Get Started on Your Degree Online Today!

Complete your freshman and/or sophomore year requirements through MSU online, at an accredited community college, or at any other accredited four-year institution. Students may transfer up to 62 hours of community college course work to MSU.

Every class you will need is available ONLINE! Students may begin taking courses at the start of any semester. Courses are not sequenced except for one or two exceptions.

The online Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology is designed for people who enjoy helping and working with others. It offers enriching courses in human growth and development, human learning, measurement, personality theory, exceptional populations, research methods, and psychology. The BS in Educational Psychology degree program is a non-teaching major that does not lead to teaching certification (though it is possible to earn alternate route certification upon graduation).

Program highlights:

  • In-state tuition for all students.
  • 124 hours are required to complete the program.
  • Completely online.
  • Start the BS EPY program in the fall or spring semester.
  • If you have core classes to take, you can start those in the summer.
  • You can transfer up to 62 hours from accredited community colleges or an accredited 4-year institution. When you apply, the Registrar’s Office will review your transcript(s) to confirm which classes will transfer
What are some potential careers?

The BS EPY degree curriculum prepares individuals to work in many helping professions, including:

  • Clinical mental health counseling
  • School counseling
  • School psychology
  • Speech language pathology
Who should pursue this degree?

If you enjoy working with children, but don’t want to be a teacher, this is a great alternative. You may desire to have a vocation that helps people in challenging situations. This degree will equip you to do just that.

Program Structure

48 hours of General Education Courses + 43 Hours of Educational Psychology + 18-24 Hours in concentration area + General electives = 124 credit hours BS Degree in Educational Psychology General Core Curriculum: All students who enter MSU must meet the common core curriculum requirements as set by the Board of Trustees, Institutes of Higher Learning of the State of Mississippi to Qualify for any bachelor’s degree.

  • English Comp (6 hours)
  • Mathematics (6 hours)
  • Fine Arts (3 hours)
  • Public Speaking (3 hours)
  • Natural Sciences (9-12 hours)
  • Humanities (12 hours)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

Emphasis Area: 18 credit hours concentration area developed with advisor. Areas may include:

  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Counseling/Clinical Applications
  • The Developing Child
  • Youth and Teen Studies
  • Law and Order
  • Human Resources and Industrial Applications
  • Kinesiology
  • Other Minor or Certificate

General Electives: 12 credit hours

Required Educational Psychology Core:

Course Number Course Title Hours
PSY 1013 General Psychology 3
EPY 2513 Human Growth and Development 3
EPY 3063 Psychology of Individual Differences 3
EPY 3503 Principles of Educational Psychology 3
EPY 3543 Psychology of Adolescence 3
EPY 4033 Application of Learning Theories 3
EPY 4073 Personal and Motivational Factors in Education 3
EPY 4214 Educational and Psychological Statistics 4
EPY 4313 Measurement and Evaluations 3
EPY 4553 Creativity/Innovation 3
EPY 4513 Introduction to Research in Educational Psychology 3
EPY 4683 Advanced Issues in Educational Psychology 3
PSY 3623 Social Psychology 3
PSY or SO Elective above 3000 3

Degree Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology degree:

  • Complete a minimum of 124 hours
    • Up to 62 hours may be transferred from an accredited community college
    • 48 hour General Education Curriculum Hours
    • 43 hour Educational Psychology Curriculum
    • 18-24 hour emphasis area (e.g., applied behavior analysis) determined with your advisor
  • Students must have a 2.25 GPA overall to enter and graduate from the major.

Transfer Credit

  • Students may transfer up to 62 hours from an accredited community college.
  • You may not transfer any credits from a community college after you have a total of 62 credits accepted by and/or earned at Mississippi State University.
  • Last 32 hours must be from Mississippi State University.
  • Transfer students must have an average GPA of 2.5 to be admitted.
  • Upon admission to the university, the Registrar's Office will evaluate transfer credit to determine how it transfers to Mississippi State University.

Admissions Process

New Admissions

If you have never attended Mississippi State University, please complete the online Undergraduate Admissions Application.

  • You will choose Educational Psychology (BS) as your major and Online Education as your campus.
  • Request that official ACT or SAT scores be sent to MSU.
  • Request that your high school send your official transcript. Faxed transcripts will not be accepted.
  • Submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
  • If you are able to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them to admit@msstate.edu.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them via U.S. Postal Service to:
    Office of Admissions & Scholarships
    P.O. Box 6334
    Mississippi State, MS 39762

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact your advisor to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Before the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU account, making course recommendations based on your program of study. Virtual individual and group advising sessions may also take place.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.

Donna Gainer Headshot

Dr. Donna Gainer

Counseling, Educational Psychology & Foundations

  • Primary Advisor

Program Reminders

  • If you want to deviate from the program of study recommended for you, check with your advisor.
  • If you take courses not on the list of suggestions (non-approved), there is a risk that the courses will NOT count toward your BS degree.

All programs of study are subject to review by the Registrar's Office for graduation, even from a signed program of study. Courses that do not equal MSU courses exactly may or may not apply to your program as core courses. You can see these course translations through the CAPP report found at my.msstate.edu. To access the report:

  1. log into your myState account
  2. click on the "hamburger" icon in the top left corner in order to access the Banner tab
  3. click or hover over the myBanner for Students tab in order to view the Academic Records column
  4. click on the CAPP Compliances link

Faculty and Staff

Photo of Anusha Rijal

Anusha Rijal

Online Education

  • Coordinator
Daniel Gadke Headshot

Dr. Daniel Gadke

Counseling, Educational Psychology & Foundations

  • Department Head
Donna Gainer Headshot

Dr. Donna Gainer

Counseling, Educational Psychology & Foundations

  • Primary Advisor