Two master’s in psychology degree programs in Alaska attract students to Anchorage for improving their clinical practice and research skills in this versatile social science.
Sparsely populated by 738,432 people, Alaska spans from British Columbia to Attu Island with remote wilderness towns scattered between. Demand for psychology grads is high since Mental Health America ranked Alaska 21st nationally for prevalence of mental illness. For example, 16.3 percent of Alaskans have been diagnosed with depression. The Alaska Victimization Survey showed the 58 percent of women had experienced domestic violence or sexual assault too. Help is available with 7,480 mental health professionals statewide earning an annual mean wage of $53,010.
Lay the foundation for a gratifying career improving Alaskans’ personal and social well-being with these graduate psychology schools in AK.
Alaska Pacific University
Graduate Studies Division
Noted for alumni like Senator Albert Kookesh and Olympian Sadie Bjornsen, Alaska Pacific University is a close-knit private, Methodist liberal arts institution within the Eco League that’s educating around 720 under President Dr. Bob Onders’ leadership in Anchorage. Ranked the 280th best master’s-level university for community engagement in Washington Monthly, APU was placed among America’s “Top 50 LGBT-Friendly Schools” in 2017. The Graduate Studies Division houses nine degrees, including one of the master’s in psychology degree programs in Alaska.
Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP)
Delivered by PhD-level faculty trained at Wayne State, La Verne, Union Institute, UChicago, and more, the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) at Alaska Pacific trains grads for behavioral health careers with various strengths-based treatment modalities. The two-year, full-time curriculum integrates courses like abnormal psychology and substance abuse to produce Licensed Professional Counselors for the NBCC exam. Presently charging $650 per credit, the skills-based program includes practicum in the Counseling & Wellness Center and off-site internships with agencies like Anchorage Community Mental.
Accreditation
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Contact
Gottstein Center, 2nd Floor
4101 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 564-8255
University of Alaska Anchorage
College of Arts and Sciences
Enrolling 16,500 Seawolves at an average age of 24, the University of Alaska Anchorage is a public, co-educational research CUMU member directed by Chancellor Tom Case under a $50.15 million endowment on 387 urban acres adjacent to Alaska Native Medical Center. Crowned the West’s 181st best bang for the buck in Washington Monthly, UAA is ranked the 172nd best public university and 508th top college overall by Forbes magazine. Featuring a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, the College of Arts and Sciences is also acclaimed for America’s 165th best clinical psychology training on the U.S. News survey.
M.S. in Clinical Psychology
Consisting of 45 credits, UAA’s M.S. in Clinical Psychology is another of the master’s in psychology degree programs in Alaska taking a scientist-practitioner approach to give graduates the evidence-based background in behavior for mental health services. Offering a thesis and non-thesis track, the program adheres to APA guidelines to produce Licensed Psychological Associates. Courses span from multicultural counseling to family therapy before a six-credit psychotherapy internship. Open for application until March 1st, the program currently charges $8,388 in-state and $17,622 out-of-state per year.
Accreditation
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Contact
3901 Old Seward Highway
P.O. Box 141629
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 786-1623
Returning to school for a master’s in psychology could be your ticket to mental health occupations with projected 10-year job growth at 19 percent. Not only will a master’s fulfill LPC credentialing in the “Last Frontier,” but it’ll also improve your marketability across disciplines. Forbes reports that 20 percent of open U.S. jobs today require graduate-level education. Consider the master’s in psychology degree programs in Alaska at Alaska Pacific University and University of Alaska Anchorage to capitalize on your behavioral interests.
See also: Top 50 Best Online Masters in Psychology Degree Programs