What Master's can I get with a Psychology Degree?

So, you have graduated with an undergraduate psychology degree and you want to do a Master’s. Now what? At this juncture, you have the exciting opportunity to become a specialist or make the leap into a new discipline entirely.

Often, the step from undergraduate to postgraduate means choosing a relevant psychological field to become a specialist in. However, you shouldn't feel limited to which postgraduate degree you can choose from.

In fact, many of the skills you’ve gained from your undergraduate degree can be transferred to all matter of postgraduate courses. This means you have plenty of freedom to change direction, should you choose.

For more help and advice on choosing which Master’s to study with a psychology degree, don’t forget to get in touch with our Careers Service. Our team is always on hand to offer practical, impartial advice on the right next steps for you. Alternatively, browse our A-Z of postgraduate courses for some inspiration.

What Master’s degree can I get with a psychology bachelors?

At their core, undergraduate degrees not only equip you with a foundation of knowledge to build specialisms upon, but they offer a huge scope of transferable skills such as time management and public speaking skills, experience of group work, the ability to build a convincing argument and much more. It's for this reason that there's no limit to the postgraduate courses you could transition into once you have graduated with an undergraduate degree.

In fact, every year, countless students who have re-evaluated their original choice of degree and discovered their passions lie elsewhere, make the leap from one discipline to another with postgraduate study.

However, for those interested in which psychology specialisms they could move into, we’ve listed just some of the types of psychology Master’s you may want to consider. However, this list isn’t exhaustive and you should do all the research you can on the different options available, to make an informed choice that’s right for you.

A Master’s in Therapy or Clinical Psychology

One in four people will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives. This can range from mild conditions, such as anxiety, to severe depression or more rare and complex conditions such as bipolar disorder.

When your postgraduate study is centred on therapy or clinical psychology, you could go on to help people cope with problems as diverse as addiction, speech impediments, eating disorders, family breakdown or bereavement.

Just two of the types of Master’s this avenue covers are a Language Pathology Master’s or a Clinical Psychology Master’s. These postgraduate courses come complete with practical, expert-led modules and opportunities for apprenticeships and placements.

A Master's in Criminal Justice

As a Criminal Justice Psychologist, you would get the chance to use your specialist knowledge of psychological theory and criminal behaviour to support police investigations. You would facilitate other professionals in the welfare or criminal and civil justice systems, and carry out research to improve professional practice.

One example of a psychology Master’s that specialises in criminal justice is a Forensic Psychology Master’s. Through a combination of written reports and oral presentations, this Master's teaches students how to write parole board, prepare analytical reports, develop forensic case formulations and more.

A Master's in Education

An educational psychologist studies children of all ages and monitors the conditions required for them to learn. As well this, an educational psychologist investigates how children process emotional, social and cognitive stimuli to identify and dismantle any obstacles that could be impending a child’s learning.

One example of a Master’s within this field is an Education Research Master’s. With this Master’s, you will develop a critical understanding of research methods, educational issues, practice, evidence and theory.

What could I do with a Master's in psychology?

A Master’s in psychology, with a specialised focus, can open doors to a wide range of lucrative professional opportunities.

Not only are these careers often financially rewarding, but psychology jobs offer the rare opportunity to really make a difference to peoples’ lives. In addition to the careers mentioned above, the career opportunities available to psychology graduates are:

Psychotherapist
Social worker
Counsellor
Human resource manager
Teacher
Research roles
Marketing and media roles

And many more. There is no end to the value of understanding human behaviour, which is what makes the study of psychology such a valuable and popular investment.