Ph.D. Program in Psychological Science
Prospective Students
Thank you for your interest in graduate study at the Department of Psychology Montana State University, Bozeman. We suggest all interested students do the following before applying:
- Review the Current Research
- Review The Graduate School's website.
- Review Application Guidelines
Overview
The Department of Psychology at Montana State University offers a research-oriented Ph.D. degree in Psychological Science. Psychological Science is a broad term for scientific research in the core academic areas of psychology. These areas include cognitive, developmental, health, learning, physiological, and social psychology. Psychologists conducting psychological research work in a wide range of settings such as colleges and universities, health care facilities, federal & state government, small & large businesses, and many other places. Our program prepares students for careers in these settings.
The goal of our graduate program is to train students to think critically about theory and evidence, gain expertise in their area of specialty, understand and use statistical procedures, and to design, conduct, and publish high-quality psychological research. The psychology department at MSU does not have graduate faculty who specialize in clinical, counseling, community, or school psychology. Moreover, we are not a practitioner-oriented program. We are a program for students who want to conduct research and pursue research-oriented careers, academic or otherwise.
Research and Mentorship
The psychology faculty at MSU uses an individualized mentorship approach to graduate training. Each student admitted to the program will be assigned a major professor (advisor) and a mentoring committee of 3 faculty members (major professor plus two others). At least two members of the mentoring committee must have their primary appointment in the Psychology Department. Students and their advisors work together to devise a program of coursework and research best suited for the students' career goals. The opportunity to conduct research with a faculty member is an important component of our graduate program as it provides training useful for the ultimate pursuit of obtaining research careers in academia and various organizations.
General areas of faculty research interest include: cognitive, developmental, health, learning, physiological, social psychology, and applied statistics and research methods.
Graduate Student Research Expectation
Each student in our program is expected to conduct empirical research with psychology faculty and, depending on the research topic, faculty in other areas such as management, statistics, computer science, biology, or sociology. The research can be part of, or serve as, the student's master’s thesis. Student participation in research is vital for making successful progress in our program.
2023 Graduate Student Handbook
A description of the doctoral program including the program objectives, how to receive financial support, course requirements, policies and procedures, and the dissertation project.
