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Developmental Psychology M.A. Requirements

 

The Developmental Psychology program offers two M.A. plans of study. Plan A is recommended for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. and/or who wish to complete an independent research project (the thesis). This plan requires completion of a minimum of 31 credit hours, as listed below. Students seeking this degree complete a thesis project (6 credit hours) under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Plan B is recommended for students who plan to seek employment in an applied setting and who do not plan to pursue a Ph.D. This plan requires completion of a minimum of 37 credit hours, including 9 hours of elective courses (see below). Students seeking this degree must also complete two applied practica (6 credit hours).
   

 

Plan A: Thesis Option
Plan B: Non-Thesis Option
  • Psyc 8000 Profession of Psychology (0 credit course)
  • Psyc 9560 Developmental Psychology
  • Psyc 9010 Statistical Methods 1: Multiple Regression
  • Psyc 9020 Statistical Methods 2: Analysis of Variance
  • Psyc 9650 Research Methods
  • Psyc 9960 Research Other Than Thesis (1-6 credit hours)
  • Psyc 8990 Thesis (6 credit hours)

Additional Proseminars: (2 courses required)

  • Psyc 9070 Cognitive Psychology
  • Psyc 9230 Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Psyc 9430 Personality
  • Psyc 9440 Social Psychology

Advanced Dev. Seminars such as: (2 courses required)

  • Psyc 9510 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
  • Psyc 9520 Language Development
  • Psyc 9540 Memory & Mechanisms of Development
  • Psyc 9550 Psychosocial Development
  • Psyc 9590 Seminar in Developmental Psychology

Sample Curriculum
  • Psyc 8000 Profession of Psychology (0 credit course)
  • Psyc 9560 Developmental Psychology
  • Psyc 9650 Research Methods
  • Psyc 9960 Research Other Than Thesis (1-6 credit hours)
  • Psyc 8980 Practicum in Developmental Psych (6 credit hours)

Statistics: (1 course required)

  • Psyc 9010 Statistical Methods 1: Multiple Regression
  • Psyc 9020 Statistical Methods 2: Analysis of Variance

Additional Proseminars: (2 courses required)

  • Psyc 9070 Cognitive Psychology
  • Psyc 9230 Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Psyc 9430 Personality
  • Psyc 9440 Social Psychology

Advanced Dev. Seminars such as: (2 courses required)

  • Psyc 9510 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
  • Psyc 9520 Language Development
  • Psyc 9530 Cognitive Development
  • Psyc 9540 Memory & Mechanisms of Development
  • Psyc 9550 Psychosocial Development
  • Psyc 9590 Seminar in Developmental Psychology

Electives such as: (3 courses required)

  • Psyc 8250 Family Analysis and Treatment
  • Psyc 8316 Psychological & Educational Testing
  • Psyc 8590 Exceptional Children
  • Psyc 9090 Theory of Measurement and Design
  • Psyc 9320 Program Evaluation
  • Psyc 9570 Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Additional courses outside the Dept. of Psychology (e.g., SOWK, SOC, SPED, GERO, CJUS, COUN, & PA)

Sample Curriculum

 

Master’s Level Comprehensive Exam -Developmental Psychology

Option 1 – Course work and Psych GRE (available only to those entering prior to Fall 2011)

Student must complete:

  • Departmentally required course work with a B- or better.

  • Must obtain a Psych GRE score of 600 or better.

 

Option 2 – Course work and Research (required for those entering in Fall 2011 forward, students admitted prior to Fall 2011 may choose either option)

Student must complete:

  • Departmentally required course work with a B- or better.

  • Research requirement (must meet at least one option a-d below). All research must be conducted at UNO and supervised by a faculty member from the UNO Developmental Psychology program.

    • Co-author on a presentation or poster at an approved international or national level conference*.

    • First author on a presentation or poster at an approved regional level conference*.

    • Co-author on a submitted publication in a peer review journal.

    • Co-author on a submitted national funding agency proposal.

  • Letter from the supervisor of the research project discussing the role the student played in the research process and its appropriateness for satisfaction of the comps requirement. If the student is not the first author the student must have contributed significantly and meaningfully to the paper, presentation, or poster.

  • Public oral presentation of Thesis, announced to the department at least 2 weeks prior. Once public presentation is completed, a closed-door session with questions from the members of the thesis committee must then be passed.

* List of pre-approved conferences (other conferences may be approved by request)

 

International/National

Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA)

American Psychological Association (APA)

Association for Psychological Science (APS)

International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD)

Cognitive Development Society (CDS)

Jean Piaget Society

 

Regional

Midwestern Psychological Association (Regional meeting for APA)

Midwest Social Development Consortium (MWSDC)