Psychology Master’s Degree Programs in Maryland
Maryland sits on a cusp among the states and always has. One of the border states during the Civil War, it has a history born of that struggle, one of racial divisions mixed with aspirational ideals. It’s one of the most impoverished and drug-ridden states in the nation, and yet it’s on the doorstep of the national capital, home to industry and government offices.
All that can come together to make the state a pretty interesting place to practice psychology.
Baltimore, pretty famously, has some social problems… addiction, violence, racial strife, stretching back decades and with no real solutions in sight. It’s ongoing and vital work for the legion of psychology professionals working to repair the damage.
But Maryland is more than Baltimore, and the problems are spreading, including to places like the once-sleepy Hagerstown, which has succumbed to the national opioid epidemic.
No matter where you turn in Maryland today, there are issues that only professionally educated psychologists are equipped to deal with. And, fortunately, the state has the right schools to produce them.
A Historic Educational System Awaits You In Maryland
Maryland has more than 20 schools that offer advanced degrees in psychology, and they range in size and prestige from the tiny, but focused, Washington Adventist University all the way to national powerhouse Johns Hopkins, where the first psychological laboratory in America was founded in 1883.
There’s a lot of history here in Maryland and a lot of expertise for advanced level psychology degree programs to tap into.
Licensing is a Snap With a Master’s Degree in Maryland
If you plan to become a full-fledged, practicing psychologist in Maryland, then your master’s degree in psychology is only part one of the advanced education you’ll need. You’ll need to choose an APA-accredited program that will serve as a stepping-stone to the doctorate that you will ultimately need.
But if a master’s is as far as you plan to go, Maryland offers you more options than most for becoming a fully licensed professional. The Clinical Professional Counselor and Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counseling licenses in the state can both be obtained with a master’s degree in psychology. You can also choose to become a school psychologist with your master’s and some supervised experience in the field.
Counseling Can Make All The Difference To Maryland Families
Stress isn’t a state-level phenomena and even residents of the most idyllic areas of the country have got personal problems to deal with. But it’s undeniable that living with a high crime rate, racial tensions, and drug problems creates stress. And stressed and troubled people need psychological counseling services to help them find a way out of their internal strife.
A master’s degree in clinical psychology is one way to prepare for a position as a clinical professional counselor in the state, and the respected University of Maryland system has several campuses where you can earn that degree, including at the College Park Campus.
School Psychologists Have A Tough But Vital Role In Maryland Schools
A surge in violence in Baltimore spurred murder rates there to a record high in 2018, even as most parts of the country enjoyed a steady downward trend in violent crimes. It’s a wave that hasn’t spared either school-age children or their parents. The trauma of seeing peers, siblings, or relatives killed, or, inevitably, arrested in the wake of such violence, can quickly alter the course of a young life.
That’s why Baltimore’s mayor launched a new push to beef up school psychology programs in Baltimore, including finding new funding sources to add to the ranks of the system’s 142 full-time psychologists. Those new positions will no doubt be filled with local graduates from master’s programs like the one at Towson University, which has a school psychology concentration that will prepare you to step right into the role after graduation.
Addiction Has Plagued Maryland For Decades and Psychological Treatment May Be The Only Hope
Much of what has driven the crime rate in Maryland in recent decades has been the scourge of addictive drugs. But criminal violence is just piling on to the problem… the state already ranks in the top five in the country for rates of opioid overdose deaths, and has since the late 1990s.
In a long-running fight with addiction, the state clearly needs more professional drug and substance abuse treatment counselors. A master’s degree in psychology will give you the confidence and tools to work in addiction treatment and recovery as well as the educational qualifications to earn a license.
Maryland is a state with a lot of need and a lot of hope. With a master’s degree in psychology, you can meet the promise of that hope with professionalism and competency.