Psychology and Neuroscience

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College offers two graduate programs, both research-oriented: a doctoral (Ph.D.) program and a Fifth Year M.A. program. Completion of the doctoral program typically requires four to five years of training after the bachelor’s degree. Completion of the Fifth Year M.A. program requires one consecutive year beyond the B.A. or B.S.

The Ph.D. program requires 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 Fifth Year M.A. program is limited to students who are majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience 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 and Neuroscience majors may apply to continue their studies and to earn an M.A. with the equivalent of another, consecutive year of full-time study.

The areas of concentration in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience:

  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Quantitative and Computational Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Visit the department’s website at bc.edu/psychology for additional information on these areas.

General Information

Visit the department’s website at bc.edu/psychology and find detailed information about the research interests of individual faculty members and the requirements for completing the program. For application materials or further information, visit the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Admission website.

The deadline for applications to the Ph.D. program is December 15. Applications are accepted for fall term admissions only. Applicants should submit:

  • Application form
  • Official transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of research interests
  • Application fee

The GRE is optional.

The deadline for applications to the Fifth Year M.A. program is February 1 of the student’s junior year. Applicants should submit:

  • Application form
  • Official transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Statement of research interests
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