Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in Psychological Research (Thesis Option)

Program Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with a major in Psychological Research is designed to foster competence in the methodological foundations and conduct of psychological research across a wide variety of settings. Students will gain expertise regarding the impact of biological, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral factors on psychological phenomena. Focus is placed on learning interpersonal/research skills and statistical competencies relevant to the responsible and ethical conduct of both basic and applied psychological research.

Evaluation of Student Fitness and Performance

Members of the faculty, using their professional judgments, evaluate student fitness and performance continuously. The criteria used by the faculty to make such judgments include instructors’ observations of student performance in class or in activities related to courses. Students who are not making satisfactory progress or who are not meeting program standards should consider withdrawing from the program.

In this context, the term “satisfactory progress” refers to an academic judgment made regarding the student’s fitness and performance. It is a judgment that the student has failed to meet program standards rather than a judgment made on the basis of the student’s violation of valid rules of conduct. Disciplinary matters are referred to Dean of Student’s Office.

Student Review Process

If a faculty member believes that a student is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards, he or she should discuss the situation with the student. If the faculty member believes that the student’s performance cannot improve to acceptable standards, the faculty member should refer the student to the Program Standards Committee of the appropriate department. The Program Standards Committee consists of three faculty members appointed by the Department Chair in consultation with the department’s senior faculty.

The Committee will notify the student of the reasons that he or she is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards and will give the student an opportunity to meet with the Committee to respond and to present information and witnesses to the committee. The Committee will also meet with the faculty member who referred the student to the Committee. After considering the matter, and within ten working days of meeting with the student, the Committee will report to the student and the Department Chair. The Committee will recommend that the student either be allowed to remain in the program or be removed from the program. The committee may make other recommendations, such as placing restrictions or conditions on the student’s continuing in the program. Within ten working days of receiving the Committee’s recommendations, the student will be notified of the Department Chair’s decision (acceptance or rejection of the committee’s recommendation).

Within ten working days of receiving the Committee’s recommendation, the Chair will make a decision as to the student’s continued presence in the program. Before making the decision, the student will have the opportunity to meet with the Chair and to offer information on his/her behalf. However, the Chair need not meet with the student before making a decision if the Chair has given the student a reasonable opportunity to meet, and the student has either failed or refused to meet. The Chair will notify the student of the decision.

If the student is dissatisfied with the Chair’s decision, he or she may appeal to the Dean of the Graduate College. However, in order for an appeal to be considered, the student must submit a written notice for an appeal to the Chair and to the Dean within ten working days of receiving the Chair’s decision. The Dean will consider the matter based on information compiled by the Chair and notify the student of his or her decision within ten working days of the Dean’s receipt of the appeal from the Chair. The Dean may meet with the student and give the student an opportunity to address the issues. The Dean’s decision is final.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
• official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
• a 3.0 overall GPA or a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
• minimum 3.0 GPA in the following prerequisite courses:
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Quantitative and Statistical Methods
  • Experimental and Research Methods
• GRE not required
• research interest statement listing three faculty members in the Texas State Psychology Department whose research interests most closely match the student’s
• resume/CV including prior experience in research or clinical areas, awards, and scholarships
• statement of purpose (approximately 1–2 pages) conveying research interests, plans for graduate study, professional aspirations, and career goals. Students should indicate how their scholarly interests fit with those of specific faculty members in the Department of Psychology, as well as any relevant experience, special abilities, or skills (e.g., computer programming, fluency in another language).
• three letters of recommendation from non-related individuals familiar with the student’s scholarly work and/or relevant experience

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo Scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with a major in Psychological Research requires 38 semester credit hours, including a thesis.

In addition to meeting the University standards, students are required to follow department policies. The policy of the department on grades is that a student must complete all required courses with a grade of "B" or better. Students who make a grade of "C" or worse in a required course will be required to retake the course. A student will be placed on probation for receiving two grades of "C" or worse in the program. A student whose current degree audit reflects 3 "C"s in required courses will be dismissed.

At the midpoint of each semester, faculty will be asked to provide information to the Graduate Director regarding any students having potential problems with grades. The Graduate Director or Designee will meet with students in danger of making "C"s or worse in their program courses.

The Graduate Director or Designee will review all students’ grades at the end of each semester and send written notification to those students who make grades of "C" or worse explaining their status and any required actions.

Course Requirements

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

All students in the Psychological Research Program are required by the University to take and pass a comprehensive examination in order to graduate. Thesis students will have their Comprehensive Examination administered orally as part of their thesis defense.  If students fail the defense, they are allowed to repeat it until they pass.

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation.

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official Thesis Proposal Form and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A.  After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work.  The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process.  Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects.  As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete.  If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on The Graduate College website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

1. The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
2. One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.  

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection). NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections. 

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

• signing and faxing the form
• signing, scanning, and emailing the form
• notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
• electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in Psychology: PSY

Courses Offered

Psychology (PSY)