Psychology Master’s Degree Programs in Rhode Island
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Rhode Island is a lot more than the ‘look quick and you’ll miss it’ location between Connecticut and Massachusetts. And for practicing psychologists, there’s more going on here than its reputation for quaint seaside towns, excellent educational systems and high household incomes alone can tell you.
A master’s degree is an important step to exciting career opportunities in clinical and counseling psychology here, and as the thriving city of Providence enjoys a growing presence in the nation’s biomedical, big data, defense, and maritime fields, there’s also a growing need for industrial/organizational psychologists and other experts in applied psychology .
A Psychologist Career in the Making: Earning your Master’s Degree in Rhode Island
To practice as a clinical psychologist in Rhode Island, you’ll need a doctorate degree. However, you’ll still find there’s plenty to cheer about once you have your master’s. For starters, it’s the stepping stone needed to move on to a doctorate.
It’s also the minimum educational requirement to offer your services as a counselor. For example, earn a master’s degree and you’ll meet the minimum educational requirements to become a licensed marriage and family therapist or mental health counselor through the State of Rhode Island Department of Health.
You’ll also meet the educational requirements to become a school counselor in Rhode Island if you hold a master’s degree from a program recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Education.
Master’s Degree Programs to Kickstart your Career in Psychology
Rhode Island’s selection of master’s psychology programs is limited to just four, making online options from neighboring states or elsewhere a frequent go-to option for psychology graduate students here.
The University of Rhode Islandis home to an MS in School Psychology program, while Roger Williams Universityoffers a master’s education in both forensic mental health counseling and forensic legal psychology.
But for aspiring psychologists like you, there’s plenty of additional options close by if you prefer a campus-based program.
Boston University, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston are just three of the schools with graduate offerings for psychology students in nearby Massachusetts. Boston University’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences is home to cutting-edge research initiatives, while Northeastern University’s MS in Counseling Psychology program offers students the choice of focusing their degree on health psychology, forensic counseling, early intervention, child and adolescent psychology, or cultural, gender, and political psychology.
Opportunities to Study and Treat an Aging Population Abound in Rhode Island
The population of Rhode Island is one of the oldest in the nation, taken as an average. By 2040, Rhode Island residents over the age of 65 will represent more than 25 percent of the state’s population.
Practitioners and researchers who can lend their expertise to understanding and treating psychological issues common among an aging population, including depression and anxiety, as well as emotional and mental health issues stemming from neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, are as important to the elderly as the physicians who treat their physical health problems.
Education is Serious Business in Rhode Island
Consistently ranked among the top states in the nation for education, Rhode Island boasts a high school graduation rate of 88% (the ninth highest in the U.S.) and is tops when it comes to public school spending (eighth in the nation). School administrators want to maintain that momentum, and understand that emotional and psychological health among young people transitioning to adulthood is as important to achieving those goals as academic support.
Educational psychologists in Rhode Island address the psychological needs of children and adolescents and help to create an environment where optimal teaching and learning can take place.
Counseling is Part and Parcel of a Healthy Society
It’s no secret that residents of Rhode Island are focused on their health and well-being. A recent study ranked this state eighth among the top healthiest states in the nation for factors such as low rates of obesity, smoking, and drug deaths, and for the availability and accessibility of mental health services.
Given this state’s focus on healthy living, residents here more often make the time to tend to their psychological health by seeking the services of counseling psychologists, family and marital therapists, and more.
Attractive Tax Incentives Bring Industry and a Real Need for Experts in Applied Psychology
Businesses are flocking to Rhode Island for its attractive tax incentives. In 2017 alone, no less than 15 companies, including Fortune 500 companies, announced plans to locate or expand operations in Rhode Island. With easy access to many large cities in the northeast, a prime location along the Eastern Seaboard, and an impressive pool of talented and well-educated professionals, Rhode Island is now a significant player in proximity to the economic powerhouses of NYC and Boston when it comes to attracting new business.
And with expanding business comes a growing need for applied psychologists working in areas like industrial/organizational psychology to understand, improve, and optimize worker safety, health, and quality of work life.