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Graduate Program Description
The Psychology Department at Boston College offers three graduate programs, all research-oriented: a doctoral (Ph.D.) program, a master's (M.A.) program, and a B.A.-B.S./M.A. program. Completion of the doctoral program typically requires four to five years of training after the bachelor's degree. Completion of the master's program requires two years of training after the bachelor's degree. Completion of the B.A.-B.S./M.A. program requires one consecutive year beyond the B.A. or B.S.
All three of our graduate programs require that students devote 100 percent of their time and effort to their studies, including summers. Students are admitted whose interests fall within or bridge one or more of our five areas of concentration, listed below. Our program requires adequate preparation, ability, maturity, and motivation to pursue a demanding program of individual research and scholarship. Because of our emphasis on research and on a mentoring relationship with one member of the faculty, a principal criterion for admission to our graduate programs is that a student's interests be compatible with those of at least one member of the faculty. Each student is admitted to work with a faculty member as his/her advisor.
The B.A.-B.S./M.A. program is limited to students who are majoring in psychology at Boston College. The program is designed to allow selected students to earn both a B.A. or B.S. and an M.A. in Psychology in five years. The purpose of the program is to allow students a greater opportunity for concentrated study and research training. Such training is excellent preparation for application to a Ph.D. program in any area of psychology. Undergraduate Psychology majors may apply to continue their studies beyond the B.A.-B.S. and to earn an M.A. with the equivalent of another, consecutive year of full-time study. It is limited to Boston College undergraduates, and the fifth year must follow immediately after the fourth.
The Psychology Department's areas of concentration are:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Social
- Developmental
- Quantitative
Visit the department's website located at www.bc.edu/psychology/ for additional information on these areas.
General Information
Visit the department's website located at www.bc.edu/psychology/ and find detailed information about the research interests of individual faculty members, the requirements for completing the Ph.D. and M.A. programs, and the Graduate Program Handbook.
Students use the same forms to apply to both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs and should indicate which program they are applying to. For application materials or further information, direct inquiries to Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Admission Office, Boston College, McGuinn Hall 221, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, or visit http://www.bc.edu/schools/gsas/admissions.html.
Applicants to the Ph.D. and M.A. programs should submit:
- Application form
- Official transcripts
- GRE and (optionally) GRE Psychology subject scores
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of research interests
- Application Fee
Applications are accepted for fall term admissions only. The deadline for applications is December 15 for the Ph.D. program and February 1 for the M.A. program.
Applicants to the B.A.-B.S./M.A. program should submit:
- Application form
- Official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of research interests
The deadline for applications is February 1 of the student's junior year.