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Master’s in Psychology in Kentucky

Find Programs for Master’s in Psychology Degrees in Kentucky

If you’ve spent the years since your undergraduate degree in the work force, you have undoubtedly discovered the power of psychology in your day-to-day work. It doesn’t matter if you work in sales, customer service, health care, social services, or another industry entirely—the tenets and theories of psychology can make you a better professional and coworker.

This is just one of the reasons that a Master’s degree in psychology is so valuable. Choosing the proper specialty in this industry can help you shape the career you’ve always wanted. In Kentucky, the need for mental health specialists is particularly intense. The Lieutenant Governor hopes to improve health care in all areas of this industry, noting that mental health services and education are two of the biggest areas where improvement is needed.

Are you ready to build on your undergraduate education? Find out what opportunities are waiting for you by contacting traditional and online Master’s degree programs in Kentucky.

What Can You Expect from Psychology Master’s Programs in Kentucky?

Although a Master’s degree is an extensive program that requires a considerable amount of in-depth study, it is a fairly short program when compared to your four-year Bachelor’s degree. Most Kentucky programs can be competed in four semesters of full-time study.

You may want to compare programs in different specialties, such as social psychology, counseling psychology, health psychology, and forensic psychology, as each area of study has different degree requirements.

Kentucky Student Taking Test For Her Psychology Masters

The curriculum for a Master’s degree in psychology should be quite different from your undergraduate curriculum. Rather than dividing your time between general education courses and psychology courses, all of your time should be devoted to advanced coursework in your specialty.

You may complete a set of core courses before moving on to classes that are unique to your specialty. For example, you may choose to focus on psychological research. Courses in this path may include Advanced Psychopathology, Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior, Contextual Dimensions of Psychology, Learning and Behavior, Advanced Theories of Personality, and Applied Statistical Analysis. By the time you graduate, you may have several research studies and projects under your belt.

Financial aid may play a major role in your school choice. In addition to grants and assistantship options at your school, consider contacting local groups and associations for financial aid options. The Kentucky Counseling Association awards funds to those who are specializing in counseling psychology.

Working With Your Master’s Degree in Psychology in Kentucky

As you learn about the variety of careers that are available to Master’s degree graduates, you may understand why your specialty choice is so important. Many career paths are only available to those with education and experience in a specific field. Meeting with an advisor to discuss your choices in detail may pay off when you start the job search.

For example, marriage and family therapy requires experience in human development, family relationships, and child psychology. Demand for family therapists is expected to grow 39% by 2022, and professionals in this field earn an average of $35,300 per year in Kentucky (O*Net, 2015).

Mental health counseling may be another option to consider. Mental health counselors in Kentucky earn an average of $34,400 per year (O*Net, 2015). Through 2022, job openings may swell 37% (O*Net, 2014).

A Master’s degree in psychology may well be one of the most diverse graduate programs available to you. Learn more by reaching out to Master’s psychology programs in Kentucky.