Online master's in child psychology

What is child psychology?

A master's in child psychology can train you to support children's cognitive, emotional, and social health. Whether your focus is research or clinical practice, a graduate program can help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to support your clients with healthy childhood development.

An online program can give you the flexibility to balance your coursework with other obligations and complete internships and other in-person activities in your own community.

What can you do with a master's in child psychology?

A master's in child psychology prepares you for careers in fields including counseling, social services, and education. Many child psychologists find employment in social work, offering counseling services to children and families. You may also work in private counseling or school counseling.

A master's program can lead to many professional opportunities and prepare you for state licensure or further education at the doctoral level. Earning a PhD or PsyD can lead to advanced careers in research or clinical practice, including roles like clinical child psychologist. Other jobs for child psychologists include:

• School psychologist
• Child behavior analyst
• Family social worker
• Mental health educator
• Clinical case manager

Explore salary expectations and career outlook

Factors that can affect your salary as a master's in child psychology graduate include your include location, experience, and industry. For instance, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2023 psychologists employed in hospitals earned a median annual salary of $102,600, while those employed at K-12 schools earned $84,750.

Below you can find projected salary for common roles that master's in child psychology graduates can pursue, with data from the BLS.

What can you learn in a graduate child psychology program?

Master's in child psychology programs focus on the developmental stages and changes that occur from childhood to adolescence. You'll learn to treat and assess the mental and behavioral conditions that affect children using research and child development theories.

Most child psychology programs take two to three years to complete and include 30 to 36 credits. Tuition rates vary widely, but the National Center for Education Statistics reports that graduate students in all fields at all types of colleges paid an annual average of $20,510 in the 2021-22 academic year. Students at public colleges paid an average tuition of $12,596.

Learn about admission requirements

Master's in child psychology programs typically require you to hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college. While you usually don't need an undergraduate degree in psychology to be admitted, you may need to complete prerequisite courses in psychology and statistics. These programs don't typically require you to have any professional experience to apply.

Other common admissions requirements include:

• Minimum of a 3.0 GPA
• GRE scores
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement

Discover common courses

Many programs include a core curriculum — which builds general child psychology knowledge — and elective courses — which allow you to specialize your studies. Common child psychology courses include:

• Child and adolescent development: This course explores cognition, personality, and language and how education and social-cultural background influence development.
• Ethics in development psychology: This course highlights ethical concerns in the child psychology field, including state and local regulations for working with children. The course may also cover the American Psychological Association's ethical standards.
• Psychology research: This course trains you to gather and analyze psychological data. Course topics may include research methods, statistics, and research design.
• Internship/practicum: An internship or practicum in a child psychology workplace, such as a mental health clinic or social services agency, helps you apply your programmatic training to professional practice.
• Capstone/thesis: Most programs include a culminating project, such as a research-based thesis or a capstone that explores a specific child psychology issue related to your professional interests.