Top Producing Psychology Degree Programs at HBCUs

Psychology is one of the most rewarding career fields around, offering opportunities to help others both in large-scale scenarios and face-to-face counseling. An article in Black Issues in Higher Education named the five programs producing the most African-American psychology graduates in the country. Three of those five were HBCUs, which we’ll review here.

Florida A&M University: Department Of Psychology

Florida A&M was named in not only Black Issues in Higher Education, but also Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the Tallahassee Democrat as the top-producing psychology HBCU in the country.

The school was founded in 1837 and is home to over 13,000 students on its urban campus. Florida A&M’s Department Of Psychology programs include four degrees with a Black psychology and multicultural emphasis: Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Science in Community Psychology and an Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in school psychology.

On campus, students can participate in a number of organizations to enhance their psychology education. These include academic organizations, professional organizations and organizations with a focus on psychology-based community service.

Hampton University: Department of Psychology

Located on a suburban campus and averaging 5,000 students, Hampton University’s Bachelors degree in Psychology is one of the school’s most popular. In addition, Hampton’s Department of Psychology it is one of the nation’s leading departments for producing African American undergraduate psychology majors.

Hampton’s Graduate College offers two Psychology degrees programs, a traditional Master of Science and a Master of Science with a focus on Marriage and Family Psychology.

Hampton’s School of Education and Human Development currently offers a traditional Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Marriage and Family Psychology, and will soon be offering a Master of Science in Psychology.

Howard University: Department of Psychology

Founded in 1867, Howard University offers an urban campus setting and the broadest variety of psychology degrees with an emphasis on the African American historical experience.

Their popular Bachelor of Science degree is unique in that highly achieving students can gain admittance into the Ph.D. program. A Masters degree can’t be obtained on its own; it must be obtained through the Ph. D. program. This Masters focuses on clinical psychology, which involves the research, diagnosis and non-drug treatment of emotional and mental disorders, among other things. However, Howard’s Department of Psychology provides psychology degree programs that offer a very diverse range of choices which give students the opportunity to tailor their education to their eventual professional goals.

These focuses are offered at a graduate level and include Cognitive, Developmental, Experimental, Neuropsychology, Physiological and Social Psychology and Personality studies.

Choosing Psychology Degree Programs

While a Bachelors or Masters from any of the numerous HBCU psychology degree programs is extremely valuable, obtaining one from a school known for their psychology department will be an asset throughout your career. It will be especially helpful in seeking your first professional job. Potential employers will have little to base your qualifications on, aside from your degree-related activities, community service activities and, perhaps most importantly, the reputation of the school from which you obtained your degree.