There are many options for pursuing a Psychology Graduate Degree in Indiana. Accredited schools range from small seminaries with fewer than 300 students to some of the largest universities in the country. All of the schools listed below are regionally accredited academically, but some also are accredited by the American Psychological Association, the leading professional and academic association for psychology practitioners and researchers. All offer high quality graduate programs.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph
Graduate School
Calumet College of St. Joseph is a small, private college located in the extreme northwest corner of Indiana. Though it is an Indiana school, its location that is only 15 minutes from the Chicago Loop allows it to attract students from that area as well, which is the third largest metropolitan area in the United States, trailing only New York and Los Angeles. With fewer than 1,300 students, Calumet College of St. Joseph is dedicated to maintaining small class sizes and remains highly selective in its admission policies. The school admits only one third of those who apply. Once admitted, students find that nearly 87 percent of all classes have fewer than 20 students. U.S. News and World Report names Calumet College of St. Joseph as a best regional school, Tier 2.
MAP: Masters of Arts in Psychology
Calumet College of St. Joseph’s Masters of Arts in Psychology (MAP) program has nine instructors, only one of whom does not hold a doctorate. Half of those hold doctoral degrees specifically in psychology and all have extensive clinical practice. The school describes its program as being two-tiered. One tier focuses on theory as the other focuses on clinical practices. The program is designed to be accessible to working adults who are professionals in education, business, healthcare and other disciplines. Students take two classes during spring and fall semesters. Program administrators expect that students will take at least one class during the summer. Students complete a Terminal Project that prepares them to sit for professional certification in both Indiana and Illinois. The program can be a terminal degree for those seeking practice in several areas of psychology but also prepares students who seek to continue to the doctoral level.
Contact
2400 New York Avenue
Whiting, Indiana 46394
(219) 473-4261
jkovach@ccsj.edu
Website
Christian Theological Seminary
The school known as Christian Theological Seminary adopted that name in 1958 when it already had a century of experience as various schools within nearby Butler University and North Western Christian University. Christian Theological Seminary is associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As a seminary, all students are required to take classes in the Old and New Testaments and general theology. This small school with fewer than 300 students accepts students who do not anticipate entering the ministry but gives preference to applicants seeking to become pastoral or Christian marriage and family counselors in association with a church or church supported counseling program.
Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling
This is not a master’s program that anyone undertakes casually. It requires 75 semester hours to complete. The school says that a few students have completed the program in three years but that four years is the target for completion. Students are required to finish in six years unless they can be granted an extension by the school’s Academic Counsel. Not only is this program longer and more exacting than many others, every student is required to do 500 hours of counseling over the course of the program. Further, every student also is required to take part in weekly personal psychotherapy. This requirement serves two purposes. One is that the student gets to see responsible practice in action without violating any privacy issues. The other purpose is the larger one, however. As every student is working toward providing mental health counseling in the future, Christian Theological Seminary intends to ensure that its graduates have uncovered and worked through any problems in their own lives that could adversely affect their service to their clients in the future.
Contact
1000 W. 42nd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
(317) 931-2300, (800) 585-0117
admissions@cts.edu
Website
Grace College and Theological Seminary
School of Behavioral Sciences, Department of Counseling and Interpersonal Relations
This institution was founded in 1937 as a seminary. It added an undergraduate division in 1948 and until 1994 was accredited by the North Central Association as two separate entities. The two were combined in practice and accreditation in 1994. The evangelical Christian seminary holds high academic standards and also is committed to making a high quality education available to low- and middle-income students without creating a lot of student debt. At the end of 2013, Washington Monthly ranked Grace College and Theological Seminary as eleventh in the nation and fourth in Indiana as a “Best Bang for the Buck” school. U.S. News and World Report already had listed Grace College and Theological Seminary as one of the most efficient schools in the Midwest region.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Residential Program
Grace College and Theological Seminary offers residential and online programs leading to the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree. The residential program offers some online options but most of the class work is on campus. The program consists of 62 credit hours and prepares students to offer mental health counseling services in either Christian or secular settings. Students graduating from Grace College and Theological Seminary’s master’s program are scripturally grounded, interpersonally competent and clinically skilled. Completion of the program prepares graduates to sit for various licensing examinations and to work in settings such as private practice, mental health centers, schools, hospitals and other areas. Grace College and Theological Seminary maintains an articulation agreement with nearby University of Saint Francis for those who wish to specialize in school counseling. The Saint Francis extension offers a 600 hour internship program and the practicum application that Indiana requires.
Contact
200 Seminary Drive
Winona Lake, IN 46590
(877) 607-0012
mac@grace.edu
Website
Huntington University
Founded as Central College in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University remains aligned with its founding organization and is committed to providing high quality education that also is Christ centered. U.S. News and World Report first named Huntington University as a top school in 2000. The institution has received that distinction for 14 consecutive years. In 2014, U.S. News and World Reportranks Huntington University as third in Indiana and sixteenth in the Midwest. The Princeton Review places Huntington University on its “Best in the Midwest” list and Forbes includes the school on its list of “America’s Best Colleges.” Huntington University also belongs to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
M.A. in Counseling
Huntington University operates according to five core values. They are truth, grace, reconciliation, awareness and community. The school uses these core values in its operation and trains students to operate within them after they gain their degrees and leave the university. Huntington explains that Indiana’s licensing and practice requirements are more stringent than those of most other states and that Huntington’s graduate program in counseling exceeds all Indiana requirements. As example, Huntington University’s graduate counseling students perform 900 internship hours and 100 hours of supervised practicum counseling. The school operates a free clinic, providing students with clients and bringing significant benefit to the local community. Students study a wealth of theory and approaches to counseling with the result that they are quite attractive to all types of employers in both Christian and secular settings. The degree program is available at the school’s main campus as well as at another campus in Fort Wayne.
Contact
2303 College Avenue
Huntington Indiana 46750
(260) 359.4129
graduate@huntington.edu
Website
Indiana State University
College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Department of Psychology
Indiana State University is a public university that The Princeton Review consistently names to its list of the “Best in the Midwest.” Washington Monthly ranks Indiana State University at number 25 overall and ranks its students as number one in community service activities. U.S. News and World Report places Indiana State University’s graduate education program in its top 100 in the country. Located in Terre Haute, the main campus has more than 12,000 students, more than 2,000 of whom are graduate students in various programs.
Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology
Indiana State University’s Doctor of Psychology program focuses on clinical psychology and addresses both practice and research in training its students. The program is an old one and has been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) for more than 25 years. APA accreditation represents the highest form of approval for any psychology program. Program requirements include a final student dissertation, which is not as common now as it was in the past. The nature of a dissertation is that it is based on research, so students in Indiana State’s Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology gain more practice in research skills than do students in non-dissertation programs. The program is best suited to students who seek intense training in building clinical skills as well as taking part in research-based studies. Both the university and the department actively address diversity in every respect so there is a broad diversity base within the program. Faculty is evenly balanced between clinical practice and research. For seven years, 87 percent of those completing the program have been placed in an APA-approved internship.
Contact
Root Hall B-202
200 North Seventh Street
Terre Haute, Indiana 47809-1902
(812) 237-2445
Kim.Julian@indstate.edu
Website
Indiana University
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Indiana University is a huge public university. It maintains eight campuses and three extension centers throughout Indiana and has a total student population of more than 100,000. Of these, 89,000 are undergraduate students and more than 21,200 are graduate students. State Seminary, the forerunner of what exists today as Indiana University was founded in 1820. Forbes rates the main Bloomington campus as number 97 overall, number 51 in Research Universities and number 15 in the Midwest. U.S. News and World Report lists the psychology department at Indiana University – Bloomington as number 26 in the country. With nearly 43,000 students, the Bloomington campus is the largest single campus in the Indiana University system.
PhD in Psychology
Indiana University normally admits graduate students in psychology only into a PhD program. It will occasionally admit students to a master’s program. Those students are required to participate in research and to provide a master’s thesis. Indiana University only grudgingly admits students to the MA program as it greatly favors its PhD program. There is only one formal PhD degree but there are seven tracks that students can choose according to their needs and interests. Administrators emphasize that the track choices are areas rather than silos. Indiana University intends for graduates of its PhD program to be well informed and value interdisciplinary study. The seven tracks include Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Science, Social Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Molecular and Systems Neuroscience and Mechanisms of Behavior. The department maintains a clinic that serves the campus and the community. Clinical practice is highly valued, but the focus of the department is to employ experimentation and theory to lead scientific advances in understanding the brain’s influence on behavior.
Contact
1101 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
(812) 855-2012
psychgrd@indiana.edu
Website
Purdue University
College of Health and Human Sciences, Department of Psychological Sciences
Purdue University was founded in 1869 with a $150,000 gift from John Purdue, a Lafayette businessman and philanthropist. Today it is Indiana’s land grant university and maintains six campuses. The flagship campus is located in West Lafayette and attracts many international students. The total student population of the entire Purdue University system is 39,000, making it the second largest in Indiana. Its international student population is the fourth largest of any university in the country. Purdue University is well respected in all of its 200 majors and 70 graduate programs. U.S. News and World Report ranks Purdue University at number 68 among all national universities.
Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences
All of the research training areas of Purdue University’s doctoral psychology degrees focus heavily on research. The university does not discount the value of clinical practice and in fact offers a research training area in clinical psychology but its primary focus still is on research. Other research training areas include Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Industrial / Organizational Psychology and Mathematical and Computational Cognitive Science. The larger goal of psychology research is to put new knowledge into practice, of course. Graduates of Purdue University’s PhD program work in academia, industry, the military and government.
Contact
Psychological Sciences
701 Third Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-6067
nobrien@psych.purdue.edu
Website
University of Indianapolis
School of Psychological Sciences
The University of Indianapolis – “UIndy” – is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University (ICU), the institution adopted its present name in 1986. The main library still proclaims ICU in the brick work on its façade. The Indianapolis campus has 5,200 students and the institution maintains partnerships with schools in China and Belize to offer University of Indianapolis degrees in those locations. U.S. News and World Report ranks the institution at number 38 among Best Universities, Regional Universities (Midwest).
MA Clinical Psychology Mental Health Counseling (MHC) Track
Given other schools’ emphasis on research, the University of Indianapolis offers master’s programs that include a concentration in research. It offers another concentration in mental health counseling/addictions (MHC/AC) as well as a foundational track that touches on all three concentrations. The MA Clinical Psychology Mental Health Counseling (MHC) Track is designed for students who seek to enter professional counseling or intend to continue to a PhD program in the future. The program requires 60 credit hours of course work in addition to a 1,000 hour practicum. The program does not require a master’s thesis. Students electing the MHC track may further specialize in the Child and Adolescent Concentration. Students choosing this concentration will need to complete three additional hours of course work in addition to several specific electives.
Contact
1400 E. Hanna Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697
(317) 788-3368
psych@uindy.edu
Website
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University – locally known as “Valpo” – is a private university associated with the Lutheran Church. Founded in 1859, it is located only an hour east of Chicago and has almost 3,000 undergraduate students. U.S. News and World Report places Valparaiso University at number six among its 2014 list of Best Colleges – Regional Universities (Midwest). Valparaiso University offers its students several ministry opportunities. It encourages volunteer projects and prohibits any tobacco or alcohol use on campus. Orville Redenbacher was a Valparaiso resident and Valparaiso University students have fun on an annual basis with the community’s Popcorn Festival. Half of Valparaiso University’s classes have 20 or fewer students. Less than five percent of all classes have 50 or more students.
Joint Law/MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Valparaiso University offers a master’s program in clinical counseling alone, but it also offers a master’s degree that joins law and clinical mental health counseling. This joint degree focuses on the psychological aspects of legal practice as it involves various psychological dimensions. Practicing attorneys often need to practice nuanced interviewing, infer motivation, select juries, exhibit empathy for clients, predicting behavior and understand psychological reports and testimony. Valparaiso University offers two dual degree options. One is a joint J.D. and M.A. in Psychology; the other is a joint J.D. and M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The second option is eligible for licensure under Indiana’s exacting standards and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in Mental Health Counseling.
Contact
Kretzmann Hall
1700 Chapel Drive
Valparaiso, IN 46383
(219) 464-5313
graduate.school@valpo.edu
Website
As can be seen from the preceding list, there are myriad options for graduate psychology degrees available in the state of Indiana. Some focus on research, some focus on clinical practice, some balance the two. The preceding schools and programs represent only a portion of the Indiana schools offer Psychology Graduate Degrees.
For more information on earning your Master’s in Psychology, please see The Top 15 Best Affordable Online Master’s in Psychology and Masters in Counseling Degree Programs.
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