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Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Educational Psychology

Overview

Educational Psychology is an undergraduate degree program in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Foundations. This is a non-teaching major that leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in educational psychology but not certification as a teacher.  You may find important program information including the handbook, curriculum guide, and supporting interest area course list below:

You should consider educational psychology major if you are interested in working with people of various ages and in a range of settings. It is an appropriate major for those who want to work in helping professions but are not seeking to become a classroom teacher.  The Educational Psychology B.S. degree can now also be completed online.  Our online program (https://online.msstate.edu/epy/) offers great flexibility for those who want to build a solid foundation in educational psychology. 

Educational psychology is the science of learners and learning, including their differences and their development as they grow and change. These differences include changes that are biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial. Educational psychologists are interested in areas that affect students’ learning and achievement; such that they are interested in understanding motivation, individual differences in abilities, student exceptionalities, creative thinking, and personality. Educational psychology also involves learning the techniques of the scientific method that apply to our field—using tests and measurements, statistics, and research methodology. Thus, educational psychology involves a wide range of topics about people, and your major courses are designed to help you learn about these topics while also helping you learn the methods in how knowledge is gained in the field.

You should consider educational psychology if:

  • you enjoy helping and working with others,
  • you want to understand why people think and act the way they do, and
  • you seek enriching courses in human development, learning, and other topics relevant for applying psychology to teaching, coaching, counseling, and other professions. See career opportunities page.

Curriculum

  • To graduate with a B.S. degree in Educational Psychology, you will need to complete the following 124/121-hour degree program:
    • General education requirements (42/39 hours)
    • Educational psychology major requirements (70 hours)
      • Educational psychology major core (46 hours; C or better)
      • Educational psychology other requirements (6 hours)
        • Communication (3 hours)
        • Human/cultural/diversity (3 hours)
      • One emphasis area (18 hours)
    • General electives (12 hours)
  • You may only transfer 62 hours from junior or community colleges.
  • You must have a GPA of 2.25 or above on a 4.00 scale to transfer to or graduate from the program.
  • To finish the B.S. degree in EPY in four years with no summer school, you will need to take 15-16 hours each regular semester. If this is your first term at MSU and you've not yet taken a full load at a senior college, it would be a good idea to limit your first semester to 12 hours or 15 hours maximum.
  • It is most important that you get to know your advisor and see that faculty member during preregistration times. Your degree program is your responsibility. Make sure your folder contains all transcripts. Keep your program up to date each time you visit your advisor.

Educational Psychology Faculty

Employment Opportunities

There are many exciting jobs for graduates of the B.S. degree in Educational Psychology. You may view some of these work opportunities at "What Can I do With an Educational Psychology Degree?"

Accelerated Master's Program in Educational Psychology

Highly qualified undergraduates at Mississippi State University are encouraged to apply to the Accelerated Master’s Program in Educational Psychology. This program allows motivated students to begin graduate coursework early, saving time and reducing tuition costs while completing both degrees more efficiently.

Program Structure

Students may take up to 15 hours of graduate-level coursework during their final two years of undergraduate study. Of these, a maximum of 9 hours may be applied toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs (dual credit). The remaining hours (up to 6) may count only toward the master’s degree requirements after the student is formally admitted to the graduate program.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be considered for admission, students must:

  1. Have completed at least 60 hours of graded undergraduate coursework (junior classification).
  2. Hold a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 scale.

Application Process:

  • Deadlines
    • November 1 (to begin in the Spring semester)
    • May 1 (to begin in the Fall semester)
  • Application Materials
    • A statement of purpose (500-750 words) describing reasons for applying to the program.
  • Submit your application online

Transition to Graduate Study:

  • Students remain classified as undergraduates until all undergraduate degree requirements are met.
  • Students must apply formally to the EPY graduate program through the Graduate School.
  • Students may opt out of the accelerated program at any time, in which case only the undergraduate portion of coursework will apply.

Please contact Dr. Elaine Wei (ewei@colled.msstate.edu) for any questions you may have.

Minor in Educational Psychology

Students not majoring in educational psychology may wish to select a minor. An EPY minor provides students with a general background of psychological topics and principles as they relate to education. A minor consists of 18 hours of coursework in educational psychology. This includes 18 hours of EPY courses.

For the 18-hour minor in EPY, students may choose to complete any 18 hours from the following approved course list: 

EPY 2513, EPY 3063, EPY 3143, EPY 3253, EPY 3503, EPY 3543, 

EPY 4033, EPY 4073, EPY 4313, EPY 4513, EPY 4553, EPY 4683.

Contact Dr. Elaine Wei (ewei@colled.msstate.edu) for any questions you may have.