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Program Overview

Drexel University’s Master of Science (MS) in Psychology is the ideal foundation for students who wish to pursue advanced education in scientific psychology and research methods. Our research-based program allows students to take their first step into graduate education and begin a steady path toward further educational and career opportunities. The master’s curriculum introduces students to a range of immersive research experiences in neurocognitive and behavioral sciences. In addition to rigorous coursework, students complete a minimum of eight hours per week of faculty-mentored laboratory research; these activities contribute to the successful completion of the master’s thesis.

In this full-time, two-year, 45 credit program students receive the same individualized, committed mentorship model as our doctoral-level students. Master’s students are able to take advanced graduate courses and work alongside their mentors and other students in our tight-knit, collaborative research environment. The master’s program curriculum is customized to fit the unique interests of each student and offers opportunities for focused study with coursework in forensic psychology, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral/health and analytic methods.

Career Outcomes

About half of our students enter the workforce with a terminal master’s degree and establish themselves in positions as research coordinators at hospitals, universities and pharmaceutical companies. For our remaining students, the master’s degree serves as a solid foundation in psychology prior to entry into advanced doctoral programs. These scholars typically go on to pursue careers as clinical psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists in clinical practice, academic medical center, university and industry settings.

Our Mentorship Model

Graduate research is integral to building the intellectual life, growth and reach of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. An important feature of our master’s program is that students are not assigned faculty mentors — prospective students select mentors best suited to their unique program of study and interview with them as part of the application process. Once admitted, they work with the faculty mentor of their choice.

Students receive dedicated mentorship and critical hands-on training as active, contributing members of faculty research labs. These students often present their research at national and international scientific meetings and serve as co-authors on publications with their faculty mentors in distinguished, peer-reviewed journals.

Research Areas and Labs

The master’s program fits the unique interests of each student with opportunities for focused study in forensic psychology, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral/health and analytic methods. Department faculty include world-class clinical and cognitive scientists who lead exploration across six core areas of research in psychological and brain sciences. Additionally, the department is home to the WELL Center, an interdisciplinary clinical research center dedicated to weight, eating and lifestyle science.

Faculty Accepting Students: 2025-2026

Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences faculty are dedicated educators as well as leading clinical and cognitive scientists whose diverse body of scholarship advances the frontlines of academics, discovery and practice.

Click on each faculty member’s profile to learn more about their areas of expertise and research interests.

	Faculty Member	Expertise
	Meghan L. Butryn, PhD Professor; Associate Department Head Stratton 286 mlb34@drexel.edu	Obesity prevention and treatment Physical activity promotion Lifestyle modification Behavioral therapy Cancer prevention For Academic Year 2025-26, Dr. Meghan Butryn is accepting MS in Psychology students jointly with Dr. Charlotte Hagerman and Dr. Erica LaFata.
	Brian P. Daly, PhD Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Department Head Stratton 118 brian.daly@drexel.edu	School mental health Leadership Mental health promotion Socioemotional learning (SEL) Evidence-based practice Risk and resilience Child and adolescent intervention
	David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic) Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Professor of Law; Director, JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology Stratton 338 David.DeMatteo@drexel.edu	Psychopathy Forensic Psychology Forensic mental health assessment Testing in forensic assessment contexts Drug policy research
	Naomi E. Goldstein, PhD Professor of Psychology; Co-director of the JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology; Director of the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab Stratton 328 neg23@drexel.edu	Juvenile justice System reform Policy and practice Adolescent development Social science research Psychology, criminal justice, and law Forensic psychology
	Charlotte J. Hagerman, PhD Assistant Research Professor 3201 Chestnut Street, Room 232 cjh427@drexel.edu	Obesity Behavioral weight loss treatment Habit formation Goal achievement Motivation Self-compassion
	John Kounios, PhD Professor Stratton 318 jk342@drexel.edu	Cognitive Neuroscience Creativity Problem Solving Individual Differences Brain Aging
	Aaron Kucyi, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology aaron.kucyi@drexel.edu	Network neuroscience fMRI Intracranial EEG Spontaneous thought Attention Experience sampling Mental health
	Erica LaFata, PhD Assistant Research Professor Stratton Hall 233 es3344@drexel.edu	Ultra-processed food reward Food addiction as a phenotype of overeating Assessment of addictive-like eating behaviors Treatment development for weight- and eating-related concerns
	Stephanie Manasse, PhD Assistant Professor; Director, MS and Accelerated BS/MS in Psychology Programs; Director, mPOWER Program (WELL Center); Director, Child and Adolescent Program (WELL Center) Stratton 290 smm522@drexel.edu	Eating disorders Self-regulation Eating behaviors Adolescents Intervention development Ecological momentary assessment Inhibitory control
	Alexa Tompary, PhD Assistant Professor Stratton Hall, Room 306 at3549@drexel.edu	Neural bases of episodic memory and conceptual knowledge Systems memory consolidation theories Functional neuroimaging Transcranial magnetic stimulation

All Program Faculty

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is actively engaged in vibrant research initiatives to advance the science and practice of psychology. Faculty publish widely in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals; are featured experts in national and international media; and are the recipients of major research awards from prestigious grantors including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

View All

	Faculty Member	Expertise
	Meghan L. Butryn, PhD Professor; Associate Department Head Stratton 286 mlb34@drexel.edu	Obesity prevention and treatment Physical activity promotion Lifestyle modification Behavioral therapy Cancer prevention For Academic Year 2025-26, Dr. Meghan Butryn is accepting MS in Psychology students jointly with Dr. Charlotte Hagerman and Dr. Erica LaFata.
	Evangelia G. Chrysikou, PhD Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Associate Dean for Research, College of Arts and Sciences; Director, Applied Cognitive & Brain Sciences PhD Program; Co-Leader, B.S. Neuroscience major Stratton 324 lilachrysikou@drexel.edu	Cognitive control Creativity Semantic memory Cognitive and affective regulation Design cognition Cognitive flexibility Noninvasive brain stimulation Functional neuroimaging
	Brian P. Daly, PhD Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Department Head Stratton 118 brian.daly@drexel.edu	School mental health Leadership Mental health promotion Socioemotional learning (SEL) Evidence-based practice Risk and resilience Child and adolescent intervention
	David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic) Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Professor of Law; Director, JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology Stratton 338 David.DeMatteo@drexel.edu	Psychopathy Forensic Psychology Forensic mental health assessment Testing in forensic assessment contexts Drug policy research
	Kate Devlin, PhD Assistant Research Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Stratton 123 knd52@drexel.edu	NeuroHIV Aging and neurodegenerative disease Cognitive health disparities Diagnosis and prognosis Cognitive heterogeneity Structural equation modeling Everyday functioning
	Evan M. Forman, PhD Professor Stratton 282 evan.forman@drexel.edu	Health behavior change Behavioral treatments for health promotion Weight control Neurocognitive drivers of eating Lifestyle modification Technology-facilitated behavior change Mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral treatments
	Pamela Geller, PhD Professor of Psychology, Ob/Gyn and Public Health Stratton 280 pg27@drexel.edu	Clinical and health psychology Stressful life events and mental and physical health outcomes particularly in the area of women's reproductive health
	Naomi E. Goldstein, PhD Professor of Psychology; Co-director of the JD/PhD Program in Law and Psychology; Director of the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab Stratton 328 neg23@drexel.edu	Juvenile justice System reform Policy and practice Adolescent development Social science research Psychology, criminal justice, and law Forensic psychology
	Kirk Heilbrun, PhD Professor; Director, Reentry Project 334 Stratton Hall kirk.heilbrun@drexel.edu	Forensic mental health assessment Violence risk assessment Risk-reducing interventions Accepting Students: Dr. Heilbrun will not be accepting a student in the MS program, but will be accepting a student in the PhD program –to be co-mentored with Dr. David DeMatteo– for AY 2025-26.
	Adrienne Juarascio, PhD Director, Practicum Training; Director of Training, Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Sciences Center; Associate Professor Stratton 288 asj32@drexel.edu	Enhancing treatment outcomes for eating disorders and obesity Acceptance-based behavioral treatments Evaluating mechanisms of action in behavioral treatments
	John Kounios, PhD Professor Stratton 318 jk342@drexel.edu	Cognitive Neuroscience Creativity Problem Solving Individual Differences Brain Aging
	Erica LaFata, PhD Assistant Research Professor Stratton Hall 233 es3344@drexel.edu	Ultra-processed food reward Food addiction as a phenotype of overeating Assessment of addictive-like eating behaviors Treatment development for weight- and eating-related concerns
	Nancy Raitano Lee, PhD Associate Professor; Director, Clinical Neuropsychology Major Area of Study Stratton 290 nancy.raitano.lee@drexel.edu	Neuropsychology Clinical child psychology Down syndrome Autism spectrum disorder Brain Neuroimaging Developmental disorders
	Michael R. Lowe, PhD Professor Stratton 284 lowe@drexel.edu	Please visit the Lowe Lab for more details about the research topics below: Obesity Set point Eating disorders Dieting Hedonic hunger Weight variability
	Stephanie Manasse, PhD Assistant Professor; Director, MS and Accelerated BS/MS in Psychology Programs; Director, mPOWER Program (WELL Center); Director, Child and Adolescent Program (WELL Center) Stratton 290 smm522@drexel.edu	Eating disorders Self-regulation Eating behaviors Adolescents Intervention development Ecological momentary assessment Inhibitory control
	John D. Medaglia, PhD Associate Professor 322 Stratton Hall jdm582@drexel.edu	Cognitive Neuroscience Clinical Neuropsychology Brain Stimulation Neuroimaging Network Analysis Self-control Neuroethics
	Christine Maguth Nezu, PhD, ABPP Professor, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences; Professor, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine Stratton Hall, Room 278 cn25@drexel.edu	Emotion-Centered Problem Solving Therapy Clinical Case Formulation Psychotherapy Training & Supervision Adaptive Functioning in Adults with Intellectual Disability Suicide Risk Reduction
	Arthur M. Nezu, PhD, DHL, ABPP Distinguished University Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor of Medicine; Professor of Public Health Stratton 268 amn23@drexel.edu	(Emotion-Centered) Problem-Solving Therapy Stress and coping Depression Suicide Ethics
	Maria T. Schultheis, PhD Professor of Psychology; Interim Director of Clinical Training 3180 Chestnut Street, Suite 104 schultheis@drexel.edu	I am interested in the use of innovative technologies for meeting the clinical needs of individual with neurological compromise. Much of our work is focused on using virtual reality simulation, neuropsychological measures and portable imaging systems (i.e., fNIRS). I work with cognitively impaired populations—traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, dementia—in order to understand the effects of neurological involvement on functions, such as driving, returning to work and everyday activities of living. Our work intersects psychology, biomedical engineering, transportation, and rehabilitation medicine.
	Andrea Wieckowski, PhD Assistant Research Professor Research is focused on utilization of technology in assessment and treatment of social communication deficits in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) atw64@drexel.edu
	Fengqing Zoe Zhang, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology Stratton 316 fengqing.zhang@drexel.edu	Multimodal neuroimaging Machine learning Brain development and aging Mental health Wearable computing and mHealth

The Master’s in Psychology Thesis

Students in the master’s in psychology degree program begin working on the thesis during their first year, developing ideas and examining the existing research literature. Each student’s mentor works with them to offer guidance in all areas of thesis development: formulating a question, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the final thesis document. Students take two courses in research methods and three courses in data analysis to gain the tools and skills they will need to competently conduct their master’s thesis. More details regarding the thesis submission and binding process can be found on the Drexel Library website.

Drexel Library: Theses, Dissertations and Projects

Recent Theses

Students in our program complete theses on a wide range of topics. We proudly invite prospective students to review recent theses authored by our Master of Science in Psychology degree recipients.