Delaware offers five psychology master’s program tracks across four universities, spanning clinical mental health counseling, clinical psychological science, and neuropsychology. Most run two to three years and pair coursework with supervised practicum, internship, or thesis work. Three of the five tracks lead toward Delaware’s counselor licensure pathway, though requirements vary by track.
If you’re weighing a psychology master’s in Delaware, the state has more options than its size might suggest. Four schools offer five master’s program tracks built around different professional paths, from licensed counseling to clinical research. The biggest decision isn’t really which school; it’s whether you want a degree built for practice or one built for research.
MA vs. MS: Practice Track or Research Track?
This split mirrors the broader MA vs. MS divide in psychology graduate programs, and it plays out clearly across Delaware’s five tracks.
Three of Delaware’s five master’s tracks are built for practice: Wilmington University’s M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Delaware State University’s Counseling track, and Goldey-Beacom College’s M.A. in Counseling Psychology. Each centers on supervised practicum or internship hours and points toward the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the exam tied to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH) in Delaware.
The other two, the University of Delaware’s M.S. in Clinical Psychological Science and Delaware State’s Neuropsychology track, are research-focused. Both require a master’s thesis instead of a licensure-track internship, and both suit students aiming at doctoral study, clinical research, or assessment-heavy roles more than independent counseling practice. Knowing which path you want narrows the choice faster than comparing school names.
Delaware Psychology Master’s Programs at a Glance
All four schools hold institutional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, but program-level accreditation varies. Wilmington University’s counseling program is CACREP-accredited, Delaware State’s Counseling track follows CACREP’s core curriculum areas without holding separate CACREP accreditation, and Goldey-Beacom is pursuing programmatic accreditation through MPCAC rather than holding it yet.
| School | Degree | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State University | M.S. | Clinical Psychology (Counseling or Neuropsychology track) | Dover, DE |
| Goldey-Beacom College | M.A. | Counseling Psychology | Wilmington, DE |
| University of Delaware | M.S. | Clinical Psychological Science | Newark, DE |
| Wilmington University | M.S. | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | New Castle, DE |
Delaware State University
M.S. in Clinical Psychology
Delaware State University runs its psychology master’s entirely online, through two tracks. The Counseling track combines 45 credits of coursework with 15 credits of practicum and internship work, for 700 hours of supervised field experience, and its curriculum covers the same eight core content areas required by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), though the program itself isn’t separately CACREP-accredited. Graduates who pass the National Counselor Examination can work toward Delaware’s Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH) credential. The Neuropsychology track skips the internship for a research focus and a required master’s thesis, built for students aiming at doctoral study rather than direct clinical practice. The university holds institutional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is based in Dover, DE.
Goldey-Beacom College
M.A. in Counseling Psychology
Goldey-Beacom’s 60-credit Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology covers professional ethics, human development, family counseling, crisis intervention, and psychopathology, and finishes with two faculty-directed 300-hour practicums. Classes run as Saturday hybrid sessions or evening online synchronous sessions. The coursework satisfies one of the two main requirements for counselor licensure eligibility, but graduates still need to complete post-graduate supervised hours before sitting for a licensing exam. The college holds institutional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is currently pursuing programmatic accreditation through the Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC), though it doesn’t hold that accreditation yet. Goldey-Beacom is based in Wilmington, DE.
University of Delaware
M.S. in Clinical Psychological Science
The University of Delaware’s newest psychology graduate offering is a 60-credit, three-year M.S. in Clinical Psychological Science, run through the university’s Institute for Community Mental Health. The first two years combine coursework, supervised clinical practice, and a required master’s thesis, followed by a year-long clinical internship. UD designed the curriculum to align with licensing standards set by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the American Psychological Association (APA), though the APA accredits doctoral psychology programs, not master’s degrees, so this M.S. itself doesn’t carry APA accreditation. Admission is fall-only with an April 1 deadline. The program is based at UD’s Health Sciences campus in Newark, DE.
Wilmington University
M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Wilmington University’s 60-credit M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is CACREP-accredited and structured as a two-year mental health counseling course sequence followed by a one-year clinical training experience. Coursework spans counseling theory, human development, addiction counseling, and family counseling, including family abuse response, alongside a comprehensive exam in the final semester. Graduates are prepared to sit for the National Counselor Examination and, after 3,200 hours of post-master’s supervised experience, can apply for Delaware’s Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH) credential. The university holds institutional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and current cohorts run as Digital, New Castle, and Brandywine sections. Wilmington University is based in New Castle, DE.
Choosing among these five tracks comes down to the same question raised earlier: do you want to start counseling clients as soon as possible, or build toward research and doctoral work? Either way, exact licensure requirements vary by track and can change, so it’s worth confirming current standards with the Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a master’s degree enough to become a licensed psychologist in Delaware?
No. Delaware requires a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) to use the title “psychologist” and to practice independently as one, consistent with psychologist licensure requirements across states. A psychology master’s degree from Wilmington University, Delaware State, or Goldey-Beacom can lead to a separate credential, the Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH), which has its own coursework, exam, and supervised-hours requirements.
Which Delaware psychology master’s programs are fully online?
Delaware State University’s Counseling and Neuropsychology tracks are both entirely online, aside from the Counseling track’s required internship. Wilmington University runs through a mix of digital and in-person cohort sites. The University of Delaware and Goldey-Beacom College both require in-person attendance for at least part of the program.
What’s the difference between an MA and an MS in these programs?
In Delaware, the degree letters track the program’s focus more than the school. Wilmington University, the University of Delaware, and Delaware State all award an M.S., while Goldey-Beacom awards an M.A. The bigger distinction is practice versus research: three of the five tracks are built around licensure-track counseling, while UD’s program and DSU’s Neuropsychology track require a thesis and point toward research or doctoral study instead.
How long does a psychology master’s degree take in Delaware?
Most of these programs run two to three years. Wilmington University and the University of Delaware are both designed as three-year programs that combine coursework with a clinical internship. Delaware State University’s tracks can run two to three years depending on enrollment pace, and Goldey-Beacom’s program is built around a two-year cohort model.
What’s the job outlook for mental health counselors in Delaware?
Strong. Projections Central estimates that jobs for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Delaware will grow from 1,760 to 2,090 between 2022 and 2032, an 18.8% increase, with about 190 average annual openings. That outlook applies to counseling-track graduates from these programs rather than to clinical or research-focused psychology roles.
Select your state below to compare accredited psychology programs, application requirements, and licensing pathways in your area.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data and Projections Central 2022-2032 job growth forecasts for Psychologists (including Clinical & Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, and School Psychologists) and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2026.