Several Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado are accredited to produce sympathetic practitioners who can support the mental and emotional well-being of its 5,540,545 residents.
Colorado’s $887 million mental health system is experiencing a critical shortage of trained psychologists. Lack of care has created a spike in prison counts, homelessness, mass shootings, and suicides. According to AFSP, Colorado ranks sixth nationally for the highest number of self-inflicted deaths. Psychology graduates can put their passion to practice at facilities like Peak View Behavioral Health, Cedar Springs Hospital, Access Behavioral Care, and Foothills Behavioral Health Partners. The BLS reports that 2,830 clinical, counseling, and school psychologists are employed across Colorado for a location quotient of 1.47.
Start working toward your licensed or unlicensed career goals in these psychology master’s programs in Colorado.
Colorado State University
Graduate School
Spending $375.9 million on R&D projects yearly, Colorado State University is a public, research-intensive APLU institution opened in 1870 by Governor Edward M. McCook that’s now educating 7,458 post-grad Rams from its 586 acres in Fort Collins along the Rockies’ Front Range. Congratulated for America’s 43rd “Best College Location” on Niche, CSU is placed the 84th top public university and 255th best value by Forbes. The Graduate School has 22 top-ranked programs, including the country’s 90th best psychology degrees on the U.S. News.
Master of Science (MS) in Psychology
Accepting applications for Fall admission until January 15th, CSU’s Master of Science (MS) in Psychology is a 41-credit, research-oriented graduate program requiring GRE scores that’s designed to bolster students’ inquiry skills for studying behavioral paradigms. The two-year, full-time degree offers five concentrations: Social/Health Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, and I/O Psychology. Colorado residents are billed $757 per unit, but the non-resident price rises to $1,557. Majors can benefit from practicing in the Career Counseling Clinic, joining PSA, and studying in the Cleary Memory Lab.
Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology (MIOP)
Another of the Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado at CSU Fort Collins or wholly online is the Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology (MIOP). This 38-credit, non-thesis curriculum spans two years full-time or four years part-time for training students to apply quantitative research toward making lasting workplace changes that drive employee effectiveness. Offering an optional Occupational Health Concentration, the program blends courses like organizational behavior and measurement theory with capstone practicum. For $735 per credit online, the MIOP opens psychology jobs poised for 10 percent job growth by 2024.
Accreditation
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact
Student Services Building 108
1005 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-6363
Naropa University
Master’s Degree Programs
Named after the 11th-century Buddhist abbot of Nalanda, Naropa University has been a private, nonprofit NCA-accredited liberal arts institution since 1974 to educate around 617 post-grads for body-mind practice under President Charles G. Lief’s leadership in Boulder, Forbes’ #1 best city for education. Placed in The Princeton Review’s 361 “Green Colleges,” Naropa is crowned the 141st best Western value by Washington Monthly. The Master’s Degree Programs division also ranks in the top 5 percent nationwide for psychology education on College Factual.
Ecopsychology Master of Arts
Delivered by doctoral-trained faculty from Iowa State, Temple, Yale, UC Boulder, and others, the Ecopsychology Master of Arts at Naropa is one of the most specialized Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado available primarily online with just four five-day intensives. The low-residency, 38-credit curriculum focuses on conducting empirical research that studies how humans relate to nature. After the “Psychology of Wilderness Experience,” courses span from meditation and multicultural issues to ecology and sustainability. Transpersonal service learning placements are available in New Orleans, Vancouver, Colorado Springs, and Singapore.
Accreditation
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact
2130 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 245-4654
University of Denver
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
Sitting atop a 125-acre, Romanesque Revival-style campus near Mount Evans’ summit around 5,280 feet above sea level, the University of Denver is a private, nonsectarian IAMSCU institution led by President Rebecca Chopp that’s enlightening 5,860 post-grads. Ranked America’s 86th best university, 60th top value, and 53rd most veteran-friendly school by the U.S. News, DU was placed third for study abroad opportunities on the IIE Open Doors Report. The Graduate School of Professional Psychology also hosts the 81st best post-bachelor’s psychology courses countrywide.
MA Forensic Psychology
Directed by Dr. Lavita Nadkarni, Denver’s MA Forensic Psychology is approaching its 20th anniversary of preparing Pioneers to apply behavioral theories as mental health consultants in the civil and criminal justice arenas. Taking 24 months full-time, the face-to-face program integrates courses like correctional psychology, group interventions, trauma, mental health law, and conflict resolution with two semester-long clinical practica. Placements could include the on-site Denver FIRST, Sturm Center, and New Start Clinic. Seventy-one percent of alumni enter the forensic workforce while the other 29 percent pursue PhDs.
MA Sport & Performance Psychology
Open for admission until January 4th annually, the MA Sport & Performance Psychology is another of DU’s pioneering Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado that uniquely emphasizes the behavioral factors that influence health and fitness. The 72-unit curriculum coaches students through advanced seminars like team dynamics, summer field practicum, and a capstone project with SPP faculty. The Internship Consortium offers applied practice at Vail Snowboard Academy, Boys & Girls Club, Denver Children’s Home, and more. Students could also join the Chile Exchange with the Latin Psychology Specialty.
MA International Disaster Psychology
Offering returned Peace Corps volunteers a $6,000 scholarship, the MA International Disaster Psychology is a globalized, clinical program for DU post-grads to develop the cultural competence for delivering psychosocial services to citizens affected by pandemics, hurricanes, civil wars, and more. Applauded by the NCSPP as America’s first program of its kind, the 90-unit curriculum spans seven quarters with courses like grief psychology, crisis intervention, clinical interviewing, and triage coordination. Completing an eight-week internship internationally is also mandatory from Bosnia to Egypt and Panama.
Accreditation
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact
2450 S. Vine Street
Denver, CO 80208
(303) 871-3736
University of Northern Colorado
College of Education & Behavioral Sciences
Affiliated with one-third of Colorado’s Teacher of the Year Award recipients, the University of Northern Colorado is a public, co-educational research institution endowed for $81 million in the Big Sky Conference to serve 2,374 post-grad Bears from 40+ countries upon its 260 acres in Weld County’s largest city. Ranked among Forbes’ “Top 13 Colorado Colleges,” UNCO is the Centennial State’s fifth best value with an average net price of $12,978. The College of Education & Behavioral Sciences was also applauded for America’s 123rd best online graduate programs on the USNWR.
Educational Psychology M.A.
Selectively admitting 89 percent of applicants with a minimum “B” average, UNCO’s Educational Psychology M.A. is available face-to-face at the Greeley Campus or Denver Extension to study the relationship between cognition, learning, and motivation to shape better teaching practices. Offered with an optional Accelerated 4+1 track, the 30-credit degree infuses courses like learning assessment, lifespan development, and psychometric testing. The non-licensure program generally takes three to four semesters to reach the final exam. Majors could also pledge Psi Chi, join the Educational Psychology Society, and secure teaching assistantships.
Online Educational Psychology MA: Teaching Applications
Starting its eighth cohort in 2017, the Online Educational Psychology MA: Teaching Applications from Northern Colorado is structured to inform certified, full-time working teachers about the behavioral research on learning to improve their skills mapping out curriculum standards. The five-semester, 30-credit major involves taking two courses back-to-back each 16-week term. Online learners are accepted out-of-state, except in Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Maryland, and Tennessee. Coordinated by Dr. Marilyn Welsh, the program covers developmental psychology to cognition and instruction before the MA Project.
MS Sport and Exercise Science: Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
At the Greeley Campus, the MS Sport and Exercise also turns into one of the Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado when students select the Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Concentration. For 18 months full-time, the 33-credit curriculum qualifies post-grads for sports industry jobs and doctoral study with in-depth knowledge on fitness behavior. Charging Coloradoans $556 and out-of-state residents $1,095 per credit, the degree includes exciting courses like sociological kinesiology, athletic coaching, and motivation. Students could join the Creating Healthy Schools initiative in 20 high-need areas statewide.
Accreditation
• Council on Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP)
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact
McKee Hall, Room 15C
501 20th Street
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-4669
University of the Rockies
Master’s Degree Programs
Operated by Bridgepoint Education from San Diego, the University of the Rockies is an NCA-accredited, for-profit behavioral sciences institution that’s small by design to educate 1,365 post-grads and employ 386 staff under President Dawn Iwamoto, Ed.D. in Denver near the Rockies Counseling Center or online. Ranked 71st on OnlineDegreeReviews.org, UoR received the 2014 Profiles in Diversity Journal Innovations in Diversity Award and the 2015 G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Award. Noted for partnerships with the Brian Tumor Alliance, Boys & Girls Club, and American Red Cross, UoR provides another of the Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado.
Master of Arts in Psychology
Currently billing $699 per credit for 5000- and 6000-level courses, the Master of Arts in Psychology allows Rockies post-grads to complete the 39-credit degree in Denver during evening hours or online 24/7 within 84 weeks full-time. Requiring a bachelor’s with a minimum 2.0 GPA, the non-licensure program covers the basics of how people process thoughts and feelings. Students choose from 10 wide-ranging concentrations, such as Business Psychology, Educational Leadership, Health and Wellness Psychology, or Sport and Performance Psychology. Graduates can seamlessly continue into the 42-month Doctor of Psychology too.
Accreditation
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
Contact
McKee Hall, Room 15C
501 20th Street
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-4669
Student loan debt is a major financial drain that post-grads should consider. According to the APA, 48 percent of psychology graduate students have debt at a median amount of $32,000. Amassing that kind of balance will only pay off if psychology majors finish their master’s at a regionally accredited college that’s recognized by employers. Accreditation is a consumer protection measure to ensure you’re not in monstrous debt from a diploma mill. Accredited psychology degrees also increase your likelihood of scoring good mental health jobs making salaries from $55,500 to $95,500 and higher. These Master’s in Psychology degree programs in Colorado meet our criteria for quality education.
See also: Top 20 Best Online PhD in Psychology Degree Programs 2017