Degree Programs

The Department of Psychology at Florida Atlantic University has been designated a Program of Emphasis within the Florida State University System, providing exceptional opportunities to qualified students who are seeking careers in psychology.  Our emphasis in all graduate training is mentor-based experimental research. Our Ph.D. graduate program in psychology was the first in the Arts and Sciences area to be awarded at Florida Atlantic University, and our graduate students have obtained postdoctoral positions and tenure-track faculty appointments at major universities across the country.


Degree Program Forms

 

The Ph.D. Program

Florida Atlantic University offers a Ph.D. graduate degree in psychology. The program has a strong scientific/experimental emphasis in traditional areas of psychology including cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, and Behavioral Neuroscience, neuroscience, and the brain sciences. The range of interests and the productivity of our faculty provide students with broad graduate research training, encouraging them to develop expertise in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality and social psychology, and Behavioral Neuroscience, neuroscience, and the brain sciences.

Graduate students seeking the Ph.D. degree can specialize in the following research areas of our faculty:

The Department of Psychology at FAU has no Clinical or Counseling Psychology training program.

The Ph.D. graduate program requires 80 semester hours of coursework beyond the bachelors degree, in addition to a comprehensive examination and a completed dissertation research project.  Ph.D. graduate students are accepted on a full-time basis and are expected to finish degree work in 4-5 years.


When using the FACTS on-line application, please note that the Ph.D. program in Psychology may be listed under "E" for "Experimental Psychology".

 

The M.A. Program

The department of Psychology also offers a Master of Arts degree in General-Experimental Psychology, providing graduate students with a solid foundation for doctoral studies in all areas of psychology. Graduates of our MA Program  have pursued a variety of doctoral specialties in psychology, including clinical psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology,  experimental psychology, organization/industrial psychology, personality theory, Behavioral Neuroscience, neuroscience and neuropsychology. In recent years, over 95% of the students who have successfully completed our M.A. program have been accepted into Ph.D.-granting institutions, and, in almost every case, with advanced standing and financial aid.

The M.A. graduate training program also is mentor-based, and provides training for students with career interests in all areas of psychology. This means that M.A. students will work directly with a specific faculty member during training, and the number of M.A. students accepted during any year depends on the ability of faculty to accept new M.A. students.

The M.A. program requires 31 semester hours of coursework beyond the  bachelors degree, in addition to a completed masters thesis. M.A. students are accepted on a full-time basis and are expected to finish degree work in 2-3 years.


The Department of Psychology at FAU does not offer graduate studies in Clinical or Counseling Psychology, but rather we offer basic experimental training that is necessary for students seeking admission to applied Ph.D. programs.



 

Application Information

Graduate Admission Requirements

Graduate training begins during the Fall Semester (Students are not usually admitted mid-year), and students are considered full-time. Applicants for graduate studies must have received, or be candidates for, a baccalaureate degree from an approved college or university. All graduate applicants must meet each of the following requirements:

  • GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Quantitative-Verbal combined score of 1100 or higher on the general aptitude exam.


  •   Average GREs for Ph.D. Applicants in recent years are about 1260


  • 3.0 GPA (B average) or higher during the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework.


  • Average GPAs for Ph.D. Applicants in recent years are about 3.6


  • Three letters of recommendation must be sent by persons who are familiar with the applicant's potential for graduate study in psychology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applications

The application deadline for the Ph.D. program is January 15th of each year. The application deadline for the M.A. program is May 1st of each year.  Applicants may apply for either the M.A. or Ph.D. program. However applicants admitted to the Ph.D. program will usually have a strong record of achievement that is higher than the minimum requirements.

  • If you would like to submit an online application for graduate studies at our department use our on-line form.

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  • If you would like to mail in your application for graduate studies at our department, you can either have a copy of the application sent to you by mail by contacting us at one of the addresses listed below, or else you can download our application in pdf format. To view this pdf file you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader® software. This software is free and you can download it from Adobe.


  • Students who are submitting an application to the department must also submit a separate application to the university. You can download the university application using FAU's application.


  • International students will receive financial and other information from the university after submitting applications.

To request additional information about the Graduate Training Program, write us at:

Department of Psychology
Graduate Training Program
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991

Or, send us an e-mail.


The Department of Psychology promotes diversity in graduate and professional training, and makes admissions decisions without using preferences based on race, national origin, or gender."



 

Graduate Handbook

Florida Atlantic University
Department of Psychology - Graduate Policy

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY offers two graduate degrees in psychology: the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy. The M.A. Program is designed to prepare students for doctoral work  in all  areas of psychology.  The Ph.D. program has areas of  emphasis in  cognitive  psychology,  developmental  psychology,  social  and personality psychology, and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Descriptions of the requirements for the graduate programs in the Psychology Department can be found in the university catalog. An electronic copy of the 2009-2010 catalog is posted online and can be downloaded from the FAU website at: http://www.fau.edu/academic/registrar/09-10_catalog/University_Catalog.htm

Click “Colleges.” Under colleges click “program descriptions.” Under program descriptions click “Science.” Under science click “Psychology.”

Additionally, the FAU Student Handbook can be found here: http://www.fau.edu/handbook/





 

Graduate Resources