There are several training programs available to students interested in graduate studies in Psychological and Brain Sciences, including: behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognition and cognitive neuroscience, developmental science, and social psychology.
Outside of the Fast Track Master's Program in the behavioral neuroscience area, all students admitted to a departmental graduate program are required to earn a master’s degree based on a master’s thesis research project on route to a PhD; however, the expected terminal degree is the PhD, as is the case for most psychology departments across the United States. (Occasionally, students are awarded a terminal master’s degree based on their graduate performance.)
Upon completion of the master’s degree, students must successfully pass their respective program's comprehensive examination and all departmental requirements; before submitting a dissertation proposal. Because the department has five relatively autonomous graduate programs, please use the links on this page to learn more about your options for graduate studies at UMass.