Masters in Psychology in USA: Eligibility & Tuition Fees

The Master in Psychology programme is a well-known postgraduate degree programme in the United States. It can be completed as a terminal master’s degree or as a thesis-required element of a doctoral programme. It draws students who wish to advance their studies and specialise in psychology because it is offered in more than 200 universities across the USA. Typically, a master’s degree in psychology in the USA takes 1-2 years to complete and ranges in price from 28,000 to 82,000 USD depending on the programme. This expense ranges between 23 lakhs to 67 lakhs Indian rupees for a student.

Industrial-organizational psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology are just a few of the fifty subfields of psychology that are listed by the American Psychological Association. Today, most psychology schools in the United States offer master’s degrees in clinical, counselling, and organizational or industrial psychology. In this blog, we will provide you with a complete guide to a master’s in psychology in the USA.

Must Read: Study in USA Guide for Indian Students 2023

Why Study a Master in Psychology in the USA?

It offers a wide variety of master’s programmes in addition to housing some of the most prominent colleges and universities in the world. For those looking to pursue a master’s degree in psychology in the USA, consider these intriguing facts:

• There are approximately fifty psychology departments at American universities, providing students with numerous employment options. In the United States, schools, colleges, hospitals, outpatient facilities, and family services are the most common employers of psychology graduates.
• Between 2018 and the year 28, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that the number of psychologists employed will rise by 14%.
• According to sources, there were 181,700 psychologists in the United States in 2018. This number is expected to reach 207,800 by 2028.
• In 2018, psychologists were paid an average of 80,000 USD, according to the BLS.

In the United States, a psychology graduate can work in a variety of positions due to the abundance of subfields and demand for psychologists.

Must Read: Aspirants Guide for Admission Process to Study in USA

Top Universities

There are 148 top psychology undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States, according to QS. Some of the best American universities that offer a masters in psychology in USA are as follows:

QS Global Rankings 2024	University	Program Name	Program Duration (in years)
#93	Boston University	MA Psychology	1
#49	Pennsylvania State University	M.Sc. Psychology	1
#23	Columbia University	M.Phil Psychology	2
#47	Northwestern University	MA Clinical Psychology	1.5
#43	University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)	M.Ed Counselor Education	2
#64	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	M.Ed Educational Psychology	2
#11	University of Chicago	MA Social Sciences- Psychology	1
#102	University of Wisconsin- Madison (UW-M)	MS in Counseling	2
#136	Michigan State University (MSU)	MA Psychology	2
#151	Ohio State University	M.A Psychology	1
#38	New York University (NYU)	Master of Arts (MA) Psychology	2

Masters in Psychology in USA: Specializations

The Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), or even Master of Education (MEd) degrees in psychology are all available in the United States. The MEd in Psychology is for students who desire to pursue a career as a psychology teacher and the MA in Psychology focuses more on theoretical understanding, while the MS in Psychology focuses more on data collecting and analysis. A variety of specialisations are available to psychology master’s degree candidates. The following are some of the well-known specialisations that universities in the USA offer for Masters in Psychology degrees:

• Clinical Psychology
• Counselling Psychology
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Child Development
• Criminal Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Experimental Psychology
• Neuropsychology.

Following is a list of some of the psychology master’s subfields that attracted the most admissions inquiries:

• Clinical Psychology
• Counselling Psychology
• Experimental Psychology
• Industrial or Organizational Psychology
• School Psychology.

Eligibility Requirements 

There are a few eligibility requirements that you are required to fulfil to pursue a master’s degree in psychology in the USA. 

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a closely related field is required, as is a minimum grade point average of 3.0-3.5 on a scale of 4.0 (83-90 per cent) or the equivalent. 
• Some of the prerequisites for admission include a background in introductory or general psychology, experimental psychology with a laboratory course, and statistics.
• There is no minimum requirement for GRE scores. However, admissions are contingent on a score of around 310.

Language Proficiency Test Requirements

A few universities exempt the requirements for TOEFL/IELTS scores if the students have studied in an English medium school or graduated from an English medium institution. 

Language Proficiency Test	Score Requirements
TOEFL	90
IELTS	6.5

Must Read: Study in USA Without IELTS

Documents Required for Masters in Psychology in the USA

There are a few documents required to pursue a master’s in Psychology in the USA. some of the essential documents required are as follows;

• Completed application form
• Proof of finances to at least cover one-year expenses in the USA
• A valid passport
• Academic transcripts from all educational institutions with their English translations
• Work experience (if any)
• LOR
• GRE scorecard
• Personal Statement
• CV/ Resume
• Proof of English language proficiency through one of the exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, etc.
• Mandatory health insurance in the USA.

Cost of Studying for a Master in Psychology in the USA

The concentrate abroad costs are different for in-state and out-of-state understudies. Pre-arrival costs, tuition fees, and living costs are all included in the cost of education. The estimated cost of studying in the United States is discussed below.

The cost of studying a Master in Psychology in the USA is highest at Columbia University and lowest at UT-Austin. Scholarships for Indian students studying in the United States can be found if they are on a tight budget and intend to participate in the program. If you are currently concentrating on psychology programs outside of the United States but haven’t decided where you want to study, you can also look for master’s degrees in psychology in Canada because they offer an education that is relatively less expensive while still maintaining world-class academics and a research-efficient curriculum.

Must Read: How to Choose the Program to Study in the USA

Scholarships in the USA

Studying in the United States can be expensive. Therefore, students must estimate their expenses while in the United States to cut costs. After that, he or she can look into various options for financial aid to support their studies.

The respective universities provide several scholarships for international students studying in the United States. In addition, there are additional external scholarships available to assist international students with their financial needs. Some of the scholarships are as follows:

Name of the Scholarship	Average Amount Awarded in INR
Merit Scholarship	7.92 lakhs
Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation	Varies
QS Leadership Scholarship for Masters	7.92 lakhs
American Psychological Foundation Scott and Paul Pearsall Scholarship	7.92 lakhs
President’s Scholarship	5.55 lakhs
P.E.O. International Peace scholarship	9.91 lakhs
Dr Michael Horowitz/Dr. Jeannie Gutierrez Immigrant/First Generation Scholarship	7.92 lakhs

Must Read: Youarewelcomehere Scholarship to Study in the USA

Masters in Psychology in the USA: Jobs and Salaries

Graduates in psychology with a master’s degree may be qualified for a variety of jobs in educational, industrial, or organisational psychology, among other fields. However, choosing to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology at another level of higher education in the USA is also a common choice among students. Students who have earned a PhD in psychology may expect to make an average salary of 102,000 USD (83.64 lakhs INR) per year, which is more than the 68,000 USD (55.76 lakhs INR) earned by graduates with a master’s degree.

In clinical, counselling, school, and testing and measurement psychology, especially without a counselling graduate, students with a master’s degree sometimes work under the supervision of a PhD psychologist. After earning a master’s in psychology, there are numerous employment prospects in the USA.

Masters in Psychology in USA Salaries:

Job Roles	Average Salary (USD)	Average Salary (INR)
Board Certified Behaviour Analyst	68,400	56.08 lakhs
Clinical Director	71,100	58.30 lakhs
Family Therapist	55,600	45.59 lakhs
Licensed Professional Counselor	52,700	43.21 lakhs
Mental Health Therapist	47,700	39.11 lakhs
School Psychologist	57,400	47.06 lakhs
Healthcare Consultant	81,000	66.42 lakhs

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