MA in General Psychology
This degree provides the student with a basic education in psychology and is a prerequisite for more specialized work leading to the PhD degree. Students must take courses covering a wide range of areas, including three courses in general psychology; three in personality, social, developmental, and abnormal psychology; and a research methods course. Students who intend to apply to the PhD program must also demonstrate knowledge of elementary statistics either by passing an exemption examination or passing the basic statistics course. Students must take the proseminar course as soon as possible after admission to the program. MA students must satisfactorily complete 30 credits for graduation and obtain an average of at least 3.0. In addition, the first 18 credits must be introductory courses; no advanced or seminar courses may be taken until 18 credits have been completed.
Research MA Program
This program is designed to give a small, select group of students an intensive research experience, working in apprenticeship to a member of the faculty. Students must have at least a 3.7 average in the first 18 credits of course work at The New School for Social Research to be admitted to the program and must maintain this average. Application to the program occurs after finishing 18 credits of coursework, and no later than completion of 24 credits. Students must work closely with a faculty member, write an empirical MA thesis, and defend the thesis in an oral examination. They are exempt from the research methods requirements for the MA and PhD. They are also exempt from part I of the PhD qualifying examination. A maximum of one and one-half years is allowed for the completion of the MA thesis.