Psychology Graduate Degrees in Arizona

Argosy University

College of Clinical Psychology at Argosy University

Education Management Corporation is responsible for maintaining and operating a chain of colleges across the country, including Argosy University. When the corporation purchased a string of colleges belonging to the Argosy Education Group, it took over ownership of this school. Founded in 2001, the school quickly gained a good reputation for its psychology program. Ranked as one of the top 300 colleges in the nation, it is also one of the top 30 colleges for online students and is highly ranked for its psychology program. The College of Clinical Psychology at Argosy University offers the research background that psychologists use every day.

Master’s in Clinical Psychology

Designed for future counselors and researchers, the Master’s in Clinical Psychology is one of the more popular programs at this school. Though Argosy University offers this program at several of its campuses, a large number of students enroll in the program through the Phoenix campus. Students take nine classes in their first year and 10 classes in their second year. Part-time students and those who don’t want to finish the program in two years can take fewer classes each year. The first year includes courses on human development, cognitive behavior and assessment, personality assessment and therapy and theory. Students learn practical skills and then see how they can use those skills on the job. A large portion of the second year involves a Master’s Practicum, which is similar to a thesis project. Students devote themselves to studying and researching a specific topic. They make a hypothesis and use their research to prove that hypothesis.

Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
American Psychological Association

Contact
2233 West Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021
(602) 216-2600
aupx_isr@argosy.edu
Website

Grand Canyon University

College of Arts and Sciences

Established in 1949, Grand Canyon University opened as a private religious institution. Grand Canyon, Inc., which bought the school in 2004, operates the university as a for-profit school today. The company bought the campus after the school nearly closed due to financial problems. The College of Arts and Sciences is responsible for operating many of the behavioral science programs, including its psychology graduate program. With a population of more than 40,000 students, it ranks as one of the largest private colleges in the state. That figure includes students studying on campus and those using the college’s online and distance learning programs.

Master of Science in Professional Counseling

After completing the Master of Science in Professional Counseling through Grand Canyon University, you’ll find that you have the skills necessary to work as a professional counselor. Counselors must take an examination before receiving their license to practice in the state, and you’ll learn more about that test and other licensing requirements when you enroll in the program. Many of its graduates work as Licensed Associate Counselors, Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselors, Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselors. You will work directly with professors who have experience working with psychology patients and professors who can give you hints on passing your future licensing exams. Unlike other programs, which focus heavily on one topic, students enrolled in this program cover a variety of topics every semester. Students take courses on human sexuality, addiction and recovery, caring for the aged, working with kids and understanding criminal behaviors and actions.

Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Arizona State Private Post-Secondary Education

Contact
3300 West Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017 ·
(602) 639-7500
cas@gcu.edu
Website

Midwestern University

College of Health Sciences

The American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery opened at the turn of the century in Illinois. Originally designed as a way to train future doctors, the college quickly expanded into other medical and health fields. After changing its name to Midwestern University, it established a second campus in Arizona, which became just the second medical school in the entire state. Students now enjoy the warm air and sunshine as they wander across the 156 acre campus. The Arizona branch of the university also offers ample dormitories and residences for the 2,900 students enrolled in its various programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and other colleges.

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) – Clinical Psychology

A low ratio of students to professors and the quality of its faculty are just a few reasons why students choose Midwestern University. Students interested in enrolling in its Doctor of Psychology program must have a Bachelor’s degree, a minimum grade point average of 3.0, a high score on the General Records Examination and at least 18 credit hours of psychology classes on the undergraduate level. Most students complete the program in five years or less, and graduates praise the low class sizes. Many of the classes have an average enrollment of just 22 students. As part of the Psy.D. program, you will take a number of courses in the classroom, but the school also asks that you complete at least one clinical rotation. The school will arrange for placement in a local hospital or doctor’s office, which gives you a unique perspective on the psychology field and some experience working with patients.

Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association

Contact
19555 North 59th Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85308
(623) 572-3215
admissil@midwestern.edu
Website

Northern Arizona University

College of Education

The Northern Arizona Normal School opened at the turn of the century as a school for teachers. Though the school didn’t offer degrees, it gave students certificates that they used to obtain jobs. The college changed its name in the 1920s when it earned the right to offer Bachelor degree programs, and the campus eventually became Northern Arizona University when it shifted its focus to other programs and degrees. Despite that change in focus, the College of Education remains one of the largest departments on campus. Located in Flagstaff, the school now has a graduate population of nearly 4,000 students.

School Psychology, Educational Specialist – Master

Professors working at the college developed the School Psychology, Educational Specialist program as a way to help and train school psychologists. The unique curriculum specifically targets areas that state licensing boards will ask you about when you take the test to receive your license. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredited the program and verified that it met the requirements for a school psychology program. All students must complete the program within six years of entering the school, and you need to maintain a 3.0 GPA and receive high grades in all courses, including those related to an unrelated to your major. You must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours to graduate from the program, and depending on your concentration, you may need to complete a thesis. Students working on an independent study project or working at a local school can typically use those experiences in lieu of a thesis.

Master of Arts in Counseling

The Master of Arts in Counseling is one of the few programs that the school offers through each of its campuses. Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the school hopes that students will gain a variety of skills during their studies and clinical experiences. Graduates learn how statistics and research impact counseling, how to identify specific problems facing people of all ages and backgrounds and how to evaluate different situations and provide feedback when needed. When you enroll in the program, you meet with an adviser. Your adviser will go over the basics of the program and help you choose a concentration. The decisions that you make as a new student will follow you until you graduate, and the school requires that you meet the goals you established as a new student by or before the end of your last year on campus.

Master of Education in Counseling – School Counseling

School counselors provide assistance to students every day of the work week. They talk to students about the problems they face at home and at school, identify signs of abuse and motivate students to do better in school. The Master of Education in Counseling – School Counseling meets the minimum standards imposed by several organizations, including the National Board for Certified Counselors. Before you can work as a certified counselor, you must pass the test offered by that board. The Arizona Department of Education requires that all school counselors meet some other requirements, and you can meet those requirements during the program. This unique program asks students to keep track of their progress with an online portfolio. Professors will check your work regularly to ensure that you understand the materials presented to you and that you have the knowledge and skills that you need as you continue in the program.

Counseling – Student Affairs, Master of Education

The Department of Educational Psychology offers a Counseling – Student Affairs, Master of Education
degree program. This program combines the benefits of an education degree with the benefits of a psychology or counseling degree. After completing the program, you qualify to work as a school psychologist, a counselor or a teacher. The courses offered in the program look at different age groups and factors that impact people of different ages. You’ll take classes on student services, how college students learn and grow and the problems that those students face. You will also take research and mathematics classes that teach you how to create a hypothesis, test that hypothesis and present your findings. Many of the courses include different types of counseling, including how to counsel people from different backgrounds and vocational counseling. The university also offers a number of electives that you can use to fulfill the 48 credit hours required for graduation.

Human Relations, Master of Education

Do you often find yourself looking at others and wondering what makes them tick? Do you like the idea of figuring people out and better understanding why they make the decisions that they do? The Human Relations, Master of Education is a program designed for people who think the same way that you do. Past graduates of the program work for the military, private businesses, nonprofit organizations and large corporations. They work as managers, advertisers, marketers, human resource specialists and mediators. Students entering the program have two options available to them. They can take 30 credit hours in general education, psychology and communications courses, or they can take a maximum of 15 credit hours to earn a certificate. Keep in mind that depending on the field that interests you, you might do better if you finish your degree. Courses that you’ll take in the degree program include child psychology and human development.

PhD in Educational Psychology with an Emphasis in Counseling Psychology

In addition to the graduate and undergraduate programs that Northern Arizona University offers, students can also complete a PhD program through the school. The PhD in Educational Psychology with an Emphasis in Counseling Psychology is a program that consists of 109 credit hours of learning. The college added this program with several goals in mind, including preparing students with knowledge of cognition, development and behavior, teaching the fundamentals of evaluation and identification and giving students more experience with research. As a doctoral student, you’ll also spend a minimum of 2,000 hours working in the field. At least 500 of those hours should include direct contact with patients. Counseling psychologists work specifically with patients experiencing different things. You might work with children of divorced parents, couples going through a separation, those dealing with gender identity disorders and patients with various mental diseases. This program teaches you how to identify those conditions and what you should do next.

PhD in Educational Psychology with Emphasis in School Psychology

School counselors often work directly with students. They help them find solutions for issues they deal with at home and the problems they experience at school. During your clinical hours, you’ll have the chance to spend one-on-one time with students of different ages. The PhD in Educational Psychology with an Emphasis in School Psychology helps you plan for the future. All students must complete a certain number of clinical hours before graduating. You’ll complete 600 hours of direct contact work, which includes the time you spend with patients, the time you spend on the phone with people related to the client and any group work that you do. The program also requires a minimum of 900 indirect contact hours. Those hours include the time you spend researching a patient, writing out a report, attending staff meetings and completing administrative work. Doctoral students typically spend more time researching and working in the field than they do in the classroom.

Accreditation
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Educators (NCATE)
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact
S San Francisco St
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
(928) 523-9011
Michael.Sampson@nau.edu
Website

Northcentral University

School of Behavioral and Health Sciences

After establishing an institution of higher learning in California, Dr. Donald Hecht moved to Arizona and founded Northcentral University. Hecht created the university as a distance learning college, which let students earn a degree without attending traditional college classes. Though the school now has a few hundred undergraduates enrolled in its programs, most students take graduate programs through the school while working in the field. Northcentral University started with just one college, but it now has three separate colleges, including the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. Though not nationally ranked, the college does offer students a good foundation for the future.

Master of Arts in Psychology

Northcentral University wants to prepare its students for endless possibilities in the future. It hopes that students will find the classes rewarding enough that they will want to continue their education and studies even after leaving the program. The Master of Arts in Psychology is unique. While other schools offer a Masters of Science in Psychology and require a large number of math and science courses, this program gives students access to more psychology courses. As a student, you can also choose a concentration. The school offers concentrations in health psychology, general psychology, industrial organizational psychology and gender diversity. Many of the school’s graduates now work in the government, in the healthcare field, as professors and in research positions. To graduate from the program, you must take at least 30 credit hours of graduate level classes online or on campus, have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and finish your thesis within five years of enrolling.

Accreditation
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact
10000 E University Dr.
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
(866) 776-0331
admissions@ncu.edu
Website

Ottawa University

College of Education

Ottawa University originally opened as a small school that provided education for members of a local Native American tribe living in Kansas. Begun by a reverend missionary, the school grew and flourished as more settlers moved to the area. In 1974, the university opened its first traditional campus in Kansas City, and it followed that by building campuses in Phoenix, Wisconsin and Indiana. The school has an active alumni network comprised of more than 22,000 students, and it offer students support when it comes to finding a job after graduation. The College of Education trained a number of those students for careers as school psychologists and counselors.

Master of Arts in Education – School Psychology

Designed for future school psychologists, the Master of Arts in Education: School Psychology is a program that combines practical knowledge with real life experience. School psychologists work with dozens of students every day. They need to know to identify problems that can include bullying and abuse at home, but they must also need to know how to work with others and what to do during an emergency. The Ottawa University program teaches students how to identify new changes in school systems and learning styles and how they can grow with those new advances. As part of the program in Arizona, you’ll also go through a paid internship. This internship lets you work at a local school, but unlike a typical independent study project, you’ll receive money for the time you spend in that school. The program offers a combination of classes on psychological topics, sociological topics and educational courses.

Accreditation
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact
10020 N. 25th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85021
(602) 371-1188
admiss.az@ottawa.edu
Website

University of Arizona

College of Science

The University of Arizona opened in 1891 with just one building and less than 40 students. The school now has a total enrollment of more than 40,000 students, and more than 7,000 of those students take graduate level classes. Ranked as one of the top 200 schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report, it also made the list of the top 45 schools picked by the Academic Rankings of World Universities. The campus, which is only one mile from the downtown area, covers more than 170 acres of land. Graduate students can join a number of organizations and groups on that campus.

Master of Science in Psychology

The Master of Science in Psychology is a general program available through the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona. Students can choose a concentration in social psychology, clinical psychology, cognition and neural systems or ethology and evolutionary psychology (EEP). The clinical psychology programs includes courses on sleep, intervention research, couple and family psychology and mental health policies. The program prepares students for working with clients in a clinical or counseling setting. The cognition and neural systems concentration focuses on how people learn and what problems and conditions can affect their learning abilities. Students enrolled in the EEP program discuss the changes that impact learning and development. The social psychology concentration offers courses on personality assessment and cultural differences. With these different concentrations, students can complete a general Master’s degree and still gain more experience and a better understanding of different psychological topics and why people behave in different ways.

Accreditation
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
International Association of Counseling Services
American Psychological Association

Contact
1503 E University Blvd.
P.O.Box 210068
Tucson, AZ 85721
(520) 621-7447
MBB-Psychology@email.arizona.edu
Website

University of Phoenix

College of Social Sciences

When the University of Phoenix opened in 1976, just seven students enrolled in the program. Originally designed for older students who couldn’t attend a traditional college, the founded created the school as a place that would welcome those students with open arms. The college later added online programs and opened new campuses across the country, which helped it expand its enrollment to more than 240,000 undergraduate students and more than 51,000 graduate students. Though the college maintains a strong online presence, it also encourages students to take classes on many of its campuses, including its first campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

Master of Science in Psychology

The College of Social Sciences at the University of Phoenix offers a Master of Science in Psychology degree for students. Students learn skills that they can use in other psychology classes and in the jobs they have now, but they also discover how they can use those skills in the future. Classes that take place on campus typically have 15 or fewer students, and students also have the option of taking one or more of their courses online. Every student in the program must complete a minimum of 39 credit hours in both their electives and required psychology students. Some of the required courses include developmental psychology, research methods in psychology, social issues, cognitive psychology and physiology. Students also take a capstone course that looks at the ways in which psychology changed over the years, and the university also gives student credit for psychology internships they complete away from the campus.

Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association

Contact
1625 W. Fountainhead Pkwy
Tempe, AZ 85282-2371
(866) 766-0766

Most undergraduates find that they cannot land the job of their dreams with just an undergraduate degree. If you want to open up a new world of opportunities, enroll in an Arizona degree program today. In addition to traditional programs, you’ll find schools that let you take all of your classes online.

For more information on obtaining your online Psychology Degree, please see ” The Top 15 Best Affordable Online Master’s in Psychology and Masters in Counseling Degree Programs“.