When you think of Massachusetts, you likely think of its long and rich history as one of the original 13 states in the Union. In every corner of the state, there are reminders of its long past, from Revolutionary War sites to Paul Revere’s home to cobblestone streets in Boston.
But Massachusetts also has a long academic history. Harvard dates to 1636 and was the first college established in the American Colonies. Today, Massachusetts is home to 114 colleges and universities spread from border to border.
Since psychology is a popular major, many of these colleges and universities offer graduate programs in this field.
Psychology Graduate Programs in Massachusetts
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering psychology graduate programs in Massachusetts:
- Capella University
- University of Massachusetts at Boston
- Boston University
- University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
- Bridgewater State University
- Suffolk University
To find out how we select colleges and universities, please click here.
University of Massachusetts at Boston
UMass Boston is a public research university with more than 16,000 students. The university boasts many facilities that enhance the ability to conduct research, including an Integrated Sciences Complex where students and faculty examine such important topics as the cause of cancer.
Likewise, there are 50 research centers on campus, making UMass Boston one of the premier research universities in New England.
As a student at UMass Boston, you will join the most diverse campus in the region. Students come from 136 countries to study at the university. Part of the draw of UMass Boston is its eight colleges and schools, where there are more than 200 programs to choose from at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
Psychology Graduate Programs
UMass Boston offers a clinical psychology Ph.D. program rooted in the scientist-practitioner-activist model. As a student in this program, you will learn about the theoretical bases of psychology, how to implement that knowledge in a clinical setting, and discover what you can do to advocate on behalf of people with a mental illness.
This program prepares you for licensure as a practicing clinical psychologist. As such, you will learn how to work with a wide range of clients, including children, couples, adults, and families. Additionally, you will learn how to provide services to diverse groups from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Some of the courses you will take include:
- Biological Bases of Behavior
- Research Methods and Ethics in Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Neuropsychological Assessment
- Forensic Psychology
This program also includes a practicum and internship requirement. The practicum experiences are divided among several subjects, including psychological research, psychological assessment, and clinical outreach, to name a few. The internship is a one-year placement during which you’ll have a variety of experiences working with clients.
To apply to this five-year residential program, you must complete an online application and submit the following documentation:
- Transcripts from each college and university you have attended
- A personal statement
- A curriculum vitae
- Three letters of recommendation
Boston University
Boston University is one of the largest institutions of higher learning in the state. With more than 36,000 students, you will join a large and diverse study body that enjoys a vibrant campus and easy access to Boston’s amenities. Yet, despite being a big school in a big city, Boston University offers extremely small class sizes with a student-to-teacher ratio of just 11:1.
This school is known for excellence in research, as evidenced by the fact that there are almost 1,500 laboratories associated with the university. The school is also known for its academic excellence. It ranks as the 27th-best college in the U.S. and ranks 20th in the nation for excellence, equity, and employability. BU is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities as well.
Psychology Graduate Programs
The Master of Arts in Psychology from Boston University explores many different aspects of this field, including psychological theories, scientific methodologies, and practical applications in the workplace. In particular, the program’s faculty are experts in the fields of:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
- Developmental Science
- Cognition
This is a 32-credit residential program that can be completed in one year. During your studies, you will complete eight required courses in areas such as current trends in psychology, statistical methods, and directed studies in psychology.
You must also complete at least one course from two of the four specialization areas offered by BU: Developmental Science, Clinical Psychology, or Brain, Behavior, and Cognition. At the conclusion of your studies, you will be prepared for master’s-level work in non-clinical settings. You may also continue your studies in a doctoral program.
You can apply by completing an online application for admission. The admissions committee looks at various criteria to determine your eligibility for the program. This includes:
- A personal statement
- Your academic history
- Letters of reference
- GRE test scores
University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
UMass Dartmouth is a relatively small school with an enrollment of just over 7,000 students. Yet, despite being a small school, UMass Dartmouth is one of five campuses in the University of Massachusetts System. This means as a student at UMass Dartmouth, you have access to the broad resources of the entire University System.
The school is organized into six colleges. Well over 100 programs of study are offered between these colleges, including nearly 1,000 different courses each semester. You can explore your chosen area of study in small classes, too, as UMass Dartmouth has a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1. There are also more than 160 student clubs and organizations on campus that allow you to enrich your learning experience.
Psychology Graduate Programs
The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from UMass Dartmouth is a three-year residential program that prepares you for practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). You progress through the program with a cohort of classmates with whom you study until the end of the program.
The benefit of the cohort model is that you develop strong personal and professional ties with your classmates. You will gain academic expertise together, grow as clinicians together, and after graduation, you can rely on one another as professional colleagues.
This program provides training in a variety of psychological theories and techniques. However, the primary focus is from a behavioral psychology perspective. As such, you’ll take classes like:
- Advanced Psychopathology
- Theories Of Psychotherapy
- Behavior Modification and Behavior Therapy
- Behavioral Medicine
- Advanced Behavior Modification and Therapy
If you prefer, you can pursue one of two other specializations: applied behavioral analysis (ABA) or research psychology.
Unlike the clinical psychology track, which is 60 credits, the ABA and research psychology tracks are just 36 credits. Likewise, these tracks require just two years of study as opposed to the three years needed for the clinical psychology degree.
To apply, you must complete an online application for admission and pay a $60 application fee. Additionally, you must provide the following supporting documentation for your application:
- A statement of purpose
- A resume
- Transcripts from all colleges and universities you’ve attended
- Three letters of recommendation
The clinical psychology track also requires that you have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a 2.75 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale. Final candidates for admission must also sit for a personal interview.
Bridgewater State University
Founded in 1840 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Bridgewater State University is a student-centered institution that strives to support you at every step in your academic journey. To do so, the university maintains small class sizes, a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1, and offers a range of support services, including tutoring, library and research services, and academic advisement, to name a few.
You can explore thousands of courses in more than 100 areas of study at Bridgewater State. Many of these programs include experiential components such as work studies, practicums, and internships. You can also study abroad – the university offers over 200 programs in more than four dozen countries around the globe.
Psychology Graduate Programs
Bridgewater State’s Clinical Psychology graduate program focuses on three primary areas of psychological practice: psychological theory, research, and assessment. What’s more, the program follows a research-informed practice model, which gives you deeper insights into psychological research and what it reveals about human behavior.
To prepare you for post-graduate work, you will take courses like:
- Evaluation Techniques
- Multicultural Counseling
- Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice
- Human Developmental Psychology
- Foundations of Clinical Practice
There are also two required classes in research methods and design, as well as a course on psychopathology.
In addition to graduate coursework, you must complete 15 credits of practicum and internship requirements. You must also pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination before your degree is conferred.
Upon graduation, you will be eligible for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts. Alternatively, you can choose to continue your graduate education in a Ph.D. or PsyD program in psychology.
You can apply to this program online. In addition to completing the application for admission, you also need to submit the following:
- GRE scores (general test only)
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework with a 3.0 GPA or higher (you must have an undergraduate degree in psychology or a related field as well)
- Three professional letters of recommendation
- Experience working in a mental health setting
If you are selected as a finalist for admission, you must also participate in a personal interview with the Admissions Committee.
Suffolk University
Suffolk University was founded in 1906 as a law school. Today, it’s a private, co-educational university that offers degrees in three schools: the Sawyer Business School, the Law School, and the College of Arts & Sciences.
There are around 6,800 students at Suffolk, including just over 1,000 graduate students pursuing degrees in accounting, graphic design, and psychology, to name but three.
The faculty at Suffolk includes nearly 400 full-time professors and 250 part-time teachers. Of these, 87 percent have a Ph.D. or a terminal degree in their field.
You will benefit from the faculty’s expertise as well as opportunities for one-on-one learning, thanks to Suffolk’s 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio. You can also study abroad at Suffolk’s campus in Madrid or one of more than 50 other worldwide locations.
Psychology Graduate Programs
Suffolk University offers three distinct graduate programs in psychology: a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology, a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling.
The Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology is a five-to-six-year program that requires the completion of 72 credits. These credits are mostly advanced coursework in psychology, but two three-credit internships are also required.
Additionally, Ph.D. students conduct research as part of the dissertation process. You will take 9-12 credits for dissertation research and must defend your dissertation to a committee as part of the graduation requirements.
The Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology is also a five-to-six-year program requiring 72 or more credits of advanced study to graduate. Unlike the Applied Developmental Psychology track, this concentration focuses on preparing you for clinical work. To do so, you will take courses like:
- Adult Psychopathology
- Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology
- Psychological Assessment
- Etiology and Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders
- Child Therapy
The Clinical Psychology track also requires at least two years of practicum experience, during which you will gain real-world experience in a supervised setting. A pre-doctoral internship is required for graduation as well.
The ‘Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling’ is yet another option you can pursue at Suffolk. This is a two-year, 60-credit, full-time program that leads to the Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential in Massachusetts.
To prepare you to be an effective counselor, you will take 30 credits of counseling courses. These courses run the gamut from Psychological Diagnosis to Psychological Testing to Counseling Theory and Practice.
Furthermore, MS students must complete practicum and internship components that provide opportunities for experiential learning under the guidance of an experienced supervisor.
Admittance to these programs is contingent upon you satisfying the following requirements:
- Fill out an application for admission
- Submit transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work
- Submit GRE general test scores (optional for the MS program)
- Provide two letters of recommendation
- Submit a personal statement or goals statement
- Provide a curriculum vitae (Clinical Psychology program only)
- Provide a resume (MS program only)
A personal interview may also be required.
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