Master of Science (MS) — Research Psychology

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Next start date: 9/11/2024

Program overview

Gain hands-on skills in this accelerated master’s degree program in research psychology

In this 11-month Master of Science (MS) in Research Psychology, you will develop research, statistics, and grant-writing knowledge and skills. The accelerated master’s in psychology emphasizes research methodology and allows you to work with faculty in the classroom and in the lab. As you benefit from Seattle-area opportunities and resources in this master's of psychology program, you’ll gain the practical, marketable skills needed for a research career — or to enter a PhD program.

Take the next steps in your career with this flexible MS in Research Psychology.

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SPU Professor Phillip Baker explains the different parts of a brain to several students
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Overview


Program Distinctives

The MS in Research Psychology program at Seattle Pacific University is unique in that it provides an accelerated (11 months) program that does not compromise knowledge and skills necessary for jobs or further education. This program's flexibility also benefits students in multiple ways:

Prepares career-bound students to —

  • Enjoy a close and collaborative faculty that works closely with you as you gain advanced professional skills.
  • Gain research and statistical skills needed for jobs in a range of areas from basic laboratory research to industry.
  • Learn how to write grants to fund both applied and research projects.
  • Become highly employable in careers pertaining to research, data analysis, and the like.
  • Gain the experience needed as you progress through the coursework and your thesis, becoming competitive in future job searches for research positions.
  • Custom design your capstone project (e.g., grant application) to focus on your career goals.
  • Benefit from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that the employment rate between 2014 and 2024 for psychology professionals is projected to grow by 12% for survey researchers and by 19% for market research analysts.
  • Experience how SPU’s Christian faith context enables you to explore and integrate diverse, current, and controversial scientific research questions.

Prepares PhD-bound students to —

  • Do original research or writing to prepare you for graduate school.
  • Gain a competitive edge in applying for doctoral programs in various psychology and allied-health disciplines.
  • Benefit from faculty mentorship while gaining valuable experience in conducting and disseminating your research.
  • Learn how to write grants to fund both applied and research projects.
  • Custom design your capstone project (e.g., research thesis) to focus on your goals for graduate school.
  • Experience how SPU’s Christian faith context enables you to explore and integrate diverse, current, and controversial scientific research questions.

Note: This program is designed for graduate students to begin Autumn Quarter and complete by the end of the following Summer Session.



A Master's Degree Program for You to Succeed

  • Gain research and statistical skills needed for jobs in a range of areas from basic laboratory research to industry.
  • Do original research or writing to prepare you for later jobs or graduate school.
  • Learn how to write grants to fund both applied and research projects.
  • Explore issues related to diversity and ethics within research.
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Curriculum

Program description and requirements 

Research Psychology is an accelerated, 33-credit master’s of science program designed to give students knowledge and skills necessary for jobs or further graduate education in psychology or psychology-related fields. It’s designed for students to begin Autumn Quarter and complete by the end of the following Summer Session. As a full-time student:

  • You will typically take eight credits (two classes) per quarter while also working toward a capstone project. See the proposed course schedule below.
  • You will take a core set of classes and will have flexibility in choosing from electives to best support your career or graduate school goals. See the list of core and elective classes below.
  • Students will propose and complete a capstone project (e.g., research thesis, grant application) that best meets their career or graduate school goals.
  • In both classes and the capstone project, students will learn from and work with faculty in the program (the School of Psychology, Family, and Community) as well as other graduate school programs on campus.

Core and elective courses

Core Courses:

Course Number

Credits

Research Methods and Statistics 1

PSY 6010

4

Research Methods and Statistics 2

PSY 6020

4

Christian Faith and Worldviews

PSY 6200

3

Grant Writing

PSY 6300

4

Research and Thesis

PSY 6995

6

Electives:

Course Number

Credits

Qualitative Research Methods

ORG 6034

4

Program and Organizational Evaluation

ORG 6210

4

Survey Research

PSY 6500

4

History and Systems of Psychology

CPY 7000

5

Ethics & Law in Clinical Psychology

CPY 7400

5

Psychopathology

CPY 7220

5

Developmental Psychology

CPY 7210

5

Neural and Biological Bases of Behavior

CPY 7101

5

Personality Theory and Research

CPY 7200

5

Cognition and Learning

CPY 7230

5

Future PhD Fellows Seminar

PSY 6910

1

Practicum: Graduate Teaching Assistantship

PSY 6930

4

Database Management and Warehousing

ISM 6212

3

Data Mining

ISM 6359

3

Data Visualization

ISM 6361

3

Proposed Schedule

The MS in Research Psychology is an accelerated program that is designed for students to begin in Autumn Quarter and complete the program the following summer quarter. The following is a proposed schedule.

Fall

Class

Credits

Research Methods and Statistics 1

4

Grant Writing

4

Winter

Research Methods and Statistics 2

4

Elective

4

Thesis/grant proposal

Spring

Research and Thesis

3

Elective

4

Elective

4

Summer

 

Research and Thesis

3

Christian Faith and Worldview

3

Thesis defense or grant submission

Total Credits

33

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Costs

2023–24 tuition and fees

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$715

per credit

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$75; $150

application fee; one-time matriculation fee

See additional fee details.
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33 credits

to complete

All tuition, fees, and other charges stated here are payable in U.S. dollars ($US).

In addition to direct instructional costs, Seattle Pacific University’s Research Psychology (MS) tuition covers academic and student support services. Other benefits include use of athletic facilities (e.g., gym, locker room, and fitness rooms), and the SPU Library.

Scholarships and financial aid

Scholarship and other financial aid is available to newly admitted and continuing students in the School of Psychology, Family, and Community. For more information, visit Graduate Students Resources in Student Financial Services.

Resources available to graduate students to offset costs may include:

  • Student loans. Includes amounts that exceed tuition and provide for living expenses.
  • Graduate research fellowships. Department and grant-funded research and administrative assistant positions are offered to a limited number of graduate students each year. Selection is based on established criteria within each graduate department.
  • Graduate teaching assistantships. Department-funded teaching assistantships are offered to a limited number of graduate students each year. Selection is based on established criteria and course need within each graduate department.
  • Merit scholarships. Offered by the University as an offset to tuition.
  • Department scholarship and awards. Selection is based on established criteria within each department. May not be distributed every year.
  • The Dickinson Fellowship. Provides training and tuition to undergraduate and graduate students who have a calling to work with persons and their families who are impacted by chronic mental health conditions.

Student employment

For part-time student employment opportunities on or off campus, explore these options:

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Application

Application and recommended materials

In order to apply, students must have completed or provide the following:

Online application and $75 application processing fee


Undergraduate Degree

  • Students must have completed a degree in psychology or related field which included coursework in statistics and research methods.
  • Students must have graduated with good academic standing with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 and from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Preference will be given to students with strong experiences in research and writing.

Official Transcripts

  • Students must submit official transcript(s) from any college or university that granted you a degree or degrees, and from any institution attended since that time.

Personal Statement

  • Students must submit a personal statement that addresses the following:
    1. Future career or graduate school objectives
    2. Rationale for seeking a degree in research psychology and why you are seeking to attend Seattle Pacific
    3. Description of how this experience would differ from undergraduate courses or experiences
    4. Area of research or questions you are interested in pursuing for a thesis/grant/capstone project 
    5. Mention your professional and personal strengths as they apply:
      a. Related research experiences
      b. Relevant knowledge of and use of statistics
      c. Personal values
      d. Awareness of SPU faith identity and related openness to faith discussions as well as faith-related course requirements
      e. Any other insights deemed appropriate by the applicant

Letters of Recommendation

  • Three letters of recommendation are required. Two should come from academic references (e.g., professor, instructor) and one from a professional (e.g., employer, internship supervisor).
  • Letters of recommendation are waived for graduates of Seattle Pacific University's psychology program.

No GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is required for this program.


International students

In addition to the SPU general and the Research Psychology program’s additional admission requirements, international students must also submit:

  • An official confidential affidavit of financial support covering the first year of intended enrollment. Without this document, SPU cannot issue an I-20 immigration form.
  • Students holding undergraduate or graduate degrees from colleges, universities and/or seminaries located outside the U.S. are expected to have their transcripts evaluated by a professional credential agency. Such an evaluation is required before an application for admission to SPFC can be granted and before any graduate credits taken elsewhere can be applied to a SPFC degree.
  • If you earned an undergraduate degree in a country other than the United States, or your degree is in progress, an official course-by-course credential evaluation must be submitted from a NACES member-recognized credential service. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).
  • In addition to the evaluation report, we also require official transcripts and diplomas to be submitted, in English. International applicants are responsible for all costs associated with this service.
  •  English language proficiency: If you do not speak English as your first language, you must also submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 600 on the TOEFL paper or 250 on the TOEFL-CBT, or 100 on the TOEFL-iBT is required. ACE scores will not be accepted.
More international student admission information
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Careers

What can I do with my MS in Research Psychology?

Whether you plan to move directly into a career after earning your master’s degree or continue your education by earning a doctorate, you will find opportunities abound for you once you have an MS in Research Psychology.

Career options for career-bound students:

  • Data analyst
  • Market researcher
  • HR manager
  • Business consultant 
  • Community college instructor
  • Research assistant
  • Employee trainer
  • Social worker
  • And more ...

Career options for students who go on to earn a PhD:

  • Researcher psychologist
  • Clinical psychologist
  • University or college professor
  • Experimental psychologist
  • Director of research
  • Forensic psychologist
  • Developmental psychologist
  • And more ...

Job leads

Supporting the careers of our MS in Research Psychology students and alumni is a high priority for the School of Psychology, Family, and Community. The following career resources are available:

  • The Center for Career and Calling has Resources for Current Graduate Students, which offers online vocational resources and résumé tips, workshops, and events. 
  • Job leads through SPU’s job posting board Handshake and SPU Switchboard, the online community where you can engage and connect with the SPU network.
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Faculty

Faculty

Phillip Baker Portrait

Phillip M. Baker

Assistant Professor of Psychology
PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago

Email: bakerp5@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2178
Office: Marston 110
Baine Craft

​Baine Craft

Professor of Psychology and Biology; Chair of Undergraduate Psychology; Director of Laboratory Facilities
PhD, University of Montana

Email: craftb@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2182
Office: Marston 111
Jessica Fossum

Jessica Fossum

Assistant Professor of Psychology; Director of Research-Graduate Psychology
PhD, University of California-Los Angeles

Email: fossumj@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2252
Office: Marston 104
Bethany Hoff

Bethany Hoff

Assistant Professor of Psychology
PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Email: hoffb1@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2901
Office: Marston 119
Jenny Vaydich

Jenny​ Lee Vaydich​

Associate Professor of Psychology​; Chair of Research Psychology
PhD, University of Notre Dame

Email: vaydichj@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2872
Office: Marston 114
​​Katy Tangenberg

​​Katy Tangenberg

​Dean of the School of Psychology, Family, and Community; Professor of Social Welfare
PhD, University of Washington

Email: tangenbergk@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2940
Office: Marston 129

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Research


Capstone Project

Students enrolled in the Master’s of Science Research Psychology program will not only gain research, statistics, and grant-writing knowledge and skills from the classroom, but they will also complete a capstone project. This project will allow students the opportunity to put newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice in a manner that is best fitting their career or graduate school objectives. 

Capstone Proposal and Defense

The capstone project is flexible in a sense that students can chose between a traditional master’s thesis based on original research, a grant application, or propose an applied project (e.g., program evaluation) that best suits their needs. Each student will complete the following three stages of the capstone project:

  • Conduct preliminary research, choose your project, and assemble your project committee for a review of your project.
  • With approval from your project committee, research, collect data, analyze data, etc., and write your capstone project.
  • Finally, present your written project and provide an oral defense for your capstone project to your project committee.*

*Your committee must approve your work at the proposal and defense. 

Research Labs

The program provides students with numerous research opportunities and flexibility. Students can request to work with faculty within the School of Psychology, Family, and Community or seek out capstone projects (e.g., grant application) locally, regionally, or nationally. Below are examples of labs where students might work:

The Baker Lab

Dr. Phillip M. Baker leads this collaborative and motivated group of researchers interested in understanding how the brain reduces complex information into behavioral choices. To do this, we manipulate the circuitry of the brain in animal models to understand the contributions of brain areas to reducing external stimuli into internal representations of choices that ultimately guide decisionmaking. Much of our work is hands-on with our animal models in addition to wet lab work. 

Child and Adolescent Laboratory

Directed by Dr. Jenny Vaydich, the Child and Adolescent Laboratory within the School of Psychology, Family, and Community at Seattle Pacific University explores the influence of parent-child relationships and interactions on child and adolescent emotion regulation development. We are particularly interested in parent-child relationships and parental emotion socialization during childhood and adolescence. Previous projects have focused on aggression; however, more recent projects have examined the influence of parent-child relationships on symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

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FAQ

Our ideal candidate for the Research Psychology program would be a student who has a passion for and training in research, has a strong background in research methods and statistics, perhaps having taken several statistics or research courses, and comes to the program with ideas of how to bring their diverse set of experiences/skills to pursue dynamic and innovative research.

Previous research experience is not required, but in the absence of specific research experience, students are encouraged to use their personal statement to speak to the specific skills they have acquired which will aid in research.

Ask yourself, “What are you passionate about, what do you want to research, what do you want to learn more about?”

This program is comparable to the master’s degree track that would be folded into most PhD programs. That is, you will do both graduate-level coursework and a master's-level thesis or capstone project. As for similar degree programs that take two years, we’ve truncated the timeline by having students work on their thesis project alongside their coursework.

SPU’s graduate programs consistently schedule courses to begin in the late afternoon/early evening to accommodate the varied needs of our students’ schedules. Core classes for the program will most likely be scheduled on Mondays or Tuesdays from 1–5 p.m. with electives following a similar schedule on other days of the week.

Given the rigorous nature of the Research Psychology program, our recommendation would be for our students to work part time.

There are several possibilities, dependent in large part on the expertise and interest of our students. One example would be a research fellowship with one of the faculty members. Another example would be proposing a partnership with a campus department, such as the Center for Career and Calling, which already has robust data collection but would benefit from a master’s student analyzing and presenting that data in a way that benefits students. If you are looking at PhD level study, a more traditional teaching assistantship where you offer guest lectures and grade papers might be beneficial.

Designing studies and evaluations: The Research Psychology program equips students with an advanced-level understanding of research methods and the ability to identify samples that are representative of diverse populations.

Communicating research: The ability to sum up research and communicate to distinct constituent groups.

The opportunity to work closely with faculty is both faculty-dependent and student capstone project-dependent. In your first quarter of the program, you will want to begin to conceptualize your capstone project and consider how you would work with a faculty member. This is a process we will support each step of the way.

Unlike in a PhD program, you will not be admitted in order to work with a specific faculty member. This benefits students, as it means we can accept students with a wide range of research interests. It also means we will not be able to specify who your thesis supervisor will be or guarantee that you will work with a specific faculty member. Please note that research fit is a major priority as we make admissions decisions. If you are admitted into the program, it is because we are confident we can pair you with an advisor who matches your research interests and that your interests are scalable for the program.

How this program would lead to and bolster a PhD is dependent upon the PhD program, though we firmly believe it will make you a stronger PhD candidate, regardless of the program.

Some PhD programs would, for example, accept this master’s degree and thesis and then require you to take a minimal number of courses before you begin your PhD thesis. If, for example, a typical PhD program is five years long, and that program allows you to transfer some of your courses from this degree and your master’s dissertation, it would not only make you a more competitive candidate but also shorten your degree time to three years.

Other PhD programs will require you to complete all your coursework with them, potentially completing another master’s thesis, but will see your completion of this program as making you a more competitive candidate.

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Why SPU?

Emily Northey

Research Psychology alumna

Emily Northey

For Emily Northey, ‘22 the master’s in research psychology program is all about independence — becoming an independent researcher and finding opportunities to apply her skills beyond the classroom.

“I appreciate how faculty push me to problem solve on my own initially,” Northey says, “which allows me to grow as an independent researcher.”

Read more about Emily

 

Devin Noel-Harrison

Research Psychology alumnus

Devin Noel-Harrison

Noel-Harrison attributes his current success as a research assistant and analyst to SPU’s Research Psychology MS program — to faculty support and to new opportunities for networking.

“That’s what I’ve been noticing about the program,” he says. “As I develop in the program, I’m finding more of my interests and skills. The professors are really good at helping guide us into what we want to do.”

Read more about Devin

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