Psychology Master’s Degree Programs in Colorado
Colorado is a state with a lot of options for anyone interested in a career in psychological services. It’s a rapidly growing state, with Denver’s population having tripled since 2000 and the state population forecast to zoom up to nearly 3 million by 2050.
From the Great Plains to the east to the desert fringes of Pueblo to the Rockies towering over Aspen, the state’s population and the stress factors they live with are as diverse as its geography.
That diversity runs through the practice areas for psychological services as well, and Colorado’s accommodating licensing laws gives you a lot of options for where and how you want to set up shop in the state. It all starts with a master’s degree in psychology.
Plenty of Options for A Master’s in Psychology When You Live in Colorado
The diversity of online and blended program options that combine distance based study with on-campus intensives isimportant. It gives you choices that range from great public schools like Colorado State University, ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018, to private powerhouses like the University of Denver.
Psychology Licensing Isn’t An Obstacle For Master’s Holders in Colorado
That big blue sky over those powder-dusted mountains is the limit for you if you earn your psychology master’s here. Colorado is among those states where a master’s degree can be sufficient education to qualify you to become a licensed psychologist. A master’s is also all that is required to become a professional school psychologist in the state.
Colorado also doesn’t require specific program accreditation for licensed counselors or marriage and family therapists in the state. You can get there with just the master’s in psychology and the relevant experience and testing requirements.
Neuropsychology Offers a Growing Area of Practice to Colorado Psychologists
Driven in large part by the research-based education program at UC-Boulder, the Colorado neuropsychology community is expanding and offering new opportunities both in treatment and academia. The Brain Behavior Clinic at the school offers neuropsychological assessments of children, adolescents, and adults to provide insights, both general and specific.
It’s an exciting area of practice with new developments emerging constantly, and Colorado is one of the states where you can get in on the ground floor.
Clinical Psychology Offers Avenues in Private Practice All Over Colorado
Growing populations need expanding services, and clinical psychology is one of them. As more and more people move to the state, particularly into the I-25 corridor between Pueblo and Fort Collins, there are more openings for private practice clinical psychologists.
Colorado’s universities have you covered when it comes to preparation for this career path, particularly Regis University with a strong Applied Psychology specialization.
If a private program is out of reach financially, the affordable program at UC Boulder, noted as one of Kiplinger’s Best Value Schools, provides a terrific public sector alternative.
Counseling Psychology Is Becoming An Unfortunate Necessity Among Veteran’s Groups
As home to NORAD, the United States Air Force Academy, and other major military bases, Colorado has a high proportion of veterans residing there. With the longest war in U.S. history still ongoing, that’s created a big demand for veteran’s counseling.
Vets in Colorado face double the state’s overall suicide rate. Both private and VA services are springing up around the state to try to help that troubled population. And those services look to master’s programs like thecounseling psychology degree at CSU to provide qualified counselors capable of offering the care and treatment veteran’s need.
There is no sign of a slowdown on the horizon for Colorado’s economy, which means there’s going to be no drop in demand for psychological services in the Centennial State any time soon. With amazing recreational opportunities stacked on top of great professional and educational options, it’s going to be a hard place to beat for anyone interested in a career in psychology.