Masters in Psychology Programs in Iowa
(found programs from 9 schools)

There are approximately 759 licensed mental health counselors and 399 licensed marriage and family therapists in Iowa according to the State Board of Behavioral Science. These licenses are renewed every two years beginning from the date of issue.

Licensed mental health counselors or marriage and family therapists in Iowa can work in a variety of settings. These include assessment and evaluation of behavioral problems, suicide prevention, parenting guidance, career counseling or counseling the elderly on mental health problems associated with aging, among others. Iowa anticipates overall employment for both licensed occupations to increase 25 percent by 2018. Professionals will find the most job prospects in Benton County, Boone County, and Buena Vista County.

Some of the top graduate psychology programs in Iowa are:

Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids: This school offers a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. The curriculum trains students to perform counseling by understanding family systems. There is also strong academic focus on couples counseling. This program is scheduled to meet the needs of working professionals and holds classes at night.

University of Iowa in Iowa City: This public university offers different types of graduate psychology programs through their College of Education. Prospective students can choose to concentrate in either community or rehabilitation counseling, educational psychology, or school counseling. Graduates who choose rehabilitation as their specialty go on to work with those with disabilities.

University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls: The Master of Arts in psychology offered at UNI is empirically driven and emphasizes research. Graduates must successfully complete a thesis and can choose either the clinical science or social psychology track for their studies. Those who opt for the latter often pursue a PhD and find employment as research psychologists.