The Department of Psychology graduate program is a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and selective program that prepares graduate students for a wide range of careers within universities, private research organizations, data science, medical schools, government, and human service agencies. To support collaborative inter-area discussion, our department has clustered around intellectual communities that cross traditional research boundaries. Our faculty help students become independent scientists who can use the ideas and techniques in their fields to pursue important scientific questions.
Online Master’s in Psychology
The Online Master’s in Psychology program is designed to empower current and future professionals in the social services fields to strengthen communities using knowledge, tools, and skills from psychological and neuroscience research. Courses are fully online, with a curriculum that emphasizes the neuroscience of behavior change, intervention science, program evaluation and implementation science.
This terminal master of science (MS) degree requires 49 credits of coursework distributed over 6 consecutive terms, including summer. Students engage in hands-on research, with flexible options and individualized mentorship designed to advance academic and career opportunities.
Explore Our Online Master’s Program
Individualized Master’s Program
The University of Oregon Individualized Master’s Program in Psychology is designed to provide advanced training for a small number of individuals who have a clearly focused research interest and an academic plan. Please review all information below before starting the application process. If you need assistance, please contact Lori Olsen.
If you’re interested in pursuing an Online Master's in Psychology through the Center for Translational Neuroscience, that program has a separate application process.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
The application for Fall 2024 is now open. However, review of applications will not begin until after the application deadline.
Please review the Individualized Master’s Program description before applying. Unlike other master’s programs, our program is not designed for general master’s level training in psychology. Nor can we provide clinical training (practica and skills development) at the master’s level. Rather, we expect persons entering the master’s program to be highly self-motivated, with the goal of acquiring conceptual and research skills appropriate to their own work plans. Each program of master’s study will be tailored to the individual student’s goals within the discipline, so long as it satisfies core master’s degree requirements.
Individualized Master's Program Description
Doctoral Program
The goal of the Psychology Department’s doctoral program is to familiarize students with the theories and methods of psychology in their own and other specialties, and to provide intense, hands-on research training, so they will be able to make original contributions in research, teaching, and applied work.
Application Deadline: Dec. 1, 2023
The application for Fall 2024 is now open. Before you apply, please review the information below. If you need assistance, please contact Lori Olsen.
Pre-Application Checklist
While completing the departmental online application, you will need to select up to three Psychology professors whose research is of particular interest to you. To help with this process, please review our research areas to learn about our professors and their area(s) of interest. Not all of our professors are accepting graduate students for fall, so please see below for the latest information.
Professors NOT seeking new master's students include: Jennifer Ablow, Nick Allen, Dare Baldwin, Elliot Berkman, Melynda Casement, Robert Chavez, David Condon, Jeff Measelle, Kate Mills, Alayna Park, Jennifer Pfeifer, Gerard Saucier, Sanjay Srivastava, Mike Wehr, Sara Weston, Maureen Zalewski.
Professors NOT seeking new doctoral students include: Jennifer Ablow, Nick Allen, Dare Baldwin, Elliot Berkman, Jeff Measelle, Alayna Park, Gerard Saucier, Sanjay Srivastava, Mike Wehr, Sara Weston.
Take the Graduate Record Exam (optional)
Submission of scores on the general Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, and we expect most applicants to our program will not submit GRE scores. But it is acceptable to submit GRE scores if you have reason to believe they convey information not found elsewhere in your application that will be useful for evaluating your candidacy for our graduate program.
Take the TOEFL (international applicants only)
Foreign students for whom English is a second language must have their TOEFL scores sent directly to the University of Oregon. The Department of Psychology and University of Oregon require a minimum score of 575 for paper-based test OR 88 for the Internet-based (iBT) version OR 7.0 for the IELTS exam. Please have official results sent to the University using Code 4846.
Review the application and submission procedures for international applicants.
Application Materials Checklist
To complete your graduate application for the Department of Psychology, you will need to submit the following materials.
Three Letters of Recommendation
The online application requests contact information for each reference (name, position, institution, email address, phone number). References will receive an email from us inviting them to fill out our online reference form and upload their letter of recommendation. After submitting your application, you can return to your application to view which letters have arrived and send reminder emails to those not yet received.
Statement of Purpose
Limit your statement to 2-4 pages and upload in PDF format. Your statement must include:
- Discussion of your main research interests, ideas and questions.
- Description of your level of contribution to any research projects you have been involved in, and how your research experiences (e.g., professional work, research, volunteering) so far inform your interests and future goals.
- Statement of why you believe the University of Oregon is a good place for you to continue your education.
- Discussion of how your plan of study relates to the research interests of the faculty you would like to work with.
Diversity Statement
Please limit your statement to 500 words and upload in PDF format. The University of Oregon's Psychology Department strives to create an inclusive learning environment grounded in the values of access, equity, and diversity. For more information, please visit our Committee for an Inclusive Community's website. In this brief statement (limit of 500 words), please tell us how you will contribute—based on your professional, volunteer, or lived experiences—to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in our department and university.
Curriculum Vita/Resume
Upload your curriculum vita/resume as a PDF. This should include the following items:
- Educational history
- Employment/volunteer history
- List of publications, presentations, awards, and honors
- Teaching and research experience
- Skills and interests
Writing Sample
Upload as a PDF a recent class paper, thesis, or article.
Transcripts
Upload as a PDF your unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended to the Educational History section of the online application. When you accept an offer of admission, you must send official transcripts from all colleges/universities that you have received a degree to:
Office of the Registrar
5257 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-5257
Official GRE Scores (optional)
Submission of scores on the general Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, and we expect most applicants to our program will not submit GRE scores. But it is acceptable to submit GRE scores if you have reason to believe they convey information not found elsewhere in your application that will be useful for evaluating your candidacy for our graduate program.
Official TOEFL Scores (international applicants only)
Upload as a PDF your TOEFL or IELTS report and have official results sent to Institution Code 4846.
Need Help?
For information about the Department of Psychology or the application process, please contact:
Lori Olsen
Graduate Coordinator
Email: lolsen@uoregon.edu
Phone: 541-346-5060
Apply to Our Graduate Program
Ready to apply? Start your application on Slate, the centralized application portal for graduate admissions at the University of Oregon.
For Master’s Students:
As you begin the application, please be sure to select “Psychology – MS” as your Major and “Master’s Degree” for the Degree Type.
For Doctoral Candidates:
As you begin the application, select “Psychology – PhD” as your Major, within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions for Doctoral Students
Is the GRE required for admission to the doctoral program?
Submission of scores on the general Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required, and we expect most applicants to our program will not submit GRE scores. But it is acceptable to submit GRE scores if you have reason to believe that they convey information useful for evaluating your candidacy for our graduate program, information that is not found elsewhere in your application.
Is the TOEFL required for all international applicants?
Proficiency in the English language is vital to the academic success of international students. Students whose native language is not English must supply official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination as part of their application. Please request that ETS send your scores to Institution Code 4846. The departmental minimum score for the Internet-based TOEFL is 88. Official scores must be received by the application deadline of December 1st.
If an international student has received a bachelors or masters degree from a college/university within the United States, the TOEFL is not required.
You will upload a PDF of your official score report from ETS directly on the application and request that official scores be sent to the university.
When is the deadline? Is it received by or postmarked by?
All application materials must be received by December 1. This includes a completed online departmental application, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, curriculum vita/resumé, diversity statement, uploaded unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended to your online application, writing sample (plus official TOEFL scores for international applicants).
Is there an additional form to apply for departmental teaching/research positions?
No additional form is needed.
What about letters of recommendation?
We only require three (3) references. Please be prepared to enter the individual's name, position, institution, phone number and email address. References will receive an automated email requesting that they upload their letter of recommendation to the online application. All letters must be received by the application deadline of December 1st. Once you submit your online application, you will be able to return to your application to view the progress of your letters.
What if the writer did not receive the automated email?
If the writer did not receive the automated email and you have submitted your application, you can return to your application and click on the link to have a new email sent.
Do transcripts have to be mailed directly from previous colleges/universities?
Official transcripts can be mailed in by the applicant or directly from the college/university as long as the transcript remains in the original, sealed envelope from the college/university attended. Official transcripts will be required of those that receive an offer of admission.
You will upload a PDF of your unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended directly on the application.
What is the mailing address for sending official transcripts?
Office of the Registrar 5257 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-5257
When will decisions be made?
Review of applications will begin in early December. Interview decisions can be made as early as the third week in January.