Master’s in Psychology Program Guide

The demand for psychological services exceeds the number of available mental health providers. In 2023, the American Psychological Association (APA) published a survey showing that over half of psychologists reported no openings for new patients.

Would you like to help these people in need of services? Perhaps you’ve recently earned your bachelor’s in psychology degree and want to further your education and learn more about this fascinating field.

A master’s in psychology program can help prepare you to succeed as a psychologist, whether you wish to work in clinics, schools, hospitals, or private practice. You can even work in a corporation as a human resources manager.

Our guide will help you understand the educational requirements for becoming a psychologist and which roles are available for graduates. We’ll share details about master’s in psychology programs, factors you should consider before applying, and options to further your education after graduation.

Explore which careers you can pursue with a master’s in psychology degree and how much you can expect to earn after you graduate.

After you earn your master’s degree in psychology, some common career options open to you include industrial-organizational psychologist, school psychologist, forensic counselor, and marriage and family therapist.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment for substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors will grow by 19% between 2023 and 2023.

Once you earn your master’s degree in psychology, you can expect to earn between roughly $53,000 and $147,000 per year, according to the BLS. Industrial-organizational psychologists earn among the highest salaries, while substance use, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn among the least.

Sources: BLS, Payscale

After you earn your master’s in psychology degree, you’ll be eligible to apply to doctoral programs. You can earn either a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology to become a licensed psychologist, researcher, or educator.

With a Ph.D., you can teach in colleges and universities as a psychology professor. The BLS reports that these professionals earn an annual median salary of $76,620 as of May 2023.

If a doctoral degree doesn’t interest you, you can pursue certifications to gain or enhance your specialization. Some professional certifications you may consider are Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC), Certified School Psychologist (NCSP), and Certified Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist (CCBT).

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from 2020, online master’s in psychology programs cost around $12,000 per year, while in-person programs cost roughly $14,000 per year. Keep in mind that these programs last 1-2 years for full-time students.

Financial aid reduced this cost to around $12,000 for online programs and to around $14,000 for in-person programs.

To give you some current examples, the University of Indianapolis program costs $664-$686 per credit hour (exact costs depend on licensure track) and requires 39 credit hours to complete, while the Pepperdine University program costs $1,945 per unit and requires 48 units to graduate.

In the following sections, learn how long it takes to earn a master’s in psychology and how to apply to these programs.

Most master’s in psychology students spend 1-2 years completing 30-36 credits to earn their degrees.

Since these programs are relatively short, accelerated options in this field are designed for those who want to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the same program.

You can find online master’s in psychology programs at Purdue University Global-Indianapolis, Southern New Hampshire University, and Pepperdine University.

In addition to earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, you should complete prerequisite courses in introductory psychology, psychopathology, research methods, and statistics before you apply to a master’s in psychology program.

Here are some common application requirements:

The biggest factors to consider when choosing a master’s in psychology program are cost, accreditation, course content, and format. Learn more about these factors below.