What can i do with a masters in clinical psychology

In most states, a master's degree in clinical psychology won't allow you to practice as a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists usually need doctorates in clinical psychology and state licenses to practice. But that doesn't mean you're out of luck when it comes to finding potential job options.

Although the options might be a bit more limited, a master's degree in clinical psychology may still allow you to pursue a wide variety of meaningful and rewarding careers in the helping professions. Jobs with a master's in clinical psychology can be found in social services, mental health agencies, schools and industry, according to Walden University.

Social Services

The field of social services can be an exciting and meaningful way to make a contribution to society and improve the quality of your clients' lives. A master's degree in psychology may allow you to work in a variety of jobs within the social services sector in settings like community services or non-profit agencies, public welfare agencies or youth organizations.

Social services workers require a thorough understanding of human behavior and social interactions, a desire to help others and a compassionate demeanor. People who complete master's degree programs in psychology acquire a wide range of transferable skills, like communication, interpersonal and evaluation skills, which are often beneficial in social services careers.

Mental Health Counseling

Counseling may seem like the obvious choice for people with master's degrees in clinical psychology who don't want to undergo the additional training required for a doctorate. Clinical psychology and counseling are closely related disciplines that involve helping people solve problems through talk therapy.

Jobs with a master's in psychology include positions like intake worker, college counselor, community counselor or mental health counselor in a variety of counseling settings, such as mental health clinics, community colleges, correctional facilities or hospitals. In some states, a master's degree in psychology with the required number of supervised practice hours may also allow you to become licensed as a professional counselor or marriage and family therapist (LMFT), reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS.

School Counseling

You won't be able to officially refer to yourself as a school psychologist, but a master's degree in clinical psychology may qualify you to obtain different psychologist positions in school psychology. In some states, master's level practitioners perform some of the functions of a school psychologist, but they must usually work under the supervision of a doctoral-level school psychologist.

Although the employment options in school psychology are more limited without a doctorate, you may be able to find work in schools that employ psychometrists – or professionals who specialize in psychological testing and assessment – or school psychologists who have graduated from programs of less than 60 credits, according to the National Association of School Psychologists, or NASP.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Many people with master's degrees in clinical psychology decide to pursue careers in industrial-organizational psychology. Like school psychologists, however, master's degree practitioners won't be able to officially refer to themselves as psychologists. Industrial-organizational psychology involves the study of workplace behaviors, such as the factors that influence employee motivation, organizations and management. They might be involved in researching employment trends, advising managers or evaluating hiring practices in settings like businesses, industries or governments.

Written by Ben Taylor

A Masters in Psychology is a versatile, open-ended qualification that can allow you to embark on a career as a psychologist or a similar profession, as well as a broad range of business sectors. Often taken as a postgraduate conversion course by people who studied a different subject at Bachelors level, a Psychology Masters can also be suitable for Psychology graduates wishing to specialise in a particular aspect of the discipline.

This page will give you an introduction to skills and jobs you could get with a Masters in Psychology. We’ve also used official data to work out what difference a postgraduate Psychology qualification could make to your earning potential.

What skills will I gain with a Masters in Psychology?

A Masters in Psychology will give you plenty of transferrable skills, as well as the specialist knowledge to pursue a career in psychological practice or academic research.

Psychology Masters are somewhat unique among postgraduate qualifications in that they can be either a Master of Arts (MA) or a Master of Science (MSc), depending on the focus of the programme. An MA in Psychology is more likely to take a Humanities-led approach to the subject, while an MSc will place more emphasis on scientific methodologies.

If you study a Masters in Psychology, you can expect to gain experience of the following areas:

• Different research methodologies
• Statistics and data
• Various psychological theories and approaches
• Critical reasoning and thinking skills

Depending on your interests, you may also want to specialise in a particular branch of Psychology, such as:

• Clinical Psychology
• Organisational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Counselling

By the time you’ve finished your Masters in Psychology, you’ll have completed an extended research project and dissertation, which will show prospective employers that you can work independently on a substantial piece of work.

What jobs can I get with a Masters in Psychology?

The versatility of a Psychology Masters means that there are lots of different employment paths you can take with your qualification, from psychology itself to a whole range of industries in both the public and private sectors.

If you want to go down the more traditional route of becoming a psychologist, you should make sure that you’re studying a programme that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), allowing you to gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). This qualification could either be a Bachelors degree in Psychology or a postgraduate conversion course for those who didn’t study Psychology at undergraduate level.

Once you have GBC, if you want to become a qualified psychologist you’ll need to complete a further three years of postgraduate study, usually in the form of a doctorate that combines academic and practical work.

These are some of the main branches of psychology you could pursue a career in:

• Academia and teaching, embarking on research or working as a lecturer
• Clinical psychology, helping and advising patients with mental health issues
• Counselling psychology, offering different forms of therapy to individuals with mental health problems
• Educational psychology, supporting children and young people in schools and other educational settings
• Forensic psychology, dealing with criminal and civil law
• Health psychology, focusing on well-being and healthy lifestyles
• Neuropsychology, helping people with brain injuries and diseases
• Occupational psychology, helping companies identify ways in which they can support employees
• Sport and exercise psychology, assisting athletes and coaches with the psychological aspects of competitive sport

Of course, you aren’t limited to a career in psychology – many companies and industries don’t require job applicants to have studied a particular subject at postgraduate level, but will nevertheless welcome the transferrable skills you gained during your Masters. You could apply for a job in:

• The charity sector
• The civil service
• Law
• Local government
• Marketing
• Publishing
• Research
• Social care
• Teaching

How employable are Psychology Masters graduates?

Whichever route you decide to go down, statistics reveal that 87.9% of UK Psychology postgraduates from English universities are in employment and / or further study five years after graduation.

What salary could I earn with a Masters in Psychology?

It’s understandable that you’ll be keen to find out what difference a Psychology Masters could make to your future earning potential. Official data suggests that Masters graduates do earn a higher average salary than their undergraduate counterparts.

In terms of Psychology, data shows that:

• The median earnings of a Psychology Masters graduate (from English universities) five years after finishing their course were £28,800
• The median earnings of a Psychology first degree graduate (from universities in Great Britain, not just England) five years after finishing their course were £24,500

This means that, on average, Masters graduates in Psychology earn £4,300 per year more than Bachelors graduates – around 17.5% higher.

Data sources

This page uses official statistics for postgraduate salaries in the UK, based on information from HMRC that measures the earnings of UK postgraduates from English universities in the 2018-19 tax year. You should be aware that historical information doesn’t guarantee future career prospects and earnings. Many other factors also play a role in determining how well someone does with a Masters.

Search for a Masters in Psychology

Ready to begin your search for a programme? Browse the Psychology Masters listed on our website.

Last updated: 21 May 2021

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