Psychology Master’s Degree Programs in Ohio
The Buckeye state has always been a crossroads in the American experience. At the edge of the frontier, it was the launching point for expeditions to the west; new industries and technologies sprung up in places like Wright-Patterson Field in Dayton at the turn of the century. Today, psychology is advancing to become one of the next fields where Ohio will play a role.
The state has been a social and cultural center of the nation for decades as well. The Football Hall of Fame in Canton and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland are touchstones for the country. It’s a bellwether state in the American political scene, a part of the heartland that is seen as representative of the entire country in major election years.
Ohio has traditionally been a blue-collar hub for manufacturing and logistics, but today you can find high-tech centers of education everywhere from Cleveland to Dayton to Toledo, investigating matters of the mind as deeply as any exploration into computer science and technology. The state has one of the largest bioscience sectors in the Midwest, a multi-billion dollar investment boon for both neurological studies, and for employment in the psychology field.
Good Value in Psychology Education Is The Rule in Ohio
Ohio is a great place to look for an affordable education in psychology. Of the state’s 13 public universities, 11 offer master’s programs in psychology.
They’re not cookie cutter programs, either. You have a wide array of specializations and focus areas to choose from, all at an incredible value.
Licensing Is A Breeze In Ohio With A Master’s Degree
Naturally, if you are going for a license to practice psychology, a master’s degree is only going to be one part of the longer educational path that leads you to a doctorate.
But there are closely related career fields you can pursue in Ohio for which a master’s in psychology will give you all the educational credentials you will need. Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor, or a marriage and family therapist (with the right coursework), requires no more than a master’s along with the required hours of post-graduate supervised experience. A master’s would also make you eligible to pursue licensure as a school psychologist, once you fulfill the additional internship and testing requirements.
Psychological Research Gets a Boost From Ohio Schools
Research is a big part of university psychology programs everywhere in the country and as science has begun to dive into the elemental make-up of the human mind it has become an exciting and important part of the field. With Ohio’s big bioscience boom, research psychologists have started to find their services in high demand, both with corporations and in government-funded research programs.
The demand for research is being met at state universities, and as new ground is broken, they’re putting together specialty degrees to cater to the needs in the field. In particular, the department of psychology at the Ohio State University is breaking new ground in behavioral and quantitative neuroscience research. Their cross-area focus groups help break down both methodological and practical walls between specialty areas in an effort to more broadly advance the study of psychology.
Social Psychology Has Plenty to Study in Ohio
As Ohio has shifted from a primarily manufacturing-based economy to a more high-tech and education-oriented economy, it’s undergone a lot of demographic shifts as well.
That makes the state a hotbed for social psychology, studying and influencing trends and attitudes in groups and populations. The social identity, prejudices, and persuadability of people are all important factors in the harmony and function of society. The state’s place in the American political pantheon as a bellwether and significant player in presidential contests also place it under the microscope for social and political scientists; OSU is widely recognized as having one of the premier political psychology programs in the world.
Places like the J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, and Behavior at Bowling Green State University are exploring how social psychology can both inform and affect the attitudes of groups of people from the community level on up.
Child and School Psychology Programs in Ohio Are Making Breakthroughs With Global Importance
Practicing as a child psychologist can be one of the most challenging roles you can fill, but also one of the most rewarding. Uncovering the ways that developing brains are set in patterns that will last a lifetime, and making sure those patterns are healthy and sustainable, is fulfilling work that is important to everyone’s future.
TheInstitute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State dove deep into the role of stress in affecting connections in a child’s brain at the molecular level that can lead to serious long-term psychological problems. Their work uncovered activity in a particular type of cell that could be vulnerable to intervention with targeted drug therapies or other treatments that could reduce post-traumatic stress in children.