Experimental Psychology Degrees and Careers
(found programs from 138 schools)

Online Programs in Experimental Psychology

Perhaps because experimental psychology often necessitates time spent doing hands-on research, online degrees in experimental psychology are few and far between. The few that do exist are master's-level programs that assume that a student will continue his or her academic pursuits by enrolling in a doctorate program. Programs tend to be geared toward nontraditional students who work during the day and can access online lectures and reading materials at night. Online programs in experimental psychology require a thesis, but not an on-site internship.

Coursework focuses heavily on concepts like intelligence measurement, research design, the nature of cognition, neuropsychology and the administration of psychological assessments.

Because online study opportunities are so limited in this field, most students who want to pursue an experimental psychology degree should make plans to physically attend any of the 130-plus colleges and universities that offer a concentration in experimental psychology. The brick-and-mortar programs in experimental psychology that are available range from undergraduate to doctorate studies.

Online Experimental Psychology Programs to Consider

University of Louisiana at Monroe: At this time, the University of Louisiana at Monroe appears to be one of the only schools that offers any kind of online degree in experimental psychology. That degree is a Master of Science in general experimental psychology. It is a 36-credit-hour program of study designed to make students more competitive when applying for doctorate programs. Even online students are strongly encouraged to participate in campus research programs.

University of North Dakota: The University of North Dakota offers an online Master of Arts in forensic psychology. Although the main thrust of this program is to teach students how to perform assessments for the social services and criminal justice systems, students do learn statistics and evaluation skills, both of which are helpful to those who plan to continue their education in experimental psychology.

Introduction to Experimental Psychology Careers

Recognition of psychology as a subject worthy of scientific study did not come easily. For years, it was thought that the vagaries of the human mind could not be reduced to patterns or formulas. Psychology was conceived as individualized-each mind thinks, works and responds to various stimuli in unique and unpredictable ways. That view eventually gave way when scholars began to theorize- make generalizations-about human psychology. These theories emerged, and gained traction because psychologists developed scientific methods to test their accuracy. That process of verification is the work of experimental psychology.

Useful Resources

• Society of Experimental Social Psychology
• Society of Experimental Psychologists

Experimental Psychology Job Description

Experimental psychology generally refers to a methodology of studying psychology, rather than a particular substantive branch within the field (such as developmental, child or social psychology). Experimental psychologists attempt, as the title suggests, to construct controlled experiments in which psychological theories can be empirically tested, effects documented and variables manipulated.

Experimental Psychology Requirements

As undergraduates, future experimental psychologists tend to major in psychology, and have considerable facility with science, psychology and statistics. Because experimental psychologists engage almost exclusively in research-not clinical practice-candidates for graduate programs often must demonstrate particular interest in the field. In some programs, applicants are selected for admission individually by faculty members with whom they share an academic interest. The most competitive candidates possess prior research experience, relevant undergraduate study and satisfactory performance on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Students may pursue a master's degree, which takes one to two years to complete, or the Doctor of Philosophy in psychology (Ph.D.), which takes approximately five years to complete.

Due to its methodological nature, there are few programs devoted in name to experimental psychology. Only a handful of schools confer degrees in "experimental psychology." Instead, experimental psychology is often understood to be synonymous with the study of various forms of non-clinical psychology, such as cognitive, developmental and social. In this sense, many graduate programs that focus generally on research-as opposed to clinical practice-could be accurately characterized as experimental. These non-clinical research subjects all utilize the empirically-oriented methods of experimental psychology to collect data and test hypotheses. For the most part, experimental psychologists are not trained for and do not actually practice psychology with patients, and thus do not qualify for or obtain licensure. As such, students interested in pursuing a career in experimental psychology must pay close attention to the ways in which various graduate programs define that course of study, regardless of the actual name of the program.

Experimental Psychology Career Outlook

Experimental psychologists generally work in academic settings as teachers and researchers. Some also find employment within government agencies or private corporations. For instance, an experimental psychologist's training might prepare her well for work designing and analyzing the results of psychiatric drug trials or for developing tests to determine the efficacy of a company's human resources management policies.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a category of professionals including experimental psychologists earn a median salary of $86,120. According to a 2005 report by the American Psychological Association, salaries for psychologists within academia ranged from $59,000 to $75,000.

Experimental Psychology Trends

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that from 2008 to 2018, employment of a category of professionals including experimental psychologists will increase by 14 percent.

Experimental Psychology Degree Programs

Welcome to the most complete directory on the Web of Experimental Psychology programs. It contains all the nationally accredited programs, from 138 schools across the country.

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