Divine Mercy University Releases Two New Study Concentrations for the Online Master's in Psychology Program

    STERLING, VA, November 02, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As Divine Mercy University (DMU) looks toward the future to accommodate the demands of the real world, it has added two new study tracks to the online Master's in Psychology program: Human Service Counseling and Self-Design. These new study options expand career options available to students while equipping them to serve a variety of populations.

The Human Service Counseling concentration helps individuals gain more applied and hands-on training in interpersonal relating, group counseling, and addictions work. This concentration is intended for students who want to work in settings that focus on meeting human needs and promoting flourishing by focusing on prevention and remediation of problems. Graduates will be able to engage in professional and paraprofessional occupations in a variety of settings such as group homes, hospitals, correctional centers, day treatment centers, and social service agencies.

The Self-Design concentration is for working professionals or people in ministry who would benefit from a variety of electives. Students in this track can freely choose three electives based on their interests and professional goals. Electives can be taken in the areas of marriage and family, leadership psychology, or human services counseling. This option might be especially beneficial for individuals in ministry leadership positions as it allows them to design an individualized degree plan.

"Currently, about 25% of enrolled students in the Master's in Psychology program live in countries outside the US. The desire is for continued growth for individuals who live in other parts of the world and would benefit from our training for their work and ministry settings," says Dr. Julia Klausli, program director and associate professor at Divine Mercy University. "These new concentrations will help students get more specific training for their areas of work and ministry, and broaden the impact of the Master of Science in Psychology degree by reaching individuals who need more specific training and might not have considered DMU for their education without these concentrations."

These new offerings, which will be available for the upcoming Spring 2022 semester, are just another example of how Divine Mercy University takes the needs of its students and graduates to heart, and embodies its approach to psychology as one that prioritizes the human person.

The Master of Science in Psychology is a 100% online graduate program which allows students to explore the richness of understanding behaviors, emotions, and thoughts through the study of psychology to aid self and others in flourishing. Students learn to integrate a Catholic-Christian vision of the person with best practices in psychological theory, research, and intervention. It also provides advanced skills that enable students to become transformational leaders. These skills include:

- Recognizing and responding to mental health challenges
- Gaining a Catholic-Christian understanding of the human person
- Becoming an effective community leader
- Crisis management acumen
- Effective communication and negotiation abilities

For more information about the degree programs at Divine Mercy University, contact 703-416-8300 or visit enroll.divinemercy.edu.

Divine Mercy University (DMU) is a Catholic graduate institution of higher education offering degree programs in psychology and counseling. Founded in 1999 as the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, the university is dedicated to the scientific study of psychology with a Catholic understanding of the human person, marriage, and the family. The university offers Master of Science (M.S.) degrees in Psychology and Counseling, and a Doctoral (Psy.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology. Divine Mercy University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award masters and doctorate degrees. For more information, visit divinemercy.edu.

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