As an undergrad majoring in any of the social sciences, you should give some serious thought to the top master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut. Connecticut is home to several colleges with master’s programs that let you study specific fields of psychology like marriage and family or addictions counseling, general and health psychology or clinical psychology. Once you know what you want to study and what you want to do once you graduate, you will have an easier time picking the best college. Now is a good time to look at some of the top psych programs in the state.
Central Connecticut State University
Department of Psychological Science
Located in the small town of New Britain, Central Connecticut University is a small college that offers a master’s in psychology program with several different concentrations. It also offers financial aid services that help bring down the cost of tuition and all the other expenses that you face while in school. As you near the end of your studies, you can also turn to the career services department for help creating a resume that will wow prospective employers and with help preparing for the interviews that you’ll go through later. The psych department hosts special events for students too.
Master’s Degree in Community, General & Health Psychology
When looking at the main master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut, you’ll find that the Central Connecticut program features three different concentration tracks. The general track is best for those who aren’t sure of what they want to study and those who want to get a broad overview of psychological topics, while the health psychological track is suitable for those who want to work in health care facilities. The university also has a community psychological track or concentration available that is best for students who want to study the connection between emotional and physical health as well as medical diseases.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050
(860) 832-3100
fallahic@ccsu.edu
Connecticut College
Graduate Study & Non-Traditional Programs
Connecticut College is a small college that offers a number of opportunities for adult learners and other non-traditional students. It has a return to college designed for those who earned college credits but did not earn a degree and a transfer program that allows students to transfer credits from another campus to its New London campus. There is also a special student program that allows the spouses and children of those who work for the college to attend classes at a discounted rate, but this program is also open to students who earned a degree from Connecticut College in the past.
Master of Arts Degree in Psychology
Connecticut College briefly suspended its Master of Arts Degree in Psychology program because the college wanted to restructure the program and change the curriculum of that program. To get a spot in this program, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and have an official transcript that shows you took courses on different psychological topics as well as social sciences classes in college. You can enroll as either a traditional student and take daytime classes or enroll as a non-traditional student and take online, nighttime or weekend classes. The college recommends that students do internships also.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
270 Mohegan Ave.
New London, CT 06320
(860) 447-1911
info@conncoll.edu
Fairfield University
Graduate Programs
Fairfield University, which has its main campus in the Connecticut town of the same name, does not offer a general psychology program because it wants to instill in its students certain skills that will help them in the long run. The only requirement for incoming students is that they must have a bachelor’s degree, but the university will look at factors like official test scores, grade point averages and the types of classes that students took when determining who it will accept into its programs. You may need to take some introductory and beginner courses before enrolling in one its graduate programs.
Applied Psychology
Applied psychology focuses on different fields within psychology, which is why Fairfield University offers this program with a concentration in either industrial and organizational psychology or in a foundations of psychology. You will take 39 credits of IO courses to earn your degree, including program evaluation, organizational development, behavioral statistics, fundamentals of survey design and designing development and training programs. If you choose a concentration in foundations of psychology, you’ll take six credits of electives and 33 credits of required courses that include developmental psychology, program evaluation, theories of learning and fundamentals of survey design.
School Psychology
The University of New Haven also offers a master’s level program in school psychology, which helps you meet the requirements for becoming a licensed school counselor. With your license, you can work in both private and public schools with students of all ages. The MA program includes 33 credits of required classes like social justice and diversity in professional practice, behavioral statistics and treatment models for youths. You will also need to do 1,200 hours of fieldwork in the form of an internship to get your state certification. Fairfield University requires that psychology students maintain an electronic portfolio of their work too.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
1073 N Benson Rd.
Fairfield, CT 06824
(203) 254-4073
gradadmis@fairfield.edu
Sacred Heart University
College of Arts & Sciences
Sacred Heart University is a small college that has strict guidelines regarding the students it admits to its psychology programs every year. Not only will you need a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average, but you will also need a college degree from an accredited university and have at least two letters of recommendation. The university highly recommends that you submit an official GRE test score and that you write a personal essay statement that fully explains what you want to do in the psychology field, why you decided to study this field and your reasons for selecting Sacred Heart.
Master’s in Applied Psychology
The Master’s in Applied Psychology program that Sacred Heart University offers ranks among the top master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut because it lets students pick a concentration to customize their degree plans. There is a community psychology concentration for those who want to work in rehab centers, hospitals, counseling centers and in positions that require they work with the general public. Its IO concentration focuses on leadership, labor relations and other aspects of the workforce. Sacred Heart also offers a more general program that covers a number of psychological topics and can prepare you for graduate school.
Master’s in Applied Psychology
Sacred Heart University understands that there are a large number of students who work long hours and have other commitments that can keep them from going to graduate school, which is why it launched a series of graduate programs that take place online. This applied psychology program is just one that you can finish online. You can take just one class each semester and still finish your degree in two years. Sacred Heart does not require that you do any clinical work or fieldwork but does ask that you do research and create a final project or paper in your last year.
Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology
Based on the strength of your high school GPA and your standardized test scores, you may have the option of enrolling in the accelerated program that Sacred Heart offers. This program lets you earn both your bachelor’s and master’s in applied psychology in five years instead of the six years that it would normally take. You will take introductory courses and general education requirements in your first and second year. When you advance through the program, you’ll have the chance to take graduate courses during your junior and senior years that will count towards the credits needed for each degree.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
5151 Park Avenue
Fairfield, CT 06825
(203) 371-7999
Southern Connecticut State University
Programs & Degrees
Southern Connecticut State University wants to give its students more options, which is why it offers a number of master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut. These programs are available through different departments and have different requirements for new students. You typically need to submit an online application and include either letters of recommendation or contact information for references willing to speak up on your behalf. Many of these programs require that you do a thesis or final project, but some programs let you take a comprehensive final exam in lieu of doing any extra research or writing.
Exercise Science, M.S.-Sport Psychology
Sport psychology is a field of psychology that deals with health psychology and athletics. Those who complete the programs like the one Southern Connecticut State University offers can work as athletic trainers and in similar positions. If you did not take courses on anatomy and physiology as an undergrad, you will need to take some of those courses and other prerequisites before starting this program. It includes both general and sport electives like psychology of sport, youth in sport, exercise psychology and counseling procedures. You have the option of taking a comprehensive exam or writing a thesis to finish your degree.
Psychology, M.A.
Southern Connecticut State University accepts students into its general MA psychology program at the beginning of the fall semester and then in the spring semester. You’ll start out taking a course on design and analysis in psychology and a class on problems in psychology before taking a class on some area of learning or cognition. You must also do a thesis or take a comprehensive exam, but the university recommends that those going into PhD programs do the thesis option. You will also need to earn 18 credits from courses on art therapy, abnormal child psychology or clinical fieldwork experiences.
School Psychology, M.S., Educator Preparation Program
This school psychology that the university offers is best for those who want to work directly with children and teenagers in schools and classroom settings. Once you finish the program, you can enroll in a certification program that lets you earn your school psychologist certification in just one extra year. The basic master’s program includes 40 credits of classes. You’ll take courses on individual assessments, counseling and life span development, mental health in schools, school curriculum for helping professionals and psychology of schools. You must pass a written exam and pass an oral exam that professors in the department will administer.
School Psychology, S.Y.C.
One of the top school psychology programs in Connecticut is this program, which is a type of combined special program. Immediately after you finish the master’s program, you will enroll in a sixth year professional diploma program that allows you to meet all the requirements for getting a school psychologist license in Connecticut or a national license that will qualify you to work in any state. You will take required courses on school consultation, school psychology intervention techniques, research methods and assessment labs that prepare you for taking the licensing exam as well as an internship and two practicum seminars.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515
(203) 392-SCSU
University of Connecticut
Department of Educational Psychology
The University of Connecticut is one of the most recognizable public colleges in the entire state. It’s home to a number of popular athletic teams that won regional and national championships over the years as well as lots of clubs and activities. The school counseling program that it offers is available through its Department of Educational Psychology, which encourages students to do fieldwork and learn how to work with students long before they graduate. This program also emphasizes the importance of research and recommends that students do independent study projects as well as do thesis work or take a capstone class.
Master of Arts in Counseling
Out of all the master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut, one of the top is the school counseling program at the University of Connecticut. This program includes 51 semester hours of work in areas like human growth and development, social and cultural diversity, helping relationships, research and collaborative work. You will spend two years working on your degree and then do an extended internship that lasts for 10 months. The university will evaluate the work you do in that internship. Completing this program will help you meet the requirements for becoming a licensed school counselor in Connecticut.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
249 Glenbrook Road Unit 3064
Storrs, CT 06269–3064
(860) 486–9561
scott.brown@uconn.edu
University of Hartford
College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Hartford is home to a psychology department that offers some of the top master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut. These programs provide you with the practical training necessary to succeed in any psychological job and the skills needed to do well in a doctoral program. In addition to traditional programs designed for those with a college degree, the university also offers an accelerated program that the university created for students just starting out in college. You’ll find IO programs that let you study labor relations and similar subjects as well as a program that awards you a degree and a certificate when you graduate.
Accelerated BA/MS in Organizational Psychology
As a college freshman with an interest in psychology, one of the top programs for you is the accelerated program that the University of Hartford offers. It lets you begin studying industrial and organizational psychology as a freshman and gives you access to graduate school classes while working on your bachelor’s degree. You can select the internship track, which lets you spend a few hundred hours working in the field for course credit. The university also offers a capstone track for students who would prefer doing experiments or independent research rather than fieldwork to earn their degrees. You’ll finish both degrees in five years.
Master of Science in Organizational Psychology
The University of Hartford offered this Master of Science in Organizational Psychology on its main campus in West Hartford for a number of years before deciding to offer it online too. You can take a few courses online to make your class schedule fit around your professional schedule, or you can take all your psych classes online. The program requires that you maintain a 3.0 GPA and that you take 36 credits of classes. You can do a practicum and take an internship before you grade, but the university also offers a thesis option for those who do not want to do any fieldwork.
Master of Science and Sixth Year Certificate in School Psychology
The University of Hartford offers a Master of Science and Sixth Year Certificate in School Psychology that has accreditation from two major organizations and a high placement rate. Approximately 98% of its graduates find work in the field within two months. Finishing this program can help you get certification at a certified school psychologist or a nationally certified psychologist. The sixth year certification part comes from the final year that you spend in the program after earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. You’ll need to take 39 credits of classes and do an internship worth six credits.
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Studying clinical psychology at the University of Hartford lets you gain some practical experience through practicums and fieldwork. This two-year program requires that you take a comprehensive exam after completing your first year to ensure that you developed a strong understanding of the topics you studied and that you should continue in the program. You’ll take 54 credits of classes, and you’ll need to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The university also requires that you do a clinical fieldwork experience that puts you into a clinical health care facility as you work under the supervision of a licensed counselor or psychologist.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
(860) 768-4100
University of New Haven
Graduate Programs
The University of New Haven offers two of the top master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut. Unlike other colleges that only offer general program, this university offers programs in community psychology for those who want to work in group homes and with the direct public as well as a second program in industrial and organizational psychology that can prepare you for working directly with employees and employers. As a graduate student, you can study on any of the four campuses the university has in Connecticut, but you can also transfer credits between its campuses in California, New Mexico or Italy.
Community Psychology
As a community psychology major, you’ll enroll in a program that includes a clinical component, which asks you to do some real fieldwork. The courses that you take before doing any fieldwork ensure that you are capable of working with people from different backgrounds and with real clients. Those classes include one on the interview process, which goes over how to interview people to get to the root of their problems, and a class on abnormal psychology that looks at some of the unique or unusual ways in which people behave and think. You can also take courses on group counseling and life span development.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
When you enroll in the University of New Haven program in industrial and organizational psychology, you will take four classes each semester and finish the program in two years. This includes 24 credits of required courses and 18 credits of electives. The university requires that you take classes like industrial relations, industrial motivation and morale, psychological tests and measurements and research methods. Though you can select from a wide range of electives, most IO students take courses on the interview process, program evaluation, psychology of the small group and leadership and team building.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
300 Boston Post Rd.
West Haven, CT 06516
(800) 342-5864
Wesleyan University
Psychology Department
Wesleyan University worked with its Psychology Department to design one of the most unique master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut. This program lets you transition from a bachelor’s degree program to a master’s program and graduate faster. When you enroll in the undergrad program, you have the chance to apply to the graduate program before or at the beginning of your senior year. You’ll then have the chance to declare your thesis and start taking graduate level courses. Professors in the program will evaluate your work to ensure you can handle those upper level classes while still an undergrad.
Combined B.A./M.A. Program
Earning a master’s in psychological and a bachelor’s in psychology will usually take at least six years of full-time study, but this combined program that Wesleyan University offers lets you graduate faster. Once you enroll in this program, you will need to pick a thesis topic and work with an adviser on your final project, but you will have the chance to change your thesis later. The program features seminars on different topics like human emotions and adolescent development. You’ll also have the chance to take advanced research classes that cover topics like psychology of human memory and cognitive neuroscience.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
45 Wyllys Avenue
Middletown, CT 06459
(860) 685-2000
The number of things that you can do with a bachelor’s in psychological is fairly limited, but there are hundreds of jobs open to those with a master’s in the same field. With master’s in psychology degree programs in Connecticut, you’ll learn how to succeed in any of those fields.
See also: Top 20 Best Online PhD in Psychology Degree Programs 2017
