Alternative psychology masters programs

Some professionals utilize their psychology training at schools and colleges in roles related to therapeutic counseling or academic, vocational, and career counseling. They may use their expertise in criminal investigations, assessing criminal defendants for court proceedings or working in correctional settings. In the business field, specific marketing or human resource management roles can be highly complementary with psychology expertise, especially with consumer psychology or industrial-organizational psychology.

Psychology degrees can be complementary to many career pathways. Your ability to qualify for specific careers and job roles can depend on a number of factors, such as your areas of concentration, your work experience, and any licenses or certifications that you hold.

Many psychologists who work in medical settings provide direct clinical psychotherapy services to patients, either in clinical settings, in institutional settings, or in private practice. Some professionals specialize and pursue licensing to work as qualified medical psychiatrists. Psychiatrists often work in medical or clinical settings because they are trained to diagnose and treat severe mental illness or severe psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatrists are also trained and licensed to prescribe psychotropic drugs and to monitor patients who take these medications. Those who train in psychology might also qualify to work as psychiatric technicians or medical lab technicians. Psychology training can complement many fields of study and career pathways.

You might decide to go on to pursue a psychology masters, but you can also consider a range of non-psychology majors. For example, if you have an interest in organizational leadership or human resource management, you might pursue a masters in industrial-organizational psychology or an MBA.

Getting a masters in marketing or an MBA with a marketing concentration are other complementary master degree pathways to consider. Some psychology majors decide to use their bachelors as a foundation for pursuing a professional law degree. If you want a career providing counseling services, you could study more psychology or pursue a masters in social work, counseling, or human services. Another option could be to pursue a degree in healthcare management.

A bachelors in psychology could be a stepping stone to a wide range of academic or professional masters degrees. Many master degree programs take about 2 years. That said, if you study full-time and sign up for an accelerated study schedule, you might be able to finish in as little as 12 months to 18 months with year-round study.

A growing number of universities even offer accelerated psychology degrees online for students interested in this option. Many factors can impact the time it takes to complete your masters degree, including course credit requirements, thesis requirements, or other capstone or clinical field study requirements. Yes, psychology is a good career choice for many professionals. The field of psychology offers many diverse branches of specialization to choose from, specializations that can open doors to rather different career pathways.

What you learn about human motivations, thinking, and behavior in your bachelors in psychology program can be complementary to many other fields. Complementary sectors can include education, organizational leadership, law, counseling, and marketing.

There are also psychology-related careers in a wide range of industries. It may be time to follow up on your personal career goals and interests by exploring the many online masters programs and their accompanying specializations.

Online programs can come in many different shapes and sizes, including ones with accelerated study options, part-time learning formats, and varying course designs. You can start researching accredited masters programs today to determine which learning designs and specializations are right for you. Law and Criminal Justice. The understanding of human behavior and communication skills acquired during the undergraduate study in psychology also provides excellent training for a career in law and criminal justice.

Some psychology majors opt for law school after graduation, while others choose to pursue careers in criminology or forensic psychology. Academic Advising and Student Affairs. A career in academic advising or student affairs might be an excellent choice if you enjoy college life and want to help university students achieve their academic goals.

Academic advisors help students choose classes, majors, internships, and other important educational matters. They also deal with admissions decisions, financial aid, scholarships, and career placement. Some also teach undergraduate courses in study skills and student living.

If you are interested in helping students find success in college, a graduate degree in academic advising or student affairs might be the perfect choice for you. Medicine and Health Sciences. Psychology majors with a strong interest in science might want to consider a career in medicine or the health sciences. While many pre-med students opt for undergraduate degrees in biology or chemistry, an undergraduate degree in psychology is also good preparation for a career in medicine.

If you are considering future study in the health sciences, you can improve your chances of success by taking plenty of courses in science and math while you are an undergraduate. Potential educational paths include medical school or graduate study in occupational therapy or physical therapy. Before you decide which career path is best for you, take stock of your needs, interests, and career goals. An undergraduate degree in psychology is excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers.

The interpersonal, communication, writing, and research skills you have acquired as a psychology major can help you succeed in both graduate school and the workforce. Consider your options carefully before making the choice that is best for you. Ever wonder what your personality type means?

Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Landrum RE. Like this title, the actual answer is complicated. American Psychological Association. Published January Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social Workers. Students may receive an M. The M. Students are allowed to be part-time students in the program as long as they finish the course requirements within seven years of their initial enrollment. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is located in its small-town namesake Edinboro, Pennsylvania.

The degree consists of 30 credit hours with both theoretical and practical courses in both education and psychology. One great support for online students is that upon admission to the program, they will be assigned an academic advisor to assist in both academic and career planning.

The program does culminate with a final comprehensive exam available completely online. Those wishing to take the Mental Health Counseling route should know that it is not designed for part-time students and should be completed over the course of 6 or 7 semesters of full-time study. The majority of required courses are offered online, and the Forensic track is offered completely online. However, students who graduate from this program will not be eligible to become licensed counselors.

Kansas State University located in Manhattan, Kansas offers a professional and terminal degree in psychology which caters to students hoping to enter the work field upon graduation rather than continuing their studies. The online masters in industrial and organizational psychology from KSU is made up of 38 credit hours offered in a hybrid format of both online and on-campus classes.

Although some campus attendance is required, it only takes about two weeks in the summer with the rest of the time earning the degree spent online. The program uses online coursework, guided research, and practicum to develop students into capable psychology professionals. The University of Nevada Las Vegas is another university with an online psychology program focused on the classroom.

Another way students of this program enjoy flexibility is through a large number of elective courses, allowing students to customize their degree based on their interests and future plans. Although all students in the program will have to complete a final comprehensive exam, they can choose from either a non-thesis or thesis track at the end of the program.

Every class is offered in the evenings and add up to a total of 36 required credits, half of which are electives so students can tailor their degree to their specific educational desires.

Several examples of offered electives include Performance Management, Motivation, Training and Development, Survey Research in Organizations, and others. The program can be completed in three years — two in classroom study and one in an internship. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. Albizu University, Miami campus, offers Bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in psychology with an emphasis on cultural and ethnic sensitivity.

The Psy. AU programs provide you with small class sizes and personalized attention from faculty. The majority of AU professors practice within the field, enabling them to bring real-world examples to the classroom.

This university also has the unique focus of creating not only capable graduates but culturally sensitive individuals as well. Both programs require between 60 and 63 credits to graduate, which include practicum requirements. Students can start during Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters and will complete the program in about two years. Counseling, Forensics, and General Psychology degrees are offered online. Admissions may require an undergraduate or masters degree in psychology, education, behavioral science, social work, or a related field; letters of recommendation; GRE test scores and a short essay.

Golden Gate University, in downtown San Francisco, is a great school for adults returning to study and earn a degree later on in life. One unique requirement of this program is the completion of an internship at some point during the program. Both programs require two years of full-time study, an internship, and a thesis.

Students in either program will need to demonstrate proficiency in a computer language usually SPSS. Touro University Worldwide was established to provide accessible high-level education for people all over the country and beyond.

One of the many programs Touro offers is an online Master of Arts in Psychology. The program is a total of 36 credits with a new but optional Sports Psychology concentration and takes about one year to complete. Students can control their pace and may take between one and four seven-week courses each semester. The University of Delaware offers a Masters in School Psychology that prepares graduates for professional certification in school psychology.

Since the program is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists NASP , students who complete it will qualify for a school psychology certification in Delaware and most other states. It is a credit program which includes a one-year 30 hours Master of Arts degree, followed by an additional 30 credits leading to the Educational Specialist Degree in School Psychology.

Overall, the coursework and associated fieldwork account for 54 credit hours approximately two years of full-time study. The remaining 6 credit hours are devoted to a supervised 1,hour internship. Students are required to study full-time. The program is available online. The program can help students who want to enter the field of marriage and family therapy or professional clinical counseling and will provide them with a firm understanding of psychological science from a distinctly Christian worldview.

Students can complete the program in approximately 24 months. For someone looking to complete a low-residency degree, but still maintaining a connection to campus, Goddard College could be the perfect fit. The Master of Arts in Psychology program is based on a low-residency model which allows students to spend the majority of time in the program working independently, but also participating in a once-a-semester, eight-day residency.

Time during the residency period is spent attending seminars, group and personal advisement sessions, and workshops. While working independently, students still have access to a faculty advisor and course mentor.

North Central University makes it easy for students to begin studying with program start dates every Monday. A unique feature of the program is its one-to-one teaching model. North Central offers two different specialization tracks within the program which include gender diversity and general psychology. NCU seeks to develop students with sharp problem-solving abilities, teaching them the necessary skills, then pushing students to apply their education to overcome real difficulties in the field.

Courses are offered online, on campus, or in the evenings to meet the demands of a busy schedule. Saint Louis University offers students an M.

Palo Alto University in California uses a mix of technological approaches to provide a top-tier distance education experience. All classes are completed online except for a campus intensive during the first summer in the program. After that, two to three courses are taken each quarter fully online. Washburn University offers students a quality masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

Students in the program come in contact with clients from the very first semester, and receive clinical supervision from the same faculty who teach their courses in the training clinic. On top of that, Washburn University guarantees their students an internship during their time in the program. A full-time student can finish the degree in two years.

The University of Liverpool is an international university based in Liverpool, England that is extremely well known for its academic excellence and successful graduates.

Students may choose from a master of science in organizational and business psychology, mental health psychology, or just psychology, generally.

The university also offers a postgraduate certification in psychology which consists of the first four modules of the M. Each program is offered fully online with a focus on integrating theory and practical hands-on experience. The school also has seven metropolitan locations.