Psychology Master’s Degree Programs in Idaho
People are moving here in droves, births are far surpassing deaths, and the economy is growing at an impressive rate. Welcome to Idaho, where you’ll find everything from wilderness and wide-open farmlands, to vibrant cities like Boise that are decidedly metropolitan and chock-full of opportunities in business and industry.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the fastest-growing state in the nation is also where you’ll find opportunities in the psychology profession growing at an equally impressive rate. A low unemployment rate, an educated population focused on health and well-being, and rapidly growing businesses are just a few of the reasons why more clinical and applied psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors here are finding work in healthcare and industry, or hanging their own shingle in private practice.
Careers in Psychology: A Master’s Degree is Where You’ll Want to Begin
Although you’ll need a doctorate to practice clinical psychology in Idaho, a master’s degree should also be on your radar. In addition to priming you for doctoral-level study, a master’s degree in Idaho is the degree you’ll need to work in a variety of roles.
For example, a career as a professional counselor or marriage and family therapist in Idaho requires a master’s degree and the appropriate licensing through the State of Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses. Similarly, to work as a school psychologist in Idaho, you’ll need a master’s degree in school psychology and pupil service staff certification through the Idaho State Department of Education.
Explore Idaho’s Master’s Degrees in Psychology
Idaho’s selection of master’s degree programs in psychology doesn’t disappoint, for students looking for the traditional campus experience or an online program that better accommodates a busy work and family life.
For example, Idaho State University offers an MS in Psychology designed to prepare students to move on to a doctorate program, or for careers in couples counseling, school psychology and different areas of applied psychology.
The University of Idaho also offers an MS in Psychology with a focus on human factors, which deals with applied topics such as human performance, human-computer interaction, interface design, and more. Students of this program enjoy access to a number of on-campus laboratory facilities where they participate in innovative research projects and other experiential learning opportunities.
A Booming Economy Spells Opportunity for Psychologists Here
Whether you’re interested in working with people suffering from severe mental illness as a clinical psychologist, a counselor for couples and people struggling with addiction, or as an applied psychologist in an industrial or other workplace setting, the strong economy and growing population here is creating new jobs and more opportunities for independent practice.
Idaho’s numbers don’t lie. In 2018, Idaho’s economy grew 2.15 percent – that’s faster than any other state in the nation. The areas of significant growth are concentrated in Boise and the surrounding Treasure Valley area, and that’s where the money and the opportunities are for the next wave of psychology professionals coming out of Idaho’s state schools and private universities.
Idaho’s Lowest-Performing Schools are Getting the Attention They Deserve
State leaders recently identified 29 of Idaho’s lowest-performing schools as part of a new accountability plan. All of the schools named on the list are now eligible for extra support that’s designed to address the needs of the schools and back their improvement.
The identified schools will now have leadership teams and will be assigned their own education and improvement coaches called “capacity builders.” And help is coming from the U.S. Department of Education, with Title 1 schools that serve low-income families in the state slated to divide $2.1 million in federal funding.
Idaho’s commitment to improving the lowest-performing schools will call for a new crop of master’s-prepared school psychologists to help bring about the change.
Social Change is on the Minds of Idahoans
Whether you have aspirations of working in nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or educational institutions, or in the private sector as a director, researcher, or marketing director, social psychology offers a unique career path in Idaho, where a variety of issues in public policy and social advocacy are on the minds of the residents here.
Issues being addressed here include the achievement gap between the state’s low-income schools and the ones located in more affluent areas, along with environmental issues arising from a growing population.
But a public policy survey performed by Boise State University revealed a general optimism here. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, life is good in Idaho, and the next generation of master’s-prepared psychology professionals are helping to make it even better.