UD launching master's program to address shortage of clinical psychologists

A new graduate degree program at the University of Delaware could help bolster the number of trained professionals in clinical psychology amid an increasing nationwide demand for accessible, high-quality mental health care.

Starting in Fall 2025, UD’s Master of Science program in Clinical Psychological Science will deepen students' understanding of psychological practice, blending rigorous research with hands-on clinical experience.

Ryan Beveridge, executive director of UD’s Institute for Community Mental Health, home of the new master’s program, says this is a first-of-its-kind program.

“It’s very high productivity and research around how treatments are developed, how they’re evaluated, what the basic kind of brain science is that they’re based on,” Beveridge said. “So, these therapists will be steeped in that kind of academic culture and knowledge… we’re training therapists who think like scientists; they won’t just deliver therapy, but they’ll advance it, make care smarter, more accessible, more impactful.”

Beveridge expects the master’s program to be a model other universities can adopt and implement and a transformative step for mental health care, especially in the First State.

“In Delaware alone, there are over 250,000 people who have unmet mental health needs,” Beveridge said. “And a new report from the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy found that 12% of mental health needs in our state are currently being met. So, that really feels like a crisis that we can’t continue to ignore.”

UD’s Master of Science program in Clinical Psychological Science is a 60-credit, full-time program that can be completed in three years.