Master’s Study in Psychology

Master’s Study in Psychology

Develop the understanding, professional skills and empathetic approaches that are critical for success in psychology with a master’s degree in psychology from Adelphi University in New York.

Three Degree Options

Choose from MA programs in general psychology, mental health counseling, and school psychology. Each offers optional specializations and valuable field placements.

Master’s Psychology Programs

Making Your Degree Affordable

Adelphi and the Derner School of Psychology offer many ways to help you pay for master’s study, including graduate merit scholarships, scholarships for master’s psychology students, teaching assistantships and even employer tuition reimbursement.

Explore the Opportunities

A master’s degree in psychology opens doors to a wide variety of careers and can serve as a pathway to a doctorate.

Derner’s master’s in psychology programs give you the knowledge, training, critical reasoning skills and cultural competence you’ll need to excel in your career. Each includes optional specializations to help you focus on your interests:

  • General Psychology: Human Resource Management, Substance Abuse Counseling
  • Mental Health Counseling: Global Mental Health, Substance Abuse Counseling
  • School Psychology: Bilingual School Psychology, Autism Specialization

Our rigorous master’s programs also offer part-time options and flexible schedules to meet our students’ work or family responsibilities.

Graduate Psychology Programs

General Psychology (MA)
Mental Health Counseling (MA)
School Psychology (MA)

Exceptional Hands-On Training

As a master’s student at the Derner School of Psychology, you’ll gain clinical skills through practica and internships in local healthcare settings, schools, agencies and organizations, and community services offered by Adelphi. You can also gain valuable experience—and earn money to help cover tuition—in graduate assistantships.

Field Placements

Field experience is a vital part of our master’s degree programs, helping you develop the professional skills and the cultural competence to thrive in any working environment.

Mental Health Counseling: Field Placements School Psychology: Field Placements

Graduate Assistantships

Working with faculty, staff and students helps cover the cost of your graduate education. Choose from research, testing or departmental assistantships.

General Psychology: Assistantships Mental Health Counseling: Assistantships School Psychology: Assistantships

“A number of professors in this program have made a profound impact on my development. The coursework, practica and internship experiences helped prepare me to obtain a job prior to graduation.

Carly Horowitz, MA ’23 School Psychologist, Riverhead Central School District, Riverhead, New York

Mentoring Future Psychologists

The Mentoring Future Psychologists (MFP) Program provides culturally responsive mentoring for students in master’s degree programs who identify as part of historically underrepresented groups.

Awards & Recognition

Times Higher Education
Adelphi University secures prestigious rankings with the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 World University Rankings in education, psychology, and social sciences—reinforcing our dedication to academic excellence on a global scale. Global Recognition
National Association of School Psychologists
Derner’s master’s program in school psychology is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), which represents and supports the profession by advancing effective practices and maintaining essential standards for ethics and practice. NASP Website
Top 50 Best Addiction Studies Master’s Programs
Adelphi University has been ranked No. 24 on the list of best addiction counseling programs in the United States for its graduate-level substance abuse counseling concentrations. Addiction Counselor Rankings
Top 75 Best Addiction Studies Programs
Adelphi University’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology has been ranked No. 40 among the Top 75 Best Addiction Studies Programs in the United States. Addiction Counselor Rankings
Center for World University Rankings
Adelphi University’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology has been ranked fourth worldwide for psychology–psychoanalysis by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). More than 27,000 degree-granting institutions were included in the annual ranking. CWUR website
Wall Street Journal/College Pulse
Adelphi is the highest-ranked university on Long Island in the 2025 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges. It also ranks #7 in New York, with outstanding scores for student outcomes including graduation rate and salary impact. Ranked one of the best
Colleges of Distinction: Equity & Inclusion
Adelphi has been honored for initiatives to become an increasingly welcoming, inclusive community for students and faculty. Top Ranked in Equity & Inclusion

Earn Your Master’s Degree at the Derner School of Psychology

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