Online Master of Science in Data Analysis and Research Psychology

My name is Rachel Partsch, and I am an assistant professor of research psychology here at Northwest University. Research psychology and data analysis, it's really about being able to train students to do applied research in a variety of different settings. So whatever type of environment is of most interest to the student and where they think they want to go professionally. Whether that's researching a social issue with a nonprofit, or maybe it's in a business doing data analysis for a corporation. This program is designed to prepare people to do those type of investigations wherever their interests lie and wherever they want to go. Unlike maybe some other career tracks in the psychology field for this program, there's not a succinct, very clear end point. Rather, you have a variety of options. There are different job titles out there that would fit well with this degree program. So research analyst, data analyst, program evaluator, any type of a position that involves dealing with research and analyzing data for a company or an organization would fit well with this degree program.

It is an online only program. Asynchronous, which means there aren't scheduled class times or even like Zoom sessions. Such things aren't a part of this program, which really is to the benefit of the student because it allows for maximum flexibility. The student can be anywhere in the world working on their degree or studying and advancing their career. So the program is online. They take one class at a time, which allows them to really focus in on that course material before they advance on to the next course and build on that knowledge.

The curriculum heavily focuses on research methods, as well as statistics, and even some qualitative data analysis. So the students do get a broad breadth of introduction and exposure in advancing their skills in these areas. At Northwest, our professors are committed and invested in their students, even in the online program. Our professors know their students interest, their career direction they're wanting to go. And they're able to help coach and guide and really mentor those students, and invest in a relationship with them, even in the virtual space. Even though they, you know, may only see their papers and read them. But really getting to understand their interests and their abilities and who they are and being able to kind of coach them and direct them as they pursue their education.

This particular field of data analysis and applied research psychology is a fast-changing and developing field. It is emerging onto the market, which is exciting in that there's a variety of opportunities that are continuing to evolve and emerge. There are different career paths the student can take with this. They can go into the corporate world, or pursue more private research interests, or even later, doctoral programs in research. There are many opportunities businesses and corporations and organizations are discovering that they can collect a lot of data about their clients and about who is working with them and different problems their organizations might be trying to address.

And they need help managing that data, knowing what to do with it, making sense of it and interpreting it, and being able to use it to help their companies or organizations. And so students coming out of this degree program will be prepared to enter into those spaces to do that, wherever that might take them. I'd say this program appeals to individuals who are curious. They want to understand how things work or they have a fascination with solving problems. Anyone who enjoys dealing with numbers, statistics, getting down to the mechanics of a function in an operation. This type of a degree program would really appeal to them and that it'll advance those skills and knowledge and allows them to have more scientific and systematic investigation skills to explore those things they're curious in, or they want to understand how it works. This program would prepare them for that.

For someone who's interested in learning more about this program, if these ideas appealed to you and it attracts you to this field, feel free to reach out to us, you can contact me directly and I'd be happy to email you or engage with you over a phone call or even a Zoom session. We can talk about your interests and how this program might fit those and help you in your career goals.

My name is Charlotte West, I'm twenty two years old and I'm doing the Masters of Science in Data Analytics and Research Psychology here at Northwest. I came to Northwest thinking I was going to be a counselor, you know, get an MA in counseling and eventually, literally like my last semester at senior year, I was like, that's not what I want to do at all. And so I had to stop and think and be like—what do I actually want to do? Since I want to teach, getting a master's degree in something like research or statistics would be really helpful because I could teach it one day. So the masters is kind of a stepping stone for me where, you know, it's going to build me to a point where I can do better in my doctoral degree. Because this program is focused on research and with a doctoral program, you have to do a dissertation, which is basically research. I really enjoy doing research. I really enjoy working with data. There were a lot of experiences throughout my undergraduate degree that just fit perfectly with this program. Where, you know, doing research for the professors, it was like, Oh, I had the first taste of like, this is how data works, and this is how the research process works. And so the master's program is like, I get to do more of this now. And so it's exciting that way.

I really enjoy the online format because I was home schooled basically all the way until I started college. And I was very used to that where it's like I had to be very independent and motivate myself to do things, and I could do things at my own time in my own schedule. And I think the the online program is really helpful because it allows people to take as much time as they need to do the things that they need to do. Because not everyone is going to get something the first go around. Some people need to go in and be like, I need to watch that video two more times and take notes and do all these things. And so the online program, I think, gives us the opportunity to work at our own pace and tailor it to what we need and how we learn. One of the things I really love about Northwest in general is that the professors really care about the students. They really want to give you information and just love on you and make sure you can do the best that you can. And so a lot of them are really open to talk about it. They're like, yeah, let's talk about, let's sit down, let's chat, let's have a Zoom call. Whatever that may be, they're there and they want to have a conversation with you.

The fact that someone's considering this degree probably means they're interested in research and data. And so that's a really good first step. And so, you know, if you're thinking about applying to this program, I think it's really important to stop and look back at your experiences. Like what was the moment that I wanted more of? What was the moment that I really, really enjoyed? Because that really changes our path. And you know, it could be towards research, it could be towards counseling. So I think there's, you know, taking the time to stop and reflect and be like, what moments were really impactful for me? And you know it sometimes it's completely against our expectations. I think, you know, if you're applying to graduate school, there's always that—am I good enough? That was something I asked a lot. You know, graduate school is not about how smart you are. It's about jumping through the hoops. And I loved that because it's like, that means everyone in this room is smart and they're meant to be here. But it's about, do you do the work? Are you doing the work? And I think that really stands out for people.