Counseling and Psychology Degrees Offered at Washington State University
Washington State University appears in our ranking of the 50 Top Online Bachelor of Psychology Degree Programs.
Washington State University offers a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, online, and professional programs in the areas of social sciences and psychology. Department offerings are designed to prepare students to work as counselors, therapists, and psychologists in the community, hospitals, and in schools, in addition to preparing future psychiatrists.
WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences houses the Department of Psychology, which includes a Bachelor of Science degree and a minor in psychology and individual specialized areas in biological psychology/neuroscience, child development, clinical neuropsychology, general clinical psychology, learning and cognition, and social psychology. This research-focused degree option allows undergraduate students to apply for department research grants to fund independent research, as well as to participate in the department’s Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Several of the counseling and psychology degree and certificate options at Washington State University are housed in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. A professional certificate can be earned in the areas of adolescence, family studies, or aging/gerontology, allowing those with degrees in counseling, social services, psychology, or education to specialize in specific populations. The coursework required for these certificates are also part of the university’s major and minor programs in human development, which also offers students the chance to work with young children in the Child Development Program.
In the College of Veterinary Medicine, WSU offers a B.S. in Neuroscience major, combining biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and other areas to study how the brain in animals and humans can impact daily life. This major is often combined with a major or minor in psychology or as the first step in a medical or veterinary professional degree.
WSU’s online global campus offers a bachelor’s degree in psychology and one in social sciences, with concentrations available in human development. Online students can also minor in human development, psychology, or sociology as part of their undergraduate program. For individuals with a teaching degree and previous coursework in child development and psychology, WSU also offers an online teaching endorsement in special education reading.
Washington State University also has several options for graduate-level degrees and certificates, including master’s and doctoral degrees in educational psychology and special education. Doctoral programs are also offered in psychiatric and mental health nursing, clinical psychology, and experimental psychology. The Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology program offers an impressive faculty-student ratio with 35 faculty members to 39 students.
About Washington State University
Washington State University has a rich and lengthy history, beginning with its founding in 1890 as the first land grant university in Washington. Today, it is firmly established as one of the nation’s top research institutions with eleven faculty members carrying the distinguished honor of National Academy memberships and total annual research and development expenditures topping $350 million. The university has expanded to include campuses in Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Everett, in addition to a global online campus.
Featured Programs
Today, WSU offers 96 undergraduate majors, 80 master’s degree programs, 64 doctoral programs, and four professional degree programs (business, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine) on campus, with an additional 12 undergraduate and nine graduate degree programs that are offered fully online. They also have over 600 study abroad programs in nearly 50 countries as part of the Generation Study Abroad initiative, with options including Cultural and Business Exploration in Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso, Animal Production Systems in the World in Costa Rica, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Finland and Estonia, and Public Health & Service Learning in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Washington State University is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming, and diverse atmosphere. In 2015, The Education Trust ranked WSU as #7 nationally in closing the graduation-rate gap for underrepresented minority students. In 2017, the National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked WSU as the 5th safest college in America. In 2018, Campus Pride Index named the university as among the top 31 universities for LGBT-friendly policies. At the Pullman campus, there is a large international student population of nearly 2,000 students from over 100 countries, with additional countries represented at the other four campuses and online.
In addition to being a safe and welcoming institution, WSU also ranks in terms of academic offerings. The U.S. News and World Report named Washington State University’s online bachelor’s degree options as one of the best in the nation in 2014. In 2016, Affordable Colleges Online (ACO) named Washington State University as among the 12 best online psychology degrees. In 2018, the U.S. News and World Report ranked WSU as one of the top universities for international students.
Washington State University Accreditation Details
WSU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditations specific to the university’s counseling and psychology programs include:
- American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA)—PhD in Clinical Psychology
- American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA)—MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology
Washington State University Application Requirements
High school students wishing to apply to any of the WSU campuses as an incoming freshman can apply online or by mail. Priority consideration is made for applications received before January 31st, with applications received after this date considered as space allows. Prospective students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class or have at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA can apply as part of the university’s assured admission program. All prospective undergraduate students need to submit official transcripts and ACT or SAT scores. Nontraditional students might also need to submit GED transcripts, transcripts from previously attended colleges, and a resume. Homeschooled students should also be prepared to submit an academic resume or transcript from the GED exam.
The graduate-level clinical psychology program is highly competitive, with applicants to the program required to have a 3.0 cumulative College GPA. The average GRE Verbal + Quantitative scores for admitted students is 319. All students seeking admittance into this program must also have letters of recommendation, clinical, research, or teaching experience, and transcripts showing successful completion of a variety of high-level and rigorous coursework in the field. It is also expected that applicants have a diverse resume of extracurricular activities, jobs, and volunteer work related to the field of psychology. WSU states that they actively recruit students from cultural groups that are often underrepresented in the field of professional psychology. The priority application deadline for the fall is December 1st of the previous year, with no applications considered for spring admittance. Admission to the online campus follows a similar procedure, with documentation and applications submitted online.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Washington State University offers resident (Washington) and out-of-state tuition costs. The 2019 tuition costs, excluding housing and fees, are listed at $10,268 for residents and $24,504 for non-residents of the state of Washington taking 10–18 credits per semester. Resident hall fees range from $6,600 to $10,200. All students attending courses on campus pay a $1,300 mandatory fee to cover the cost of the student recreation center and bus transportation.
Online students can expect to pay $507 per credit for Washington residents and $565 per credit for non-residents in the part-time program, and full-time tuition is $5,067 (resident) or $5,664 (non-resident) per semester.
Graduate tuition rates, excluding fees, room, board, and books, is $5,880 for residents and $12,596 for non-residents per semester. However, many graduate students are offered $5,500 per semester tuition assistantships, in addition to a non-resident tuition waiver provided to non-residents.
WSU offers a generous financial aid package, with 2017 data indicating that the university offered $380 million in financial aid and scholarships for undergraduate students. Washington State University’s College of Liberal Arts offers over $50,000 in scholarships annually to undergraduate psychology majors, in addition to university-level scholarships. Undergraduate psychology majors are also eligible to apply for research grants. Graduate level students studying psychology are eligible for assistantships, research funding, and scholarships, with nearly 80% of graduate students in the psychology program receiving non-loan financial aid.