The Master’s in Arts (MA) in Psychology

A Master’s in Arts (MA) in Psychology is a Master’s Degree in Arts with a major in Psychology. This is considered a professional level degree and usually takes one or two full-time school years to complete; two to four semesters or three to six quarters, depending on the program. A prior Bachelor’s Degree is normally required as a prerequisite to a Master’s Degree program. If the Bachelor’s Degree wasn’t in Psychology, then at least certain courses in Psychology are required for admission to a Psychology Masters program.

The Master’s in Science (MS) in Psychology

A Master’s in Sciences (MS) in Psychology is a Master’s Degree in Sciences with a major in Psychology. This is also considered a professional level degree and usually takes one or two full-time school years to complete; two to four semesters or three to six quarters, depending on the program. Again, a Bachelor’s Degree is normally required as a prerequisite to a Master’s Degree program. If the Bachelor’s Degree wasn’t in Psychology, then at least certain courses in Psychology are required before admission to a Psychology Masters program.

A Master’s in Psychology

In the US, a Master’s in Psychology usually refers to either a Master’s in Arts (MA) or Master’s in Sciences (MS) Degree with a major in Psychology, while an MPsy may refer to a Master’s in Metaphysical Psychology. Some other countries, such as the UK and Australia, offer what is called a Master’s in Psychology, or MPsy. Their MPsy programs are only very generally like Master's in Psychology programs in the US, have different admissions requirements and often take four years to earn .

The Master’s in Education (MEd) in Educational Psychology

The term, Master’s in Education Psychology, refers to a Master’s in Education (MEd) with a concentration in Educational Psychology. Some people use the longer form after their names. MEd, EdPsy, or in conversation may say they have an MEd in Educational Psychology. There is not a degree specifically called a Master’s in Education or Educational Psychology.

The M.Ed. in Psychology may be somewhat similar to a Master’s in Psychology (MS and MA), but the emphasis will be on psychology as applied to education, such as special education, K-12 education, higher education, education administration or another aspect of education.

The Master’s in Psychology as a Step towards a Doctoral Degree in Psychology

It’s sometimes not necessary to earn a Master’s Degree before you'll be admitted to a Psychology Doctorate program. In fact, in some doctoral programs you may have to repeat some of the coursework you took in a masters program. This depends on the program. You may otherwise be able to waive some of the repeated courses in the doctoral program, again depending on the program.

If you think want to work in the field before going on for a Doctorate, though, or aren't absolutely sure you'll go into a doctoral program at all, then earning your Master's in Psychology first has some advantages. You'll likely earn more and be qualified for a more responsible and autonomous position with a Master's Degree.

Managing an Online Masters Degree in Counseling

Students who are pursuing an online masters degree in counseling have a number of unique challenges they will inevitably face. The coursework required for this type of degree is likely to be rigorous enough but when the taxing coursework is combined with the nature of online study the difficulty can be greatly exacerbated. This is because many students who pursue online degree programs are attempting to manage a number of different factors which may include work, family and social obligations in addition to completing their coursework. Finding adequate time for study in this situation can be difficult.

Students attempting to obtain an online masters degree in counseling will likely have to make a number of compromises to earn their degree. The first step to do this will include making a list of priorities. These students should consider all of their obligations and rank these obligations accordingly from most important to least important. After this exercise it may become obvious some of the obligations can be eliminated and some will require a great deal of time and energy. The students can then determine how much time they can afford to devote to pursuing a degree in counseling. This information combined with the degree requirements will dictate whether or not it is possible for the student to earn a degree while fulfilling other work, family and social obligations.

Related Tip: Obtaining an online masters degree in counseling may not be a feasible option for all students. Some students are better suited for a traditional classroom setting while other students are more likely to thrive in an online environment. Students who are capable of earning a degree online generally have the following characteristics: enjoy independent study, are focused and can meet deadlines with minimal supervision, do not require a great deal of interaction with the instructor, are adept at using a computer, learn well when the information is primarily offered in a text based format and are comfortable contacting instructors via methods such as email, telephone or fax when face to face meetings are not possible.

Passing Graduate School Psychology Courses

Students taking graduate school psychology courses likely expect the courses to be rather difficult in nature. However, these same students should also realize they have sufficiently fulfilled the prerequisites for the courses they are taking and therefore should be considered excellent candidates for the advanced degrees they are pursuing. This alone may help to give the students the confidence they need to succeed in graduate school psychology courses but there are other general tips which can be very helpful to the students. These tips may include attending classes faithfully, completing all reading and homework assignments, taking accurate notes in class, studying sufficiently throughout the semester instead of just around test time and asking questions of teachers, teaching assistants or even other students when necessary.

The complexity of graduate school psychology courses is to be expected but students who apply themselves should find their course loads to be quite manageable. To make the coursework more enjoyable, students should select courses which they find to be the most interesting. There will inevitably be a number of required courses but students will also have a great deal of flexibility in selecting electives which are tailored to help them meet their career aspirations. By taking advantage of this opportunity and selecting elective courses the student will help to ensure at least a portion of the classes they are taking are thoroughly appealing to the student.

Related Tip: Passing graduate school psychology courses is not an impossible task. Students who have excelled in all prerequisite classes and apply themselves diligently throughout the semester are likely to find achieving a passing grade is easier than they had anticipated. However, these students should expect to spend a great deal of time attending classes, completing reading and homework assignments and participating in either organized or unofficial supplemental study sessions with teaching assistants or peers to achieve their goals.

Researching Graduate Schools for Psychology

Researching graduate schools for psychology is not necessarily a difficult process but it is one which requires a great deal of diligence on behalf of the prospective graduate students. Typically methods for learning more about psychology graduate schools include consulting guidance counselors at an undergraduate degree program, asking for recommendations from faculty members, searching online and reading psychology journals, magazines or newspapers.

Students who are in an undergraduate psychology program may find the school’s guidance counselors as well as the faculty are an excellent resource for information about graduate schools for psychology. These individuals likely have a great deal of information on the available schools and have a variety of resources for learning more about particular schools in which the student may be interested.

Online resources can also be useful for researching graduate schools for psychology students. Many of the psychology schools may have individual websites which provide information about the courses offered, admissions policies and other useful information. Students may also find websites which compile information for a variety of different psychology schools. However, the caveat to using this type of website is the information may not be accurate and students should verify the information through other resources. The American Psychological Association (APA) website also provides information on which psychology graduate schools are accredited.

Psychological journals such as the American Psychologist may also be useful. Each December this journal publishes a list of accredited psychology schools. Additionally, students may find information about particular schools throughout the year. Likewise other print publications such as magazines and newspapers may publish information on top rated graduate schools which prospective students may find to be useful and interesting.

Finding Psychology Graduate Schools

Each December the American Psychologist journal publishes a list of accredited psychology graduate schools. Students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in psychology can use this list to determine whether or not a school they are considering is accredited. This information can also be found online at the American Psychological Association (APA) website. On this website students can not only view a list of accredited psychology schools but will also find information on schools which were denied accreditation and schools which were previously accredited but no longer hold this distinction. This information is extremely useful to students considering psychology graduate schools as schools which are accredited will be most beneficial to the student in pursuing career options as well as additional degrees.

Students may also learn a great deal about psychology graduate schools through the career counseling office of their undergraduate school. These career counselors likely have a great deal of up to date information about the available options for students and likely are contacted by the schools periodically with updates about the school and the programs offered to ensure the counselors can provide the students with accurate information.

Related Tip: There is a great deal of information online in regard to psychology graduate schools. Students may opt to visit the website of a particular graduate school to learn more about the school or may visit websites which compile information on a number of different psychology graduate schools. However, before making a final decision about which school to attend, the student should verify the schools accreditation either through the December issue of the American Psychologist journal or through the American Psychological Association website.

Prerequisites for a Masters Degree in Psychology

Students seeking admission to a masters degree in psychology program will have specific prerequisites depending on the schools to which they are applying. These prerequisites may vary slightly from one school to another but there are some general requirements which students should expect. These may include achieving a bachelors degree, taking some specific psychology related courses during undergraduate study and taking the general area Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Most masters degree in psychology programs will require the student to obtain a bachelors degree prior to applying for admission to the masters program. While some schools may require the bachelors degree in psychology other schools may only prefer for the bachelor degree to be in psychology. These schools may be willing to accept students who obtained other types of degrees as an undergraduate as long as all other requirements are met sufficiently.

Most masters degree in psychology programs will also require students to have taken certain psychology courses during undergraduate studies as a prerequisite to admittance to the graduate school. This may include both introductory courses as well as more advanced courses depending on the school to which the student is applying.

Taking the general area GRE will also likely be required by most masters degree in psychology programs. Some schools may have minimal scores which make a student eligible for acceptance while other schools will simply consider the scores of the exam along with all other application information. Many schools will publish average GRE scores for accepted students, however, and this information will provide a general guideline for the types of scores the school generally accepts.