Master's

This page provides resources to students interested in pursuing a Master's degree in Psychology. Use the table of contents below to help you navigate through the website. Click on links to direct you to articles, videos, and tip sheets.

Table of Contents

How do I choose which Master's program to apply to?

To make this decision, consider the following questions:

Would I like to pursue a doctorate degree after my Master's or would I prefer to enter the workforce? Some programs are more focused towards preparing students for jobs in the field, while other programs are more focused at preparing students to be competitive applicants for doctorate schools.

  • San Diego State University is one example of a university that offers two types of master's programs. One focuses on preparing students to apply to doctoral programs while the other focuses on preparing students to enter the workforce.

Which topics am I interested in?

Am I interested in providing mental health services in the future?

What is the difference between a Master's in Counseling and Master's in Clinical Psychology? https://counseling.northwestern.edu/about/become-a-counselor/counseling-psychology/

What is a personal statement and how do I write one?

A personal statement is an essay in which you describe your reasons for applying to the specific program. Each program might ask different things, so make sure you investigate if the program you are applying to expects you to answer specific questions in your essay.

A guide for writing your personal statement: https://www.findamasters.com/advice/finding/personal-statement-for-masters-degree.aspx

Even though the following samples are all personal statements that got accepted into medical school, they share the common themes with psychology grad school personal statements: students usually write about either research or clinical experience, or both. These accepted personal statements are wonderful examples of how different personal statements can be: https://www.accepted.com/medical/sampleessays

The American Psychological Association offers a webinar on how to write a personal statement using the reverse pyramid approach:

Are there videos or webinars that offer tips on the application process?

Dr. John Norcross created a series of videos guiding you through the application process, starting with "reviewing your career options in Psychology:" https://www.apa.org/education/grad/application-video-series

Also, the American Psychological Association (APA) offers a variety of webinars under the "Finding fit: A roadmap to graduate school" that covers things such as strategies for applying to psychology graduate school (even during a pandemic), types of degrees and programs, personal statement, and preparing for the interview, etc.

What are some things to avoid doing in the application process?

You often hear advice on what you should do, but rarely hear about what you should not do if you want to get accepted into graduate school. Drs. Drew C. Appleby and Karen M. Appleby call "kisses of death" the things that they recommend students avoid during the application process. They surveyed professors and admission committees and published their results in this article: https://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf

How do I find funding for a Masters' program?

Unlike PhD programs, it is uncommon to find Master's programs that offer full funding opportunities. However, it is worth it to investigate; each Master's program is different.

Typical funding opportunities offered by universities involves part time work as a Graduate Research Assistant or Teaching Assistant. Some students may also work during graduate school to help fund their education.

The American Psychological Foundation provides a list of resources for helping fund graduate school.

If you are thinking of doing a thesis, have you looked into the possible advisors?

If you are planning on doing a thesis during your Master's degree, then one important decision you will face is choosing your advisor. Dr. Laura Zimmerman argues that it is important to "really focus on the professors you want to work with, rather than the school or program." She gives more advice on choosing your advisor in this article.