Counseling and Psychology Degree Opportunities at Michigan State University
Michigan State University appears in our ranking of the 5 Best Online Doctorate in Educational Psychology.
Students seeking counseling and psychology education have a wide variety of options at Michigan State University. The Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education oversees degrees in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, Rehabilitation Counseling and School Psychology. The Department of Psychology oversees degrees with concentrations in Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecological/Community Psychology, Organizational Psychology and Social Psychology.
Michigan State University’s online certificate and degree offerings include a post-graduate online certificate in Educational Psychology. This certificate, which is only available online, will provide students who are educators or non-educators with knowledge on learning and development. Students will learn about the psychological process of learning and practices that support them. Other topics covered include how individuals develop, the impact of motivation and insights into the needs of developing learners.
A hybrid program where students learn primarily online is available to attain a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology. This rigorous program consists of integrated summer courses on campus combined with online courses during the remainder of the five-year term. Students generally begin study through online work for several weeks in the spring prior to the first intensive summer session. Online courses follow for the fall and spring semesters, followed by another on-campus course each summer until the degree is completed.
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. It officially became Michigan State University in 1964 and is a member of the Big 10 Athletic Conference. The school was the prototype of land grant institutions of higher learning that were established later in the 1800s under the Morrill Act. It is the first college in the United States to teach scientific agriculture.
MSU has 50,351 students enrolled, with a diverse population coming from all 50 states and Washington, D.c., as well as 141 foreign countries. of those students, 39,423 are undergraduate, and 10,928 are graduate and professional. The school offers more than 200 programs of undergraduate, graduate and professional study. Graduates have an outstanding record of gaining prestigious national and international scholarships.
The school is particularly noted for its graduate programs in elementary and secondary education as those programs have been ranked first in the nation for 24 consecutive years. MSU is also ranked first in the United States for its program in organizational psychology, according to the school’s website. The 2018 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings lists MSU as one of the top 70 universities in the world. Kiplinger’s 2018 edition of Best Values in Public Colleges ranks MSU as 40th among universities for in-state students.
Michigan State University Accreditation Details
The Higher Learning Commission has granted MSU general accreditation. MSU is also a member of other prestigious organizations such as the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Association of American Universities, Association of Graduate Schools and the International Association of Universities, among others. The American Psychological Association (APA) has granted accredited the school’s doctoral programs in psychology, including the program in Educational Psychology, through 2027. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has granted accreditation for master’s and doctoral programs in rehabilitation counseling.
Michigan State University Application Requirements
If you are applying to attend MSU as a freshman, you will need excellent grades in high school to be admitted. Incoming freshmen have an average GPA of 3.62 on a 4.0 scale. Admission is based also on the following factors:
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- Class rank
- Strength and quality of high school curriculum
- ACT and SAT test results
- Leadership, talent, conduct, and diverse experiences
- English-language proficiency for those who first language is not English
International students whose first language is not English have a variety of tests that they can take to prove their abilities. Some students may be admitted on a provisional basis and then will be required to take an English test on campus before beginning their studies.
MSU has a decentralized process for admitting graduate students, meaning that individual departments may have different admission requirements. General requirements for students who wish to pursue a master’s degree or doctoral degree in counseling or psychology have minimum standards that a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, a GPA of at least 3.25 during the last two years, excluding physical education or skills classes, a major in psychology or at least 12 hours of psychology classes, favorable evaluations from at least three former instructors and a diversified background of education.
Applicants to online graduate programs have the same requirements. Students interested in applying for an online graduate certificate program must have a bachelor’s degree and complete an online application form.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition for Michigan residents is $14,522, while out-of-state undergraduates pay $39,827 annually. International students pay $41,327 and have additional costs such as medical insurance.
Graduate student tuition for master’s and doctoral degrees is $755.50 per credit hour for in-state students, $1,484.50 for non-residents and international students. Online costs are the same. Online graduate certificate courses average about $660 per credit hour.
The university requires undergraduates to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for financial aid and scholarships. Merit-based scholarships are available for undergraduates with high GPAs and test scores. A variety of other scholarships with specific criteria are also available, including the MSU Family Fund, MSU Promise Endowed Scholarship, MSU Retirees Association Scholarship, Walter and Shirley Sperber Scholarship, Greg and Pamela Zbasnik Honors Scholarship, as well as several others. The school also awards 25 different scholarships to Michigan residents, with the award amounts varying every year.
Graduate students can also apply for loans through FAFSA if they are enrolled for at least half-time or more. Fellowships may also be available to reduce graduate tuition cost. MSU also offers assistantships in teaching or research. These benefits include a monthly stipend and a tuition waiver of nine credits per semester. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required to be eligible for an assistantship.
Visit Michigan State University’s College of Education and the Department of Psychology for more information on the university’s wide variety of psychology and counseling programs.
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