If you are passionate about mental health and helping our world understand the human mind, behaviors, and emotions, you’ve likely considered getting a Master’s in Counseling or a Master’s in Psychology.
While counseling and psychology are both rewarding mental fields and share similarities, these fields and degrees have decided differences, including distinct types of coursework and career opportunities.
Plus, with so many differences, students can struggle with determining which degree to pursue.
This article will explore the differences between a Master’s in Counseling and a Master’s in Psychology to help you determine which degree is best for you.
What is a Master’s in Counseling?
Counselors use psychological research and therapeutic methods, like psychotherapy, to diagnose, assess, treat, and support patients’ mental health.
As such, Master’s in Counseling programs prepare students to become mental health counselors by focusing on how to work with patients on healthy communication, coping mechanisms, and interrupting trauma cycles.
Students can often complete this degree in two to three years, depending on whether they are enrolled full- or part-time, and many colleges and universities offer on-campus, online, and hybrid options for maximum flexibility.
What is the Curriculum for a Master’s in Counseling Degree?
This professional degree focuses on the professional aspects and practical skills of the job rather than theory to guide clients through life’s challenges.
This is why coursework in these programs covers the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, techniques and methods for conducting assessments on clients, and the step-by-step process of developing clients’ individualized treatment plans.
Popular Master’s in Counseling courses include:
- Theories of Counseling
- Human Growth & Development
- Trauma & Crisis Intervention
- Clinical Skills for Counselors
- Strategies & Techniques of Counseling
Master’s in Counseling Career Outlook
Upon earning their degree, graduates of counseling programs must be licensed in their state of practice. Students should do their research to ensure they meet all the licensure requirements, including working under the supervision of a licensed counselor and passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE).
Once licensed, counselors can work with a wide variety of clients and settings, including child and adolescent counseling, school counseling, addiction counseling, and marriage and family counseling. Counselors help patients plan for the future, mend relationships, manage mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and overcome addiction.
Did you know you can earn your master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at UB? Learn more here!
What is a Master’s in Psychology?
Master’s in Psychology programs are ideal for students interested in the scientific and experimental aspects of mental health.
This degree focuses on the scientific approach to psychology by looking at subjects like psychopathology, psychopharmacology, and psychoanalytic therapy to research and treat severe, long-term conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychoses.
Graduate Psychology programs typically take one to two years to complete, and like Master’s in Counseling programs, are offered in on-campus, online, and hybrid formats.
What is the Curriculum for a Master’s in Psychology Degree?
By focusing on analyzing and conducting research, students in Master’s in Psychology degree programs explore quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistical procedures to better understand and treat clients’ conditions and professional psychological research.
Coursework in these programs focuses on scientific tests and measurements in psychology, specialized fields that include studying a person’s frame of mind and aspects of normal and abnormal psychological development.
Master’s in Psychology programs often include courses like:
- Experimental Design
- Data Interpretation
- Research Methods
- Lifespan Development
- Psychological Systems and Theories
Master’s in Psychology Career Outlook
Like Master’s in Counseling graduates, graduates of Master’s in Psychology programs will need to be licensed as a psychologist in their state of practice. In addition to a specific level of education, licensure requires supervised professional experience, passing an examination, and completing continuing education to retain licensure.
Once licensed, psychologists administer tests, perform clinical research, and direct the treatment of people who benefit from their help and expertise. Given their clinical background, psychologists are more likely to work with individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses or work to develop cures for new diseases.
Master’s in Counseling vs. Master’s in Psychology: Which Degree is Right for Me?
Whether you want to be a counselor or a psychologist, careers in this field are rewarding, lucrative, and full of opportunities.
At the same time, these two professions and fields of study require different amounts of education and training and fulfill different functions in the mental health world. Students should consider their personal and career goals to make the best decision for them. Clinical mental health counseling training differs from psychiatric social work and clinical psychology training. Whereas social workers are eligible for licensure with a master’s degree, psychologists must earn a PsyD or PhD. If you want to practice as a master’s level therapist, clinical mental health counseling is a great choice for you!
Our Master’s in Counseling Program at University of Bridgeport trains future clinical mental health counselors in trauma-informed, evidenced-based counseling to meet the mental health needs of diverse communities.
This sixty-credit degree meets all licensure requirements and addresses students’ personal and intellectual growth, and hones their counseling skills to enhance the personal and emotional well-being of themselves and their clients.
Contact us to learn more about our Master’s in Counseling program. Our faculty and staff are ready to guide you through college and into a great career in the mental health industry. Start your future today!