<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="13" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> Pepperdine's Online MAP </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Earn a Psychology Master's Online. No GRE Req'd. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>Earn Your Master's in Psychology online from Pepperdine in as few as 18 months. Bachelor's degree required.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-13" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-13" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.pepperdine.edu/requestinfo/map/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PEP-PSY_School_Stacked.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.pepperdine.edu/requestinfo/map/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="14" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> MA in Psychology from Pepperdine </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Earn Your MA in Psychology in as Few as 18 Months </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>No GRE Required: Earn Your Master's in Psychology online from Pepperdine. Bachelor's degree required.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-14" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-14" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.pepperdine.edu/requestinfo/map/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PEP-PSY_School_Stacked.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinegrad.pepperdine.edu/requestinfo/map/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

ad_Psychology

cat_Other

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

Meghan Malas

<p>A <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">master’s degree in psychology</a> can advance your career path, or help change the trajectory of your professional life altogether. There is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener">growing demand for professionals in therapy and psychology</a>, and obtaining a master’s degree can pave the way for a job in the field—or open the door to opportunities in other professions, as well. </p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>People who have a master’s degree in psychology can apply what they learn to occupations in private business or government, schools, hospitals, or mental health settings, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apa.org/education-career/grad/faqs" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Psychological Association</a>. Moreover, online degree programs allow working professionals to see how the skills and information they obtain in class fits into their current role. And a master’s degree in psychology can also be edifying in one’s personal life. </p>



<p>To find out more about how an online master’s degree in psychology can boost careers, <em>Fortune</em> spoke with two graduates from the CUNY School of Professional Studies and a graduate from <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/divine-mercy-university/">Divine Mercy University</a>. Here’s what they told us.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pursuing-a-master-s-degree-to-become-more-marketable">Pursuing a master’s degree to become “more marketable”</h2>



<p>Jennifer Holland took a circuitous route to the field of psychology. Before obtaining her master’s degree from CUNY, she was an office manager at for a luxury Italian jewelry company. When she was laid off from the company in 2008 during the Great Recession, she decided to earn a bachelor’s degree in business and then went on to work part-time at CUNY SPS for five years, managing the school’s course catalog. She then moved into a full-time role and began earning <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/05/25/what-top-online-psychology-masters-programs-are-looking-for-in-applicants/">her master’s in psychology</a> degree in 2016. </p>



<p>“I knew I needed a master’s degree to progress in higher education and become more marketable in the job market, but I chose this degree because it related to the work that I was moving into, but also spoke to who I was as a person,” she says. </p>



<p>Holland started working at the age of 14 and noticed how poor leadership left employees feeling emotionally drained. She was seeking a graduate degree that would help her become a good leader while improving organizational effectiveness. She wanted to improve the administrative processes<strong> </strong>at CUNY SPS so that the school could be more efficient in its mission of providing access to academic excellence, so she chose to pursue the school’s industrial and organizational psychology specialization.</p>



<p>“The program provided an extensive list of skills and abilities that I apply to my work regularly, including research methodology, survey design, data analytics, people skills, change management skills, an expansion of leadership, and group-dynamic skills,” Holland says. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-psychology-degree-enables-us-to-be-healers-in-our-society">A psychology degree “enables us to be healers in our society”</h2>



<p>Jonathan Kane is passionate about education—just look to all of his degrees for proof. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in geological sciences, a master’s degree in philosophy, and a Ph.D. in geophysics, Kane is currently working on obtaining a master’s in theology—doing so <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/05/26/3-career-paths-you-can-pursue-with-an-online-masters-degree-in-psychology/">while working as a patent engineer for a law firm specializing in intellectual property</a>. Along the way, he also graduated from Divine Mercy University’s online, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/06/01/how-do-students-in-an-online-masters-degree-program-in-psychology-manage-their-time/">full-time master’s degree program</a> in psychology.</p>



<p>Kane’s degrees may span multiple fields of study, but they’re more related than they appear. After earning his master’s degree in philosophy, he worked as a neuroscientist in a psychiatric hospital, studying the effect of depression on the brain.</p>



<p>“This was useful, but I felt that to really understand the mind, mental illness, and the human person in general, one needs to study it from the first-person, subjective point of view,” Kane says. “Hence, I decided to return to school and study psychology.”</p>



<p>While Kane does not formally apply information from the psychology degree program in his current role, he informally uses what he learned every day. Having a <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">master’s degree in psychology</a> is also beneficial as he intends to start a blog about issues at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and religion. </p>



<p>“Having the empathy and knowledge to know what someone is going through, and giving them the right words at the right time, can make all the difference in someone’s life,” Kane says.  </p>



<p>“According to the National Institutes of Health, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in five adults lives with mental illness.</a> This is a staggeringly large number, and it means that many people we meet every day are suffering,” he adds. “Understanding what they are experiencing, and knowing what may be helpful to them, enables us to be healers in our society—even if we are not working as professional psychologists.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obtaining-knowledge-in-a-program-that-s-bearing-fruit">Obtaining knowledge in a program that’s “bearing fruit”</h2>



<p>When Nivi Toth decided to earn her master’s in psychology from CUNY SPS, she was providing private piano lessons to children and adults in her community, teaching religion classes at urban high schools, and coordinating community service outreach opportunities for students. She wanted more tools to increase her effectiveness as a teacher, grow in her understanding of the human person, and support the mental health of her students. </p>



<p>“The prospect of <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/05/27/how-to-get-your-masters-degree-in-psychology-paid-for/">studying psychology at the graduate level</a> addressed these goals,” says Toth, who eventually went on to serve as program director for a nonprofit organization that provided after-school religious education for private school students in New York City. </p>



<p>Toth chose to pursue her degree online as she knew the time she saved by not having to commute could be put to good use. She was able to participate in research experiences at psychology labs at CUNY and Columbia University, volunteer at a suicide hotline center, and intern at a psychiatric hospital.</p>



<p>“I <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/05/31/can-i-get-into-a-doctoral-program-with-an-online-masters-in-psychology/">planned to pursue a doctorate in psychology</a>, with the hope of eventually teaching at the university level and engaging in research,” Toth says. “Since I lacked a background in <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">psychology coursework</a> and hoped to increase my odds of being accepted into competitive doctoral programs, I enrolled in CUNY’s online master’s in psychology program.” </p>



<p>While Toth hopes to eventually pursue a doctorate in psychology, in the years since completing her degree program she has been focusing much of her time and energy on being a foster parent. CUNY SPS’s human development specialization covered topics like the stages of child development, attachment in early life, trauma and resilience, theories of learning and cognition, and the psychological implications of aging—<a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/05/25/is-an-online-masters-degree-in-psychology-worth-it/">knowledge that has informed Toth’s approach to parenting</a>. </p>



<p>“Throughout the process, I frequently observed that the knowledge I gained through my psychology studies was bearing fruit,” she says. “I believe the developmental psychology coursework equipped me to face the numerous challenges associated with serving as a foster parent.”</p>



<p><em>See how the schools you’re considering landed in </em>Fortune’<em>s rankings of the best <a href="https://fortune.com/education/health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-psychology-degree-programs/">master’s in psychology programs</a>,<a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/public-health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-public-health-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener"> public health programs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business-analytics/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-business-analytics/" rel="noreferrer noopener">business analytics programs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/data-science/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-data-science/" rel="noreferrer noopener">data science programs</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-parttime-mba-programs-in-2022/" rel="noreferrer noopener">part-time</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs-in-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener">executive</a>,<a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-mba-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener"> full-time</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-online-mba-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener">online</a> MBA programs.</em></p>
</div>

Obtaining a master’s in psychology degree can advance your career path, or help change your professional direction altogether.

How an online master’s in psychology boosted the careers of these 3 professionals

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Health and Wellness

A master’s in psychology can be edifying in one’s personal life as well.

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Business

Career Hub

Tech

EDUCATION

EDUCATION ARTICLES

HOW AN ONLINE MASTER’S IN PSYCHOLOGY BOOSTED THE CAREERS OF THESE 3 PROFESSIONALS

How an online master’s in psychology boosted the careers of these 3 professionals | Fortune Education

Preston Fore

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Northwestern, Columbia, and UPenn have the best EMBA programs in the country. Here's why

https://fortune.com/education/articles/best-exec-mba-programs-news/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

How an online master’s in psychology boosted the careers of these 3 professionals

About the Contributors

Top Articles

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

Northwestern, Columbia, and UPenn have the best EMBA programs in the country. Here's why

MA in Psychology from Pepperdine