Eric A Zillmer, PsyD (Florida Institute of Technology) Carl R. Pacifico Professor of Neuropsychology and the Director of Athletics. Professor. Psychological assessment (neuropsychological, cognitive, personality), psychiatric and neurological disorders, behavioral medicine, neurogerontology, mathematical modeling, sports psychology, psychology of genocide.
Emeritus Faculty
Donald Bersoff, JD, PhD (Yale University, New York University). Professor Emeritus. Law and psychology; mental health law.
Mary Spiers, PhD (University of Alabama at Birmingham). Professor Emeritus. Clinical neuropsychology and medical psychology; memory and practical applications for memory disorders in the elderly; cognitive health of women.
