Individuals, families, employers, and communities bear mental health burdens associated with loneliness and depression, including domestic violence, gun violence, sexual assault, discrimination, and poverty. Although effective mental health treatment has been shown to improve occupational, educational, psychological, physical, and social functioning, the majority of people with a diagnosable mental health disorder do not receive treatment from a professional with advanced training in applied psychology.
The Master of Science in Applied Psychology (MAP) is designed to provide graduates with training for achieving better functional outcomes in their work with people who contend with behavioral health disorders, and to further develop competencies in critical areas of the field. The program is 30 credits and is intended to be completed in two semesters. It does not meet licensing regulations for mental health counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and does not replace the existing 60-credit Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) required by the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health for counseling licensure. It also does not lead to licensure eligibility as a mental health counselor.
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Unique Features
- The degree was built with the working professional in mind and thus can be completed either full time or part time to accommodate students' unique lifestyles.
- Students are able to gear their studies toward obtaining a PhD in counseling psychology by taking prerequisite didactic courses throughout the program.
- Graduates of the program will be able to elevate their current practice, increase their earning potential, and apply a wide array of multidimensional skills that are applicable and relevant to any career in behavioral science.
Program Objectives
- Gain core competencies in areas that follow the behavioral health lifecycle such as psychopathology, diagnosis, and treatment
- Have a better understanding of how family systems, culture, and economic status play a role in one's mental health
- Research, analyze, and evaluate key statistics and trends found in behavioral health
Career Outlook
- Graduates of the Master of Science in Applied Psychology would be prepared to work in a variety of settings, such as community mental health agencies, higher education, residential facilities, forensic settings, and within healthcare organizations.
- Across these settings, competency in behavioral health prevention and intervention are essential given the rising stress loads related to poverty, racial, and LGBTQ+ discrimination, substance use disorders, economic instability, gun violence, and immigration trauma. Case management, telemedicine at hospitals, intakes, suicidality risk assessments, and prevention programming in residential centers are a few functions across integrated health and patient care that this innovative graduate degree would support.
- This program best suits students who seek future entry into a PhD in counseling psychology program, as well as graduates of baccalaureate degrees in human services, psychology, and health sciences who may desire quality training in applied psychology, but do not seek to become licensed mental health counselors.

