Master’s in Educational Psychology Degree Guide

During a master’s in educational psychology program, you’ll study how people develop and learn so you can improve educational experiences and outcomes for students in K-12 and higher education. You’ll explore the social and psychological aspects of the learning process.

The discipline of educational psychology encompasses several subjects, including learning theory, cognitive psychology, and human development.

Read on to learn more about the degree, cost, and salary potential.

In a master’s in educational psychology program, you’ll research a range of topics like educational policy, literacy development, and human development.

You’ll take coursework in child and adolescent development, psychological foundations of education, and learning theories.

Earning your master’s in educational psychology degree can take 1-3 years, depending on whether you choose a full-time, part-time, or accelerated program.

Once you earn your educational psychology degree, you may choose to pursue a doctoral degree in education or psychology. However, you could also get straight to work as a curriculum designer, academic counselor, K-12 teacher, or instructional coordinator.

You can also work in training and development or conduct educational research and program evaluations.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Master’s in educational psychology programs explore concepts in learning, assessment techniques, and behavioral analysis.

These programs offer various specializations, including quantitative methods, human development, gifted and talented education, and multicultural education.

Some of these programs also offer concentrations in interdisciplinary fields, such as language science, cognitive science, and neuroscience.

One program we found even offers a customizable specialization consisting of 12 credits worth of courses from an approved list.

Some sample courses you might encounter as you explore schools include:

As you research master’s in educational psychology programs, you’ll notice that tuition costs vary. Many universities charge higher out-of-state tuition, and many private universities cost more than public universities.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), graduate tuition at public institutions cost an average of $12,596 in 2021-2022. Graduate tuition at private, nonprofit schools cost $29,931.

However, costs vary considerably depending on the institution. At the University of Alabama, master’s in educational psychology tuition costs $440 per credit hour, whereas the University of Kentucky charges $753 per credit. Kent State Online charges $605 per credit for out-of-state students; in-state students pay $595.

A master’s in educational psychology prepares you for a wide range of jobs in the educational field and beyond. Learn more about these careers below, including how much money you might earn after you graduate.

Like many prospective educational psychology students, you likely already have an idea of what kind of job you want.

If you don’t, we’ll show you which career paths are available for graduates with a master’s in educational psychology.

These jobs include educational program evaluator, early childhood educator, instructional designer or coordinator, and learning specialist.

Professionals like these help improve both student learning and teacher effectiveness. You could also work directly with students as a school psychologist, school counselor, or school social worker.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), professionals with a master’s in educational psychology degree typically earn between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, depending on their role. For instance, school social workers earned a median annual salary of $53,940 in May 2023. During the same period, postsecondary education administrators made $102,610.

These two careers are in demand, with the BLS projecting social worker jobs to grow by 7% between 2023 and 2033 and positions for postsecondary education administrators to grow by 3%.

Below, find more potential career paths, with salary and job outlook data from the BLS.

Once you graduate from your master’s in education psychology program, you can join the workforce or pursue a doctoral degree.

You can get a Ph.D. in a related field, such as counseling, psychology, or school psychology. Through a doctoral program, you can specialize in an area of interest such as child development. You can also choose to specialize in clinical practice or research.

Some graduates of master’s in educational psychology programs go on to earn certificates to become school psychologists or applied behavior analysis (ABA) technicians.