Online Masters in Educational Psychology

Here we look at the online masters in educational psychology. We begin by answering the question, "what is educational psychology, and why is it important in instruction."

Educational psychology is the study of how people learn. It includes trends in effective education, different methods of teaching that can help struggling students, and more. The purpose of understanding educational psychology is to understand how people learn and to then apply that information to instructional situations. An educational psychology masters is generally the minimum required in order to be hired in the field. Degree programs at the graduate level generally require a bachelor's degree for admission. In some cases, this degree might be in a different field, but in most cases, the graduate degree must be in the same field as the undergraduate one. Most Masters in Educational Psychology programs will require at least the equivalent of a minor in psychology (general or a subset of the field) before considering students for admission. For people who enjoy learning about the human psyche and how it learns, educational psychology might be the perfect field.

Colleges with School & Educational Psychology Graduate Programs

Capella University - Online

• Master - Educational Psychology
• Master - School Psychology
• PhD - Educational Psychology

Walden University

• Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision

University of Phoenix

• MS in Counseling / School Counseling

Kaplan University

• MS in Psychology: Applied Behavioral Analysis

University of the Rockies

• Master of Arts in Psychology - Educational Leadership
• Master of Arts in Psychology - Evaluation, Research & Measurement

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Educational Psychology Training

Educational psychologists study how students learn, and sometimes do experiments or other hands-on work in improving student comprehension. Their training thus emphasizes the psychology of learning. They will tend to study things like lifetime and stages of development, social psychology, and instructional methods.

Possible educational psychology courses may include: Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Teaching and Learning, Child Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Sociology in Education, Measurement and Evaluation, Psychometrics, Individual Testing, and Evaluation Techniques and Models to mention a few.

The program is also likely to touch on research methods, ethics in research, and statistics. Courses might include quantitative methods, qualitative methods, research design, action research, and mixed-methods research design. Educational psychology courses are also required as part of most teacher education programs as part of the foundational coursework even for those not pursuing an educational psychology degree specifically.

Educational Psychology Careers

Certain jobs that students might enter after graduate require licensure. These include working as a school counselor or psychologist. The latter position requires a Ph. D or Psy. D in addition to the masters in educational psychology or related program. While there are many job opportunities for people with a masters degree, it can also serve as a stepping stone for those who wish to go on and get their doctoral degree at a later date.

Many different careers are possible after the completion of the masters in educational psychology degree. Community colleges often hire instructors with only a masters degree, and others work as counselors in both primary schools and higher educational institutions. Some work as consultants helping educators develop new curriculums and implement new teaching methods.

The majority of people trained in this field work at schools and interact directly with students of various ages, though some work in the development of effective curriculums and other hands-off disciplines.

Estimated Income and Projected Career Growth

Clinical, counseling and school psychologists had a mean income of $70,190 in 2008. The top 10% of earners in this field made about $106,840. Instructors in the field, such as community college teachers, made an average of $69,560 during the same year, and their top tier earners (highest 10%) made around $84,650. These wages are higher than the average for people with a similar level of education in a non-psychology field, however these numbers reflect some people with only bachelors degrees, and some with doctorate degrees, as well as those with masters.

The field of psychology is expected to grow about 12% in the decade after 2008. This is about the same as the projected average growth of the job market across all fields. An increasing understanding of the importance of psychologically-oriented learning methods and counseling for school-related problems will employ many educational psychologists in the future. In most cases, jobs are only open to those with at least a masters in educational psychology degree or related area of training, and some require a doctorate.