Accelerated Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Psychology
Accelerated BS-MS Program
The accelerated path for the BS-MS program in Psychological Science is an opportunity for exceptional UNF undergraduate students in psychology to combine program requirements for their Bachelors and Master’s programs into a period of five (5) years, rather than six (6) or more years in a non-accelerated track.
The Master of Science degree earned from the accelerated program consists of a broad based, research-oriented program intended to equip students with the critical skills and knowledge necessary for continued occupational and educational advancement in the field of psychology. The accelerated path will allow students to work in the same research laboratory for 3-4 years, which will serve students in both skill development research products.
The program consists of course work designed around a core curriculum of statistics, research design, substantive areas of psychology and a research based thesis. Students completing the program are qualified to: go on to further graduate work at universities offering a PhD in Psychology and other related areas to find employment in jobs requiring masters level expertise in applied psychology; and/or to work as evaluation research specialists in government or community agencies. Students with an M.S. in Psychology may also be competitive for further graduate study in other fields, such as law and medicine. Note that the goal of the accelerated Master’s Degree in Psychological Science is not designed to provide clinical training or licensure in clinical practice. Students seeking to work as a licensed therapist should pursue that goal through the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the Brooks College of Health.
Admission Criteria
Students must earn a 3.2 GPA in Research Methods, advanced experimental courses, and all other Psychology courses to qualify for admission to the Master’s degree in Psychology. Calculate your GPA here.
Students are required to identify a thesis mentor among the faculty in the Department of Psychology who is willing to supervise the student through the accelerated program.
Students may complete the accelerated track through the Honors in the Major Program, but are not required to do so.
GRE scores are not required for admission to the accelerated program.
Curriculum and Timeline
The combined BS-MS program consists of 148 credits, 120 for the undergraduate degree and 28 for the master’s degree. Ten hours of graduate coursework may be counted toward both degrees. Students complete the requirements for the undergraduate degree first, and then proceed through the master’s requirements, which culminate in the presentation of a written thesis. Coursework for the master’s requirement must be completed with a grade of B or better.
Students should apply for the accelerated track in the Fall of their junior year (catalog page with information regarding the application process). Students interested in the BS/MS accelerated program need to apply for the accelerated track in the Spring the year before they are scheduled to graduate, with the graduate course sequence (including thesis coursework) beginning in the Fall of their final semester in their bachelors. Students need to design their undergraduate coursework so they can graduate in December and can use 10 major elective credits in their last semester on graduate courses in the MSPS program.
Before you Apply
Prerequisites for applying to the BS/MS accelerated program include:
- SOP 3004 Social Psychology
- EXP 3604 Cognitive Psychology
- DEP 3054 Lifespan Developmental Psychology
- PSB 3002 Behavioral Neuroscience
- PSY 3911 Supervised Research
- Two advanced experimental psychology courses (e.g., EXP 3680C Experimental Cognitive Psychology, SOP 3214C Experimental Social Psychology).
How to Apply
Students seeking to pursue the accelerated BS-MS track should contact their advisor no later than the Spring of the Spring semester of their Junior year. Students must independently reach out to faculty members (typically with whom they have laboratory experience) to obtain a program/thesis sponsor. Program queries may be directed to the MSPS Graduate Program Director, Dr. Dan Richard, at psychgrad@unf.edu. Virtual information sessions are held regularly across the semester.