Essential Information
Minnesota-based students interested in psychology programs at the graduate level have a number of schools from which to choose. Programs include master's and doctoral degree programs, all of which require applicants to hold a minimum of a baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment. Such programs often have specializations or concentrations; not all degrees are available in all sub-fields of psychology. Practicum, research projects, theses, or dissertations may also be necessary prior to graduation.
Bethel University
Located in Saint Paul, Bethel University offers prospective students one master's degree program in counseling psychology. The program unites psychological theory and practice with a Christian worldview. Graduates of the program are prepared to work in hospitals, mental health clinics and congregational settings, as well as to enter a doctoral or professional education program in clinical or educational psychology. The program is also designed to prepare students for LPC or LCPP licensure in the state of Minnesota. All students take general, community and child/adolescent counseling courses throughout the program. Students may opt to enroll in either a two or three-year program format, and can choose to concentrate in child and adolescent or community and mental health counseling.
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul-based Metropolitan State University has one master's degree program with a choice of two concentrations in community/health psychology or applied social psychology. Both programs aim to prepare students to work in a variety of professional settings and/or to enter a doctoral program in community, public health and social psychology, among other fields. The community/health concentration trains students to help communities and organizations solve social problems through preventative interventions. Although the program focuses on the relationship of people to their social and ecological environments, it does not prepare students to be clinical counselors. The applied social psychology concentration teaches students to systematically apply psychological intervention methods, research and theories to social issues, including bullying, political participation and environmental toxins. Each concentration consists of 36 credits of core courses, elective classes and a thesis project course.
Minnesota State University - Mankato (MSU - Mankato)
The Mankato location of MSU offers interested students two master's degree programs and one doctoral degree program in psychology. Master's degree students may to choose to enroll in either the clinical psychology or the industrial/organizational psychology program. The clinical program requires a two-year, full-time commitment and is designed for students planning on entering a doctoral program after graduation. It is not intended as a terminal degree. All accepted students are expected to complete at least 50 credits of coursework, participate in a faculty led research team and to complete a practicum placement at one of seven different sites, including a local Mayo Clinic location. The industrial/organizational program trains students to work in a variety of professional settings. 44 credits are required to complete the program, including a three-month internship and the writing of a thesis. Course topics include motivation, multivariate analysis and employee selection. The doctoral program is designed to prepare students to be certified as school psychologists or to work as university professors. It is five years in length and requires a total of 106 semester credits to complete. An on-site Assessment Clinic provides students with the opportunity to gain supervised professional experience. Students can also join the university's School Psychology Society and work to support and promote the larger discipline.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead (MSU - Moorhead)
Although this school, which is located in Moorhead, offers two separate programs in psychology, students are typically expected to complete these two programs together. The combined programs take three years to complete, including two years of full-time coursework and a year of internship experience. Students are awarded the master's degree after completing the first 30 credits and the specialist degree after finishing the last 35 credits of the program, though students who have already earned a master's degree may apply directly to the specialist degree program. Several courses in assessment, child development and psychological theory are required to earn both degrees. All students receive mentoring from an established graduate student and work closely with the program's faculty members throughout the duration of the combined programs. The entire program is based upon the scientist-practitioner model, while the specialist degree is specifically designed to prepare students to enter the workforce as a school psychologist and is equivalent to earning a certification license in school psychology.
St. Cloud State University (SCSU)
SCSU is located in St. Cloud. The university offers one master's degree program in industrial/organizational psychology. The program prepares students to work in a variety of professional settings or to enter a doctoral program. Students are required to attend full-time and must take a total of 41 credits to graduate. Students are given a choice between two enrollment plans, one of which culminates with a research project and practicum, while the other ends with the writing of a thesis. As many as three graduate assistantships are available in the Fall and Spring semesters. Prospective students may be placed on a waitlist due to the intensive competition to enter the program. SCSU also offers its I/O students a program newsletter and the opportunity to participate in a student organization specific to this field of study.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Located in Twin Cities, Saint Mary's provides interested students with the opportunity to earn a PsyD degree in counseling psychology. It is a new program that only began enrolling students in the Fall of 2010. The program is designed to prepare students to work as licensed psychologists in Minnesota, though it is not accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Classes are held every Wednesday and Thursday, with students taking as many as four classes at a time. Upon completing the required foundations courses, students may gear the curriculum of the program to fit their own interests and goals. Students also receive personal mentoring throughout the five-year program. The final year of the program consists of a full-time internship and the writing of a clinical dissertation, though this may be completed before beginning the internship.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (UM - Twin Cities)
UM's Twin Cities location offers prospective students two master's degree programs and a PhD program in psychology. The master's degree in educational psychology has five tracks to choose from, including school psychology and special education. Depending on the track chosen the program can have anywhere from 30 to 48 credits of coursework. Student may also choose the thesis or exam option for finishing the program. The general master's degree option provides students with eight different specializations, including biological psychopathology, counseling and social psychology. Two plans are available for completing the 30-credit degree, with one requiring a thesis and the other requiring three review papers. All new students begin collaborative research in their first semester. The doctoral program trains students to be researchers and satisfies the licensure requirements of their respective specialty. All doctoral students must also complete a one-year internship and a total of 60 credits to graduate. All psychology students, regardless of degree level or specialization, also have access to several different psychology-related learning centers, such as the Center for Cognitive Sciences and the Center for the Study of Political Psychology.
University of St. Thomas
Minneapolis' University of St. Thomas has one master's degree and a PsyD degree program in counseling psychology. The master's program is intended to help students enter the professional workforce or a doctoral program. In addition to the general program, students may opt to include a family psychology concentration, which includes earning a certificate in family therapy. The 48-credit program also fulfills the requirements to sit for the LPC or LPCC licenses. All accepted students are assigned a faculty advisor and are expected to participate in more than one practicum at the university's several practicum sites, such as the Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services. The doctoral program provides a more in-depth study of counseling psychology by requiring practicum and internship experience in addition to more than 60 credits of in-class coursework. Students can expect to attend the program for at least four years and to take courses in everything from vocational psychology to current ethical issues in the field. All students must also complete two doctoral projects in third year of the degree. Doctoral students also have the opportunity to study abroad in Singapore for the completion of the required Diversity Issues in Counseling course.
Career Requirements
The state of Minnesota requires practicing psychologists to be licensed by the Minnesota Board of Psychology. The Licensed Psychology (LP) license is required for all independent practitioners in the general field of psychology. To qualify for licensure, an individual must hold a doctoral degree from an accredited institution, have completed one full year of supervised psychological employment and have passed both the Examination for the Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Professional Responsibility Examination (PRE) exams. Volunteer and by reciprocity psychologists have additional requirements.
Psychologists interested in working as clinical counselors or therapists must complete licensure requirements specific to one of these specialty fields. The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure requires the holding of a relevant master's or doctoral degree with specific courses completed, 2,000 hours of supervised professional practice and the passing of the National Counseling Examination (NCE). The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) also offers licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). The requirements for this license are similar to those for the LPC license, though applicants are required to take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) rather than the NCE. The requirements of each license may or may not be fulfilled upon completing a graduate degree program in psychology.
Minnesota currently has 12 public and private, nonprofit schools offering graduate programs in psychology. The schools listed below represent eight of the largest schools in the state that offer master's and doctoral degree programs.
School Comparison: At a Glance
| School Name | School Type & Setting | Graduate Psychology Programs Offered | Graduate Tuition & Fees (2018-2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel University | 4-year; private, not-for-profit; suburb | MA in Counseling Psychology | $11,700* |
| Metropolitan State University | 4-year; public; urban | MA in Psychology | $7,771 in-state tuition, $702 in-state fees, $15,542 out-of-state tuition, $702 out-of-state fees* |
| Minnesota State University - Mankato | 4-year; public; remote | MA in Clinical Psychology, MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology; PsyD in School Psychology |
$7,404 in-state; $752 fees* |
| Minnesota State University - Moorhead | 4-year; public; suburb | MS in School Psychology; Specialist in School Psychology |
$10,009 in-state; $1,055 fees* |
| Saint Cloud State University | 4-year; public; urban | MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology | $7,975 in-state tuition, $1,065 in-state fees, $12,116 out-of-state tuition, $1,065 out-of-state fees * |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 4-year; private, not-for-profit; remote | PhD in Counseling Psychology | $9,000* |
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 4-year; public; urban | MA in Educational Psychology, MA in Psychology; PhD in Psychology, PhD in Educational Psychology, PhD in Counseling Psychology |
$17,064 in-state tuition, $1,519 in-state fees, $26,412 out-of-state tuition, $1,519 out-of-state fees* |
| University of St. Thomas | 4-year; private, not-for-profit; urban | MA in Counseling Psychology; PhD in Counseling Psychology |
$25,954 in-state; $231 fees* |
Source: *NCES College Navigator
