Master's Degree

Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology

Your Path
Many college graduates enter the workforce with the thought that they will go back for a master’s degree eventually. The demands of work and family often make this goal seem difficult to reach. Union College London Center’s flexible schedules and the availability of online classes make it more convenient than ever to follow the path to an advanced degree.

Your Degree
The clinical psychology program at Union College and Union College London Center provides the opportunity for students to understand, evaluate, and provide treatment for persons with psychological problems, and to utilize community resources for assistance in working with these persons. During the completion of the master’s degree and its approved practica, students are provided the opportunity to study and administer a variety of psychological tests. Students also learn various techniques of counseling and psychotherapy. Students who complete all requirements in the clinical area, and who eventually become licensed, are qualified to work in psychiatric hospitals, mental health centers, or in private practice with doctorate-level psychologists.

The master’s degree in clinical psychology fulfills the educational requirements necessary to qualify for the Licensed Psychological Associate licensure from the Kentucky State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The educational requirements for licensure as a psychological practitioner include an additional 15 hours of coursework beyond the Licensed Psychological Associate and an internship of 1800 hours.

Please note that Union College’s main campus in Barbourville also offers master’s degrees in general psychology, school psychology, and counseling psychology. To learn more about these programs, please visit Union’s Department of Psychology at mars.unionky.edu/psychology/gradpsych.

Your Success
Earning a master’s degree is an accomplishment, and one that does not go unrecognized. Many employers attach salary to degree attainment, and a master’s degree has the potential to help you maximize your earning potential. A master’s degree in clinical psychology will also expand your career options and enable you to take your skills and knowledge base to the next level through doctoral work and/or career advancement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that opportunities in psychology will continue to grow over the next decade. Employment in health care will grow fastest in outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment clinics. Numerous job opportunities will also arise in schools, public and private social service agencies, and management consulting services. Companies will use psychologists' expertise in survey design, analysis, and research to provide marketing evaluation and statistical analysis. The increase in employee assistance programs, which offer employees help with personal problems, also should spur job growth.

The number of psychology students who pursue a terminal master's degree has increased six fold since 1960. Competition for positions in psychology-related jobs is keen. Just over one fifth of master's graduates are full-time students, and about two thirds of master's graduates are employed outside psychology. Many handle research and data collection and analysis in universities, government, and private companies. Others find jobs in health, industry, and education, the primary work settings for psychology professionals with master's degrees. With growing recognition of the role of psychology in the community, more jobs for persons with master's degrees in psychology may also become available in community mental health centers.

Some jobs in industry, for example, in organizational development and survey research, are held by both doctoral- and master's-level graduates. But industry and government jobs in compensation, training, data analysis, and general personnel issues are often filled by those with master's degrees in psychology. (Source: Careers for the 21st Century, available at http://www.apa.org/topics/psychologycareer.html.)

Call Union College London Center today for more information about the master’s degree in psychology.