This information is for students who completed a baccalaureate degree at Tulane University OR Xavier University of Louisiana.

The non-thesis track comprises 30 graduate credit hours (10 graduate courses). No thesis is required. The average completion time in this track is 9 months (i.e., almost all students can finish the coursework in two semesters if they completed two graduate courses during their senior year). 

In addition to the core courses discussed in the “Core Components of Program” section above, non-thesis students admitted to the terminal Master of Science program in Behavioral Health complete at least TWO of the following six School Psychology graduate-level courses: 

1. PSYC 6590 Stress & Trauma

2. PSYC 6630 Academic Intervention

3. PSYC 7400 Developmental Psychopathology

4. PSYC 7610 Psychological Assessment I

5. PSYC 7620 Psychological Assessment II

6. PSYC 7660 Evidence-Based Interventions.

Note: Because the school psychology graduate-level courses are capped at a small class size, not all students who apply for admission to the terminal MS program in Behavioral Health will be accepted into that program. For example, some students who apply to the 4+1 MS program in Behavioral Health may be offered admission to the terminal MS program in Psychological Science.

Up to 6 graduate credit hours may count toward the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Also, up to 6 additional graduate credit hours taken as an overload during undergraduate study (i.e., above the minimum 120 credit hours required to graduate) may be applied toward the MS degree. If students opt to take more than 6 graduate credits in psychology during undergraduate study for the purpose of applying these additional graduate credits to a future MS degree, they must notify the Psychology Senior Program Coordinator (Email: psych@tulane.edu) PRIOR to the conferral of their undergraduate degree. 

It is expected that applicants to the non-thesis track will complete some coursework toward the MS (typically two graduate courses) during their senior year. For advice on senior year courses that are appropriate for terminal MS applicants, please contact the Director of Master's Programs, Dr. Julie Alvarez.

The thesis track is available only to Tulane alumni.

This option provides an in-depth examination of the theories and methods of a specific area of Behavioral Health, including the completion of an empirical thesis in that area. The thesis track requires 30 graduate credit hours consisting of eight graduate courses (24 credits) plus the thesis (3 credits of graded PSYC 6610 Independent Study first semester of +1 year and 3 credits of graded PSYC 9980 Master’s Thesis Research second semester of +1 year).

Tulane students electing to pursue the thesis track must have initiated empirical research as an undergraduate student and identified a specific area of research interest. Students are encouraged to develop a master’s thesis topic that is a continuation or extension of their undergraduate honors thesis or independent study research. An assistant, associate, or full professor in Tulane’s Department of Psychology must commit to thesis supervision prior to admission. 

Potential thesis advisors include the following assistant, associate, and full professors: 

• Courtney Baker
• Paul Colombo
• Michael Cunningham
• Jill Daniel
• Benjamin Deen
• Jonathan Fadok
• Michael Hoerger
• Julie Markant
• Lisa Molix
• Damian Murray
• Bonnie Nastasi
• Laurie O’Brien
• Stacy Overstreet
• Janet Ruscher

In some instances, adjunct and research faculty may serve as co-directors.

The average completion time for the thesis track is 12 months (i.e., students often defend their theses during the summer for the August degree). Note: Students who pursue the thesis track are strongly encouraged to defend and submit the master’s thesis to the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) within one year after entering the program. However, the master’s thesis must be defended and submitted in final form to SSE within two years after entering the program. Students who fail to meet the two-year deadline will be recommended for dismissal from the program.

Up to 6 graduate credit hours may count toward the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Also, up to 6 additional graduate credit hours taken as an overload during undergraduate study (i.e., above the minimum 120 credit hours required to graduate) may be applied toward the MS degree. If students opt to take more than 6 graduate credits in psychology during undergraduate study for the purpose of applying these additional graduate credits to a future MS degree, they must notify the Psychology Senior Program Coordinator (Email: psych@tulane.edu) PRIOR to the conferral of their undergraduate degree. 

It is expected that applicants to the thesis track will complete some coursework toward the MS (typically two graduate courses) during their senior year at Tulane.

Thesis Committee and Prospectus

Master’s thesis research is the central element of the terminal MS Thesis Track. The thesis is an extension of research conducted at the undergraduate level and tied closely to the research advisor’s interests and expertise. A student conducting a thesis in partial fulfillment of the terminal MS degree in Behavioral Health will assemble a thesis committee of three faculty members, two of whom must be full-time faculty members in Tulane’s Department of Psychology. The student will prepare a written thesis prospectus for the committee, not to exceed 5 pages. The prospectus should describe the specific hypotheses, most relevant literature, proposed methodology and data analysis, and expected outcomes and significance of the project. Within one week after submission of the prospectus to the committee, the student will meet with the full committee for comments and guidance. The prospectus meeting with the thesis committee must occur prior to October 1 of the +1 year for students entering in August and prior to February 15 of the +1 year for students entering in January. Upon completion of the thesis, the committee will read and review the final thesis document and evaluate student performance at a formal thesis defense. The master’s thesis oral defense meeting must be held before: (a) April 15 for May degree, (b) August 5 for August degree, and (c) December 5 for December degree. The final document must be submitted to the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) by the deadlines posted on their website (the exact dates vary from year to year). The thesis must be defended and submitted in final form to SSE within two years after entering the master’s program. Students who fail to meet the two-year deadline will be recommended for dismissal.

This information is for students who completed a baccalaureate degree at Tulane University OR Xavier University of Louisiana.

Application Deadline
Students at Tulane University and XULA working toward the baccalaureate degree in Psychology may enter the 4+1 program during either the fall or spring semester of any academic year. The deadline for receipt of the COMPLETED APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL SUPPORTING MATERIALS is April 1 to start in the fall semester and December 1 to start in the spring semester. Note: Spring semester applications only will be accepted from students who successfully completed the following TWO courses during their undergraduate study: (a) PSYC 6090 Univariate Statistics I (or the PSYC 3090-4090 course sequence), and (b) PSYC 6700 Health Psychology I (or PSYC 3530 Introduction to Health Psychology). There are no rolling admissions, and we do not accept early applications (i.e., students may not apply until the last semester of their Senior year). The online application opens annually in October. 

To be competitive for admission, students should meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 or higher 
• A letter grade of B or higher earned in PSYC 3090 Univariate Statistics I (Note: the Department of Psychology’s MS Education Committee generally does not offer admission to students who earn less than an A- in 3090)
• Successful completion of PSYC 3330 Abnormal Psychology / Clinical Science & Psychological Disorders or PSYC 3340 Developmental Psychopathology prior to applying to the 4+1 Program in Behavioral Health
• Baccalaureate degree from Tulane or Xavier University of Louisiana pending successful completion of requirements
• Standardized test scores (i.e., SAT, ACT, GRE) are NOT required for applicants to the 4+1 MS Program in Behavioral Health
• For applicants to the thesis track, at least 3 credits of independent empirical research in psychology must have been earned as an undergraduate. Also, an assistant, associate, or full professor in Tulane’s Department of Psychology must commit to thesis supervision prior to submitting your application. Note: The thesis track is available only to Tulane alumni.
• References: You should obtain two recommendations to provide an assessment of your qualifications for graduate study. One of the recommendations must be written by a regular full-time faculty member in Tulane University’s Department of Psychology (refer to the following website for a list of the full-time faculty: https://sse.tulane.edu/psyc/full-time-faculty). The full-time faculty member in Tulane’s Department of Psychology must meet at least one of the following two requirements: (a) For applicants to the thesis track (Tulane alumni only), the recommendation must contain a commitment from an assistant, associate, or full professor in Tulane’s Department of Psychology to supervise the thesis research; or (b) For applicants to the non-thesis track who completed a psychology graduate course (6000-level or above) during their junior or senior year, the letter must be written by the Tulane faculty member who taught the graduate course. The second recommendation may be submitted by a faculty member outside the Department of Psychology, a research supervisor, or a clinical supervisor. [Note to referees: in lieu of submitting a letter, you may complete the following one-page 4+1 recommendation form.

This information is for students who completed a baccalaureate degree at Tulane University OR Xavier University of Louisiana.

4+1 Non-Thesis Track Course Checklist

4+1 Thesis Track Course Checklist         

This information is for students who DID NOT complete a baccalaureate degree at Tulane University or Xavier University of Louisiana.

The non-thesis track in behavioral health comprises 30 graduate credit hours (10 graduate courses; no thesis is required). External applicants to the accelerated (1.5-year) non-thesis track in behavioral health are expected to complete the 30 graduate credit hours (10 graduate courses) in 3 semesters.

In addition to the core courses discussed in the “Core Components of Program” section above, non-thesis students admitted to the terminal MS program in Behavioral Health complete at least TWO of the following six School Psychology graduate-level courses: 

1. PSYC 6590 Stress & Trauma

2. PSYC 6630 Academic Intervention

3. PSYC 7400 Developmental Psychopathology

4. PSYC 7610 Psychological Assessment I

5. PSYC 7620 Psychological Assessment II

6. PSYC 7660 Evidence-Based Interventions.

Note: Because the school psychology graduate-level courses are capped at a small class size, not all students who apply for admission to the terminal MS program in Behavioral Health will be accepted into that program. For example, some students who apply to the MS program in Behavioral Health may be offered admission to the terminal MS program in Psychological Science.

This information is for students who DID NOT complete a baccalaureate degree at Tulane University OR Xavier University of Louisiana.

External applicants may enter the accelerated 1.5-year MS program only during the fall semester of any academic year. The deadline for receipt of the COMPLETED APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL SUPPORTING MATERIALS is April 1. There are no rolling admissions. The online application opens annually in October.

To be considered for admission, students must meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate grade point average of 3.4 or higher 
• A letter grade of B or higher earned in an undergraduate psychology statistics course 
• A letter grade of B or higher earned in an undergraduate psychopathology course
• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university 
• Standardized test scores (i.e., SAT, ACT, GRE) are NOT required 
• References: External applicants should obtain two letters of recommendations to provide an assessment of their qualifications for graduate study in psychology. One of the two recommendations must be written by a regular full-time faculty member in psychology. The other recommendation may be submitted by a faculty member outside psychology, a research supervisor, or a clinical supervisor.

External non-thesis Course Checklist