What’s new with master’s degree programs in psychology in 2023

While some graduate programs at schools around the country grapple with fast-evolving technology or a morphing student body, master’s degree programs in psychology have remained relatively static. But that’s not to say they aren’t changing, too, especially after the pandemic, which sparked an interest in health care and related fields for many students.

While psychology is a massively popular undergraduate major, relatively few students actually go on to work in a related or adjacent field. Psychology degrees can be versatile, but in recent years, graduate programs in psychology have needed to adapt to the times—much like other types of programs across the spectrum.

For psych-focused grad programs, the big changes at many schools include a changing student body, more flexibility within the curricula and the programs themselves, and a focus on practicality—that is, ensuring students have skills and knowledge to work in a variety of places outside of the classroom, rather than just clinical settings.

Cohorts are getting younger

Perhaps the most profound change for many master’s in psychology programs is that student cohorts are getting younger. While students enrolling to earn their master’s degrees in psych have generally trended a little older—perhaps in their late 20s and into their early 40s—administrators say that’s changing.

“We’re seeing a trend for students to be a little younger and closer to their undergrad programs,” says Sarina Maneotis, the program director of Kansas State University’s master’s in industrial/organizational psychology program. “Historically, students have been early-to-mid career,” she says, but now, more students are enrolling while still in their first job after graduating from an undergrad program—or before. “They don’t want to wait three to five years,” she says, before looking to get a master’s degree.

KSU isn’t the only school that’s seeing the trend, either.

“We have a good number of students who are fresh out of their undergrad programs,” says Anne Mannering, program director of the University of Oregon’s online master’s in psychology program. One potential reason why programs are seeing more younger students enroll, Mannering says, is that they want to get more experience, and sooner. “They want an opportunity for research experience,” she says, and it’s come as a surprise. “I didn’t realize we’d have so much interest from recent undergrad students.”

Programs are getting more flexible and broad

Another big change in many master’s in psychology programs is the need to get more flexible and broad, particularly in the types of degrees and concentrations they offer. Given that psychology is such a popular undergraduate major, schools are looking at different concentrations that are appealing to students, and are finding some traction.

“We’re looking to fill a niche for undergrad psych majors that want to go on and do something in the field, but not necessarily counseling or clinical work,” says Trey Asbury, an associate professor and program director of the online master’s in psychology at Lincoln Memorial University, which just recently started its MiP program. “Clinical counseling is a popular area, but it’s the minority field for what undergrads go on to do.”

Asbury says that LMU’s program is a general track, but will soon offer a new forensic psychology track, which will blend psych courses with criminal justice classes. Even though LMU’s program is young, the new forensic psychology option is already popular, and should have as many enrollees this fall as the traditional track, he adds.

“Psychology is such a broad field outside of counseling and working in a clinical setting,” Asbury says. “We’re trying to capture those students who want to work in those additional settings.”

A ‘real-world focus’

There’s also a focus on practicality in the University of Oregon’s program, Mannering says. Like LMU’s, Oregon’s master’s degree program is also new, having launched at the beginning of 2021, and two cohorts having already graduated. And one way that UO’s program really differentiates itself is its curriculum, she adds. 

“Our program is part of the Center for Translational Neuroscience at UO, and broadly, the mission of the CTN is to do science, but have meaningful social impact,” she says. “We take information from both psych research and neuroscience research, and look at how that can inform programs and services across development,” she says, adding that information is then paired with program evaluation to develop evidence-based interventions and assess their effectiveness.

It’s a “practical bend,” Mannering adds. “It has a very applied, real-world focus.”

In effect, UO is looking to produce graduates who are equipped with real-world skills, along with research that can be used to make an impact in a variety of settings. While the university’s program is still young, it will likely evolve in the coming years, as overall societal and economic conditions change. But like other programs, Mannering says that UO will keep its focus on producing graduates who are ready to make a difference. 

“We’ll keep following where the science is going, and keeping up to date,” she says.

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