The Department of Psychology offers Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Psychology. Areas of specialization in graduate training include cognitive psychology, applied social and developmental psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, and quantitative psychology. The Department of Psychology participates in a multidisciplinary program in Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology and offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology (Psychology).
The programs of graduate training in the department are designed to produce experimental psychologists who are capable of assuming positions in academia, as well as industry and government. In a rigorous but cooperative and congenial atmosphere, high-quality research psychologists are trained to contribute to the body of knowledge of scientific psychology, as well as to disseminate and apply psychological knowledge.
Moreover, the Department has an exceptionally high placement record. OU graduates have been consistently placed in academic, private sector, and government positions.
We do not offer a doctoral or masters degree in clinical psychology or counseling.
The Cognitive Psychology program trains graduate students in cognitive engineering and human factors, developmental cognitive neuroscience, cognitive and decision psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, using modern experimental and neuroscience methods. Faculty research spans cognitive biases and risk literacy, skill acquisition, user-friendly technology design, the neurobiology of misophonia, biomarkers for fragile X and autism, the cognitive effects of iron deficiency and diabetes, and the ethics of choice architecture and animal welfare. Graduates go on to careers in both academia and industry.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology program follows a scientist-practitioner model, training students to conduct research and practice in industrial psychology and organizational behavior. Students gain experience across lab and field settings using quantitative, qualitative, and modeling techniques, and contribute to grant-funded, interdisciplinary projects supported by NSF, NIH, NASA, the FAA, and others. A collaborative research culture means co-authored publications and conference presentations are the norm, and graduates regularly publish in top journals like the Journal of Applied Psychology and The Leadership Quarterly. SIOP ranks OU's program 6th overall and 2nd per faculty in research productivity among 53 I-O doctoral programs.
Our Applied Social and Developmental Psychology program focuses on the affective, cognitive, cultural, and biological processes underlying complex social phenomena and how these processes develop across the lifespan. Faculty research explores topics like the effects of stereotypes and discrimination, cultures of honor, peer relationships and youth social status, support systems for LGBTQ+ youth and first-generation college students, and the influence of nature and cultural change on human psychology. Students conduct research in well-equipped labs and through community partnerships, longitudinal studies, daily diary methods, and analysis of natural language and archival data. Graduates are prepared for careers in academic research and teaching as well as applied positions in government and industry.
Our Quantitative Psychology program trains students in applied statistics, psychometrics, and mathematical modeling. Coursework spans experimental design, multivariate statistics, structural equation modeling, factor analysis, test theory, longitudinal methods, and behavioral decision theory, among other topics. The program serves as a hub for quantitative training across OU, drawing students from departments like Business, Math, Nursing and Public Health, Education, Engineering, and Communication. Graduates leave with a strong foundation for careers in academic research, industry, and applied methods.
Tulsa Campus: We offer the Master of Arts in Organizational Dynamics program on the Tulsa campus. This is a terminal, application-oriented master’s degree program geared toward full-time working professionals. More information about this program is available by visiting the Organizational Dynamics website, calling (918) 660-3318, or emailing odyn@ou.edu.
In general, the Department of Psychology seeks graduate student applicants who aspire to doctoral-level training. Many of these applicants apply directly after completing their undergraduate degrees from universities across the nation. These graduate students are awarded master's degrees after making appropriate progress in our graduate academic training program (i.e., after successful completion of required coursework and their master's thesis) on their way to completing their doctoral degree. Some students who have completed master's degree programs elsewhere also are admitted. In such cases, the student's transcripts are reviewed, and transfer credit is authorized for courses deemed comparable to ours in content and quality. The amount of coursework that is transferable is evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
More information about our graduate programs, graduate assistantships, and/or admission procedures may be obtained by contacting the Psychology main office: psychology@ou.edu, 405-325-4511.
To complete the Ph.D. in Psychology a student must complete 90 hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. The individual student, in consultation with a faculty advisory committee, will design a unique course of study that reflects the student’s interests and career goals. Successful completion of all coursework, the Ph.D. general exams, and the dissertation is required for the Ph.D. A Master of Science degree is typically completed en route to the Ph.D. and requires 30 hours of coursework and successful completion of a master’s thesis.
Students interested in our Quantitative program also take two courses from the mathematics department: Calculus-based mathematical statistics and linear algebra. The pre-requisite calculus courses for these may be taken at OU if the student does not have them at the time of admission.
To apply to Department of Psychology, visit .gograd.ou.edu/apply.
Besides the Graduate College requirements, the application should include:
We do not require the GRE nor do we use the GRE scores for making admissions decisions.
The deadline to apply is December 1st.
| Course Number | Course Title | Prerequisite Requirement | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5003 | Psychological Statistics I | graduate standing and undergraduate statistics course, or permission of instructor. | Applied statistics with emphasis upon statistical problems in behavioral sciences research. Includes probability, descriptive statistics, estimations and test of hypotheses. Techniques covered in depth include t-test, one and two factor ANOVA methods, multiple comparison methods (e.g., Scheff, Tukey, Ryan, etc.), and the robustness of these techniques to violation of their assumptions. |
| 5013 | Psychological Statistics II | 5003 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. | The general linear model is covered as it applies to the analysis of variance including fixed, mixed, and random models, individual comparisons, analysis of covariance, and multiple regression. Also, some nonparametric techniques are discussed including chi-square and distribution free procedures. |
| 5043 | Quantitative Methods in Evaluation Research | 5003 or equivalent. | The role of quantitative analysis in psychological, educational and program evaluation is discussed, with emphasis on experimental design, sampling theoory, randomization tests, analysis of covariance models and structural equation methods. |
| 5103 | Physiological Psychology | graduate standing or permission. | Surveys the neuroanatomical, hormonal and neurochemical bases of food and water intake, sleep and dreaming, emotion, reward and punishment, learning and memory, mental disorders. |
| 5203 | Survey in Cognitive Psychology | graduate standing or permission. | Survey of the field of cognitive psychology designed to provide a foundation for the study of human higher mental processes. Topics include: pattern recognition, attention, episodic memory, semantic memory, psycholinguistics, comprehension, reasoning, decision making and problem solving. |
| 5280 | Seminar in Cognitive Processes | 5203 or permission of instructor. | 1 to 4 hours. May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit six hours. Considers special topics in cognitive psychology emphasizing recent research literature. |
| 5403 | Theories and Methods in Developmental Psychology | graduate standing in the department or permission of instructor. | Examination of the theories and methods specific to life-span developmental psychology. |
| 5413 | Personality | graduate standing or permission of instructor. | Survey of modern personality theory and research. Strong emphasis on current limited domain theories of personality, research methodology unique to personality research, and major issues facing this area. Individual research proposals are developed. |
| 5423 | Current Theories in Social Psychology | graduate standing and permission of instructor. | An overview of current theory and research in social psychology, including such topics as motivated cognition, automatic and controlled processing, stereotyping, impression formation, attributions, the self-concept and self-regulation, relationships, emotions, attitudes, altruism, and aggression. |
| 5433 | Classic Issues in Social Psychology | Graduate standing and permission of instructor. | An overview of classic theories and studies from the first 100 years of social psychology. Topics include attitudes and persuasion, group processes, attraction, social influence, conformity, helping, aggression, dissonance, emotions, and attribution. |
| 5703 | Survey of Industrial/Organizational Psychology | graduate standing. | An overview of the theory and practices used in industrial/organizational psychology. Focus on the general principles involved in applying psychological theory in the work place, considering applications at the individual, group, and organizational level. Also considers the major methodological techniques used to support those applications. |
| 5713 | Training and Development | 5703. | Design and development of training courses as well as practical considerations in the delivery of training in organizational settings. |
| 5723 | Selection and Assessment in Organizations | 5703. | Covers a variety of substantive topics including; the choice and design of pesonnel selection tools, validation of employment tests, legal issues regarding personnel assessment and selection, assessment of intelligence, experience, personality and integrity, the use of common assessment methods such as situational judgment tests, interviews, biodata, and assessment centers, frame-of-reference training, theoretical and empirical literature regarding assessment center technology, and development and administration of an assessment center. |
| 5733 | Techniques in Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 5703. | Provides an overview of how to develop and apply several methodologies and techniques that I/O psychologists commonly use to address organizational needs. During this course we will explore topics such as basic consulting skills, job analysis, individual asssessment and selection, biodata, performance appraisal, ad organizational surveys. Some basic familiarity with these areas is assumed. This class focuses on how to develop and implement these types of applications in organizational settings. |
| 5783 | General Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 5703. | May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit nine hours. Examine in-depth one or more topics that provide a basis for current work in industrial and organizational psychology. May include topics such as leadership, motivation, performance management, job satisfaction, and individual differences. |
| 5901 | Foundations of Psychological Science I | admission to graduate psychology program. | Overview of current research in psychological science. Discussion of ethics, professional development, the pedagogical arts, methodology and grantsmanship. Participants complete a first year research project including a grant proposal, presentation at a professional meeting and presentation at departmental speaker series. |
| 5911 | Foundations of Psychological Science II | 5901. | Continuation of 5901. Advanced topics in professional development, research planning, funding and communication. |
| 5960 | Directed Readings in Psychology | graduate standing, permission of instructor, adviser and dean. | 1 to 4 hours. Maximum credit nine hours. Supervised reading of selected topics in psychology by agreement of instructor and student. |
| 5970 | Pre-Master's Research in Psychology | graduate standing; pre-master's status; permission of instructor. | May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Supervised research in area agreed upon by student and instructor. Students conducting research for the master's thesis should enroll in 5980. |
| 5980 | Research for Master's Thesis | None listed | Variable enrollment, two to nine hours; maximum credit applicable toward degree, six hours. |
| 5990 | Independent Study | Graduate standing and permission of instructor. | 1 to 3 hours. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. |
| 6013 | Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Models | 5003, 5013 or equivalent. | Several exploratory factor analysis models are discussed including principle factors, maximum likelihood, and alpha-factors analysis. Factor-analytic-like models such as components analysis and image analysis are also covered. Offers an overview of the application of structural equations in the social sciences. |
| 6023 | Statistical Models of Tests Scores | 5003, 5013 or equivalent. | Topics include classical test theory, item-sampling theories, latent ability test theory, item analysis and test validation. |
| 6063 | Seminar in Quantitative Psychology | 5013 or permission of instructor. | May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit 15 hours. The topic or topics to be covered depend upon the faculty member or members in charge of the seminar at the time it is offered. |
| 6073 | Experimental Design for Psychology | 5003, 5013, or permission of instructor. | Classical experimental design applied to research problems in the behavioral sciences; completely randomized, randomized blocks, factorial, Latin square, fractional factorial and repeated measures designs, confounding, and related topics are discussed. |
| 6123 | Physiological Psychology Laboratory | 5103 or graduate standing and permission of instructor. | Instruction in techniques and concepts used in physiological psychology research to include neurophysiological, neuroanatomical and neuropharmacological analyses of behavior. |
| 6203 | Advanced Tools and Methods in Cognition | 5203 or permission. | Demonstration and application of the tools and methods of the cognitive scientist, with a special emphasis on software tools, including Mathematica, SAS, S Plus, Neuralware, and Unix. |
| 6213 | Attention and Memory | 5203 or permission. | Detailed examination of current data and theory in attentional and automatic processes, short- and long-term memory, implicit memory, and the effect of knowledge on memory. |
| 6223 | Quantitative Models in Cognition | 5203 or permission. | Survey of quantitative models in cognition, with an emphasis on memory and reaction time. Techniques for model testing and development will be taught and supported by exercises. |
| 6263 | Introduction to Cognitive Science | 5203 or permission. | In-depth consideration of the interdisciplinary approach to mind. Includes topics in cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, and neuro-science. |
| 6280 | Advanced Seminar in Cognitive Processes | 5203 or permission. | 1 to 4 hours. May be repeated with change of subject matter; maximum credit 12 hours. Special topics in human learning and memory or in memory and cognitive processes will be considered in detail, emphasizing recent research literature and development of research proposals. |
| 6413 | Stereotyping and Prejudice | Graduate standing and permission of instructor. | Classic and contemporary approaches in social psychology to the nature of prejudice and its motivational substrates, as well as the formation, content, use, and consequences of stereotypes. |
| 6423 | Seminar in Social Psychology | graduate standing and permission of instructor. | May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit nine hours. Intensive study of major problem areas in social psychology, including intrapersonal processes, group dynamics, the self, and research methods. Course topic will vary. |
| 6433 | Seminar in Theories of Personality | graduate standing in Psychology or permission of instructor. | May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit 12 hours. Intensive exploration of both traditional and modern theories of personality. Examples from several major categories of personality theory are examined through intensive primary readings, writing, and discussion. |
| 6453 | Seminar in Interpersonal Relationships | Graduate standing and permission of instructor. | Covers classic and contemporary theories and findings in the social psychological literature on interpersonal relationships, with a focus on the biological, motivations, social and personality factors that contribute to attraction, closeness, satisfaction, and stability in dyadic relationships. |
| 6643 | Seminar in Developmental Psychology | graduate standing or permission of instructor. | May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit 12 hours. Involves in-depth study of theory and research in major areas of developmental psychology, e.g., social cognition, peer relations, emotions, temperament and personality, morality, aggression, theory of mind. |
| 6703 | Advanced Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 5703. | May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit nine hours. Focus in-depth on one or more topics examining the area with respect to new theoretical developments and major research findings. Topics may include active, emergent research areas likely to lead to changes in theoretical and professional practice including motivation, team effectiveness, work and family issues, changes in job design, etc. |
| 6713 | Leadership Theories, Research, and Practice | 5703. | This graduate seminar examines the theoretical and empirical research as well as case studies on a variety of topics in the field of leadership, leadership dyads, outstanding forms of leadership (transformational, charismatic, pragmatic), politics, leading innovation and change, assessing leadership effectiveness, gender and leadership, and cross-cultural leadership. |
| 6723 | Groups and Teams in Organizations | 5703. | This course explores the literature on groups and teams in organizations. The goal is to understand group dynamics, with particular emphasis on those group processes most relevant to organizational groups, such as primary work groups, project teams, top management teams, and so forth. Some of the topics covered include group formation and development, cohesion, social identity, social influence, intergroup dynamics, group decision making, creativity in groups, group performance, leadership in groups, and team training. |
| 6903 | Seminar in Contemporary Problems | five graduate courses including 5003 or permission of instructor. | May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit eighteen hours. Content dependent upon faculty member in charge of the seminar at the time it is offered. Intensive consideration of major contemporary issues in psychology. |
| 6910 | Readings in Psychology | advanced graduate standing (post-master's). | 1 to 4 hours. May be repeated; maximum graduate credit nine hours. Supervised reading for advanced students. Topics chosen by agreement of instructor and student. |
| 6920 | Research in Learning, Motivation and Comparative Psychology | by permission of instructor only. | 1 to 6 hours. May be repeated; maximum graduate credit 18 hours. Supervised individual laboratory research on major projects in an area of mutual interest with a faculty member. Upon advice of the instructor involved, enrollment for work on minor research projects in the above areas may alternatively be in 4990. |
| 6923 | History of Psychology | graduate standing. | Introduction to origin of modern psychology within science. Origins are examined from the ancient Greeks through philosophy, physiology, and astronomy. Special emphasis placed on the historical trends and the people involved. |
| 6930 | Research in Cognitive Processes, Sensation-Perception and Physiological Psychology | by permission of instructor only. | 1 to 6 hours. May be repeated; maximum graduate credit eighteen hours. Supervised laboratory research on major projects in an area of mutual interest with a faculty member. Upon advice of the instructor involved, enrollment for work on minor research projects in the above areas may alternatively be in 4990. |
| 6933 | Seminar in Human Learning and Motivation | permission of instructor. | Special topics in human learning, motivation, and memory are considered in detail. Emphasis is placed on recent research literature and development of research proposals. |
| 6940 | Research in Personality: Social and Developmental Psychology | by permission of instructor only. | 1 to 6 hours. May be repeated; maximum graduate credit 18 hours. Supervised individual laboratory research on major projects in an area of mutual interest with a faculty member. Upon advice of the instructor involved, enrollment for work on minor research projects in the above areas may alternatively be in 4990. |
| 6960 | Research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 5703 and permission of instructor. | 1 to 6 hours. May be repeated; maximum credit twelve hours. Provide guided research experiences preparatory for master's and doctoral degrees. Topics selected in consultation with faculty member may include leadership, management ethics, and motivation. Exposure to key aspects of the research process including literature reviews, study design, data analysis, report preparation, proposal writing, paper presentation, and article writing. |
| 6970 | Post-Master's Research in Psychology | master's degree and permission of instructor. | May be repeated; maximum credit 12 hours. Supervised research for advanced graduate students on major projects of mutual interest with a faculty member. |
| 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | None listed | |
| 6990 | Independent Study | Graduate standing and permission of instructor. | 1 to 3 hours. May be repeated; maximum credit nine hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. |
