College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Online master's psychology degrees
Advance your knowledge of human behavior
Upgrade your existing knowledge, apply for higher level roles or prepare for diverse careers helping others with our online master’s psychology degrees. Gain skills to evaluate human behavior and help solve challenges in various personal, social and organizational contexts. You’ll learn how to help people function more effectively and optimize workforce performance with psychological principles.
The best part? Our courses are 100% online, giving you the flexibility to earn your master’s degree on your schedule. Plus, you’ll learn from accomplished professionals who work in the psychology field and bring a hands-on perspective and practical knowledge to the classroom.
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Find the psychology master's degree for you
Watch our Master's Q&A Webinar
University of Phoenix understands that life happens and that schedules are fluid. But no worries, because we recorded the Master’s Q&A Webinar so you can watch it when it fits your busy life. We encourage you to check it out and learn about important topics and commonly asked questions that many potential master’s students have.
Gain valuable skills in core master’s psychology degree courses
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY
- Psychology
- Ethical and social responsibility
- Communication
- Scientific mindedness
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY (DIRECT ASSESSMENT)
- Psychology
- Ethical and social responsibility
- Communication
- Scientific mindedness
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
- Industrial/organizational psychology
- Scientific mindedness
- Ethical and social responsibility
- Communication
Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years
Get value from your education before you even graduate. Update your resumé and LinkedIn profile with learned skills when you complete every 5- or 6-week course in our associate, bachelor's and master's programs.
Job outlook for master’s psychology degree graduates
Master’s psychology degree course requirements
Master of Science in Psychology
You’ll take 12 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. These core courses include topics like: developmental psychology, personality theories, social psychology, biological basis of behavior, ethics and professional issues, and psychopathology.
Master of Science in Psychology (Direct Assessment)
You’ll take 12 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. This direct assessment program requires students to have an undergraduate degree and three years of work experience. Take 2, 3 or 4 courses every 12-week term. Core courses include topics like: developmental psychology, personality theories, social psychology, biological basis of behavior, ethics and professional issues, and psychopathology.
Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
You’ll take 12 core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. These core courses include topics like: human performance, assessment and feedback; work motivation and job attitudes; organizational development, leadership and management; and multicultural and social issues in psychology.
Tuition and financial aid
Affordable, locked-in tuition
Ways to pay — and save. Explore your options.
From scholarships to transfer credits and federal financial aid for those who qualify, there are a variety of ways to pay for school and save on tuition.
Student experience
“Being an online student has taught me that I can be disciplined, study hard and achieve my end goal.”
—Michelle H.
MS in Psychology, 2022
Over 1 million alumni have earned their degrees while balancing work, school and life. So can you.
How to apply for your master’s psychology degree program
Once you’ve selected your degree program, choose your start date from our calendar, apply for free and register before the deadline (usually one week before the program starts). Then you'll speak to an enrollment representative to begin class.
- No application fee — no obligation!
- No SAT, GMAT or essay required
Meet your college deans
Our college deans focus on developing a career-relevant curriculum. They bring industry experience to the classroom and lead a faculty of academic professionals with one goal in mind—to help you earn the skills you need to pursue your career.
Christina Neider, EdD
Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Master's psychology degree FAQs
Depending on which degree option you’re pursuing and how many eligible credits you can transfer toward your program, you could complete a master’s psychology degree in 18 months. Our self-paced competency-based master’s in psychology allows you to complete your degree sooner depending on how many courses you take each term, but you must meet eligibility requirements to enroll.
A master’s degree in psychology can prepare you for a range of employment opportunities focused on improving the lives of people. Potential job titles you can pursue with a master’s psychology degree include psychology instructor, compliance manager, employee relations manager, human resources operations manager, management consultant and more.
Yes! University of Phoenix is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) since 1978. Plus, the courses for our Master of Science in Psychology and Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology programs are aligned to the education standards set by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
Both of our master’s psychology degrees are built around skills employers want. We worked with labor market researchers to align career-relevant skills with our programs to ensure you’re able to learn and demonstrate them in your coursework. These in-demand skills can impact your career from the start.
You may be able to transfer eligible credits to our traditional online master’s degree program if the university or college you attended is accredited. If you apply for our Master of Psychology competency-based program, you may be able to leverage your relevant work experience to earn your master’s degree faster and for less cost. Speak with an enrollment representative to start the process of evaluation by the University to see if your prior college credits can apply to your program and to request your transcripts.
These programs do not prepare students for professional certification or licensure as a psychologist.