Master of Science (MS) — Research Psychology

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Application deadline: 1/29/2025

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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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 marketable in careers pertaining to research, statistical analysis, and data driven decision making.
  • Gain the experience needed as you progress through the coursework and your capstone, becoming competitive in future job searches for research positions.
  • Custom design your capstone project (e.g., proposal, 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 ethical scientific research questions.

Prepares PhD-bound students to —

  • Gain research experience to prepare you for graduate school.
  • Gain a competitive edge in applying for doctoral programs in various psychology and allied-health disciplines by utilizing research related opportunities.
  • Benefit from faculty mentorship while gaining valuable experience in designing and disseminating research.
  • Learn how to write grants to fund both applied and research projects.
  • Custom design your capstone project to focus on your goals for graduate school.
  • Experience how SPU’s Christian faith context enables you to explore and integrate diverse, current, and ethical 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 a Capstone project 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 8-12 credits (two to three 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 proposal, research project, grant writing) 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.
View courses and degree requirements

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 during the following Summer Sessions. The following is a proposed schedule.

Autumn

Class

Credits

Research Methods and Statistics 1

4

Grant Writing

4

Winter

Research Methods and Statistics 2

4

Elective

4

Spring

Research and Thesis

3

Elective

4

Elective

4

Capstone proposal

Summer

 

Research and Thesis

3

Christian Faith and Worldview

3

Capstone exhibition

Total Credits

33

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Costs

2024–25 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, and the SPU Library.

MS in Research Psychology 2024–25 funding

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.
  • 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 this option:

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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 capstone project 
    5. Discuss your professional and personal strengths as they apply:
      a. Related research experiences
      b. Relevant knowledge of and use of statistics
      c. Ability to work effectively autonomously and in team settings
      d. Personal values
      e. Awareness of SPU faith identity and related openness to faith discussions as well as faith-related course requirements
      f. 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.
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 many opportunities for you once you have an MS in Research Psychology. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

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, 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

Associate 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
Sunny Ho

Sunny Ho

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Email: hoy3@spu.edu
Office: Marston 133
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 and Clinical 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
Marcia Webb

Marcia​ Webb

Associate Professor of Psychology; Director of Undergraduate Internships
PhD, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology

Email: marcia@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2683
Office: Marston 106

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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.  

The capstone project is flexible in the sense that students can choose from a research project, research proposal, a grant application that best suits their professional goals. Each student will complete the following three stages of the capstone project:

  • Conduct preliminary research, develop a research question, and identify a data set.
  • With the support of your Capstone Team Leader, propose your capstone to a committee.
  • Finally, present your capstone at the Capstone Exhibition.*

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

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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 capstone project. As for similar degree programs that take two years, we’ve truncated the timeline by having students work on their capstone project alongside their coursework.

The Research Psychology courses are typically scheduled in the morning and afternoon. Some courses may take place in the evening.

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

Students are often involved in research through Practicum credits. This work could include participating in a faculty member's research lab, presenting findings at a scientific conference, or co-authoring a peer-reviewed scientific paper. Practicum opportunities vary based upon research lab availability.

The opportunity to work closely with faculty is both faculty-dependent and student-dependent. All students will work with the Program Chair to learn about research opportunities and register for Practicum credits.

Throughout the program, students will have opportunities to choose elective classes and practicum opportunities that can further bolster their future PhD program applications. Students are encouraged to work with the faculty and staff in the Research Psychology program to determine which courses and research opportunities are the best fit for their future PhD goals.

Additionally, students are able to take elective courses within SPU’s Clinical Psychology and Industrial Organizational Psychology doctoral programs. This can provide students with the opportunity to experience doctoral level courses, doctoral faculty, and work with current doctoral students. 

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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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