Education isn’t one size fits all. By earning a master’s in educational psychology, you’ll create a stepping stone to lucrative and captivating career paths that explore how various factors — developmental, cognitive, emotional, and social — affect a student’s ability to learn.
How do learning environments, technology, and culture impact a student’s ability to retain information? Do students process auditory and visual data roughly the same way? How does the growing complexity of the U.S. education system cause some students to be left behind?
These intriguing questions and more are explored in the educational psychology field. Are you wondering what can you do with a master’s in educational psychology? Here’s the lowdown on degree requirements and career opportunities for graduates.
What Is a Master of Science in Educational Psychology Degree?
A Master of Science in Educational Psychology degree equips students with a deep understanding of the theories and principles of psychology, and how they apply to educational settings. The program typically includes courses in cognitive psychology, educational theory, assessment, and research methods that provide students the knowledge and tools they need to analyze and improve educational outcomes.
Why Earn a Degree in Educational Psychology?
For many educators, a master’s degree in educational psychology is a valuable investment. It can boost your earning potential, enhance your teaching skills, open doors to higher-level positions, and make you more competitive in the job market. The degree also can broaden your career prospects beyond traditional classroom settings, in fields such as curriculum design and school counseling. Many degree programs offer research opportunities, which can be a great way to delve deeper into your areas of interest.
Career Options for Master of Science in Educational Psychology
A Master of Science in Educational Psychology opens the door to many career options in public school systems, college and universities, counseling practices, and government and community agencies, to name a few. Here’s a roundup of the top careers you can enter with the degree.
School Psychologist
A school psychologist helps children and young adults in their ability to learn, as well as process issues such as bullying, LGBTQ matters, low self-esteem, disabilities, social anxiety, problems at home, and poor academic performance. They work with teachers, families, school administrators, and other support personnel to cultivate a healthy learning environment for students.
School psychologist jobs can be found in K-12 public schools, preschools, private schools, universities, juvenile justice facilities, school district offices, school-based health and mental health centers, and community-based residential clinics. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median school psychologist salary is $81,500 per year.
School Counselor
Career opportunities for school counselors can be found at all academic levels, from elementary school through college. School counselors help students develop the academic, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed. They assess students’ abilities, personalities, and interests to help them develop practical academic and career objectives.
An elementary school counselor evaluates elementary students’ strengths and weaknesses to maximize their learning potential. A high school counselor’s job also includes career and college planning, such as assisting with college applications, scholarships, and finding suitable employment.
A master’s degree with a focus on educational and career development is generally required to enter the field, while licensing requirements vary from state to state.
School and career counselors earn a median salary of $60,510 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects a 10% job growth for this position from 2021 to 2031, faster than the 7% average for all occupations.
College Professor
A college professor is any teacher in postsecondary education, from assistants to full professors (whether tenured or not), in any college or university. College professors play many roles, from conducting lectures and writing textbooks to supervising graduate student research and conducting laboratory experiments. Outside of the scheduled classes they teach, professors largely spend their time on research, preparing class material, meeting with students, and other activities of their choosing.
Educational requirements to become a college professor vary by subject and where they work. Typically a postsecondary education teacher must have a doctoral degree, but a master’s degree may be enough for some who work at community colleges. At times work experience in their field of expertise may be required.
Postsecondary teachers earn a median salary of $79,640 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects a 12% job growth for this position from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Researcher
An education researcher conducts research on education and learning-related methods, techniques, and strategies. They can provide great insight into current issues within the education field, from preschool through college.
As experts in both research studies and education, they collect and analyze data from a wide variety of sources —individual interviews, site tours, reports, focus groups, and classroom observations, to name a few. They may create detailed reports on the progress of their research projects to inform superiors and keep records of their work. After producing research findings, they often compile them into easy-to-use documents they may present to superiors and stakeholders.
According to Indeed.com, which lists “11 Education Research Jobs to Consider Exploring,” the average annual base salary for researchers is $75,299 in the United States.
Human Resource Development Specialist
Human resource development specialists help create, plan, and run training programs for businesses and organizations. They may conduct surveys of an organization’s personnel and tap into their findings to develop custom training programs — whether online, in classrooms, or in training facilities — to help employees learn what’s needed to succeed in their roles.
Among other duties, they may help recruit potential employees, conduct interviews, check references, and negotiate salaries. Human resource development specialists often handle much of the administrative paperwork for new hires, and they may institute job training and oversee performance evaluations.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the annual median income for human resource development specialists is $62,290, and the projected job growth from 2021 to 2031 is 8%, faster than average for all occupations.
Student Development Specialist
Student development specialists provide counseling to groups of students to ensure they succeed in school and graduate. For struggling students, they may offer intervention programs and services to help them develop self-esteem, set goals, and achieve an overall quality of life. They monitor students’ academic progress, assist with obtaining financial aid, maintain student and administrative records, maintain databases, and help plan in-service training programs, large group activities, cultural enrichment programs, and events.
According to Payscale, the average annual base salary for student development specialists is $41,350 in 2023. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment of training and development specialists is projected to grow 8% from 2021 to 2031, faster than average for all occupations.
Special Education Teacher
Special education teachers work with students who have learning, mental, emotional, or physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach a variety of subjects to students with mild to moderate disabilities, and they also teach basic skills to students with severe disabilities.
Overall employment of special education teachers is projected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On average, about 37,600 openings for special education teachers are projected each year over the next decade. The median annual wage for special education teachers was $61,820 in May 2021.
Psychologist Licensure
To become an educational psychologist, you’ll need to become licensed or certified, and requirements vary from state to state. As you explore the field, it’s best to check your state’s requirements regarding education, licensing, and supervised practice.
National University’s Master in Educational Psychology Program
National University offers complete online psychology degree programs that provide students with the knowledge and insights they need to excel in the fields of education, child and adolescent, and industrial psychology, among others.
Our Master of Science in Educational Psychology degree program provides students with the information, skills, and experience they need to create positive results in the classroom. This program is ideally suited for those who currently work in education or seek a future in education or workforce training development.