What Can I Do With a Master’s in Educational Psychology?
Educational psychologists study learning methods to understand how students of all ages absorb and retain information in a complex academic environment. Educational psychologists can work in implementing improved teaching methods, training teachers in these methods and also in student testing and data assessment. Educational psychologists require a master’s degree in psychology with a concentration on educational psychology. While challenging, earning a master’s in educational psychology prepares psychologists for some of the most rewarding education-related jobs in the industry.
What Do Educational Psychologists Do?
To understand what you can do with a master’s in educational psychology, it’s important to understand the variety of career options available.
A large part of most careers in the field involves studying children in the classroom and working with both students and teachers on understanding the learning process. However, they also can work in any setting where people are learning. The goal is to better understand how people learn and develop strategies to improve the effectiveness of learning. These strategies can change depending on the setting and age of the students.
Some educational psychologists will focus on specific populations in their work, such as adult students or elementary age children. Others work on students of all ages with certain conditions, such as hyperactivity.
They also may branch out of the classroom setting and into areas such as social situations or even doing routine chores – times when people are still learning, according to the American Psychological Association.
Jobs in Educational Psychology
For specific jobs, the following looks primarily at jobs within the educational system. All are rooted in the goal of improving education and the effectiveness of teaching.
Potential jobs for educational psychologists include:
- Developing new learning processes based on the study of the social, emotional and cognitive processes involved in learning
- Working as an instructor for teachers, educating them on how to implement a learning process specifically designed for their students
- Overseeing psychological tests and assessments that identify the effectiveness of learning methods – often used in schools or among populations where students are experiencing low academic numbers
- Working in instructional design, which involves the creation of new educational materials and tools to improve effectiveness
Educational psychologists work the cutting edge of research into how people learn. They can work in government research projects, schools, and community organizations. Some corporations also hire educational psychologists to improve employee training programs.
Educational psychologists’ skills also are needed for technology-related issues. For example, some work to make sure that online courses are designed to maximize the effectiveness of the courses. They also look into communication issues and how learners understand and share information, including on social media.
Educational psychology is a challenging field where the career possibilities are varied and interesting. For those who wish to have an influence on how people are educated, earning a master’s in educational psychology can open doors to the kind of jobs they seek.
