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The program includes a core curriculum required of all students, and an elective curriculum tailored to student interests and training needs. In a typical course of study, students complete the core credit hours during their first year, along with beginning research work. Students select elective courses in their second year and continue to participate in research work. Not all courses are offered all years and some students might choose elective classes in their first year that will not be offered in their second year.

Department of Psychology MSPS Student Handbook

Graduate College Handbook

Typically, students select electives that are consistent with a focus area:

  • Data Analysis and Research Practices
  • Applied and General Psychology
  • Customized (a combination of courses that fit a student’s interests and goals)

Core Coursework (20 credit hours)

Core courses include graduate statistics, research methods training, and professional development.

Core Coursework (20 credit hours)

  • Psychology 500 – Professional Development for Psychology (2 credits)
  • Psychology 501 – Best Psychology Research Practices (2 credits)
  • Psychology 506 – Statistical Methods I (or approved equivalent; 4 credits)
  • Psychology 507 – Statistic Methods II (or approved equivalent; 4 credits)
  • Psychology 590 – Individual Research (8 credits)

Elective Coursework (a minimum of 12 credit hours)

Elective courses include a variety of graduate-level course offerings that are consistent with student interests.

Data Analysis & Research Practices Focus Area (12 credit hours)

Select 3 from the following course options (note - not all of these courses are offered every year): 

  • Psychology 509 - Psych Scaling Multidimensional Methods (4 credits)
  • Psychology 531 - Psych Measurement in Industry (4 credits)
  • Psychology 534 - Models of Decision and Choice (4 credits)
  • Psychology 581 - Applied Regression Analysis (4 credit)
  • Psychology 587 - Hierarchical Linear Models (4 credits)
  • Psychology 588 - Covariate Structure and Factor Models (4 credits)
  • Psychology 589 - Categorical Data in Ed/Psych (4 credits)
  • Psychology 595 - Theories of Measurement I (4 credits)
  • Psychology 596 - Theories of Measurement II (4 credits)

General/Applied Psychology Focus Area (12 credit hours)

Select 3 from the following course options (note: not all of these courses are offered every year):

  • Psychology 404 – Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychology 413 – Psychopharmacology
  • Psychology 414 – Brain, Learning and Memory
  • Psychology 417 – Neuroscience of Eating and Drinking
  • Psychology 450 – Cognitive Psychophysiology
  • Psychology 462 – How Children Think
  • Psychology 465 – Personality and Social Development
  • Psychology 504 – Theories of Attention
  • Psychology 518 – Experimental Psychology Human Learning
  • Psychology 524 – Developmental Psycholinguistics
  • Psychology 525 – Human Linguistics
  • Psychology 534 – Models of Decision and Choice
  • Psychology 537 – Development and Psychopathology
  • Psychology 546 – Practicum Classes such as Couples Therapy, Autism or Mindfulness
  • Psychology 551 - Theory in Social Psych
  • Psychology 553 - Foundations of Organizational Behavior
  • Psychology 593 – Graduate Seminar (topics vary by year based on faculty availability and interest)

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all coursework, and all coursework must be taken for a grade if available (students may not elect to take courses credit/no-credit). 

Please contact psych-grad@illinois.edu for additional information.

This web page is only for informational purposes. Official program requirements should be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 East Daniel Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820.