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Psychology Schools in Montana

The following guide to psychology programs in Montana, which includes profiles of several undergraduate and graduate psychology programs in the state, is designed to provide you with essential information that will make choosing a psychology program easier. Montana’s colleges and universities allow students to pursue general psychology degrees or to concentrate in a specific area, such as psychological sciences. A flexible, convenient, and often affordable alternative to a traditional psychology program is an online psychology degree program.

Quick Facts

  • There are 11 not-for-profit colleges and universities with psychology degree programs in Montana.1
  • 5 schools offer an associate’s degree in psychology.1
  • 8 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in psychology.1
  • 4 schools offer a master’s or advanced degree in psychology.1
  • No schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values for 2019.2
  • 1 school ranked in the Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018.3
  • No schools ranked in PsychologyDegree411’s Top Schools with Online Psychology Programs.4
  • No schools ranked in Times Higher Education’s Best Universities for Psychology 2019.5

For not-for-profit colleges and universities with psychology degree programs.

Top-Ranked Schools with Psychology Programs in Montana

Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Psychology Majors for 2018

  • University of Montana

Below are several profiles of the graduate and undergraduate psychology programs available at some of Montana’s top colleges and universities.

Schools in Montana with Psychology Programs

Traditional Undergraduate Programs

Carroll College

Carroll College offers students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Psychology majors will choose from a menu of electives, including health psychology, child psychology, brain and behavior, and theories of personality. Students are also encouraged to complete a practicum, an internship, or an honors thesis to gain real-world experience and prepare for doctoral study. The Psychology Club welcomes all psychology students while academically eligible students may join Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology students. Study abroad opportunities are available, and former students have traveled as far abroad as India. Students also often travel to participate in local psychology conferences.

Salish Kootenai College

Salish Kootenai College’s psychology program is offered in a “2+2” format. Students spend the first two years fulfilling degree requirements for an Associate of Arts (AA) in Psychology and the following two years working toward a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology. Students must satisfactorily complete the AA program and complete several writing activities to move into the bachelor’s program their junior year. Psychology majors may choose between one of two BA tracks: the research track or the general track. The research track prepares students to continue on to graduate studies while students in the general track typically enter the workforce upon graduation.

Traditional Graduate Programs

University of Montana

The University of Montana confers the Master of Arts (MA) to students who successfully complete the 30 to 36 credit graduate program. Graduate students may tailor their degree by specializing in one of several areas, including animal behavior, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, general psychology, and school psychology. A minor in quantitative psychology and neuropsychology is also available. The master’s program is not terminal and students generally continue on to complete a dissertation and earn a doctorate. Teaching, applied, and research assistantships may be available and students are automatically considered for such positions, which help defray educational costs. However, students may opt out of consideration for an assistantship.

Montana State University

Graduate students interested in honing their research abilities can opt for Montana State University’s research focused Master of Science (MS) in Psychological Sciences program. The two-year program is dedicated to preparing graduate students for continued research at the doctoral level and does not feature any clinical or practical experience. Graduate students complete seven courses in addition to a thesis, which requires extensive research. Students work closely with an advisor on a thesis, focusing research on such areas of faculty interest as cognitive psychology, social psychology, and health psychology. Assistantships are generally available to eligible students to help offset educational costs.

Online Psychology Programs

University of Providence

The University of Providence’s fully online bachelor’s degree in psychology follows the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for undergraduate psychology study. Various concentrations are available, including Social Services, Forensic Psychology, and Physiological Psychology. Students enrolled in the program learn the fundamental theories on how people and animals think and behave. The curriculum also seeks to develop students’ critical thinking and research skills with an emphasis on practical applications. Courses in the major include Sociocultural and International Awareness; Cognitive Psychology; and Developmental Psychology. With full-time study the program can be completed within four years; no campus visits or travel are required in the curriculum.

Montana State University-Billings

The online Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling (MSCRMHC) at Montana State University-Billings is designed to qualify graduates for mental health counseling licensure as well as national certification. A strong fieldwork component is included in the degree plan through a practicum, a counseling practicum, and a cooperative education/internship experience. Classroom courses include Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical and Psychological Aspects of Disability, and Advanced Individual Counseling. A minimum of 60 credits are required to earn the degree; students who pursue the thesis option to complete their degree should anticipate taking up to 66 credits. The MSCRMHC program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

EPPP Pass Rate and Accreditation Information for Psychology Programs in Montana

The table below is designed to help you compare not-for-profit psychology schools in Montana on a variety of factors. Clicking on the arrows in the top row allows you to sort the table. In addition to factors such as focus areas offered and tuition costs, accreditation is an important consideration when researching psychology programs. Depending on the type of program and the ultimate career path you are considering, accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Education Programs (CACREP), or the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) can make it easier to become licensed in your desired area of practice. For more information on these accreditations, see our overview of accreditation for psychology programs. You should also ensure that the program you are considering will meet the licensure requirements in the state where you wish to practice. The Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP), a licensing exam administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), is required in most US states in order to qualify for psychologist licensure. The EPPP results shown below are provided are for the exam period from February 1, 2015 to March 21, 2017.6 Only results from APA-accredited or ASPPB-designated doctoral programs with at least four test-takers during the exam period are included.6

SchoolBA/BSGrad Prog.Online Prog.Nat’l Accred.*Grad Rate**EPPP Pass Rate6# Taking6College Factual Under-
grad Rank7
US News Grad Rank8Net Price
Carroll CollegeYesNoNo69%$26,586
Montana State UniversityYesYesNoCACREP57%$15,801
Montana State University-BillingsYesYesNoCACREP29%$11,859
Rocky Mountain CollegeYesNoNo49%$18,330
Salish Kootenai CollegeYesNoNo54%$8,208
The University of MontanaYesYesNoAPA, CACREP, NASP46%100%10202^$14,186
The University of Montana-WesternYesNoNo45%$11,999
University of ProvidenceYesYesBachelor’sCACREP46%$19,435

Schools marked with a caret (^) in US News Best Graduate Psychology Programs ranked in a tie with other programs in their respective positions.
*See our guide to psychology program accreditation for more information on these accrediting bodies.
**The graduation rate is for first-time, full-time undergraduate degree- or certificate-seeking students who began studies in Fall 2012 and is calculated based on the percentage of students earning their degree or certificate within 150% of the normal time for program completion.1

Schools with Psychology Degree Programs in Montana

Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.

University of Montana
32 Campus Dr
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243-0211
https://www.umt.edu/

Student Review: “The University of Montana’s psychology program was an okay experience overall. Like pretty much any program, it had both good and bad teachers. My least favorite part of the program was the advising. You have to sign up on a first-come, first-served basis for advising every semester and often get someone who knows nothing about you. It isn’t consistent from semester to semester and was frustrating to have to re-explain everything to advisors who usually didn’t even seem to care. The program also seems to be behind in the number of online courses offered. If not for a few very good professors, I would have probably rated my school experience lower.” – Student at University of Montana
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References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 382 Colleges, 2018 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2017.
4. PsychologyDegree411 Top Schools with Online Psychology Programs: https://www.psychologydegree411.com/degrees/online/
5. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 – Psychology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/psychology
6. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.asppb.net/resource/resmgr/eppp_/2017_Doctoral_Report.pdf
7. College Factual, Best Colleges Offering Degrees in Psychology (Nationwide): https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/psychology/rankings/top-ranked/#
8. US News & World Report Best Graduate Psychology Programs: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/psychology-rankings