Master of Arts in clinical psychology

The Master of Arts in Psychology with emphasis in clinical skills at Washburn University offers real-world professional training to prepare you for licensure and practice under Kansas Requirements. You’ll work with clients in our training clinic from your second semester on. By graduation you’ll be prepared to

  • Understand the latest research and how to integrate it with your knowledge and practice.
  • Evaluate, administer, and interpret psychological assessments.
  • Competently execute empirically-based therapy techniques and incorporate sensitivity to individual client characteristics and contextual factors in their implementation.
  • Engage in ethical practice, utilize supervision and consultation appropriately, and carry out responsibilities professionally.
Career Forecast Growing OutlookAverage Salary $82,180 (national) $71,850 (Kansas)on campus
Psychology professor gestures while teaching in front of a whiteboard

10 Reasons to choose Washburn

Washburn’s clinical psychology master’s program is recognized for the clinical experience students gain. Here are the top 10 reasons our program is a wise choice:

  1. You will begin interacting with clients in our clinic during their 2nd semester of training.
  2. You will receive training in empirically supported treatments, which is highly valued by employers.
  3. You will have a large number of internship sites to choose from for your off-campus clinical training. We guarantee you an internship.
  4. You are immediately eligible for licensure in Kansas as a Temporary Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist (TLMLP) upon graduation.
  5. Our graduates work at many mental health facilities throughout Kansas. These sites often prefer to hire Washburn graduates because they are familiar with the excellent training that they receive.
  6. You will receive clinical supervision from the same faculty who teach their courses in our training clinic (Washburn University Psychological Services Clinic). This creates a seamless connection between what is learned in coursework and expectations in clinical training experiences. Although doctoral programs routinely utilize training clinics, few master’s programs do so.
  7. Students who choose to go on to a doctoral program report that Washburn's master's program did an excellent job preparing them for their doctoral work. We have a strong record of placing interested students in doctoral programs.
  8. Funds are available at the department and university level to financially support graduate student research.
  9. Almost all of our MA students work part-time in psychology-related jobs either on or off campus as they complete their degree. Besides providing financial support, these jobs build your resume.
  10. Our program is currently ranked as #32 in the BestMastersInPsychology.com’s list of the most affordable small colleges for a master’s in psychology. Read more here.

Admission Criteria and Our Curriculum

NO GRE | NO application fee

Admission Criteria

If you earned a psychology degree from Washburn and meet academic achievement standards, you will be granted admission to the master’s program.

If your bachelor's degree is in another area, or from another institution, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with:

  • A minimum of 21 hours of undergraduate psychology courses including:
    • an introductory psychology course (or passing CLEP exam score)
    • a statistics course
    • a research methods or experimental laboratory course
    • a course in abnormal psychology
    • three upper division psychology courses.
  • Students lacking required courses may be admitted on a provisional basis with the understanding that they complete any deficiencies before being fully admitted into the program.

Curriculum

Completion of a minimum of 60 hours, including:

  • Core courses
  • Clinical courses
  • Practicum Experiences
  • Supervised Internship
  • Thesis OR Empirically Supported Case Study

Professional Ethics

Because the graduate psychology program involves preparing people to work with the public, the Psychology Department assumes the responsibility for reasonably ensuring that individuals who complete the program are not only academically competent but are aware of and capable of functioning within the established ethical standards of the profession. To graduate with an M.A. in Psychology, the student must adhere to the ethical principles of the psychology profession. Their ethical standards are presented in the following documents:

Ethical Standards of Psychologists Published by the American Psychological Association

Licensure and workforce

Licensure requirements are set by each state. In Kansas the Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist requirements are set by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board

CAREER FORECAST: growing outlook

Qualities

Critical thinkers

Interpersonally oriented

Able to self-reflect

Ethical

Graduate with experience

100%

of our students graduate with experience. Our robust internship program includes a variety of settings.

Success

100%

of graduates in the last five years are working in the field or in a doctoral program.

Q 1. Is your program accredited by the American Psychological Association?
A 1. The American Psychological Association does not accredit masters level programs, only Ph.D. programs.

Q 2. Does your program meet state licensing requirements?
A 2. Graduates of our masters program are eligible for licensure in the state of Kansas as Licensed Masters Level Psychologists. More detailed information is available at the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board web site, www.ksbsrb.org.

Q 3. What about licensing requirements in other states?
A 3. States vary in the requirements for licensure, particularly at the master’s level. It is very important that you research the requirements for licensure within the state that you want to practice in to determine whether your program of study fits those requirements. Graduates of our master’s program have gone on to practice in states all over the country; however, they have often had to take several additional classes or do additional supervised clinical work to practice in a state other than Kansas.

Q 4. What's the theoretical orientation of your faculty?
A 4. We feel that students benefit from being exposed to a variety of approaches to maximize their effectiveness with different client populations. Our psychotherapy techniques courses focus on the development of cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, brief, and client-centered psychotherapy skills. Students are exposed to a variety of other approaches (e.g., family systems, group) through other coursework and internship.

Q 5. I've heard that you can't do psychotherapy unless you have a Ph.D.
A 5. Not true. Masters Level Psychologists provide much of the psychological services in the United States. Although regulations may vary from state to state, most states recognize the professional contributions of masters level psychologists.

Q 6. Can I do private practice with just a master's degree?
A 6. Again the regulations for licensure vary from state to state. In Kansas, individuals with a masters degree in psychology, like the one offered by Washburn, after passing an exam and obtaining additional supervised experience, are eligible to become Licensed Clinical Psychotherapists (LCP's). LCP's in Kansas can do private practice. For more detailed information, see the web site of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, the state agency that licenses psychologists at www.ksbsrb.org.

Q 7. I still really want to get my Ph.D. Will it hurt my chances of getting into a Ph.D. program if I do a master's program first?
A 7. Although this varies from Ph.D program to Ph.D. program, our experience has been that students who complete our program are better prepared and more competitive for Ph.D. programs after completing our program. Students develop not only solid clinical skills but also the research skills that are necessary for completion of a Ph.D. degree.

As a full-time student you will finish the program in 2.5 years if you start in the spring, or three years if you start in the fall.

An example of a three year schedule:

Fall of Year 1

  • PY 635 Ethics of Psychological Practice
  • PY 720 Seminar in Psychology
  • PY 615 Counseling Skills & Interviewing Practicum
  • PY 625 Advanced Psychopathology
  • PY 690 Group therapy: Theory and Application

Total: 10.5 hours

Year 1 Spring

  • PY 637 Diversity Issues in Assessment and Treatment
  • PY 640 Introduction to Psychotherapy Techniques
  • PY 641 Psychotherapy Practicum I
  • PY 632 Psychological Assessment of Adults
  • PY 631 Adult Assessment Practicum

Total: 11 hours

Year 2 Fall

  • PY 670 Individual Adult Psychotherapy
  • PY 671 Psychotherapy Practicum II
  • PY 633 Psychological Assessment of Children
  • PY 634 Child Assessment Practicum
  • PY 611 Grad Research Design

Total: 11 hours

Year 2 Spring

  • PY 612 Scientific Writing
  • PY 610 Intermediate Statistics
  • PY 700 Child, Marital and Family Therapy
  • PY 701 Child, Marital and Family Therapy Practicum
  • PY 691 Group Therapy Practicum

Total: 9.5 hours

Year 3 Fall

  • PY 602 Advanced Physiological Psychology
  • PY 799 Thesis
  • PY 780 Internship

Total: 9 hours

Year 3 Spring

  • PY 603 Advanced Health Psychology
  • PY 699 Thesis
  • PY 780 Internship
Total: 9 hours

All courses in this program are offered at the Traditional Graduate rate. You can find per-credit tuition and fee information here.

You may be eligible for an in-state tuition waiver. More information is available here.

The Psychology Department offers competitive teaching assistantships for graduate students. The assistantship requires 10 hours per week assisting in the testing center and provides an annual stipend of approximately $3,500.

Graduate students also are eligible for federal student loans.

Q 1. When is your application deadline?
A 1. March 15 for the fall semester; Nov. 15 for the spring semester.

Q 2. I graduate in December. Can I start the program in January?
A 2. Yes. Although you won't be able to complete the program in two years (it would be a minimum of 2 ½ years), there are several courses that you could take that would get you well on your way towards your M.A.

Q 3. Do I need the GRE? How do I get signed up to take it?
A 3. We are temporarily suspending the GRE requirement for 2021-22 graduate applications.

Q 4. Do you have an application fee?
A 4. No. There is not currently an application fee.

Q 5. I didn't do very well on the GRE. Does your program have cut-offs?
A 5. The GRE requirement is waived for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Q 6. What do you require for the application?
A 6. To apply to the Master of Arts program in Psychology, complete our  online application. You will be asked to provide the email address for three people who will be providing letters of recommendation for you.  After you have submitted your completed application, the system will generate an email to each of your letter writers.  That email will direct them to a link where they will upload their letters.  These letters need to be uploaded by your application deadline (March 15 or Nov. 15); therefore, we recommend submitting your completed application at least 2-3 weeks prior to this deadline.

The application will give you the opportunity to upload unofficial transcripts, which is recommended but not required.  Official transcripts should be sent by your university to etranscripts@washburn.edu or mailed to the Washburn University Registrar.

The application will also ask you to type in your GRE scores. Please note the GRE requirement is currently waived and no scores are required.

Q 7. How do I get an application form?
A7. The application is online only. To apply to the Master of Arts program in Psychology, complete our  online application.

Q 8. I wasn't a psych major in college; can I still be considered for the program?
A 8. Yes. In order to be admitted to the graduate program, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum of 21 hours of undergraduate psychology courses including an introductory psychology course (or passing CLEP exam score), a statistics course, a research methods or experimental laboratory course, a course in abnormal psychology, and three upper division psychology courses. Students lacking required courses may be admitted on a provisional basis with the understanding that they complete any deficiencies before being fully admitted into the program.

Q 9. I haven't had one of the psychology courses you require. Can I still be admitted?
A 9. Outstanding candidates who are missing a requirement are sometimes granted provisional admission to the program. Full admission is then contingent upon fulfilling remaining requirements during the first semester of study at Washburn.

Q 10. Do you require a campus interview?
A 10. Although we are delighted to meet with you should you want to visit our campus and meet with faculty members or students, a campus interview is not required. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to arrange a campus visit.

International students who will be attending Washburn on an F-1 or J-1 visa must first apply for university admission through the Office of International Programs.  Please click here for more information.

Minimum iBT TOEFL scores required for admission to the MA in Psychology program are as follows:  

  • Overall score of at least 100, with a Speaking score of at least 26, and at least 22 in each of the three other subtests.
Minimum IELTS scores required for admission to the MA in Psychology program are as follows:
  • Overall score of at least 7, with a Speaking score of at least 8 and at least 6.5 in each of the other three subtests.

With a Bachelor's degree from a U.S. university, international students do not need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. International students must also complete the full MA in Psychology application process

Please contact the Office of International Programs with any questions about the university application process by sending an e-mail to international@washburn.edu.

Three things to know:

  • No GRE score is required
  • No application fee is charged
  • Unofficial transcripts are accepted with the application. Official transcripts can be provided later.

Complete the online graduate application.

You will be asked to provide email addresses for three people who will be providing letters of recommendation for you. After you have submitted your completed application, the system will generate an email to each of your letter writers.  That email will direct them to a link where they will upload their letters.  These letters must be received by the March 15 or November 15.

Submit your transcripts to etranscripts@washburn.edu or have them mailed to Washburn University Registrar, 1700 SW College Ave., Topeka, KS 66621. Official transcripts must be on file prior to course enrollment.

GET IN TOUCH WITH Department of Psychology

Department of Psychology
Henderson Learning Resource Center, Room 211
Washburn University
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621

Phone & Email
Phone: 785.670.1564
psychology@washburn.edu

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